Need some help with substrate

[balthazar196]

Ok the dude at the petshop was trying to sell me "food grade calcium" for substrate...now correct me if im wrong but isnt that calci sand and if so i dont want it but my dad being my dad decided to say "ooh might be interested" and im not happy because i dont know if its calci sand or not so can you help me please =]

[Amber]

Even if it isn't, you wouldn't want the animal eating too much calcium, as that isn't healthy either...

Unless it was actual calcium, that would just be strange and expensive as a substrate :P

[Lowenna]

Hi,

Any kind of loose substrate is not a good idea - especially if the substrate contains calcium. It is natural for the animal to lick limestone in the wild to obtain extra calcium.

But in captivity it is different. We are to dust the animals food with a calcium supplement, such as calypso cricket dust.

A reptile that is getting enough calcium though dusted food is less likely to lick/eat the substrate. And if calcium is not present in the substrate it is even more unlikely that the reptile will lick/eat it.