Quote Originally Posted by GrifTheGreat View Post
Coco Fiber is fungal and mold resistant which is one of the main reasons that it's ideal for frogs. Sure they stay cleaner on moss, but pieces can be ingested even when tong fed. Nobody takes into consideration that when their skin becomes clammie or slightly dryer it becomes sticky and the moss will cling to their skin. Now once the frog begins to shed it ingests the moss with the shed. The same happens with coco fiber just that one is less detrimental to their digestive tract than the other. You can't watch them constantly waiting or them to shed so that you can prevent them from ingesting the moss. It is excellent for humidity and moisture, but must be changed far more often and mold will grow very easily on the moss.

Sanitary is good, but too clean can be bad. If they never become exposed to small amounts of bacteria they never build up their immune system which is essential. With out a good immune system then they will become ill more easily and especially so when stressed. Their is one serious issue with overly wet moss. It completely obsorbs all urine and ammonia making the frog more prone to Toxing Out Syndrome(Toxicosis). Seen it more than once. Coco fiber absorbs the urine but also works like actual soil and disributes the ammonia throughout the lower sections of the substrate like heading for a drainage layer which I will add that if a drainage layer is present beneath the substrate it will prolong the substrates life and keeps the ammonia from their urine away from the frog by allowing it to drain into tje drainage layer.

Anyway changing Coco Fiber once a month is best and mixing the substrate up once a week to allow air to circulate into the lower substrate level will keep the substrate fresh longer and keep the frog from just sitting in its urine all the time. I place terrarium carpet beneath the substrate so that there is a buffer between the frog and the glass. This also keeps them from sitting in their urine by keeping the frog up off the glass where excess moisture will settle with the urine.
Thanks Grif, very informative post. I like the idea of a drainage layer! Now I'm thinking about adding a drainage layer in each tub of my fancy wal-mart rack system But really I should keep studying for my finals. School is the bane of my existence sometimes.