Reptile carpet causing some problems

Mortalvis

Mortalvis

New member
Currently for my gecko I've been using reptile carpet because it seemed fairly sensible and I know well enough not to use sand. It's been easy to manage all around except for one thing: when my gecko is eating crickets, she often gets her face caught on the little fibers of the carpet, and watching her try to tear herself free kills me every time. She's fine after, but sometimes she really has to shake her head to get it loose. I was wondering if this happens to anyone else and if this problem will resolve when she gets larger (she's a juvenile right now) or if I should change the substrate to paper towels or newspaper.
 
Speckles

Speckles

New member
We use the reptile carpet and had this problem happen twice. I discovered that the two sides of the carpet are different. One side is pretty loopy and the other side is way tighter and almost flat. We use the flat side and haven't had any problems since. I know many people like to use ceramic tiles. I'm currently scouring the forums to see how to make a more naturalistic floor for Speckles as we would like to use more rocks, hard packed clay,etc.
 
Mardy

Mardy

New member
This is one of the downsides to using repti carpet, the lil loops in the carpet are known to catch gecko's teeth and toes. That and the fact that carpets are hard to clean, they trap bacteria. If you have a chance to switch to slate/ceramic tiles, or paper towels, I would highly recommend making the switch.
 
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Medic1167

New member
The mats can be de-burred easily with a hot iron. Put it about 50% (w/o steam) and gently wipe the surface of the mat. The loose fibers will shrink and curl and not pose a catch hazard.
I do this maybe once a month after cleaning the mats and letting them air dry.
Like Speckles said, the mats have a "fluffy" side and a "lesser fluffy" side but now both sides of my mats feel the same and are actually easier to clean poop off of between the big cleanings.
 
K

Kiefer

New member
The ironing helps a lot. I had the same problem so I switched to tile. My leo hated it. So I just put a piece in his pooping corner so I don't have to worry about constantly cleaning and buying new carpet.
 
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shamilt1

New member
I saw the Exo Sand Mat the other day and definitely looks interesting. Anyone here tried this w/their leo's?
 
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Medic1167

New member
I've seen it in stores and it looks sand and small pieces of rock glued to a paper backing. Reminds me of the stuff you would on the bottom of a bird cage or really cheap sandpaper.
I can't imagine if would be very comfortable on their soft underbellies.
 
D

dragonlady

New member
I use the exo terra sand mat with my leopards. I took it and sprayed it down with hot water to get the rough and lose rocks off. My leos seem to enjoy it they use it to scratch themselves as well as to rub when shedding.
They also seem to be able to hunt on it well, it is to heavy for the dubias to get under. It is very flexible and is easy to clean and sanitize.
 
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Golden_Gecko_Lover

New member
There are two ways to fix this:

1. There is a "loopy," hairy side to the Repti Carpet and a smooth, tighter side. Turn it to the tight side.
2. Get a new substrate. You are very knowledgeable. Sand is a very bad substrate. You can change it to paper towels or newspaper (paper towels get warmer so I use those) but the geckos can also bite the paper towel, ripping pieces off and eating them with their crickets. That isn't good either.

I'm not sure what I would recommend. Either will work good.
 
C

Completeleopard

New member
Tiles are a great substrate for your Leo's tank,

Textured tiles make excellent, risk-free substrates . They conduct heat well from an under tank heat mat. They are attractive, permanent, and inexpensive.

Use either ceramic, porcelain, or slate tiles (Hampshire 12 in. x 12 in. Gauged Slate Floor & Wall Tile-SHAM1212 at The Home Depot), paper towels, or brown paper kitchen roll directly upon the bottom of the tank. If you choose paper towels, the safest route is to contain all food for your leo in a feeding dish!

Avoid vinyl tiles, with or without adhesive backing, because of the chemical issues created by off-gassing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when heated.

Slate tiles should to be sealed with a food grade sealant so that they will NOT absorb gecko urine or feces. If you do not wish to seal the slate, then have several extra sections so that you can remove a few and sterilze them with a bleach solution. While the bleach is offgassing, replace the missing sections with different pieces.

Make sure your slate is the thickness of "standard" flooring or kitchen tile. If the slate is too thick it will interfere with heating from your UTH.

Some Lowe's Home Improvement stores WILL trim tiles free or for a small fee.
 
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Liam_B

New member
I had this problem once with my Leo, she lost tons of claws and got caught constantly. I notice one side of the reptile carpet is usually a lot smoother than the other and causes less catching, also, try ironing your repti carpet. It shrinks loops, makes it nicer for the gecko, and easier to clean. I ended up switching to slate tile and my geckos love it, it's really up to you :)
 
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