Please I'm getting a bearded dragon juvenile pretty soon from the Petco and I'm getting some Zoo Med Excavator Clay Burrowing Substrate for my tank.How could it harm my beardie?Give me a number out of 1-100 percent of how much it can hurt my beardie and gimme some info of using it and is it hard to clean feces out of the cage give me a example of how to clean it out (what to use too) and is it safe?
The best things you can use as substrate are paper towels and reptile carpet. Sand, of any sort, poses the risk of impaction. If you want to provide a sand box for your bearded dragon most reccomend common playsand that you can get cheap at Home Depot etc.
Lisa is right for a baby lizard. Once the lizard get to at least 6-7 inches total length then you can switch to a loose substrate if you want. Play sand is a better choose then the specialty sands and crushed walnuts which have higher impactions rates and the specialty sands will also discolor your lizard.
Excavator Clay Burrowing Substrate
I would not recommend it because it is porous and absorbs liquid so it will hold bacteria. Plus it can stain the underside of the bearded dragon. Also it can get very expensive. Instead, I would use newspaper, paper towels, shelf liners or textured ceramic tiles.
