Key Takeaway:
- A Substrate is important because it helps maintain the right humidity in the tank. Besides, leopard geckos need a substrate to lay their eggs.
- The perfect habitat setup must have the right substrate to ensure your gecko is healthy and happy.
- Captive leopard geckos need a substrate to feel as if they are in their natural habitat
- The best substrates for leopard geckos are paper towels, paper, DIY mix, reptile sand mat, tile, stone, and slate.
- A bioactive substrate is ideal if you don’t want to be involved in cleaning and lots of maintenance.
- Some of the substrates you should avoid are coconut fiber, sand, moss, wood chips & shavings, shelf liners, linoleum, ground walnut shells, and reptile carpets.
- When choosing a leopard gecko substrate consider factors such as hygiene, humidity, tank size, cleaning, and maintenance.
- Reptisoil is a good substrate for leopard geckos especially if you want to go bioactive.
- Avoid Reptisand as it can cause impaction if your gecko accidentally ingests it.
- The substrate you use should determine how often you clean your tank. However, bioactive setups don’t need too much cleaning as they come with a cleanup crew.
A leopard gecko tank setup is not complete without a substrate. The perfect substrate should improve your leopard gecko’s health and happiness. Unfortunately, most beginners struggle with choosing leopard gecko substrate.
Besides, many people overlook the importance of substrate in favor of non-essential things like décor and aesthetics.
For you to claim you have the perfect setup, you must have a great substrate. Therefore, try to learn a couple of things about a leopard gecko’s habitat and lifestyle as it will help you pick the right substrate.
To make your work easier, we’ll guide you on everything you need to know about leopard gecko substrates. By the end of the discussion, you’ll know which substrates are good and bad.
Do Leopard Geckos Need Substrate?
Yes, captive leopard geckos need a substrate in their enclosures. The substrate makes the tank feel and look natural.
Besides, the substrate separates the leopard gecko from the heat mat or heating pad. The under-tank heat must pass through the substrate before it reaches the gecko’s belly.
Why Do Leopard Geckos Need Substrate?
Leopard geckos need substrate for comfort purposes. These pets will feel as if they are in their natural habitat when you put them in a tank with a natural substrate.
Also, female leopard geckos prefer to lay their eggs on a substrate. They’ll dig a hole in the substrate just so they can lay and incubate their eggs.
Additionally, the substrate helps maintain the right humidity and temperatures in the tank.
Are Substrates Necessary In Leopard Gecko’s Tank?
For comfort purposes, leopard geckos need a substrate in their enclosure. The substrate keeps the gecko comfortable.
Besides, the gecko gets its underbelly heat from the substrate that sits directly above the heat mat.
Best Substrates For Leopard Geckos
Now that we’ve established that substrate is an important part of a leopard gecko setup, let’s look at the best substrates to use in a leopard gecko enclosure.
Paper Towels
You can never go wrong with paper towels as a substrate. Gecko keepers prefer paper towels due to their awesome qualities.
Besides, paper towels make cleaning the tank easy due to their super absorbent nature.
Apart from being super absorbent, paper towels are cheap and easy to change. These properties make paper towels the ideal substrate for baby leopard geckos.
Another advantage of using white paper towels is that you can spot health issues quite fast.
The only disadvantage of using paper towels is that they don’t allow leopard geckos to dig. Also, they don’t offer a good grip for adult geckos.
If you choose to use paper towels as your preferred substrate, avoid perfumed paper towels. Go for paper towels with little to no chemical content.
DIY Mix
If you want a tank that looks natural, you can opt for a mixture of sand, soil, and clay. The mixture should contain 40% organic topsoil, 40% sand, and 20% excavator clay.
Before adding this substrate to the enclosure, you must soak it until it’s muddy. After that, pack it well at the bottom of the tank and allow it to dry. You should only introduce the leopard gecko after the substrate dries.
Paper
Paper is similar to paper towels. So, if you have papers lying around your house, you can use them as leopard gecko substrate.
Unprinted papers are safe to use and you can always remove them when they get soiled.
Some people may use shredded paper bedding because it allows leopard geckos to burrow. However, people fear that leopard geckos can ingest tiny bits of paper.
Luckily, leopard geckos rarely ingest paper bedding, but if they do, the shredded paper should pass through your gecko without difficulty.
Reptile Sand Mat
Since reptile carpets are considered unsafe, you can opt for a reptile sand mat. Reptile sand mats look natural as they have a rocky, sandy appearance. Besides the texture of a reptile sand mat gives leopard geckos a firm grip.
When you use a reptile sand mat you don’t have to fret about the gecko ingesting any loose grains. What’s better, reptile sand mats are easy to install because you just need to cut them to size.
