Stones in my Eco Earth.

[GrifTheGreat]

I just prepared some Eco Earth to change Grif's substrate and I'm finding stones that look like Quartz in the substrate that are a little smaller than a pea. Has anyone else had this problem? I'm really not happy to find these in my Eco Earth and fear for my frogs if I don't get them all out.

[Jcal]

I found a bunch of white plastic strips in my last batch.

[GrifTheGreat]

I found a bunch of white plastic strips in my last batch.

Might have to write them a letter or send an E-mail. I don't like finding hazardous thing in my frogs substrate.

[Badger]

I would complain, maybe you could get a couple free bags lol. But on a serious note, that's not good at all, I would try and sift it through a strainer maybe? Just try to get as much of it out as possible.

[GrifTheGreat]

I would complain, maybe you could get a couple free bags lol. But on a serious note, that's not good at all, I would try and sift it through a strainer maybe? Just try to get as much of it out as possible.

I had to grind it up with my hands because it didn't expand right like is supposed to. So I'm looking as I'm grinding because I have no way of sifting it right now. I'm really not happy about that.

[Badger]

I wouldn't be either. If you're mad enough call em. I had to grind mine up as well, but not a ton. I am disappointed in exo-terra.

[Amphibious]

It makes so much sense now! I just keep find small amounts of very gritty sand in Harold's soak dish. I use Eco Earth, too. I would be furious if I was you though.

[MeTree]

That is frustrating. I am amazed that their would be rocks and other objects in such a widely recomended substrate. I will have to be much more careful. Are we finding these mostly in bricks? I buy the huge bags.

Also, if anyone needs to get plantation soil, you can get from Josh's Frogs (a forum sponser).

[GrifTheGreat]

Ok, here are the results of my phone call to Zoo Med. I explained the situation, got transferred to quality control, explained the situation again emphasizing how unhappy I am about this. The women I spoke to said to email the pictures of the rocks to her (which I did) and that she would forward it to quality control and they would "look into it." A little flimsy sounding, if you ask me. They are supposed to send another brick as replacement. I am also supposed to contact them if I find any more. Annoyingly, I just purchased 2 3-packs of bricks. Jack's aquarium had them on sale buy 1 get 1 free. The rocks were in the first one I opened. Now I am wondering if the other 5 have rocks as well.

The woman also told me that the bricks are already processed and in brick form before they get to the Eco Earth plant. They just put the wrappers/labels on them. She didn't say who their supplier is, but apparently the coco fiber is left out in the sun to dry, sometimes for years and debris can blow into it. That's pretty disturbing. I would presume that other brands use a similar process, which would explain why I found sand and pebbles in them. Who knows, maybe they even use the same supplier? They get away with saying 100% coco fiber because they are allowed a margin of error for "debris." You know, like how chocolate can have a certain number of insects...

I don't feel any better after this call than I did before. What these companies consider a reasonable margin of error is a potentially deadly issue for my frogs. THAT IS NOT OK! I will certainly be keeping a very close eye out. I am looking into using plantation soil. Anyone use it for their pacmans? Do the frogs seem to like it? Anyone had any problems with it? I am very cautious about any substrate product after this. Things are hardly ever what they seem. In the mean time, I think I might run over to Home Depot and pick a screen. I'll try to jerry-rig something up so I can sift through the substrate and make sure I don't find any more surprises.

[Badger]

That's ridiculous. Wow. I coulda sworn it was exo terra, but now that I think about it, yeah..it is zoo-med. anyways, that's messed up. Good idea with the sifting though.

[Eel Noob]

I have found twig and plastics but no rocks yet.

[Nabced]

Last Eco terra brick I bought was infested with fireants to the point of touching the brick would leave your hand practically swarming. So I boiled...er well got some really really water and let it soak in that for a day. No survivors >

[GrifTheGreat]

Last Eco terra brick I bought was infested with fireants to the point of touching the brick would leave your hand practically swarming. So I boiled...er well got some really really water and let it soak in that for a day. No survivors >

That's almost worse than stones/plastic/and sand. Fire Ants could seriously harm your frog. I would have called them about that as well. None of this makes me feel any better about Eco Earth now. I'm going to use up what I have and try plantation soil. I know of no other substrate to use at the moment. So ill have to look around.

[SiNi5T3R]

I buy the big loose bags of eco earth and iv found small rocks and like what seems to be small threads from a tarp or something..like u know when a tarp gets warn out and the ends start to just shred and fall to the ground..looks just like that. I pull it out when ever I find such stuff tho. Its a pain in the butt...

[Kreamcheese]

Grif- Lately I've been having similar issues with zoo med eco earth as well. I've found rocks like you have, also entire plants that have been compressed into the bricks. Many many twigs and strings...the list goes on. Oh yeah and like you said my bricks lately aren't breaking up like they're supposed to. I let them soak for about an hour and come back and it has hardly absorbed any water, at which point I then break it up by hand and waste even more time. So frustrating so I bought a bag of it already broken up and loose and luckily I didn't find anything alarming in it.