calcium sand

[DJ Richey Rich]

is calcium sand bad to use for the flooring of a cage?

 

[Chase]

Yes. No substrate should be used for a chameleon enclosure. Unless of course its a pygmy chameleon.

 

[DJ Richey Rich]

Wat about nenolem flooring that i can take out and wash it off

 

[Syn]

Calcium sand normally doesn't digest well, if at all. Linoleum flooring should be find so long as it's not coated with anything that has fumes, etc.

What kind of cage are you using?

 

[DJ Richey Rich]

I figure ill get som nenolem new scrub it down with dawn soap and hot water incase it has anything from the factory on it

 

[bongrod269]

Just use newspaper. It is the most cheapest/safest way to go. I change mine once a week and I have many chameleons plus a misting system. When the newspaper starts to get very damp or covered in fecal replace it. Calcium sand can be very difficult to digest if it is accidentally consumed. I don't even recommend coco bark or Eco earth. It can be potentially dangerous because of the risk of a blockage. This happens to my female and took weeks for her to have a fecal.

Hope this helps!

 

[SS4Luck]

i have the black river rocks on the bottom of mine for some eye appeal cuz i didnt like the white floor, i wouldnt use anything other than that though

 

[sandrachameleon]

I've got floor tile (linoleum) in the bottom of one cage - works great. Its not stuck down with anything yet, but I plan to seal it down with aquarium safe silicon. The other cages are painted wood bottoms, some with paper towel or bath towels on top (to catch errant drips).

There's no law against substrate in cages. Although many in the USA on this forum are anti-substrate, in the UK and elsewhere it is common. Done right, its fine.

Sand is okay. HOwever its a pain in the butt to clean up. YOu have to remove and wash or replace it frequently. Some chameleons will purposefully or accidentally ingest it, and while a little is unlikely to hurt a lot could pose serious risk. i would recommend considering something else.

 

[serenitystarlite]

I use aquarium backgrounds for the bottoms of my cages. They are really easy to wipe up and you get them in printed patterns that make the floor look more natural. When they start to get ruined, tear them up and replace them. You can get them from Petco or Petsmart for like $1.50 per foot. Another cheap and easy thing to use is a plastic shower curtain.

 

[DJ Richey Rich]

I put fish rock down in a pattern then covered it with plexi glass wipes off easy