Although I'm still new to Dart Frogs I'm already getting tired of having to buy ABG mix and have it shipped to me. I want to mix my own and I can find all the ingredients except that real fine orchid bark.
I think the company OFE Int. sells it but I can't be sure it's the stuff I've seen pictures of. Can anyone give me a couple of places to buy it online.
Great idea! I made my own-- it was 1/2 the price !
Have fun !
Recipe:
2 parts tree fern fiber ( be sure it's not too chunky !)
1 part peat moss
2 parts cocofiber
1 part charcoal ( I used aquarium charcoal)
2 parts orchid bark
Orchid bark----I got mine at Home Depot?
Here's a few
https://www.google.com/search?q=purc...w=1552&bih=756
Lynn
Current Collection
Dendrobates leucomelas - standard morph
Dendrobates auratus “Costa Rican Green Black"
Dendrobates auratus "Pena Blanca"
Dendrobates tinctorius “New River”
Dendrobates tinctorius "Green Sipaliwini"
Dendrobates tinctorius “Powder Blue"
Dendrobates tinctorius "French Guiana Dwarf Cobalt"
Phyllobates terribilis “Mint”
Phyllobates terribilis "Orange"
Phyllobates bicolor "Uraba"
Oophaga pumilio "Black Jeans"
Oophaga pumilio "Isla Popa"
Oophaga pumilio "Bastimentos"
Oophaga pumilio “Mimbitimbi”
Oophaga pumilio "Rio Colubre"
Oophaga pumilio "Red Frog Beach”
Oophaga pumilio "Rio Branco"
Oophaga pumilio “Valle del Rey”
Oophaga pumilio "BriBri"
Oophaga pumilio "El Dorado"
Oophaga pumilio "Cristobal"
Oophaga pumilio "Rambala"
Oophaga “Vicentei” (blue)
Oophaga sylvatica "Paru"
Oophaga sylvatica "Pata Blanca"
Oophaga histrionica “Redhead”
Oophaga histrionica "Blue"
Oophaga lehmanni "Red"
Oophaga histrionica "Tado"
Ranitomeya variabilis "Southern"
Ranitomeya imitator "Varadero"
Ranitomeya sirensis "Lower Ucayali"
Ranitomeya vanzolinii
http://www.fernsfrogs.com
https://www.facebook.com/ferns.frogs
I get mine at a local nursery that specializes in orchids. I also get charcoal there as well. Any decent garden center/nursery should carry it.
1.0.0 Oophaga Pumilio 'Black Jeans'
0.0.10 Phyllobates Vittatus
0.0.3 Phyllobates Terribilis 'Mint'
0.0.3 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Patricia'
0.0.5 Dendrobates Leucomelas
0.0.2 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Powder Blue'
0.0.2 Ranitomeya Variabilis 'southern'
0.0.3 Epipedobates Anthonyi 'zarayunga'
1.2.0 Phyllobates bicolor
0.0.3 Dendrobates tinctorius 'azureus'
0.0.1 Avicularia Avicularia
0.0.1 Gramastola porteri
0.2.0 Canines
1.0.0 Tabby/Maine Coon Mix
2.1.0 Genetics Experiments
0.1.0 Bed Bully
I actually did a google search before posting and came up with those same product images. When buying things from Home Depot or Lowes I'm always worried as to how organic they are. I never hought about using aquarium charcoal.(Thanks Lynn) and deranged chipmunk.
Here's a link to a forum where a guy is showing the ingredients to his ABG mix. If you scroll down you'll see the bark I'm after.
Tropical Vivarium Do It Yourself - Substrate (ABG Mix))
I wasn't able to find fine orchid bark either. And I'll tell you what, putting medium sized orchid bark into a food processor results in medium sized pieces of bark stuck to the blades and an interrogation from the other half. So my soil mix uses medium sized orchid bark, some with blade marks on them. It's to help prevent the soil from compressing, and will still do it's job if medium sized.
I use that same lump charcoal found in your link, practically free in bags that size. Can get messy when broken down with a meat hammer in the kitchen, so best to do that outside.
Take the advice of that second post in your link, wear a mask during all this! The peat moss is also nasty when the bales are dry, once disturbed they spew forth a fine peat mist designed to coat your lungs. If the bales are wet, they're also nasty as they now weigh several metric tons.
My mix isn't really ABG though, I have no tree fern fiber and also include leaf mould from the forest.
Rotf!!! You really put it in the food processor? My wife would have killed me for that. Lol i bough one of those ninja food processors for chopping up tank stuff. Well worth the $40 or so. It also has a spice grinding attachment that works great on harder stuff.
I totally agree with Brian on the mask, but with one exception, get a respirator. Even a cheapo one with dual filters on it is better than those crappy dust masks. They won't block spores, but the filtered ones should do a better job for your lungs.
Personally, i don't use abg mix, i have other stuff that i use/make. But the abg is great, if you don't mind all the effort.
