Interested to know what you use for substrate?

[tryme]

what do you guys do for substrate?

I was thinking of a layer of hydroleca, then some screen, then something else, some more screen and then some eco earth (or another brand of coco fibre). What do you guys think? what could I use for my middle layer?

 

[acpart]

I don't know that you need a middle layer. I use hydroton, screen and then coco fiber. My crestie is in a planted tank with a hide for him on the bottom which he uses and some pill bugs from outside to keep the droppings under control. He has been in there for more than 2 years, weighs 53 grams and there is no bad odor.

Aliza

 

[rhacoboy]

I just use paper towel

 

[tryme]

Where can you get these bugs? Are they harmful to the crestie? Can they escape etc and take over your house?

 

[acpart]

Where can you get these bugs? Are they harmful to the crestie? Can they escape etc and take over your house?

They are those little gray segmented bugs that roll up into a ball when you bother them and are under rocks outside (at least in the NE of the US). They do breed because I have found smaller ones in the tank but don't overrun the tank, tend to stay under or near the surface of the tank, don't get out and don't bother the crestie.

Aliza

 

[bpcrally]

I just use paper towel and then cover half it in cocofibre.. It makes for easy cleaning and the gecko tends to sleep on the cocofibre side

 

[Limberger]

Hydroton/LECA, then some screen that I got from Home Depot, followed by an inch or two of Zilla cocofibre. I am planning to mix the cocofibre with sphagnum moss (1:1) the next time I clean out the tank.

 

[jfitz]

i use repti mulch, its pretty good but not the BEST. The best IMO is that eco earth stuff that comes in bricks and expands when you put water in it

 

[tryme]

Yeah I was thinking of using this activated charcoal every one is going on about. Do any of you use it? Where can I get it in the U.K?

 

[tryme]

anyone else got any sugestions?

 

[jfitz]

uhmm, well if you want to use live plants you can use just regular "Black" Gardening earth, make sure to take out all of those little white things though.

 

[Limberger]

I think those white things are perlite.

 

[jfitz]

I think those white things are perlite.

ya, your going to want to get rid of that.
Live platns in a setup always interested me