Sand substrate heating time?? please??

okay, google is not helping me with finding the answer to this question, so, do any of you know about how long it takes for a sand substrate to heat to the required heat for a leopard gecko? i really need to know as i am cut with time due to school hours. any one know??
-please and thank you

It is really not a good idea to use sand as a substrate for your geckos. They tend to eat it and that can cause impaction(constipation). The best substrate to use is tile or even paper towel, and that does not take long to heat up at all for them. It is easy to change when they mess and there is no chance of them getting sick from it. Many of us here started out on sand(myself included) before I realized the many problems that can come from it.

i have the repti- carpet, but i get really annoyed with it. they say it is easy to clean, but it is SUCH a hassle. i have family members that have leopard geckos, one of which has been alive for years (raised since the juvenile state, perfectly healthy and unharmed) on sand. i do know what impaction is. i know the risks, but my cousin has taught me ways to avoid it. i also know not to use shavings, crushed shells, or cali-sand. i have avoided all. my gecko seems to be having a hard time with getting caught on the carpet and i have had crickets squirm under the paper towels. right now san seems like the best bet for my gecko and myself. i really need facts on how to heat quickly and not tips on caring for my pet. (sorry if i sounded snobby.. it was not intended, it was just the easiest way to explain. sorry if there were any misconceptions. my true apologies..) please and thank you..

Paper towels are your next immediate proper substrate.

Iff you are set on using sand and taking the proper precautions then your uth, of properly sized and your substrait not too thick, it should be to proper temps within 8 hours. If its been longer than that and you're still not in the proper range of 90-96*F then either your substrait is too thick, your under tank heater is too small our too low a wattage, or you're not properly monitoring temps with at minimum a probe thermometer placed directly over the uth. Also since youre using sand you would likely want to make sure your temps are at the higher end of that scale to ensure optimum digestion to compensate for any sand your leo might ingest.

I, myself have had a fatality from sand. It was my first leo and I was naive to believe the pet store who sold it too me. In the wild, leopard geckos would never or hardly ever come across loose substrates in the wild.

They live in clay, scrublands or grasslandy areas which has no or little sand. They are known to lick the ground to replenish their calcium levels which is how some captive leo's get impacted.

The best substrate is..... paper towels if you are not worried for the looks or looking for a cheap options. But by far the best thing is slate tiles - it is as close as you can come too natural habitat without actually using clay or having a set up with live plants like grass etc.

Slate tile is also AWESOME for heating up well and retaining the appropriate temperatures for belly heat

https://youtu.be/rhOpF2Qyuu0 wach this vid this could happen to your leo an like someone on here told me the carpet stuff is junk it builds bad stuff for your leo i would switch to paper towel or tile

Just a reminder that the OPs original post was not about whether or not to use sand, and they have expressed their opinions and have taken the time and effort to research the pros and cons of using sand and are prepared to take precautions so we should respect that and simply answer the question they asked. If the OP chooses to use the forum search feature for more information on the matter, which I would encourage, we should try to provide the information they were looking for rather than bombard them with anti sand rhetoric. Please lets try to stay on topic despite your personal feelings on this controversial matter

sorry