1.0.0 Oophaga Pumilio 'Black Jeans'
0.0.10 Phyllobates Vittatus
0.0.3 Phyllobates Terribilis 'Mint'
0.0.3 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Patricia'
0.0.5 Dendrobates Leucomelas
0.0.2 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Powder Blue'
0.0.2 Ranitomeya Variabilis 'southern'
0.0.3 Epipedobates Anthonyi 'zarayunga'
1.2.0 Phyllobates bicolor
0.0.3 Dendrobates tinctorius 'azureus'
0.0.1 Avicularia Avicularia
0.0.1 Gramastola porteri
0.2.0 Canines
1.0.0 Tabby/Maine Coon Mix
2.1.0 Genetics Experiments
0.1.0 Bed Bully
One other thing...How come no uses a little bit of sand in their ABG/soil mixes? Wouldn't adding a little sand help avoid compaction and let the soil breathe a little?
actually, after having water run through the substrate, it would just eventually work it's way down to the mesh and compact there. i always add in some coco husk in my soil to prevent compaction. i do that no matter what soil i am using., but i only use it when i need the soil to drain very well.
1.0.0 Oophaga Pumilio 'Black Jeans'
0.0.10 Phyllobates Vittatus
0.0.3 Phyllobates Terribilis 'Mint'
0.0.3 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Patricia'
0.0.5 Dendrobates Leucomelas
0.0.2 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Powder Blue'
0.0.2 Ranitomeya Variabilis 'southern'
0.0.3 Epipedobates Anthonyi 'zarayunga'
1.2.0 Phyllobates bicolor
0.0.3 Dendrobates tinctorius 'azureus'
0.0.1 Avicularia Avicularia
0.0.1 Gramastola porteri
0.2.0 Canines
1.0.0 Tabby/Maine Coon Mix
2.1.0 Genetics Experiments
0.1.0 Bed Bully
This looks good !
Orchid Bark 3/8" 40L Bag | AHShydro Hydroponic Supplies
nice site !
Bark (Orchiata)
I'll take 2 of these , thank you ............ Imagine that !
Cattleya percivaliana coerulea 'Ondine'
Lynn
Current Collection
Dendrobates leucomelas - standard morph
Dendrobates auratus “Costa Rican Green Black"
Dendrobates auratus "Pena Blanca"
Dendrobates tinctorius “New River”
Dendrobates tinctorius "Green Sipaliwini"
Dendrobates tinctorius “Powder Blue"
Dendrobates tinctorius "French Guiana Dwarf Cobalt"
Phyllobates terribilis “Mint”
Phyllobates terribilis "Orange"
Phyllobates bicolor "Uraba"
Oophaga pumilio "Black Jeans"
Oophaga pumilio "Isla Popa"
Oophaga pumilio "Bastimentos"
Oophaga pumilio “Mimbitimbi”
Oophaga pumilio "Rio Colubre"
Oophaga pumilio "Red Frog Beach”
Oophaga pumilio "Rio Branco"
Oophaga pumilio “Valle del Rey”
Oophaga pumilio "BriBri"
Oophaga pumilio "El Dorado"
Oophaga pumilio "Cristobal"
Oophaga pumilio "Rambala"
Oophaga “Vicentei” (blue)
Oophaga sylvatica "Paru"
Oophaga sylvatica "Pata Blanca"
Oophaga histrionica “Redhead”
Oophaga histrionica "Blue"
Oophaga lehmanni "Red"
Oophaga histrionica "Tado"
Ranitomeya variabilis "Southern"
Ranitomeya imitator "Varadero"
Ranitomeya sirensis "Lower Ucayali"
Ranitomeya vanzolinii
http://www.fernsfrogs.com
https://www.facebook.com/ferns.frogs
that cattleya is gorgeous, but $2g for an orchid that sort of looks like a white iris? i'll pass.....lol besides, that site is SO overpriced. i just bought this orchid Aerangis luteo alba var. rhodosticta for $20 and theirs is $35? i bought 2 orchids for $48 shipped. that one orchid would have cost me that. yeah, they can bite me....LOL
and there you go surfing the hydro shops again, aka my candy store....LOL
1.0.0 Oophaga Pumilio 'Black Jeans'
0.0.10 Phyllobates Vittatus
0.0.3 Phyllobates Terribilis 'Mint'
0.0.3 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Patricia'
0.0.5 Dendrobates Leucomelas
0.0.2 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Powder Blue'
0.0.2 Ranitomeya Variabilis 'southern'
0.0.3 Epipedobates Anthonyi 'zarayunga'
1.2.0 Phyllobates bicolor
0.0.3 Dendrobates tinctorius 'azureus'
0.0.1 Avicularia Avicularia
0.0.1 Gramastola porteri
0.2.0 Canines
1.0.0 Tabby/Maine Coon Mix
2.1.0 Genetics Experiments
0.1.0 Bed Bully
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