If the reptile sand mat becomes too dirty, you can simply clean or replace it. This makes reptile sand mats very hygienic.
Tile, Stone & Slate
If you wish to create a setting that looks natural, you can opt for tile, stone, or slate. These options add texture and variation to an enclosure.
You can have an all-tile substrate but you’ll be denying your leopard gecko the chance to dig. Nonetheless, an all-tile substrate makes cleaning easier.
If you want to use stone or slate, you should use them together with other substrates. By doing so, you create a nice variation in the tank.
Slate, stone, and tiles are good at retaining heat, meaning your gecko will have some good spots for basking.
Bioactive Substrate For Leopard Geckos
Cleaning after leopard geckos can be a nasty and demanding job because you have to do it almost every day.
Therefore, you must pick a substrate that makes cleaning easier. But if you don’t want to do any cleaning, you can opt for a bioactive substrate.
A bioactive substrate helps to keep your leopard gecko habitat well maintained. As a result, your leopard geckos will be healthy and happy.
What Exactly Is A Bioactive Substrate?
A bioactive substrate is a mixture of organic soil, sand, leaf litter, and mulch. This mixture can support microfauna and plant life if layered properly.
The microfauna is responsible for breaking food remains and leopard gecko droppings.
How Does A Bioactive Substrate Work?
Before you put the bioactive substrate in the tank, you must place some rocks at the bottom. These rocks act as a drainage layer, meaning the substrate will maintain proper moisture.
The soil layer should go on top of the drainage rocks. The soil layer contains a mixture of sand, soil, leaf litter, and mulch. This mixture creates an ideal environment for plants and microfauna to thrive.
Once you’ve set the substrate in the tank, you’ll need to introduce the microfauna (tank custodians).
The microfauna are responsible for breaking down waste and keeping the tank clean. The most common tank custodians include springtails, isopods, and earthworms.
Ensure you source your tank custodians from reptile shops instead of grabbing bugs from your garden. Bugs from the garden might be contaminated with pesticides and parasites.
With microfauna in the tank, you can go longer between tank cleanings. Besides, you don’t have to replace your substrate often.
Substrates To Avoid
Not all substrates are good for leopard geckos. Some are pretty hard to clean, while others can harm your gecko.
Therefore, knowing which substrates to avoid can save you and your pet leopard gecko a great deal of trouble. Below are some of the substrates we consider unsafe:
Coconut Fiber (Coir)
Coconut fiber has always been a subject for debate among leopard gecko owners. Despite coconut fiber having so many positive features, you shouldn’t use it in the leopard gecko tank.
Coconut fiber is natural, affordable, and long-lasting. However, it can harm your gecko’s respiratory system due to the tiny dust particles it produces when it becomes dry.
The other problem is that coconut fiber can cause impaction if your gecko accidentally ingests it. So, it is up to you to decide if using coconut fiber is worth the risk.
Wood Chips & Shavings
Wood shavings or chips may be a good substrate for some pets but not for leopard geckos. Despite wood shavings being cheap and extremely absorbent, you should avoid them at all costs.
The key disadvantage of wood chips or shavings is the fact that they can cause impaction and skin irritation. Moreover, this substrate is notorious for holding too much moisture and allowing insects to hide.
Moss
Moss is the perfect substrate for geckos that need high humidity. But since leopard geckos need low humidity, you should never use moss as their substrate.
Apart from its moisture-retaining ability, sphagnum moss can place leopard geckos at risk of impaction if ingested.
Sand (Most Contentious Substrate)
You are probably wondering why we’ve included sand in the list of unsafe substrates. Well, sand can be a good substrate depending on how you use it.
However, the risk of impaction makes sand unsafe for baby and juvenile leopard geckos.
If you opt for sand as your preferred substrate, you should take measures to ensure your gecko doesn’t ingest it.
These measures can include hand feeding, providing the gecko with a feeding bowl, feeding the gecko in a different enclosure, or covering the sand with paper towels.
You should only use sand in terrariums that house adult leopard geckos. Adults are less likely to ingest sand because they’ve already perfected their hunting skills.
But for safety purposes, you shouldn’t use sand alone. You should mix it with soil and clay to enhance safety.
Reptile Carpet
Reptile carpets are also considered unsafe for leopard geckos. The problem with reptile carpets is that they are pretty hard to clean.
Since reptile carpets are hard to clean, they can easily harbor bacteria that can harm the gecko. Besides, the gecko’s toenails can become trapped by the carpet’s fibers.
Other substrates that are unsuitable for your leopard gecko include:
- Shelf liner
- Linoleum
- Ground walnut shells
- Zoo Med ReptiBark
- Quartz
- Material with sharp edges
How To Choose a Substrate For Your Leopard Gecko
The market has so many substrate options for you to choose from. But how do you choose the perfect substrate for your leopard gecko enclosure? Well, you should consider the following factors before making a decision.
