# Cautionary Story EcoEarth related



## SnakeBreeder (Mar 11, 2007)

I thought I’d post a potential problem I may have found with Eco earth.
This is a coconut husk product that is supplied dehydrated and you just add water before use.
It is being used as a substrate in various cages and advertises it as reptile safe.
I recently mixed some with pearlite, orchid bark and plantation soil for the base of some of my larger corn cages. ( These cages are glassed lined and ventilated so the humidity is not too much of a problem. It also dries out quickly and needs watering from time to time.)
The substrate has added worms, woodlice and springtails etc to aid the bio effectiveness.
I use barley in my food mix for my rodents so I added some barley seed to the substrate to see if it would grow, which it did. I then removed the barley, shaking most of the substrate off the roots, and gave it to a cage of multis. They fed on the sprouted barley and they seems to enjoy it. 
Next day several multis were dead! 
I used to work in a lab so did a quick dissection of the multi’s to find that they had apparently eaten the substrate from the roots of the barley and this had expanded inside them. That would appear to be the cause of death.
All I have lost here is a few feeder rodents. However I was concerned that if the substrate had been used with a vegetarian reptile like a tortoise or bearded dragon then the same thing could have happened if the substrate had been digested with their food, potentially killing the reptile.
I thought it best to pass on my concerns so people are aware there could be a problem.


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## OrigamiB (Feb 19, 2008)

your problem is most likely the pearlite, coir doesn't expand anymore once it's taken out of the block form


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## SnakeBreeder (Mar 11, 2007)

No signs of pearlite in the stuff found in the gut. 
The substarate was quite dryish so I suspect it took moisture out of the multi's during digestion.
I've been looking on zoo med site fo contact details but been unable to find a contact email.


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## Spikebrit (Oct 23, 2006)

if the substrate was allowed to dry out, and then when consumed it could have taken moisture from the gut. its deffently and interesting finding and a very plausible theory as well. Personally I use organic compost as my main substrate its far cheaper. 

So were the only trace in the gut the coco fibre?

Jay


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## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

Hmm, not sure where you were looking, but 5 secs on the site.

Zoo Med Laboratories | Customer Service

Scroll down and has a "mailto" address bottom of page, for EU contact.


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