Rookie Questions- Substrate

[Qualityfrogs]

I am brand new to the wold of terrariums and frogs so I have some questions on substrates. I plan on planting my new terrariums with live plants. I will be putting in dart and tree frogs. I have been doing all kinds of reading on the different substrates that can be used. Just getting into the hobby and and having to buy lots of stuff, I am trying to save where I can so I have some questions. With substrates I don't know if you have to stay with the specific brands made for reptiles or if you can go with non reptile brands to save some money.

Questions
1. Is peat moss the same as sphagnum moss. If so is this Permeir Premium peat Moss from the Home Depot safe for frogs? I can get 3 cu. ft. for $10.00.
Premier 3 cu. ft. Peat Moss-70976040 at The Home Depot

2. Is it safe to use this compressed coco fiber. When you zoom in on the picture it says it's 100% organic on the label. The only additive is that it says its enriched with humus.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER


3. I keep seeing people use those round ball thing for drainage what are they and what are the advantages of them vs pea gravel that I can get at The Home Depot for $2.00 a bag. Is the upgrade worth it?

4. I plan on doing a layer of drainage then a layer of the Coco fiber and then the peat poss on top. Should I add organic soil into the mix or is that enough for the plants?

Thanks for your time in answering my questions I truly appreciate it!

[Bombina Bob]

Welcome to the forum Peat moss is different from sphagnum moss because peat is ground up and will look much more like cocoanut fiber than moss. Peat is usually more acidic than other substrates. If it is organic and has no perlite, fertilizers or added chemicals, its safe! Cocoa fiber is one of the most commonly used substrates for frogs and is one of the safest options, its great for humidity and burrowing. If it is made for gardening, you may have to swat away small gnats but they are harmless. The "round balls" you see are Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate or LECA for short. They are commonly used as a drainage layer for planted tanks for excess water to drain into a small resivoir. I would recommend it over pea gravel because it's much lighter and let s the water drain better in my opinion. Cocoanut husk and peat will be fine for plants you choose

[tiffers]

Since we're discussing substrate...I use sphagnum moss (home grown and commercial), and I cannot keep it green. Not sure if it's just because there's no direct sunlight?

[Bombina Bob]

Hi Tiffers. For your sphagnum moss if you keep it partially submerged near a water source, it should thrive but if you have it anywhere else in the terrarium. You may need to mist the moss to keep it soaked. Ive never had color loss from my moss when having it submerged. I hope this helps

[tiffers]

Hi Tiffers. For your sphagnum moss if you keep it partially submerged near a water source, it should thrive but if you have it anywhere else in the terrarium. You may need to mist the moss to keep it soaked. Ive never had color loss from my moss when having it submerged. I hope this helps

It gets misted daily... O.o ...and it's brown, brown. I had it on coconut mulch...still brown. Took it off, only moss in a bowl...still brown. Maybe I water too much. :/ I'm good at over watering.

[Bombina Bob]

Is it a specific brand of moss, for example frog moss? Some brands do not sell the moss with the "Roots" and only have the stringy ribosomes. I collect my moss out in the woods and submerge it for a day to drown out any pests that may be hiding in the moss.

[deranged chipmunk]

Just a note on substrates. You are going to need to add something to your soil mix to promote drainage, such as orchid bark. A mix of cocofiber and peat moss will just compact over time and prevent drainage, leaving your substrate very wet, which could lead to root rot, mold and a host of other issues.

As far as the sphagnum goes. Are you using prepared long fiber sphagnum that was brown to begin with?


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