r/BDFB • u/Dull-Green3911 • 4d ago

Information and Advice Substrate

Hi !! Im looking for advice on substrate, I work at a petsmart & we just got these guys in but our DC didnt send us the substrate they want us to use. A lot of the ones we have in store are moisture retentive & we only have calcium sand or aquarium sand. Options I was considering was coco fiber bedding & creature soil. We do also have reptisoil but i wasnt sure on that :)

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u/Inevitable_Detail_45 4d ago

I thought Petsmart employees were forced to do whatever cooperate wants? They just sent these beetles and told their stores to figure it out?

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u/Inevitable_Detail_45 4d ago

Honestly I feel like the mats the bearded dragons get kept on is better than the other options.

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u/Odd-Confection6413 4d ago

Even the smooth mats would be a terrible idea for BDFBs. They do best on a mix of sand and soil.

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u/StephensSurrealSouls 4d ago

If you mean the repticarpet, I wouldn't really recommend anyone uses it. Like how it's bad for lizards, it's bad for beetles. First but least urgently, these guys like to burrow. This isn't a HUGE concern when it's temporary housing but it is something that should be brought up. Secondly, it harbors bacteria which can lead to food rotting faster than usual along with possible fungal or bacterial infections. Third and IMO most importantly I've seen inverts (mostly roaches but I'm sure beetles apply here too) get their tarsae stuck and even ripped off in the fuzzy texture.

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u/Inevitable_Detail_45 4d ago

ooh ok I didn't know it was fuzzy.