which sand?

[chuck]

im about to get a desert scorp and i looked in the pet shop to see the sand they have
2 different types of sand that have vitamins and/or calcium, and another very fine sand. neither of which i dont see anything making a burrow in this stuff.
i read adding clay could help it pack. where can i pick up clay? would clay in an art supply store be good?
any other suggestions are welcomed

 

[Frank]

Petshops' sand is for reptiles. You can get different type of sand at your local home depot-like store.

As for clay, you'll find bentonite at the same type of store. Bentonite helps if mixed with sand to do solid burrows. I don't know which one is better. You'll find those 2 at pottery stores. Or whatever store that sells things to do pottery.



Frank

 

[Kugellager]

What I have found that works really well and has some clay content is called 'paver base' or 'paver underlay'. Its a sand/clay/gravel mixture that is used onder brick walkways. Anyway, If you moisten it in small batches then pack it into your enclosure it solidifies enough for any burrows that are dug to have some stability...though adding bentonite(clay) to play sand works well too...Bentonite is not as easy to find as other items.

John
];')

P.S. it runs $3-4 at Home Depot for a 40? pound bag.

 

[neveragain]

So you use ONLY the paver-underlay in the entire enclosure? i saw a bag of this last time i bought a bag of sand. maybe i'll try that next time.

 

[Frank]

Originally posted by Kugellager
though adding bentonite(clay) to play sand works well too...

You say that Bentonite is a kind of clay?

For the paver base, do you put it in the oven to kill any bacteries before using it? Because it might dry too much if put in oven.


Frank

 

[Kugellager]

I usually use a mixture of the paver base and a small (10-15%) amount of peat for some organic matter with scorpions that come from areas of gravelly desert environments. I used this for my M.martensii and my H. trilineatus as well as my V.coahuilae and P.gracilor. The latter two are species I collected in the US. I almost always add some peat as there is always some organic matter.

Bentonite is a type of clay that is used in making ceramics and the drilling industry. I can be bought in ceramic shops. I have never used it myself though...I have found other ways to make the burrows stable.

John
];')

 

[chuck]

$4 for 40lbs? thats not bad, unfortunatly i only have 1 scorp in a not so large tank. anyone want to bu 39.5 lbs of this stuff?:}

 

[jper26]

John is all paver base chemical free? Or should i look for a specific kind?

 

[Frank]

John, you didn't answer to my second question Did you put the paver base in the oven before using it or did you directly put it in the tank?


Thanks, Frank

 

[Kugellager]

The paver base is basically just sand crushed gravel and clay...nothing funky like cement or other binders...I have been using it by itself and in various substrate mixtures for two years with good results.

Frank...I don't put the paver base in the oven there is no organic matter in it and therefore unlikely to have any nasties in it...I do put any peat I use in the oven...I have noticed with peat some brands have a lot of mites while others have none...you might want to do that with soil too...I also do that for any bark I collect and use for my enclosures.

John
];')

 

[chuck]

hmmmm, i just thought of something, im not going to allow my scorp to borrow b/c i wont have the depth in the cage for it to borrow. ill give it rep-tiles to hide under. do the israeli golds need to borrow?

 

[Frank]

Thanks John. What about sand, do you sometimes put it in the oven? I think that there are mites that lives in the sand..?

Frank

 

[Kugellager]

The sand I get is usually just plain old play sand...I haven't cooked it either. The main reason I don't heat either the paver base or the sand is that I primarily use it for desert species and therefore won't get a mite problem in the particular enclosure as moisture is key to keeping mites alive. The low humidity in these enclosures prevents any mite problem from the beginning.

When my substrate is primarily peat I am generally going to use it in something that will be on the moist side or at the very least have a moist area in the tank. Thefore I prefer to heat/cook the peat before use.

John
];')

 

[Frank]

Ok thanks, so I won't loose time cooking everything anymore lol


Frank