Vivarium substrate

[mdami]

Hi, I am going to be aquiring a gargoyle gecko soon and am trying to design a vivarium.  I have read that one acceptable plant for reptile vivariums is pothos.  However,  my main question is about the substrate.  If i plan to plant the plants directly in the substrate rather than keeping them in pots, what would be the best medium to use.  I do not want to use someting that will breed harmful fungi or bacteria that could kill the gecko.  I have read many vivarium design sites and many say to use a layer of leaf litter on top of such substrates as orchid bark or coconut fiber with a gravel base for drainage.  If anyone could give me any advice on what substrate to use, what plants to use, and other such aspects of a vivarium, that would be great.  Thanks in advance.

[MdngtRain]

I'm not sure about gargoyles (I have Cresteds), but I have a layer of lava rock for drainage (works decent, but a bit expensive for the amount I needed...), a double-layer of screen & then a layer of coco fiber.  the plants are in pots with a layer of coco fiber over the soil.  There is a layer of leaf-litter developing from the plants... I haven't yet seen mold develop, but I try to keep on-top of the cleaning of feces & food... It's been working pretty well for the past 5 months.  I would probably suggest a bio-activated substrate for an easier time cleaning.  I think a description of that can be found by searching on the internet.

[whtwulf]

I keep vivariums and this is what I have found that works the best after a couple of years of trials.  I build from the bottom up.....

-1.5" to 2" layer of river pebbles(from the local plant nursery).  I rinse them in a bucket several times to remove any sand, dirt, or debris.  Then I soak them in a 10% bleach solution over-night to kill any mold spores, and algae/protozoan cysts that may be there.  Finally rinse several times to remove any bleach residue.  This layer will let any "overwatering" to percolate out of the soil and let you monitor how much you are watering.  You do not want to let standing water to accumulate for to long in the rock, as this can breed microbes.  I like the river pebble because it looks nicer to me, but also does not scratch the glass as easy as the lava rock or gravel, and it's cheap.  $3.00 for a 40lb. or 50lb. bag.  That's enough to do 3 twenty gallon tall tanks.

-layer of window screen on top of the rock and turned UP the sides about an inch.  This will keep any substrate from getting into the rock.

-1" to 1.5" layer of sterile soil(from the same nursery) mixed with equal parts of reconstituted "Ecoearth".  Mix in a bucket with water and ring out excess liquid.  It needs to be damp, but not "soupy".  The sterile soil is very important, it contains all the nutrients that the plants will need, but does not have any pesticides or chemical fertilizers in it that can kill reptiles. I have had the same plants for over a year and they grow so well that I have had to cut them back twice.

-1 to 2 Pathos or Spathaphylum (peace lily) planted in the soil mix right on top of the screen.  The roots will grow through the screen giving the plants a solid anchor.  Plus, when you need to do a complete change, the plants and screen will come out in one piece, very easy.

-1" or so layer of T-Rex Jungle Bed on top of the soil mix.  It retains moisture well, and cleans easier than the soil mix.  It also passes through the animal's digestive system without problems, as evident by their waste.  I have also found that crickets do not dig holes in the Jungle Bed like they did in the soil mix.  I used to find these little "cricket homes" all the time, and occasionally they would dig all the way to the screen get trapped and die.  This would result in bacteria and/or mold growth and a complete cleaning would be immediately necessary.

I mist the set-up once or twice a day and give the plants a big drink every one or two weeks as needed.  I change the top layer every three months or so, and do a complete change/cleaning every six months or so.  I hope this helps and enjoy the natural set-up and your new pet.

[mdami]

Thanks so much for the help.  Good thing I posted that question before i jumped right into it. Thanks again for the advice.

[whtwulf]

You're welcome.

[jackxc925]

If you are going down the natural road, you are going to want to use eco- earth over top a screen with perlite/ vermiculite underneath. But I have switched all my tanks to paper towels. They are cheap, easy to install, don't get the animals dirty, and when they soil it, you can just take it right out and put fresh stuff in. I even switched my tree frog enclosures to PT.