I would think that your cage is too small for two mega rays but I could be wrong. I would set it up with the hot spot on one side and the cooler on the other, but thats just me. As far as the calci sand in my opinion ditch that stuff, but that is just my opinion. I had very bad luck with that stuff back in the day and a death was involved, that was before I knew any better. Some people will not agree with me and that is just my opinion. I would not use that stuff if you paid me, lol. I would love to see pics of your URO though, I love those things!

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I have sucker tattood on my forehead

Calci-Sand = Hypocalcemia - Impaction/Chrionic Impaction

Here is everything you need to know about that garbage: Understanding The Dangers Of Calci-Sand

There are only a handful of products that I wish no one would ever use. Calci-Sand is one of them.

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.:: Rich ::.

+ Spread The Info

If you use dirt as the base of the substrate and put an inch of the Excavator product on top, the moisture should stay in the dirt okay. I haven't done this but it seems like a good idea in theory. If you leave a few holes here and there for the Uro to dig into the dirt it will also allow you to add water. If the substrate dries out completely it will be as useful for burrowing as sand. I say to leave holes because the Excavator product will get pretty hard and the Uro won't dig through it. Uros are famous for thrashing their food around as they eat so any loose substrate is a no-no. I've tried birdseed and it was a bad idea. Keeping moisture in the ground is good. The basking lamp will dry ou the air. You want to add water underneath, not on top where it will evaporate and increase the humidity. Sorry for the ramblings, I just took an energy drink and WOW is it kicking in.

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

Sounds unanimous, the CalciSand stinks. Why do they sell CalciSand then? To make money I guess, still, they are *******s. I will Post pictures of my Uro, he/she is awesome!

I'm still confused on the dirt, do you mean potting soil, something from the backyard or something else? I could use bedabeast too.

Crappy CalciSand, I spent $37 to fill the cage with 3" of it. It was PETSMART's rec for the Uro (3"-6" calcisand). The only rec besides not needing a UVB source. UGH. I have no problem with PETSMART in general, they just push certain products in those care sheets. I question the motive ($$ from CalciSand?).

No, soil dries out incredibly fast and becomes very loose and dusty. I'm talking dirt like you would find when they are digging for a foundation of a house. Kind of a mix of clay, sand and small stones.

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

Calci-sand is recommended by most of the chains. I know petco had or has some sponsorship deal with them. Thats why they suggest it and use it in their enclosures.

It also doesn't help that it is "vet" recommended. That should be changed to: Some vets even recommend this stuff.

Its an unfortunant side effect of corporate business. Money is the motivator for the person pulling the strings. Since the owners goal is to make money, the "real" care of the animals comes second.

If I had the money required for sponsorship, and I got some vet to say that dried up peas was a good substrate for bearded dragons, I could likely get it tossed in a chain stores tank for the right price. Its horrible, but its a reality.

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.:: Rich ::.

+ Spread The Info

Heh heh. A good rule of thumb is never to trust the pet store worker or caresheet. Money is definitely a big motivation for what they recommend. Not that they purposely intend to harm your pet, but if your Uro dies from impaction in 6 months, they can only benefit when you come back to buy another one.

I recommend using simple, clean substrates at first for almost any reptile. Paper towels, newspaper, tile, etc. Then some research can land you more interesting options. That way you don't have to worry about trying to figure out whether the recommended substrate is actually okay to use.

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"Let's eat, Grandpa!"
"Let's eat Grandpa!"

Punctuation. It saves lives.

That is a good idea. It is a bummer spending so much money on cage setup and having to do it again because of bad recs from the pet store. I was so excited about the new Uro that I let my ignorance get the best of me. Should've waited till after I did the research. Not buy what they recommend and then do research. So it goes.

I think we've all learned that lesson at least once.

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

Pheww,,, I know I have!

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I have sucker tattood on my forehead