There are so many different options and opinions for the Best Bearded Dragon substrate
You will find some bad information out there that will tell you to use certain substrates that can actually harm your bearded dragon and I will cover those in this article
I will try to be quick so I don’t waste your time and if you’re new to bearded dragons check out this guide
In this guide, I will tell you what the best bearded dragon substrate is. Which ones are affordable and low maintenance as well.
Some people might not know what a substrate even is and its the flooring for your Bearded Dragons Tank
Why You Need to Choose The Right Bearded Dragon Substrate
The right substrate is going to make a huge difference for you as a new owner or maybe you’ve heard that another Bearded Dragon substrate is easier to clean or healthier for your bearded dragon
Sometimes you’re going to hear a mix of information about which substrate is the best and which one is the worst
i personally always go down the safe route with anything to do with animals and reptiles
You as a pet owner will want something that’s affordable, safe, and easy to clean (i hope)
please for the love of God don’t ask pet stores what they think. Many of them are just part-time employee’s who couldn’t care less about you and your bearded dragon
Talk to people and find resources online from people who actually own bearded dragons or at least love reptiles enough to give you the right information
i personally had a person from a pet store recommend me a bad substrate option for my bearded dragon which i will tell you to avoid in this article
Your bearded dragon substrate is going to be in the tank for the majority of the Bearded Dragons life
You want to use something that is going to be really easy to clean as well
First let’s start off with the ones that are great to use
The Best Bearded Dragon Substrate options
there are two types of substrate options
Loose and solid
you may see particle and non-particle
I like to just say solid and not solid for simplicity
Solid substrates are much better for you and for your beardie
loose substrates can be accidentally ingested and cause impaction (more on this later)
The mistake that most new owners make when it comes to loose particle substrates is that the particles of the substrate will get eaten along with the live food if given that
If enough of this is ingested it will lead to impaction
With solid substrates, you don’t have to worry about loose particles at all. it’s easy
Tile Substrate
This is a very good substrate for bearded dragons to use. The best part is it’s super easy to clean.
Tile is also awesome because it won’t cause your bearded dragon to ingest any loose substrate
Reptile carpet which is our next option will retain some smells and stains caused by daily wear and tear but tile will remain sturdy and strong
Super low maintenance and cost-effective since you’ll be keeping the tile throughout the life of the bearded dragon
This is my favorite bearded dragon substrate
The best kind of tile to use is Ceramic or slate
You can also use linoleum if you want to as well
Another cool thing about tile is it can help keep your bearded dragon warmer since it can hold onto heat a little better and Tile can help keep your bearded dragons nails trimmed up
Reptile Carpet
This one is good because you can avoid the ingestion of loose particles and all that
you will be able to lay this down without worry
but like carpet in your home, it will quickly get dirty and smelly
It’s much much better than loose Bearded Dragon substrate options but it does have a downside
one major upside is that it will feel natural to your bearded dragon a lot more than tile would. The tile will feel like walking on… tile lol
carpet can feel like grass to them
What I think you should personally watch out for is low-quality carpeting
a friend of mine has low-quality carpeting in his beardies enclosure and it drives me insane. i might just buy him some high-quality carpet (this is an affiliate link)
Use high-quality fibers as often as possible because that will avoid the problem of bearded dragons nails getting caught in the fibers
Use this cleaner as well I use this often and when I run out I just use soap and water
the best part about the carpet is that you can cut it to the size you need for your tank
the link above provides you with a piece big enough for a 50-gallon tank and you can cut it to size for a smaller tank which is also useful for changing the carpet later on
I like going for the green carpet as well since it will mimic what a bearded dragon would see in the wild as well
I like to always mimic what they would see in the wild without all the dangers of predators
Cleaning reptile carpet is tedious. like carpet, at home, it will get dirty and smelly.
