Leopard gecko substrate

I just bought a bag of vita sand and reptisoil and I’m going to mix it. Will that be fine for my leopard geckos subtrate?

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If it’s mixed thoroughly, it should be okay. If you notice your gecko trying to eat it, then I would swap it for something else. Vita sand is a type of calcium sand, so it may be more prone to trying to eat its substrate than with something like washed play sand, so if you go with that mixture, keep an eye on them. :slight_smile:

I don’t recommend using any particulate substrate, but I respect that other people do not share my opinion. If any of those are calcium sand (as @dab_reptiles mentioned), then I suggest discarding it, I do not feel it is safe for any reptile, ever. I use paper towel exclusively, but my setups are not bioactive. If you are going for a naturalistic habitat then I have heard positive things about Excavator Clay, though I haven’t used it myself.

Here are the current recommendations from my herp vet (Avian & Exotic Veterinary Care in Portland, OR- I highly recommend them for anyone in the area):

“Substrate should be similar to that of the habitat to which leopard geckos are adapted, which is a relatively hard-packed sand-gravel similar to Excavator Clay from ZooMed. This works well for many people who keep leopard geckos. Alternatives include larger gravel, ceramic tile, or you can consider using topsoil with no chemicals, fertilizers, manure, vermiculite, or perlite”… “We do not recommend calcium sand, silica sand, wood or coconut products because we see respiratory, shedding, and digestive problems with these.”

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