[mcadoo]

I just started collecting phelsuma a little while back, but have my 3 pair in fully planted vivariums. I have had dart frogs for years in planted tanks and use oak leaves as leaf litter, purchased from a vendor (disinfected), in all of my phelsuma and frog tanks.

It's natural, completely breaks down and will keep a thriving springtail population going. I would ditch that moss if your gecko is ingesting it. I've had various natural mosses and they are not easy to keep going, especially in a gecko environment with more waste, animal movement and lower humidity than frogs.

Be careful just collecting wild leaves as hitchhikers could destroy your tank or at least make eggs a target.

[KingOfTheNorth]

Originally Posted by mcadoo

I just started collecting phelsuma a little while back, but have my 3 pair in fully planted vivariums. I have had dart frogs for years in planted tanks and use oak leaves as leaf litter, purchased from a vendor (disinfected), in all of my phelsuma and frog tanks.

It's natural, completely breaks down and will keep a thriving springtail population going. I would ditch that moss if your gecko is ingesting it. I've had various natural mosses and they are not easy to keep going, especially in a gecko environment with more waste, animal movement and lower humidity than frogs.

Be careful just collecting wild leaves as hitchhikers could destroy your tank or at least make eggs a target.

Ah yeah I was definitely going to buy the leaves, don't wanna deal with an infestation of anything. And I just removed the moss today after I noticed a moldy smell and I had to pull a piece of moss out of one of my gecko's mouth as he was trying to swallow it while eating a cricket. In a lot of care sheets for grandis I see 'moss - great substrate.' I definitely don't think so.

[Kevin McRae]

I used dead moss in my enclosure and now have tons of fruit flies. I finally decided to throw the moss in the garbage, hopefully the flies clear out soon.

I wouldn't be worried about the geckos ingesting moss/peat/soil/coco fibre etc. It happens in the wild, geckos can pass these substrates in small amounts. I often see coco fibres in my AFT's feces. I would be much more worried about small pebbles or non organic materials.

[KingOfTheNorth]

Originally Posted by Kevin McRae

I used dead moss in my enclosure and now have tons of fruit flies. I finally decided to throw the moss in the garbage, hopefully the flies clear out soon.

I wouldn't be worried about the geckos ingesting moss/peat/soil/coco fibre etc. It happens in the wild, geckos can pass these substrates in small amounts. I often see coco fibres in my AFT's feces. I would be much more worried about small pebbles or non organic materials.

Ah I see, yeah I was really worried about the moss being ingested but I guess it turned out okay. I see coco fiber get ingested sometimes with a cricket with no side effects.

[PiTi]

Why don't you put insects in the bowl? It will prevent your gecko from eating moss/fiber accidentally, plus give you a control about how much it eats. Simple as that.