sand in enclosure

[frank flame]

Hi, ive been studying leopard geckos since 2016 but took a year out between 2020-2021 because my gecko died.

i got back into them late 2021 and only just got back into the reptile husbandry side of social media and the internet a few months ago but i’ve come back and everything surrounding sand is so different? it’s wracked my head all day today so i NEED to ask for clarification, is sand now okay for leo’s?

i know in some aspects it’s okay, so i’ll share what so you don’t have to explain them; premade mixes (earth mix for ex) and the topsoil / sand mix. but i’ve seen lots of people say pure sand is fine which is where the confusion has come from. by pure, i mean not added with anything, just dumped into the enclosure straight from the bag. I know other environmental factors will effect and increase / decrease the risk, but surely the type of substrate, or in this instance sand, is an environment factor too, if that makes sense.

Correct me if i’m wrong (please do, it’s why i’m here 😭) but from what i have previously researched and known, sand can cause impaction, eye and respiratory issues, joint issues and possibly even shedding issues. reasons being dusty and dry, unsupportive and that geckos can’t digest it - short version of it; jacobson’s organ, sand expands in liquids (in this case stomach acid) ergo eventual blockage in stomach.

my head is just completely spinning from the potential of sand being okay because of how much i’ve heavily had the idea it’s not. I spent 5 years in college studying animal management, and all of my projects were various things about leopard geckos. my final was a dissertation of a complete care guide - it was 8400 words and about 1500 of those were dedicated to substrate alone 💀 i got a distinction star (in uk, equivalent to A+, basically highest grade possible) and a 100% accuracy on information given, which is why i’m so confused. tons of people are saying it so i’m like, did i miss something?? i only wrote that essay in april 2022, surely the info isn’t that new and even if it was, surely it wouldn’t be accepted so soon. it took years for uvb to be the norm and it’s still not in some places.

if someone could provide some context i would appreciate it SO much. i love these little guys and as much as i hate the idea of the possibility that all sand is good, i want to get all the info on them. i don’t want to be one of those “well back in my day it was fine!!” reptile keepers.

Sorry this is so long, but thank you so much for reading it.

[obtuse ferry]

When using substrate with sand we recommend using a 70/30 soil/sand mixture!!!
I think this was your question there were a lot of words

[rain bough]

^more words- 7 cups organic topsoil (no ferts, poop and nothing icky), and 3 cups washed playsand (quikrete is the brand most people use I believe) Wash the playsand as well so the sub isn’t dusty :)

[frank flame]

sort of? i know of the mix and i know it’s fine to use, my question is whether sand alone is fine. i keep seeing people recommend it in various places but as far as i know, it’s dangerous.

[obtuse ferry]

I am pretty sure it's not safe not okay. However, you may want to wait for a QA

[frank flame]

i thought so, i’ll wait and see what others say but ty for your input!!

[obtuse ferry]

Np!!

[stiff spoke]

Sand alone is not suitable for leopard geckos no!

[kind citrus]

but when mixed in with dirt is perfectly fine! they come from arid environments where the soil is sandy/has clay in it

i’ll find some pics of their natural environment hang on

[stiff spoke]

general sands when used alone don’t hold burrow shapes and also being too loose aren’t good for their joints + super dusty

Then there are the sands like calcium sands that entice the animal to eat it so :0

[kind citrus]

it’s calcium sand that is SUPER dangerous ^^^

sand as we all know is just tiny bits of rock and such. perfectly safe and they are built to pass it but ONLY when the rest of husbandry is okay. using proper heating, lighting, and vitamins to recreate their natural environment/diet makes it so that they are healthy enough to do so

heat mats are not proper heating sources as the heat they produce does not penetrate the animal deep enough. if we kept leo’s on loose sub but with a UTH that would certainly be dangerous

#enclosure-inspo message

there’s some pics

[frank flame]

ty!! i thought this was the case. i have no idea why some people are suddenly deciding sand alone is okay again, it’s like we’ve gone backwards in reptile husbandry :/

[kind citrus]

screenshotted for ease

[stiff spoke]

People probably aren’t looking super deep into soil compositions like some of us nerds (Tehe hi) and when they hear arid they instantly think of a desert and pure sand

When in reality all arid means is little to no rain not just sand

[kind citrus]

def not stereotypical desert bahaha

means sandy ish dirt w a variety of soil types

[frank flame]

possibly. it’s coming from actual reptile keepers/influencers though especially tiktok and facebook

[kind citrus]

the internet is notoriously bad for reptile info tbh

[frank flame]

yep. i’m definitely gonna avoid reptile side of tiktok now. i’ve had issues with people on there before but saying all types of sand is fine is just a big no to me. i never used it for info just to interact but tbh who wants to interact w people giving out misinformation 🫠

[kind citrus]

reptile tik tok is crazy

there’s a reason i don’t use it aha