Tank Size
The size of your enclosure may determine the substrate you should use. If you have a small enclosure, you are much better off using paper towels on unprinted papers.
On the other hand, large enclosures might require you to use a DIY blended substrate, tiles, or a bioactive substrate.
Moisture And Humidity
The humidity requirements of your pet should determine the substrate you choose. In the case of leopard geckos, you must maintain low humidity levels in the tank. Therefore, you don’t need a substrate that retains moisture.
Hygiene
Hygiene is another factor that should influence your buying decision. You want a substrate that helps you maintain hygiene in the tank to protect your leopard gecko from bacterial infections.
That said, you should avoid reptile carpets and any other unhygienic substrates.
Cleaning And Maintenance
The best substrate should allow you to clean the enclosure quickly. You shouldn’t struggle to scoop up poop or any food remnants from the enclosure.
This explains why paper towels and paper are ideal substrates. You can always change the paper towels once the gecko soils them.
If you want an easy-to-maintain substrate, you should opt for a bioactive substrate. This substrate doesn’t require you to clean the enclosure often.
Moreover, you don’t have to replace the substrate often, making maintenance a walk in the park.
Is Reptisoil Good For Leopard Geckos?
Yes, Reptisoil is a good substrate for leopard geckos. Reptisoil is a great choice because it is a mixture of soil, clay, and sand. Moreover, it can support plant life in the gecko’s enclosure.
Is Reptisand Good For Leopard Geckos?
No, Reptisand isn’t a good substrate because it can cause impaction if your leopard gecko accidentally ingests it. If possible, avoid sand substrates at all costs.
Is Reptile Carpet Good For Leopard Geckos?
No, reptile carpets shouldn’t be used in leopard gecko enclosures. Most gecko keepers say that reptile carpets are hard to clean. Besides, some carpets have long fibers that can catch a gecko’s toenails.
Should You Get Paper Towel Substrates For Leopard Gecko Or Not?
Yes, you can use paper towels as a substrate. Paper towels are some of the best substrates for leopard gecko tanks.
They allow you to clean the enclosure without too much hassles. Besides, you can easily monitor the gecko’s poop when you use paper towel substrates.
Bioactive Vs Non-Bioactive Substrate
Reptile keepers will always be torn between using a bioactive or non-bioactive substrate. Maybe you are also wondering which is the right one for you.
Well, bioactive substrates are ideal when you want a setup that supports microfauna and plants.
The microfauna will help you clean the gecko’s poop and any food remains in the tank.
In simple terms, a bioactive substrate helps you create a small ecosystem in the leopard gecko tank.
A non-bioactive substrate on the other hand doesn’t support bioactivity. Therefore, you can’t introduce a cleanup crew or live plants in the tank.
When using a non-bioactive substrate, you have to clean the tank often to maintain hygiene.
Common examples of non-bioactive substrates include paper towels, newspapers, reptile sand mats, stones & tiles.
How Often To Clean Leopard Gecko Substrate
How often you clean a leopard gecko’s tank differs depending on the substrate you use. If you use paper or paper towels, you’ll have to change them at least twice a week.
For tiles, stones, and slates, you can always pick up the gecko’s poop or any dirt anytime you like. However, you shouldn’t go for a week without cleaning.
If you use a mix of sand, clay, and soil as your substrate, you can go for one month before cleaning. Nonetheless, you can still clean twice a month depending on how messy your leopard gecko is.
Tanks with a bioactive substrate don’t need to be cleaned often as they contain isopods and springtails that help with the cleaning.
FAQs
What Substrate Is Best For Leopard Geckos?
A bioactive substrate will always be the best leopard gecko substrate due to its low maintenance. However, you can still opt to use a DIY mix of organic soil, sand, and clay. Alternatively, you can opt for paper towels as your substrate.
How Much Substrate Should A Leopard Gecko Have?
The amount of substrate you should use varies based on type. For instance, if you opt for paper towels, you can only use two or three layers of paper towels.
However, if you use a bioactive substrate, it should be at least 3 inches deep to allow natural burrowing.
Do Leopard Geckos Prefer Sand Or Dirt?
Sand substrate isn’t safe for leopard geckos due to the high risk of impaction. Therefore, your leopard geckos are much safer with dirt as their substrate.
But if you insist on using sand as a substrate, ensure you mix it with clay and soil to make it safe.
Summary
Leopard geckos are fun to keep as long as you provide them with the right conditions and supplies. As you can see, the substrate determines your leopard gecko’s quality of life.
You must pick the right substrate to keep your gecko comfortable and safe from impaction. While at it, you must ensure that the substrate you use is easy to clean and maintain.
