Substrate...now theres a few things to choose from...
I will not be going completely live.....All my plants will be live, but no bioactive substrate for me thankyou.
My reason in this is quite simple.
I wish to be able to easily clean the vivs, remove plants (incase my fingers are not green enough lol) and maximize the inside space of the vivs i own.
Therefore my substrate of choice is......Drum roll......
A table protector!
Though Cresties are naturally burrowing egg layers, come breeding (years down the line!) a deep filled laying box of eco earth will be provided for this purpose.
There are plenty of other substrates to choose from though and it will come down to personal choice. Research is key to finding what will work best for you and your crestie! here's the big Five!
Kitchen roll: Cheap, easy to remove, easy to check for poops, non-toxic and lays to rest fears of impaction if you are that way inclined...the recommended substrate for hatchling Crested geckos! not reuseable, will need changing often
Orchid bark: Holds humidity well, looks natural, easily obtained at a fair price. In my experience, its a pain to clean, it can be reused (washing and low baking), there are some debates on the wood used to make it (there is ALWAYS a debate about something lol!), some keepers fear it can cause impaction so will either only use for adults or not at all....my experience with orchid bark is from a snake front..not from a crestie front.
Eco earth/ Coir: Holds humidity well, great medium for egg laying, looks natural, clean up crews can be added to minimize spot cleaning (springtails and tropical woodlice being the most common), can be bought loose or as dried compact bricks at a reasonable cost. In my opinion, a drainage layer should be added if planted.
Slate/Tiles: Looks natural (Slate only), reuseable, fairly cheap (keep an eye out for odd ones, free samples and second hand on ebay), can come in a range of styles and sizes. Has started to become a quite popular medium in reptile keeping. Easily removed for cleaning.
Lino/Vinyl: Fairly cheap (look for off cuts or the odd panels), easy clean and removing, easily obtained, easily cut to size....but make sure you get none adhesive...i personally would be worried about toxins in a humid and fairly warm environment from one that does.
Unsuitable IMO!
Aspen, wood chip, repticard (now i use this with my snakes, it can hold like glue if it gets to damp from my experience...but others may say different.), gravel.. and i shouldn't have to say it as cresties are a humid loving species...but there is always one lol! Sand!
I will not be going completely live.....All my plants will be live, but no bioactive substrate for me thankyou.
My reason in this is quite simple.
I wish to be able to easily clean the vivs, remove plants (incase my fingers are not green enough lol) and maximize the inside space of the vivs i own.
Therefore my substrate of choice is......Drum roll......
A table protector!
- Non-slip bottom, perfect for glass enclosures.
- 2mm thick.
- Easy to remove and clean.
- Reuseable.
- No toxic adhesives to worry about, unlike some adhesive vinyl tiles.
- Cheap. I paid £4 for a meter at the Range.
- Comes in a variety of patterns, textures and colours.
Though Cresties are naturally burrowing egg layers, come breeding (years down the line!) a deep filled laying box of eco earth will be provided for this purpose.
There are plenty of other substrates to choose from though and it will come down to personal choice. Research is key to finding what will work best for you and your crestie! here's the big Five!
Kitchen roll: Cheap, easy to remove, easy to check for poops, non-toxic and lays to rest fears of impaction if you are that way inclined...the recommended substrate for hatchling Crested geckos! not reuseable, will need changing often
Orchid bark: Holds humidity well, looks natural, easily obtained at a fair price. In my experience, its a pain to clean, it can be reused (washing and low baking), there are some debates on the wood used to make it (there is ALWAYS a debate about something lol!), some keepers fear it can cause impaction so will either only use for adults or not at all....my experience with orchid bark is from a snake front..not from a crestie front.
Eco earth/ Coir: Holds humidity well, great medium for egg laying, looks natural, clean up crews can be added to minimize spot cleaning (springtails and tropical woodlice being the most common), can be bought loose or as dried compact bricks at a reasonable cost. In my opinion, a drainage layer should be added if planted.
Slate/Tiles: Looks natural (Slate only), reuseable, fairly cheap (keep an eye out for odd ones, free samples and second hand on ebay), can come in a range of styles and sizes. Has started to become a quite popular medium in reptile keeping. Easily removed for cleaning.
Lino/Vinyl: Fairly cheap (look for off cuts or the odd panels), easy clean and removing, easily obtained, easily cut to size....but make sure you get none adhesive...i personally would be worried about toxins in a humid and fairly warm environment from one that does.
Unsuitable IMO!
Aspen, wood chip, repticard (now i use this with my snakes, it can hold like glue if it gets to damp from my experience...but others may say different.), gravel.. and i shouldn't have to say it as cresties are a humid loving species...but there is always one lol! Sand!