Has anyone tried the ExoTerra sub stratus?
#Substrate
lean hornet
steady kestrel
i have
they have a few different products, which one do you mean? i assume the small black balls
substratum i believe it’s called
lean hornet
yeah, the vulcanic soil one. It's "new" in our local stores and looks better than humus?
steady kestrel
it’s not to be used as sole substrate, it’s more of an additive you can use for your bioactive tank for the plants
i used it in a tropical bioactive tank and the plants did really well
i’m not entirely sure if it works for arid tanks but it can’t hurt to mix into the substrate for the plants
lean hornet
thanks! I'm trying to find top soil without fertilizer and manure so I can mix something and start a bioactive enclosure
steady kestrel
idk where you’re located but maybe this helps !soil
wet elbowBOT
When picking a soil for your substrate mix, you want to find organic topsoil. It is worth noting that topsoil is different from potting soil.
In general, the topsoil you use should not have any additives such as fertilizers, manure or perlite/vermiculite. However, there are a select few additives such as charcoal and worm castings that are safe.
You can normally find topsoil in hardware or gardening stores, and if none is available, Reptisoil is a safe alternative.
Be aware that the soils listed in this graphic may have ingredients that vary across regions. Be sure to read the ingredients and labels to ensure they do not have any fertilizer or other harmful additives.
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/917259635847737375/986308558448636024/image0-1.png.jpg
lean hornet
idk where you’re located but maybe this helps !soil
I've looked at a lot of recommended products, but since I live in europe, they're unfortunately not available
steady kestrel
ohh yeah
i don’t have topsoil either
i use premade mixes such as exo terra stone desert or arcadia earthmix arid
lean hornet
I also use exo terra stone desert, but I mix it with water so it becomes hard. I'd love to have variations for her so she can dig and play. She also has slate
steady kestrel
it’s fine to use without water as well so they can dig, i do that
lean hornet
then I'll try to use it without water next time, and maybe mix it with other stuff like clay and sand, and mist it so it can get a little crust
steady kestrel
it already contains clay so technically you don’t need to add any 
but you can definitely experiment
lean hornet
I know, it'll be mostly for visuals
Just checked amazon if they ship josh's frogs biobedding desert, and they do. Except the product costs 25 dollars and the shipping and import costs 35 alone. So it would be like at least 60 dollars for 4 quarts of bedding 
steady kestrel
jesus