Do you sterilise substrate before using it?

[Gradderz]

So I am currently completing my false bottom ready to mix and out my substrate in, but am I supposed to sterilise my charcoal or anything before hand or does it just all get thrown together and put in as is?

[Mentat]

Myself bake it at 200F for 1 hour and then let it cool overnight in oven .

[Gradderz]

May I ask why this is needed? I do not have access to an oven at the moment for the amount I need to put in my tank, I've never heard of sterilising substrate until I just thought of it there...

[Mentat]

For the same reason we wipe tank and plastics with 10% bleach solution, remove soil and soak plants (not mosses) in same solution, and bake pieces of wood or stones. To kill any nasties and prevent them entering vivarium as part of a preventive procedure similar to keeping new frogs in quarantine.

Sorry; but if you do not have access to any oven, there are no alternative steps in regards to substrate as far as I know and will have to take a higher risk of a pathogen slipping in .

[Gradderz]

Wait wait wait are you talking only about the charcoal or the entire substrate itself ¡¿

[deranged chipmunk]

I know slot of people sterilize their substrates, but I prefer not to. Heat alters chemistries and destroys nutrients. With most common plants, this is not an issue, but with some of the sensitive and rare plants I keep, they need nutrients right off the bat. But sterilizing is never a bad idea.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[Gradderz]

I know slot of people sterilize their substrates, but I prefer not to. Heat alters chemistries and destroys nutrients. With most common plants, this is not an issue, but with some of the sensitive and rare plants I keep, they need nutrients right off the bat. But sterilizing is never a bad idea.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

Thanks for that bit of information there! It seems like it isn't one hundred percent necessary and that the risk of contamination through the substrate is small? I might just sterilise the charcoal and leave the rest, will take far too much time to do the full lot. Bearing in mind I've never had anyone tell me to do anything to substrate before using it in a vivarium before and have kept snakes, reed frogs and reptiles successfully for years prior to the building of this tank here, this being my first time using an ABG mix with charcoal in!