Forest bedding

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 12:11 pm

I reignited my crabbing addiction in July, but have only been using EE for a few months. Before I was just using Calci-sand. I didn't take the Calci-sand out, but I added EE and moist playsand to it. It was all in 3 layers, but Sly, my tunneler has done a very good job of mixing the 3 substrates together. And now the substrates look marbled.

When it's moist it does a great job in aiding with humidity regulation. However, it does dry out. Some times when this happens I will add more moist EE. Most of the time I just saturate the substrate mix that's already in the tat by slowly pouring either dechlor FW or SW. This seems to help. Does anyone else do that?

For those that have mold issues with their substrates is it obvious when you have mold? From what I can tell, I don't but maybe I don't know what to look for. There's so much happening with 3 substrates that maybe it blends in if I do have it.

I haven't had a molt yet (that I know of,) so I guess I can't say if my crabs prefer one or the other in terms of molting.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 8:44 am

I use a mix of about 90% EE and 10% calci sand. My crabs love it. I think next tank change I will add a bit more sand just to make the mix lighter in color because I cannot see poo at all! I have seen mold around the food dish where they have spilled food and it is like white fuzz so it was real easy to see and scoop out. I look in my tank at least twice daily that mold can grow real fast.

Does anyone know... if you soak the entire block of EE will the extra keep for a long time? Do you just let it dry out? I used a saw and sawed off a piece last time and it was so hard to saw and such a mess but I didn't want to waste 2/3 of the block so that is what I did.

I have one crab who has been buried for most of her time here. I know she is alive because I can see her... she has made sort of an underground cave for herself at the side of the tank so I have a great window to view her. Which I am so grateful for, otherwise I'd be going crazy wondering if she was ok. It helps cut the temptation to dig her out. But her tunnels and caves hold up well so I think the EE is great for digging and tunneling.

OIF_VET · Post by **OIF_VET** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 9:45 am

I just recently (Last month) Changed out part of my Substrate (Playsand) Yes..I soaked the Whole Brick...And used it all..I would say this...U can Soak the Brick....And U can Keep it...yes it will dry out..BUT! It will re-moisten rather Nicely when y6a want to use it...My Caveat would be this...more a Warning...*Watch for Mold!!* It may happen...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 10:28 pm

I switched to FB on one side and calci sand on the others, and my hermies absolutly love it. My three molters have all gone under on the FB side, but I get a lot of tunnels on the sand side. The only down side to this setup has been that the two substrates are being blended slowly.

ripshaw · Post by **ripshaw** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 12:55 am

sorry for the late response to your questions but i thought id try to help. i personally dont do a whole lot of cleaning of substrate in between full out tank cleans. playsand is so cheap its just easier for me to dump it out, and you can buy eco-earth in bulk for not too much money. you keep the forest bedding moist first by keeping the humidity in the tank at the appropriate level and 2nd by just spraying the top parts that dry out on a daily or weekly basis.

as far as food goes, never ever ever put the food bowl over forest bedding. it will always mold. i keep my 2 substrates on opposite sides of the tank and keep the food bowl over where the sand is. sure the crabs will mix up a lot of it as they dig but the food wont mold over the mostly sandy side

btw this is all in response to mike's questions at the bottom of pg 1

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 1:11 am

I use about 1/3 EE with the rest of my substrate being sandcastle consistancy playsand. I expand my EE one whole brick at a time with salt water. I use what I need and let the rest dry out. It does remoisten really well and I've never had a problem with mold. Just make sure you let it dry all the way before you cover it. I've had very good sucess with molts in the EE. I think the salt really helps aid in their molting process.

DustAndEchoes · Post by **DustAndEchoes** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 1:17 am

I started with play sand, and Legolas had his first molt when i decided to start making the sand moist. How ever, the sand seemed really messy. I switched to EE and Hattie went down for a molt the next week.
But I noticed the tunnels in the EE collapsed easliy, so i decided to suck it up and try mixing in play sand and EE and i found my hermies were tunneling more, and they seemed more active as well. I'm also finding humidity isn't as much asd a problen as it used to be.

I've also found EE to be an excellant potting soil lol

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 8:55 pm

I bought one of those small discs and sand. The sand was not play sand so I bought a brick of EE. I just discovered in another homeschool book that EE is also used for worms. I searched ebay for "coir" and found it cheaper in the gardening section. I do have a bit of lizard cali-sand that was double the size and half the cost of hermit crab cali-sand. When my molter is up I think I will mix that in as well.

This is the wrong time of year to find play sand, but I might try that as well.

Kathy

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 1:40 am

Home Depot seems to have Play Sand - at least they did when I went.

I just put down Forest Bedding - we'll see how it goes...