If that doesn’t bother you then pick some up its a really good option for a bearded dragon substrate
Newspaper
Newspaper as a Bearded dragon substrate is awesome because usually people have some newspaper lying around or have easy access to it
my first apartment building had a bin full of flyers and newspapers that people didn’t want
Changing this is obviously quite easy as well since all you need to do is change it when it gets too gross
Bearded dragons can be messy. You may find food they didn’t eat or poop lying around somewhere and it takes literally two seconds to change it and replace the newspaper
Paper towel works really well for this as well
I recommend people that are on a budget to go down this path
Now I know you might be worried that maybe your bearded dragon might rip it up and eat pieces of it
It actually doesn’t happen. I was worried about the same thing until I saw that they don’t even do that
the pieces are actually pretty big and your beardie would have a problem getting it into their mouth
The one thing about newspaper that sucks is the fact that it’s slippery
it will move a lot when your bearded dragon is trying to run around
Loose Bearded Dragon Substrates
Loose bearded dragon substrates are not the best idea for bearded dragons
They can ingest the substrate and cause impaction to happen which is a very serious thing and can be fatal
Loose substrates are things like
- sand
- gravel
- wood chips
- small rocks
- litter (yes some people use kitty litter)
- crushed Walnut
- mulch
- Soil for potting and plants
- hay
- pellots
Anything that is small and loose
Live protein like roaches and crickets will obviously be running around inside the enclosure and then from there the bearded dragon will try to eat it ingesting the loose Bearded Dragon substrate
Because this stuff is so hard and not natural it will get stuck in your bearded dragon digestive system from which you will need to assist them in passing it
the worst-case scenario is you’ll need to bring them to the vet for surgery
Why Do You Need to Avoid Gravel, Sand and Loose Substrates
Gravel is terrible for a few reasons
- Choking hazard
- bad for bacteria overgrowth
- Looks appetizing to your bearded dragon which will cause impaction
- Sucks to clean
Some substrates can even cause mold and bacteria build-up which can make your bearded dragon sick
I’m sure you want to keep your bearded dragon happy and healthy so not all substrates are created equal
Sand sucks as well. You will see this at pet stores a lot
Sand sticks to everything that has ANY moisture to it so its so easy for your bearded dragon to inhale it or eat it
Another issue with sand is when poop or rotten food is in the sand it can easily get spread around and on top of that it can get stuck on your bearded dragon’s face
When there is that much bacteria your bearded dragon can get respiratory problems and infections quite easily
that bacteria can be passed on to you pretty easily as well
So good substrates are all about keeping your bearded dragon healthy and happy and you also have a clean tank for your beardie to enjoy
on top of all that you make it so much easier for yourself when you want to clean the tank and its decorations
Calcium Sand needs to be avoided as well
Calcium sand is this stuff that pet stores will try to get you to buy telling you its a safe alternative when it really isn’t
There is a huge difference between a substrate and what they need for nourishment in their body
Supplementation is completely fine but not in a substrate
you want to be giving your Bearded dragon calcium through its diet. Not the floor it lives on….
Another thing about sand is its really hard to clean
it takes a really long time and the entire purpose of cleaning is to get rid of poop and bacteria
Imagine sifting through the sand every day trying to clean it
eventually your tank is so full of bacteria you would need to replace the sand and deep clean the decorations and all that
How to clean your Bearded Dragon Substrate
Cleaning a bearded dragon substrate is simple in concept but can be more tedious than expected
When you use the good substrates like tile and reptile carpet you will have to still clean it often
Bearded dragons can be messy and dirty. They are reptiles right!
Prevention is always best and having a clean enclosure is going to be awesome for your beaded dragons health
I personally clean my bearded dragons tank every day. I don’t rip everything out daily but i do spot cleaning every day and a water change
IF you’re using newspaper or paper towel you can easily just pull out the old substrate floor and put a new one in
But if you’re using tile or carpet then its a little different
The reason i do my stuff daily is because a mess is a whole lot easier to clean when its fresh
Bearded dragon tanks are hot and things can bake in there
For example a poop is a lot easier to clean when its fresh in my opinion
You can use Soap and water if you want to. I Personally use this cleaner here
Wherever its dirty spray the area and clean it right up
I also use a diluted version of food grade hydrogen peroxide as well. This works wonders on cleaning
You can also use a diluted vinegar mixture as well
Deep cleaning your bearded dragon substrate
Deep cleaning should happen every month
I do this at the beginning of the month and man o man does it need it
After a month there are just things you miss and you will find them doing a deep clean
When doing a deep clean take out all the decorations and accessories and clean them
For tile you can clean it up and then wipe it down
The way i get rid of all the bacteria on my tile is putting it in the oven at 240 degrees
Do this after you’ve cleaned it but you can easily miss some bacteria
The oven method will kill all the bacteria on the surface with ease
Just make sure you take it out and let it cool down before you put it back in there
Cleaning reptile carpet is easy but a little more of a pain in the back
You should soak the reptile carpet in hot water and start scrubbing
i mentioned a diluted food grade hydrogen peroxide mix. i make my own mix but this stuff kills everything
i do a spray and soak with that as well but sometimes food grade hydrogen peroxide can be hard to find.
You have to dilute this stuff yourself as well so its a bit more complicated but it does work wonders
The hot water and scrubbing will be enough but its going to be harder the longer you leave messes
Avoid putting it in your washing machine. Give your Bearded Dragon substrate its own dedicated place for cleaning.
Don’t mix their bacteria with where your clothes get cleaned.
Summary, FAQ’s and Things you might not know
This is an ongoing thing. i will add more and more to this article the more i learn
Thank you
In my personal opinion tile is the best since its so easy to clean and it does look good for a bearded dragon substrate
Substrates make a really big impact on your bearded dragons health so you want to pick one that’s easy to clean and easy to maintain
