Quote Originally Posted by LilyPad View Post
Diver - I have also read many things about frogs, particularly red eyed tree frogs, who have impaction issues and rectal prolapse from ingesting things in their soil, whether it's bark pieces, moss pieces or etc. I mod a red eyed tree frog group and have seen it over and over and over in the last couple
of years. I do not see any benefit into allowing your frog to ingest their vivaria substrate. This is why SUPPLEMENTS are important. I'm not sure if you're new to the hobby and that's why you're so particularly passionate of your specific way of doing things, or if you're old to the hobby and come from a time when supplements were not as refined as they are now. I have bioactive substrate in my vivariums and still would not condone allowing accidental ingestion of substrate. I still see bits and pieces of stuff that I would not want in my frogs' intestines. It's from stuff that helps to encourage drainage when planting a naturalistic vivarium. My darts do not get fed in a sterile method, but they do not take large mouthfuls of substrate as tree frogs do, they delicately snap up their prey.

You seem to think that "over there" you guys do things so much better and differently than we do in the states. Strangely enough, when talking to other people from Europe, particularly England but not only England, the hobby in your part of the world is not very different than over here.
As I said Amy, it was a scientific peer reviewed paper that I found interesting. You may also find it interesting that the vast majority of impaction issues with most captive animals can be traced back to poor husbandry rather than substrate type. That said (again as I stated) potentially dangerous substrates shouldn't be used as they pose a risk. Fine soil of the kind that gets sold for bio active substrate does not pose a risk and is designed that way. I think this was all very clear in my comment.

Not that it's relevant, but you seem to want to be personal and argue with me for some reason? I've been keeping and breeding many thousands of individual animals for 36 years, but this doesn't mean that I learned everything I could 36 years ago and didn't learn anything since, it's an evolving process. I'm happy to share knowledge and advice and sometimes that may conflict with some of the advice you give. That doesn't mean you have to try and turn it into some sort of Europe vs USA conflict, it's just that none of us know everything and discussion is a good way to learn. Sometimes you come over as just looking for an argument.

And people wonder why forums are dying!