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.

[Kisa]

Gosh Don I have been wanting to clean out my White's tank FOREVER but unfortunately I don't have the money to buy all new materials and supplies, so I'm really glad I'm going to be putting them in the 131 gallon soon, I bet Bruce C. is gonna FREAK. XD

And Lor, you can check out any pictures in any of our albums and see what he means about the drainage layer. I have them in my vivs if you want to take a look.

[Immortal]

Yeah the drainage layer to me sounds a bit complicated lol. I'll have a look thanks.

[Kisa]

Yeah the drainage layer to me sounds a bit complicated lol. I'll have a look thanks.

I was scared about it at first too, but once I did it the first time I found it was a breeze, though I kind messed up the first time because I didn't have enough hydro balls, oops? XD; But take a look at my tiger legs enclosure, that drainage layer is all good. XD

[UncleChester]

I have just a few things things to add about a drainage layer-if you go the hydroton/hydroballs/leca route, it took some time to find it but the cheapest place I've found it was in Burlington at Frank's Magic Crops. It was obscenely cheap compared to my local petstore options. Might be other choices closer your way though.

For a screen between the hydroballs/gravel and the substrate, I've come to like landscape fabric- it's a thin black material designed to let water through but not dirt. It's much easier to use than fibreglass screen as it folds and bends easy and there's never any jagged bits no matter what shape you cut it.

A small piece of pvc tubing can be siliconed in a corner to provide access to siphon off excess water, just keep a cap on it when not in use to keep out bugs/dirt. Or you can make a pool at the bottom by building a little water-permeable substrate dam that goes right to the bottom of your tank Frog Forum - UncleChester's Album: Vivariums - Picture

For live plants, the easiest thing to start with (my opinion anyways) is the near-invincible pothos. Grows indoors, you can root cuttings in water to make more pothos in case you start killing it off, decent sized leaves, and cheap

[mommyof4froglovers]

With fake plants and no drainage how often do you change the dirt. It came with my exo terra terranium and it says nothing about changing it. But Froggy really doesnt need to get sick.

[cyris69]

Sorry for bringing back an old thread but I was wondering too, if I don't use a drainage layer do I still need to worry about changing the substrate or still less often than that of a nonplanted tank? I currently have ivy and pothos plants as well as red wigglers and isopods in the tank using a 75% coco-fiber to 25% organic soil. So will the worms and isopods help delay the change?

[DonLisk]

Sorry for bringing back an old thread but I was wondering too, if I don't use a drainage layer do I still need to worry about changing the substrate or still less often than that of a nonplanted tank? I currently have ivy and pothos plants as well as red wigglers and isopods in the tank using a 75% coco-fiber to 25% organic soil. So will the worms and isopods help delay the change?

Yes, the isopods and red wigglers will help in reducing how often you will need to change out the substrate. The main think that will occur is your substrate will become saturated and rot at the bottom of the tank if water is building up from misting.

[cyris69]

Thanks for teh post, I will try sometime this month to remove everything and add a drainage layer. Going to be a pain but since it looks to be the best way in the long run.