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Kalvin KrazyKelli Skullz |
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Kalvin View Profile |
good to be back props to kelly =] well I’ve had my golden for a few years now, hes been in his upright eco terrarium I use coconut fiber as a substrate and I usually change it out regularly, but I have noticed after extended periods of time it tends to build up bugs. Little 8 legged clear bugs everywhere. I’m not sure if this comes from the feces or crickets. Crickets get eaten up quickly so i doubt there is any time for them to lay eggs. Anyway to make a long story short I’m going to be moving King (my golden) into a 150 gallon fish tank. He is literally going to have his own jungle, but I need to use a more permanent substrate. His tank is going to be in the loft on my 3rd floor - meaning substrate replacement is going to be a BLAST not to mention I am a total sanitary freak. However I have to consider no matter what substrate I use feces are still going to build up =[ =[ =[ can anyone offer some advice =0 I want to use sand. I understand the impaction issues, but King is an experienced golden, he don’t mess around and he NEVER misses his target - so I feel he would not be swallowing any sand and I think it would be more comfortable for him. Sand does not retain water well, but I will have a mister waterfall supplying adequate humidity. Can any vets offer some help with my idea? Or perhaps an alternative substrate that will provide a sanitary environment for me and my gecko =] |
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| 03/09/08 01:05am |
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KrazyKelli View Profile |
Message To: Kalvin In reference to Message Id: 1653593 NeedHelp Long-Term Substrate
The bugs I found, though I have no idea if they’re the same as you even if your description is identical to mine, are termites. That’s what got me off brick substrates and dirt alternatives. I do not approve of termites. If you’re getting a huge tank, I swear that yard dirt works wonders. Of course, you can only use yard dirt if you don’t fertilize and, if you’re a sanitary freak, you can bake it to remove bugs. You could also as an alternative use non-fertilized planting soil which is just about the same, except you pay to get it. Another substrate you can try is Peat, which retains humidity incredibly. The downside to peat is that it can retain humidity too well and you may get mold. Not that good lovable green stuff; the evil white stuff you see on old cheese. A great way to keep the tank clean for ages is to scoop it out once a week. I don’t know about your goldie, but mine has adapted to crapping in the same location every day. It’s annoying because it hits the leaves in his tank, but it makes pinpointing and cleaning it easier. You can also buy or make yourself (with a kitchen appliance you don’t want) a mini shovel and all you’ll have to do is take off the top layer of dirt every week, dumping more in when necessary. The downside to sand is not only how badly it keeps humidity, but also the junk it’ll leave stuck to your gecko (hands and eyes). Sand turns to mud when wet and it’ll effect his climbing ability as well as mess with his vision if it’s dry and dusty. It can also stick like glue to him when wet if he’s trying to shed, which is sometimes not preventable as goldies have a hard time climbing when shedding and he can ingest it that way as well. A cool thing about using dirt (potting or otherwise) as a soil is that you can plant live ferns and vines in the tank. But if you do this, start small and research what kinds do well in enclosed, humid places. I found getting a UVA light (not uvb) helps tank plants grow greatly. And ferns do grow prolifically. |
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| 03/09/08 03:18am |
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Skullz View Profile |
Message To: KrazyKelli In reference to Message Id: 1653648
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| 04/28/08 06:22pm |
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NeedHelp Long-Term Substrate
NeedHelp Long-Term Substrate