What sand should I use for inverts (blue death beetles)

[nicklovesTs]

So i went to the store and found calcium carbonate sand by zoo med and now that i’m looking it up (after seeing how fine the sand was) i realized it’s not ideal to use and it clumps very very badly when wet (washing)

So I was wondering what sand should I use, i heard play sand is good, but is there any nicer looking options at petco, petsmart etc that’s safe?

and just to be clear, calcium carbonate sand in general isn’t the best to use for anything?

 

[Dry Desert]

So i went to the store and found calcium carbonate sand by zoo med and now that i’m looking it up (after seeing how fine the sand was) i realized it’s not ideal to use and it clumps very very badly when wet (washing)

So I was wondering what sand should I use, i heard play sand is good, but is there any nicer looking options at petco, petsmart etc that’s safe?

and just to be clear, calcium carbonate sand in general isn’t the best to use for anything?

Calci sand is fine for invert use.
It can only possibly be a problem when used with reptiles, or anything that grabs prey from the substrate and swallows prey whole, possibly taking in sand with the prey.
Not a problem with inverts.

 

[darkness975]

So i went to the store and found calcium carbonate sand by zoo med and now that i’m looking it up (after seeing how fine the sand was) i realized it’s not ideal to use and it clumps very very badly when wet (washing)

So I was wondering what sand should I use, i heard play sand is good, but is there any nicer looking options at petco, petsmart etc that’s safe?

and just to be clear, calcium carbonate sand in general isn’t the best to use for anything?

I like the red version of this:

ZOO MED Reptisand Reptile Terrarium Sand, Desert White, 10-lb bag - Chewy.com

Buy Zoo Med Reptisand Reptile Terrarium Sand, Desert White, 10-lb bag at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!

www.chewy.com

 

[The Snark]

calcium carbonate sand in general isn’t the best to use for anything?

I'm wondering if zoo med got their wires crossed. Calcium carbonate is very commonly used as cat litter due to ti's water absorptive ability which of course causes clumping.
Useful for dehumidifying terrariums if you want pseudo cement (limestone) substrate, or want to change out your substrate once or twice a week.

 

[Dry Desert]

I'm wondering if zoo med got their wires crossed. Calcium carbonate is very commonly used as cat litter due to ti's water absorptive ability which of course causes clumping.
Useful for dehumidifying terrariums if you want pseudo cement (limestone) substrate, or want to change out your substrate once or twice a week.

There again, you wouldn't use a sand/ sand mix substrate in a situation that requires high humidity, only in arid style enclosures

 

[The Snark]

There again, you wouldn't use a sand/ sand mix substrate in a situation that requires high humidity, only in arid style enclosures

There is a useful application for sands and silts as I see around the river behind our house. Repeated flooding have stripped the soil, mostly sand/silt loam, of nutrients so very little grows. Sort of similar to destroyed watersheds. It can take years for the soil to regain a balance and become nutrient rich.

 

[darkness975]

The most sand I have ever used in a non arid enclosure is for my southwestern Mastigoproctus giganteus. I mixed some of that zoo med repti sand I posted above into coco fiber to make it more stable for burrows. I'm not sure of the percentage, maybe 15 to 20% sand and 80% coco fiber.

That being said, despite my misting/ moistening now and then, it's not really a "humid" species so I'm not overly concerned like I would be for my Amblypygi or other moisture dependent animal.