As a general rule of thumb, you want 10 pounds of play sand in her 10 gallons in your terrarium. So if you had a 30-gallon terrarium, you would need 30 pounds of play sand in it. Obviously, you can put more in there as geckos like to dig around from time to time.

Sand is considered unsafe by some, due to the risk of ingestion and impaction (either due to accidental ingestion or intentional ingestion to meet calcium needs). 1 Sand ingestion is a bigger risk for juveniles so sand is not usually recommended to be used with juvenile geckos.

Leopard Geckos most commonly eat sand because of a nutrient deficiency. Most of the time, this behavior is caused by a calcium deficiency. However, they may also eat sand when they ingest it accidentally when they are feeding or exploring their environment or because they are very hungry.

If you do not mind regular cleaning then reptile carpet is a great choice. Loose substrates can be bought in bulk and are cheap and easy to spot-clean. However, they can cause impaction if accidentally eaten. Impaction is a very serious health issue and the risk is especially high in baby bearded dragons.

Reptile carpet is impossible to fully clean and as a result it tends to harbor bacteria and consequently become a breeding ground for bacteria, which of course can lead to infection.

Remove and clean the reptile carpet with warm water and a very mild soap at least once a week. You may be able to lift droppings off of the carpet or scrub them off with a little bit of water mixed with vinegar. You need to scrub the carpet in a circular motion to clean off the dirty spots.

Can I machine wash reptile carpet? Yes, you can but washing the carpet using a soft bristle brush in hot soapy water is way more effective in cleaning the messiest than machine wash.

2-3 times per month

Constant high humidity levels often lead to fungal and mold growth in the soil and on plants. If you overwater your terrarium, or don’t allow air circulation, that can cause moisture buildup. Moisture droplets then accumulate on soil and plants, causing fungus and mold.

#1 Add some springtails – These beneficial terrarium insects love to eat mould (and not your plants) so introducing a colony will do wonders in keeping your terrarium healthy and happy. You can grab springtails on Etsy, or isopods work too.

Mold or Fungus Is Growing High humidity levels make perfect conditions for molds and fungi to establish, especially if terrariums are overcrowded. Nip problems in the bud by promptly removing any dead or dying foliage and by keeping the glass clean. If it’s too far gone, empty out the whole thing and start again.