# This substrate is awesome!!!



## Nero (May 26, 2008)

Like I mentioned in another thread. It's almost summertime and in Vegas IT REALLY Sucks. Last week it jumped to almost 110 and now the temp dropped so I got a little break. I went out and got EcoEarth and put about 3 inches of it all over my terrarium and then I put cypress mulch on one side and added the other side with plants and humidity moss. Tell ya what it really holds in the moisture well. Most of the time its staying in the 70's and even goes in the 90s after i spray down the tank. My tegu loves the dirt though hes digging holes like a well digger and constantly having to change his water dish. But it really keeps him happy. Try it out if your haven humidity problems.


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## Azaleah (May 26, 2008)

EcoEarth has never been one of my favorites. It holds moisture well if you want REALLY high moisture, but I have a feeling that the cypress mulch is helping more than you think. MY cypress mulch stays really wet for a very long time.


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## AB^ (May 26, 2008)

I like eco earth for the most part, I've used it dry and I've used it moist for a variety of herps, even incubated eggs with it. It's a good product IMHO.
The only downfall is after you soak them it takes a while to lose that excess moisture unless you have dry substrate to mix into it.


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## Kazzy (May 26, 2008)

I mix sand, ecoearth, and cypress mulch for my bedding. Holds moisture great and they can burrow in it easily. Plus, the ecoearth biodegrades everything and I love it.


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## DZLife (May 26, 2008)

Meh, I love cypress mulch, but if it is in direct heat/light, it dries out after only a few hours....then again, what wouldn't?

Maybe I'll look in to EcoEarth....I spray about 4 times a day, and it STILL ends up getting dried out! We've been having record dry weather lately.


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## AB^ (May 26, 2008)

I rarely spray my tegu cages, more often every week or two I will get several buckets of water and dump them in the cage and mix the substrate around so that it all becomes a bit moist. I think having a humid burrow is much more important than having high humidity in the cage because if you think about where do tegus spend most of their time??? The top layer usually dries out by the next day but underneath the top dry layer it is still humid/moist, and IMHO that's the important part, no shedding issues for me, no baths for my tegus everything is all good.


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## bella60407 (Mar 11, 2009)

IVE USED ECO EARTH FOR MY SNAKE FOR A YEAR NOW AND HE LOVE IT, I HAVE IN THE BOTTOM OF MY CHAMS CAGE, AND NOW IN THE TEGUS CAGE. HE DOES LOVE IT AND WHEN HE BURROWS AT NIGHT I FEEL HES GETTING THE GOOD SOAK HE NEEDS. MY TANK HASNT DRIED OUT YET NOT EVEN TOP LAYER DAY 5 TOMORROW LOL, I SOAKED IT TO A MUD CONSISTENCY. SEEMS TO BE HAPPY


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## Beasty (Mar 11, 2009)

ECO-EARTH is good stuff for sure!
If anyone is having trouble with moisture levels this will indeed help. ALSO what would help is buying a pump-up bug sprayer and filling with water only for spraying the cage down. This helps tremendously and keeps ya from getting carpal tunnel from a little puny spray bottle!


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## bella60407 (Mar 11, 2009)

kudos on the bug pump thats great idea, im the lazy type lol


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## laurarfl (Mar 12, 2009)

I think I'm fortunate that my tegus live in the garage and the humidity is naturally 60-70%. In the dry winter season I bring the hose around and spray/mix the mulch when it gets too dry.

I can get mulch for about $2 a huge bag. I can't imagine how much EcoEarth it would take and how much it would cost to fill a couple of 6ft cages to a sufficient depth. Yikes! I know not everyone has access to cheap mulch, so maybe it balances out.


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## Schnab (Mar 12, 2009)

Where do you get Eco-Earth? Do they have any in Canada?


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## Tegu Tank (Mar 12, 2009)

You can get it at any local pet stores


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## bella60407 (Mar 12, 2009)

I GET MINE A REPTILE PET SHOP IN ILLINOIS (URBAN REPTILE) , NOT SURE ABOUT CANADA LOL...ITS ONLY ABOUT$9 FOR TWO BLOCKS ( I NEVER SAW IT IN TWO BLOCK BAG BEFORE SHOPPING THIS NEW PLACE) AND WHEN U BREAK THEM DOWN THEY EXPAND, THE TWO BLOCKS LAST ME MONTHS NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW LONG ? , I CHANGE THE TEGUS EVERY WEEK MY KING 1-2 MONTH DEPENDING ON HOW HE MUCH HE DESTROYS IT AND THE CHAM GO POTTY IN ONE SPOT SO I CHANGE HIS 1-2 MONTH... I DONT HAVE THE 6FT CAGE YET I KNOW I WILL SOON, SO.....
HOW DEEP DO U GUYS PUT YOURS FOR FULL GROWN TEGU, MINE RIGHT NOW IS ONLY ENOUGH TO JUST COVER HIS BACK WHEN HE BORROWS (AN INCH MAYBE LOL)


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## Tux (Mar 12, 2009)

Schnab said:


> Where do you get Eco-Earth? Do they have any in Canada?



Yes, it's produced by Zoo Med. Keep in mind it is just coconut fiber so anyone buying the actual zoo med brand is getting ripped off, look in the garden department at any hardware/garden supply for "coconut coir".


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## bubbategu2 (Mar 12, 2009)

I use a ReptiFogger for the humidity-put it on twice a day for 30 mins-easy!!


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## bella60407 (Mar 12, 2009)

TY TUX IM ONLY COUPLE YEARS NEW TO ALL THIS STUFF SO ANY EXTRA INFO HELPS A TON


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