TiffanyMariexo
New Member
What is the best substrate ?
And how often should it be cleaned
And how often should it be cleaned
Peat Moss vs. Papertowel for Gargoyles/Cresties
- Thread starter TiffanyMariexo
- Start date
fluxlizard
Avid Member
Are you keeping them for fun or trying to breed them?
I used to breed both species.
I worked out a very easy setup for finding eggs.
I used paper towel substrate and potted pothos vines as plants. The pots were actually some sort of plastic tub that were 4" wide in diameter and 4" deep. I used potting soil in the bottom 2/3 of the "pots" to benefit the plant and the top 1/3 was then filled in with peat moss. It was easy to find the eggs because they always laid in the pots, dumping some of the peat moss onto the paper towels in the process. So whenever they laid I knew it immediately because there would be some peat moss on the floor of the cage.
If the substate was peat in the whole cage, it would be hard to find eggs. They are pretty good at hiding them sometimes even in a 4" pot- without the visual clue of moss on towels, I would have missed many eggs. Sometimes even with the clue I was unsure because I still had to search around in the pot for them. There is always some risk of impaction also I suppose, though I've used it many times for humid loving lizards and never had a problem with impactions..
If I wanted to create a large "show" tank for cresteds or gargoyles, I wouldn't hesitate to use peat moss as a substrate. I consider it very safe- I even put a thin layer over the potting soil in my chameleon plants to keep them from picking up bits of dirt and gravel or vermiculite or whatever else...
I used to breed both species.
I worked out a very easy setup for finding eggs.
I used paper towel substrate and potted pothos vines as plants. The pots were actually some sort of plastic tub that were 4" wide in diameter and 4" deep. I used potting soil in the bottom 2/3 of the "pots" to benefit the plant and the top 1/3 was then filled in with peat moss. It was easy to find the eggs because they always laid in the pots, dumping some of the peat moss onto the paper towels in the process. So whenever they laid I knew it immediately because there would be some peat moss on the floor of the cage.
If the substate was peat in the whole cage, it would be hard to find eggs. They are pretty good at hiding them sometimes even in a 4" pot- without the visual clue of moss on towels, I would have missed many eggs. Sometimes even with the clue I was unsure because I still had to search around in the pot for them. There is always some risk of impaction also I suppose, though I've used it many times for humid loving lizards and never had a problem with impactions..
If I wanted to create a large "show" tank for cresteds or gargoyles, I wouldn't hesitate to use peat moss as a substrate. I consider it very safe- I even put a thin layer over the potting soil in my chameleon plants to keep them from picking up bits of dirt and gravel or vermiculite or whatever else...
TiffanyMariexo
New Member
They are fun 
personally I like the peat moss it's seems it would be more home felt
personally I like the peat moss it's seems it would be more home felt
fluxlizard
Avid Member
Well- just remember, like chameleons, these are lizards that enjoy life in trees. They are even have a preference in nature for the twiggy parts of the limbs (can't remember if that is cresteds or gargoyles or both).
So being a foot or two from the ground - AKA the substrate in your terrarium- at a time when they aren't laying eggs is already not very natural if that is what you mean by home felt.
If by home felt you mean feels like home to you or how you imagine home might feel to your lizard, then that's another story.
Either way- your geckos will probably be happy and do great for you. They are very easy geckos- probably the easiest lizard pet ever, with great personalities to match. I miss mine.
But for me- Twiggy branches to climb all around in while awake and an nice cork tube to sleep in and maybe some green leaves like from a pothos plant- that will be homelike for these geckos...
So being a foot or two from the ground - AKA the substrate in your terrarium- at a time when they aren't laying eggs is already not very natural if that is what you mean by home felt.
If by home felt you mean feels like home to you or how you imagine home might feel to your lizard, then that's another story.
Either way- your geckos will probably be happy and do great for you. They are very easy geckos- probably the easiest lizard pet ever, with great personalities to match. I miss mine.
But for me- Twiggy branches to climb all around in while awake and an nice cork tube to sleep in and maybe some green leaves like from a pothos plant- that will be homelike for these geckos...
TiffanyMariexo
New Member
Well they are rarely on the ground lol, I meant more home like for them they have tons of high ground to play in
they have tons of high ground to play in
TiffanyMariexo
New Member
Thanks for all the info
Miss Lily
Chameleon Enthusiast
I use paper towel for all my cresties. I have a breeding pair and 7 babies at the moment! In the past I tried eco earth as a substrate (the kind that comes in blocks and expands when you soak it) but I hated the smell and everything started to get mouldy. I nearly always remove them to a separate tub for feeding live food so there is no risk of impaction from anything that they shouldn't eat!
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