# Can I make my own Excavator Substrate?



## Leeds (Jan 15, 2010)

I'm preparing a viv for some ackies and was wondering if there was any way to make my own excavator substrate. The excavator substrate allows you to use moisture to shape structures which once dried, are 'brittle' enough to burrow through and also resist tunnel collapse. 

The reason is I've heard that the zoo med stains all reptiles red. Also, it seems quite dear for what it is. 
Ackies burrow like mad and I'd like to give them a playground to shape as they please....(with some creative guidance given). 

I was thinking of a mixture of playsand, top soil and clay powder. Though, I'm not entirely sure what proportions would work. Has anyone done this before? Has anyone achieved something similar with different materials?

All inputs are appreciated. 
:2thumb:


----------



## OrigamiB (Feb 19, 2008)

you could use clay, theres a guy in the invert section who has made some amazing dry vivs for T's with clay.

If you want similar qualities to the excavator stuff the shop I used to work at used to use a tortoise substrate? It was made by monkfield but can't for the life of me remember what it was. It was great stuff though, if you made it wet it would be shapeable and when dry would set rock solid/brittle. It didnt contain any dyes but if broken up when dry it was very dusty (only downside really).

Other then that experiment I guess? Try mixing up clay with topsoils and coir/sand until you get a good consistency


----------



## OrigamiB (Feb 19, 2008)

I believe it was this:
Tortoise Terrain 10 Litre


----------



## snake in the grass (Jul 12, 2010)

Most ackie keepers use a soil/sand mixture.
That's what I personally use and it holds well.
Ask in the dwarf monitor or monitor and tegu thread, there are loads of keepers active on there that will maybe give you some more ideas.


----------

