my substrate dont smell. its very moist not a puddle. this way the substrate evaporates and it gets a little dry so i add a large glass of water to the substrate every few days or when needed. i do a complete substrate change on my frog main cage maybe on average every 2 weeks to once a month. He is also over 6 inches now so i cut back his feeding to once every 3-4 days. it is easy and effective.