perlite from Lowes

I'm no expert and I'm sure some of the senior members will soon chime in but I recently pondered this as well. I found this sentence from Chameleon e-zine "The reason for avoiding Perlite is that these plants would be used in cages with babies and/or adult chameleons. I have noticed chameleons have a taste, so to speak, for perlite. If ingested in large amounts it could cause an impaction. This would be even more of a problem with smaller chameleons. Even when you cover the soil with large river rock to keep the chameleons out, they will try and shoot their tongues through the rocks to get to the prelite.". They do talk about using Perlite for incubating eggs though. I've heard hydroton is the best for drainage.
Of course thier are so many layers of substrate I don't really understand how a chammy would accidently eat the drainage layer, I used Perlite before I read that article but my layer is about 3 inches down and I dont see my pygmy digging all that way to eat it.
 
Ren, you're asking about incubating eggs? I wouldn't leave them for 8 months in something enhanced with miracle grow in it. I just wouldn't take the chance. That miracle grow is pretty strong stuff. When you mix it to water your plants you only use a very small amount per gallon of water. This perlite is meant to be mixed in with other stuff, for use in planters. You would be using the perlite full strength, around your eggs. It probably has high concentrations of Miracle Grow ingredients which could hinder your egg development.
 
I actually purchased that Perlite not realizing the Miracle Grow was in there. I put some pygmy eggs in it overnight and when I realized the contents I switched them over to Vermiculite. The overnight did not hurt them, as they have since hatched, but I would not risk it.
 
thanx guys, i almost bought it then read enhanced on the package as well, i don't want to risk it either...
 
if i was you i would use peters perlite for your eggs.because the mariclegrow perlite with plant food will most likely burn the eggs.
 
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