Changing substrate

[Immortal]

I'm wondering how often everyone completely changes their substrate/dirt? I pick out poops every day, but of course the pee still goes into the substrate. It can be a bit expensive to use a brick each time, but I don't want to wait too long before changing it. Would love to hear what everyone does, thanks.

[Tony]

I never change the substrate unless I am breaking down an old tank. Think of a properly planted and maintained vivarium like an established aquarium, changing the substrate is disruptive and destructive.

[Immortal]

Oooh so as long as you pick out the poops it stays clean alright?

[Kisa]

I think when you have a properly established tank with live plants and a drainage layer, cleaning is unnecessary, but maybe if you're using fake plants and have no drainage, you should change the substrate? This is mostly a question for Tony, as I am a little curious about this too.

I was told I never had to clean my tank once I set up a drainage layer with live plants in it and everything but before hand I thought cleaning the tank once a month was required to keep my residents happy and healthy.

Please correct me if I'm wrong. O:

[Immortal]

I don't have any live plants currently. I'd like to, but I'm worried about bringing in unwanted bugs with them and not being able to get rid of them. Springtails are no biggie, but I wouldn't want anything else. Once the stores start getting plants for sale is when I think I'll make the change over to real plants and fill the terrarium up real well, maybe keep a couple fake plants just in case some start dying on me lol.

I don't have drainage...??? How can you make drainage? The soil was moist when we put it in, it's starting to dry up so I mist it good quite a few times a day.

About plants, what are the best plants to get for them? I've heard a lot of wide leaves, maybe some grass plants too? I am really worried they'll cut theirselves on something. When I got my plants, I was making sure to buy wide leaves without any sharp edges they could hurt theirselves on. They're also not near the window, the room is shaped like an L with the window being at the top of the L and they are just at the corner of the L on the *top* side. I hope that makes sense lol!! I want to move them but the spiders are taking up most of the room. I may be able to convince my bf to switch spots with something so it could get a bit more light from the window. Anyways I hear there's plants that don't need much light to grow...

I've also not changed the substrate since I got Orchid March 28.

[DonLisk]

Hey Lor,
You can add a drainage layer by putting in some pebbles/stones or store bought clay Hydro Balls below the substrate layer and separating the two with some substrate mesh or similar. The mesh just allows the water to drain down to the bottom layer to collect.

Just have a spot where you slip in a siphon hose to the bottom drainage layer in case it gets too full.

I ended up doing a full substrate change today on my Whites viv. I noticed a few days ago the substrate looking soaked so after a quick investigation, found the screen I used didn't work well at keeping the substrate out of the clay balls. So, I had a soupy mess of substrate and a sewer smell under the substrate. Glad I used the Zoo Med substrate screen on the Red Eye's viv.

Since I was home sick today, and the granddaughter was here sick too. We conjured up the energy to collect up the Whites and put them in the 12x12x12 Exo for the afternoon. They were not to happy with this change of scenery either.

Its a real job pulling out the bromeliad and snake plants and then ripping out all that smelly mess.

But in the long run, after putting in all new Hydro Balls, a real substrate screen, new Eco-Earth, and then cleaning all the poop from down in the plants, the White will now have a cleaner and better draining home.
They look relieved now that they are back into familiar territory.