WHAT IS THE BEST BEARDED DRAGON SUBSTRATE?

Which substrate is best for dragons?
Well, opinions vary. We've used several different ones over the years and we will give you our opinion based on 30 years of working with these little dinosaurs.

In this video, we take the most frequently used materials and give you the pros and cons so that you can make up your own mind.

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Recommended products for dragons:

Nutritional bundle.
This bundle includes are regular size Insect Buffet, Insect Water Gels, Entice Bee Pollen, and our ENTICE Salad Toppers For Dragons.

Basking Bulbs - Available in different wattages for your heating and basking needs.

Ceramic heat emmiters. These produce heat with no light for night time heating of your dragons cage. Also keeps humidity from rising at night.

Insect food for breeding and gutloading insects to feed your dragons.

This digital-thermometer-hydrometer lets you know the temperature and humidity of your dragons environment.

[EmzNotBroken]

I have not been able to find much info on dental care for bearded dragons and my sweet 2 year old had to be put down because she refused to eat squash and harder veggies because I didn't know that's how they keep their teeth clean. She had so much pain from the buildup on her teeth, she stopped eating all together. She also had a hard lump on the edge of her mouth that the vet believed to be cancer, so I stopped the painstaking assist feeding. She had endured enough, so I let her go. With that, I don't know if you know this fact, I unfortunately learned, unlike dogs and cats, you give them a shot and they are "gone". However, with beardies, they get a shot in their tummy and it puts them to "sleep", however, they have to do even more over at least 24 hours because the beardie can have a reaction that they are in brumation and actually wake back up! I know it might be a bit graphic and honestly, I wish I didn't know this, but I want to share things I find out and educate. So, my original request was dental care. I feel that is a really important topic. And go back to your weekly Q & A videos! I miss them!

[trinrage]

Just my opinion of course. In the wild there are no paper towels or tile and they manage to survive. They are native to mild deserts and arid woods so I believe it is best to make your substrate as close to that as possible. Mine is a mix of play sand, organic topsoil, sphagnum moss and eco earth. Depending on the reptile the mix varies, I use more soil and moss for my geckos etc. My dragons love to burrow and I feel like I would be taking away their feeling of safety if they could not dig. Yes, they get dirty but they are happy! My dragons also love water, they play and splash and even dig in it lol. I just wanted to share my thoughts, have an amazing day!

[BLURby]

I use old school hard red bricks stacked to mimic rock cliffs and I plan on putting in some flagstone rock in the bottom in parts

[stevetodd]

Great video, , mine is half natural slate rock and the other side is half play sand and coconut coir with a few logs to climb. . The sand and coir clump like cat litter makes cleanup super easy.

[deojj]

I've found that drawer liner works really well. It comes in different patterns (we have one that looks like marble), easy to cut to size, it stays in place and is also really really easy to clean because nothing really soaks in. I'm able to use paper towels to wipe it up and really get it thoroughly cleaned. Which helps with removing the strong odor that can build up over time with other substrates.

[christianmatson]

I keep elevated food bowls on a second tier to keep them from getting any sand in their mouth when they do feed. But when I put crickets and mealworms in and they do get sand in their mouth at that point in time, but it’s really not that big of a deal these animals are from Australia. They’re built to last treat them how they be treated in the wild and handle them like little buddies.

[eriksreptilechannel]

I bought a cheap tile cutter, it wasn't that tough to figure out . The first couple were rough but I got better at cutting them the more I used it.
P.S. I know that Verse well, I used to read it on the wall every church service . I've been hearing that Verse a lot lately as well. Thank You.

[junoeggers]

When I got mine as a rescue he was in calcium sand, and I received so much hell from helpful keepers. I took their advice and switched to carpet(big mistake). I'm now using a rubber mat. I like the mat, he doesn't. His favorite was the calcium sand, because he could dig and cover himself in it. My favorite is the rubber mat, because it is easy to clean and I don't have the glitter effect you discussed. Either way, thanks for the video I liked hearing y'alls take on the subject.

[wsanch]

(Bible verse) Love the intro. You are now my go to Bearded Dragon experts on YouTube. God bless

[trialbyfirepyrography]

I started off using the ceramic tile and they worked great! My only issue with it was the weight. I was in Home Depot one day and saw vinyl flooring on a roll. They had one that looked like stone. The rolls were 13' wide and you buy how ever many feet you want. So paid $12 for a 1'x13' strip. From that, I can do several 55 gallon tanks. It's beautiful, easy to clean, my dragon loves it and it can be easily removed. I just cut it to size with scissors. I highly recommend it.

[wildflower]

I enjoy your videos. I am learning a lot from you all. Oh, and I really enjoyed the verse :)

[edwardrussellgleeson]

Good stuff. Thanks guys. I use brown parchment/butcher paper and one 12" X 12" tile. Looks good with the drift wood and artificial too.

[Natwits_Reptiles]

Nice video. I actually use a repti-chip mixed with pea gravel and it’s been working great.

[jeffreymagni]

I've had great experience using deep substrates (6 to 12 inches deep) like the Bio Dude'ss Terra Sahara with a cap of Austrailian Dessert sand for my small Arid enclosures. For my super large enclosures I'm having great success using my own DIY Natrualistic Mix of about 50% fine Paver Sand, 30% Organic Topsoil, 20% Zoo Med Excavator Clay. I'll also add dry leaf litter that I mix in as well as some Herticultural charcoal and worm casings. Some peat moss mixed in too. I grow heat tolerant grasses and Snake Plants that the Dragon mostly ignores. I have also had success growing a small Fruitless Olive Tree in the large 5'x3'x3' enclosure that the Dragon like to climb in and sleep in at night. It's pretty tough and seems- at least for a year now to hold up. Lot's of Cork bark parially burried so he can have access to deep humid hides if desired. Use a lot of red Arizona Flagstones that are stacked for the basking area as well as tall branches. Dragon's actually really like to climb if you give them the chance! What I like the most on the deep substrate is that the lower layers tend to stay moist, but the top layers dry out.. This keeps the lizard dry, but you then have this reserve of moisture deep down that slowly evaporates and provides healthy humidity assuming the enclsoure has good ventillation- installing fans can help. My Dragon is always well hydrated and is an eating and pooping machine LOL. I spot clean always, but I do have loads of Arid Isopods and mealworms living in the substrate that usually swarm the poop in just an hour if I leave it. My Dragon stay quite clean unless he decides to run through his poop before I get to it! WHY??? then a bath is warrented. It's a bit of work and time to setup initually, but once it's dialed it in it's honeslty less work and really rewarding.

[fureveryoungfarm]

Don't they live in the desert? Where there is nothing but sand? lol. I'm not doing sand but I find it funny they say they can't be on it.

[dgoldingicloud]

Hi I have a bearded dragon and live in New Zealand he’s 19 months old how long is recommended to keep him out of his viv for please

[thewhitechickmagnets]

I have a beardie who just does NOT want to be picked up. He will run away, and i just want him to get used to it. I need help

[hidedurfful]

I had my tank set for my girl with a tile floor. I had a sand area for her bathroom use and I had water area for her to get herself wet and and a water bowl I also had rocks and sticks for climbing I put her salads in with her but used a tote for bug feeding so she would get nips and things from them I also use to add lives plants in with her but sadly she loved a good 11 years 😢

[Na.thalia.a]

Hello can you explain the bathing process? How often? And why since they are desert animals? 🤔

[ArtimusPrime]

I went with one part soil, one part play sand, and half a part of excavator clay. She loves it! She hated the calcium sand. Constant glass surfing.