Leaf litter or live moss?

[LilyPad]

Does live moss have the same impaction hazard as the dried stuff you get at the pet store does? Would leaf litter be a better idea? I love the look of moss but I have a fear of it now!!

[Fae]

I use Fluker's All Natural Moss for all terrariums, it's green but not live and available at PetSmart. I haven't had any trouble with it in the very long time I've been using it. I started using it with my FBTs and now with all of my frogs. IDK about other mosses and leaf litter as I have never used them. My gray tree frog loves to get under the moss when he's in a hiding mood.

[Dizzl]

I also use the Flukers moss and have never had a problem with it, I use it in my American Green Tree Frog terrarium as well as my snakes and lizards when I kept them, I also have some in my tiger salamander's viv. I have never even heard of impaction from moss in any herps before.

[LilyPad]

When I first set up Paddy's tank, I had Flukers moss in it, after doing more reading I found out it can be an impaction hazard. So I removed it. A few days later she was eating a cricket, and caught some of the remnants of moss in her mouth, she was having a really hard time with it and I actually ended up pulling it back out of her mouth. I won't go back to flukers, so it'll either be live or leaf litter, just not sure which!

[DonLisk]

Live moss is usually attached to something and should not be an issue for the frogs, but needs good lighting so it doesn't die off. There are many types of moss and I usually hit a local florest for sections of live tropical moss, it does well in a viv.

I like New Zealand Sphagnum moss under the top substrate so it will hold moisture, but as a top layer, its dependent on type of frogs. Whites have a tendancy to swallow pieces and if they knot up in the Whites stomach, its a nasty job to help remove. For frogs that eat more delicately or are not so aggressive at trying to snag a cricket, the spagnum is fine as a top layer.

Leaf Liter is also pretty awesome since it holds moisture and creates a clean area above the substrate so your frogs are not covered in coco fiber or soil. Cricket hide well in leaf liter but in my Whites viv it just makes the frogs hunt harder.

I use both in a Red Eye viv and only leaf liter in my Whites viv.


Don

[LilyPad]

Live moss is usually attached to something and should not be an issue for the frogs, but needs good lighting so it doesn't die off. There are many types of moss and I usually hit a local florest for sections of live tropical moss, it does well in a viv.

I like New Zealand Sphagnum moss under the top substrate so it will hold moisture, but as a top layer, its dependent on type of frogs. Whites have a tendancy to swallow pieces and if they knot up in the Whites stomach, its a nasty job to help remove. For frogs that eat more delicately or are not so aggressive at trying to snag a cricket, the spagnum is fine as a top layer.

Leaf Liter is also pretty awesome since it holds moisture and creates a clean area above the substrate so your frogs are not covered in coco fiber or soil. Cricket hide well in leaf liter but in my Whites viv it just makes the frogs hunt harder.

I use both in a Red Eye viv and only leaf liter in my Whites viv.


Don

Thank you for the info. My first gray tree frog is a very aggressive diver for food, she usually ends up with substrate in her mouth and sits and cleans it out. I think I'm going to go with the leaf litter...now debating between the magnolia leaves and oak leaves LOL

[DonLisk]

Thank you for the info. My first gray tree frog is a very aggressive diver for food, she usually ends up with substrate in her mouth and sits and cleans it out. I think I'm going to go with the leaf litter...now debating between the magnolia leaves and oak leaves LOL

I have the sea grape leaf and the magnolia. I really like the sea grape leaf better but I believe the magnolia takes longer to break down.