bio active substrate

[wetbeef87]

hello every one, im intrested in trying out a bio active substrate for my pacman.
whats the best way of setting this type substrate up? what will i need?

[JeffreH]

You'll need a few things, depending on what you wish to accomplish with it and what kind of plants you wish to grow in it (if any).

-Handful of soil from outside: get out to an un-contaminated forest near you and dig down underneath the leaf litter and junk a scoop or two and take a handful or two of the soil with you to place into the substrate. This will help to get some natural bacteria and microbes in there to kind of "jump start" the process.

-Ideally, you want to consider looking into helpful fauna like springtails and pill bugs; maybe small earthworms. These will help to eliminate wastes (in addition to live plants). All of these options make for suitable feeders and are in no way harmful if ingested by the frog. Just be sure that they come from a reliable source.

-The basis of the substrate should be a quality organic soil, such as peat moss, ground bark, and/or coir (coconut fibers/eco-earth) with NO perlite, vermiculite or fetilizers added.

-Add about 10-15% by volume of a drainage component to make the soil looser and increase airation. Good things to add include orchid bark and some coarse sand.

-You should consider adding a drainage layer... generally at least 1-2" of gravel or hydroponic clay balls (or plastic egg crate, though it is a little more unsightly). This will be on the bottom, then add roughly 2" of the actual soil based substrate mix above it. On method to help separate the two is to use mesh or something to that nature that allows for water to sink into the drainage layer without allowing substrate to fall in.

-You'll want to spray the enclosure regularly (shouldn't be an issue with the species of interest) and at least once weekly mix the substrate around with some kind of utensil. This will help to move waste material into the deeper and moister area of the substrate where it has the potential to be broken down by bacteria.

* I should note, this is what I've used for Rhacodactylus geckos and recommend for some species of tropical lizards...I'm not sure if or what modifications should be made for this particular species or for phibs in general considering they frequently have much higher humidity demands. Hopefully someone with more froggie experience can chime in and contribute or modify this, just wanted to give my $0.02 on what has worked for me with geckos. Hope it helps some! = )

[wetbeef87]

thanks a very informative post
as far s the small bugs go, would the little fuzzy things that come in a cricket box make a good start? and just common or garden earth worms? and how many would i need? im going to be using a small exo terra right now.
would i be fine to put it all together mix it up and put the frog right in or is there some kind of "maturing" time needed?
many thanks.

[JeffreH]

There isn't really a maturing time, as the frogs waste can help contribute to the growth of the good bacteria within the substrate. I'm really not sure how often these frogs defecate or how large their stools are, but you might need to clean up some on occasion because it can get overloaded. I'd imagine that too much waste in there could be bad for these frogs since they burrow and probably take in fluids through their skin...(please excuse my froggie ignorance, I'm a reptile guy LOL)

The fuzzy things in the cricket box are actually dermestid beetle larvae (usually). They really only feed upon death, so they likely won't contribute much to this project. I'd keep them with your feeders where they can feed on the dead bugs to help maintain a slighty more sanitary feeder environment.

Your standard earthworms are fine, I wouldn't go overboard with them, just a couple in there will be adequate due to the small size. Be sure to obtain these from a reliable source though - because these could be eaten you want them to feeder quality.

Again, can't guarantee that it will work 100% with this species of frog, but the substrate should be ideal for them even if it doesn't bioactive correctly (I understand they fair well in coir anyway). Best of luck to you! = )

Ps. Plants can help contribute to the project as well, I'd look into some little ones that would able to survive in this kind of environment. Springtails and isopods are excellent harmless additives that will help feed on decaying matter and aid in inhibiting mold growth.

[wetbeef87]

awesome, thanks for your help.
they do tend to lay rather large turds, so i will probaly need to keep up the cleening routen.
with the drainage layer at the bottom, what kind of system do you have in place for empying/filtering it out?

[Ra]

hello every one, im intrested in trying out a bio active substrate for my pacman.
whats the best way of setting this type substrate up? what will i need?

The only resources I've read concerning bio-activated substrates in terrariums that contain larger anurans are from care articles here on the site by John P. Clare and in books by Phillipe De Vosjoli. I quote John P. Clare's African Bullfrog care article published right here on the site.

"Substrate: Most hobbyists use coconut fiber substrate which is sold under various brand names including "Eco-Earth".... Its primary disadvantage is that it doesn't harbor any beneficial bacteria or fungi so it can sour, and it requires changing more frequently than natural substrates such as soil.

The main alternative to coconut fiber is additive-free top soil (or your own garden soil, provided it is free of pesticides and fertilizers). If you use one of the additive-free top soil products available at hardware stores rather than your own soil, ensure that it contains little or no large pieces of mulch, which is a common additive in these commercial products. The reason for this is that these frogs can accidentally ingest the substrate when they lunge for their prey and this can cause intestinal blockages/impaction. This is one of the most common causes of premature death in these frogs. Top soil doesn't sour/spoil as easily as coconut fiber due to the presence of helpful bacteria and fungi, and as a result it generally requires less frequent renewal. It is also cheap (or free if you use your own)."

Phillipe De Vosjoli in his chapbook on Pacman frog care states that such soil can be spot cleaned for large fecal matter, and then the top half most of the soil should be stirred around so that waste can seep down to the deeper strata of the soil and be broken down by beneficial bacteria and fungi.
The presence of live plants will also help aid the breakdown of waste matter even further. In large terrariums containing smaller reptiles or amphibians, such as dart frogs as a popular example, such living set ups can be maintained without soil changes for a couple of years or possibly more. In such situations, colonies of small tropical pillbugs make great biological agents for assisting the breakdown of waste. In your typical ten to twenty five gallon pacman frog set up, the soil will none the less need to be changed every few months, as waste will build up more quickly than it can be broken down. A good indicator of when to change the soil is a persisting foul odor that isnt diminished by large waste removal and spot cleaning. This makes set ups containing pillbugs impractical.
A more permanent set up can be maintained by setting up a very large terrarium, which is more than most people are willing to do for a single pacman frog or two.

I have a Fantasy Frog that I intend on using bio activated topsoil in as a substrate, with vining plants planted directly into the soil, the roots of which the frog can burrow into, along with one or two small potted plants the type of which I am undecided. The topsoil will also be covered with clumps of sheet moss and leaf litter. Due to the impermanent nature of the set up, and the burrowing nature of the frog, I dotn plan on using a drainage layer, so making sure the set up doesnt become soggy is imperative.

A very large bag of organic topsoil can be purchased for only a couple of dollars at big box garden center, though you may need to sift through it and remove small potentially hazardous stones that cause a risk of impaction.

My first experience with an organic topsoil set up containing larger animals was a large plastic sweater box containing two Tiger Slamanders. The set up was simpoly soil and leaf litter. I purchased several 50 lb bags for about 10 bucks, expecting to change it frequently, but was surprised when week after week the terrarium still smelled like fresh soil, which was ideal as the Salamanders had carved out a rather elaborate tunnel system.

I have never been a fan of coco fiber since my first experience with it after purchasing my first pacman frog. It lasted longer than sphagnum moss but the degree to which it seemed to dirty my large and attractive frog made for a less than ideal display enclosure. Topsoil has far less a tendency to stick to every square inch of an amphibians flesh.