# Dart frog substrate



## gormharry (Dec 31, 2010)

Is eco earth the best?

Ive seen pics of setups with dark sustrate is there something else?


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## Wolfenrook (Jul 2, 2010)

Nope, in fact I don't use it at all for dart vivs. It retains too much water (not free draining enough) and doesn't seem to have a lot to offer for plants either.

I think a lot of dart keepers over here use a similar mix to me, one based on the American ABG mix substrate. Mine is a mix of tree fern fibers, crushed and torn up dried oak leaves (including the twiggy bits), a large proportion of fine orchid bark, a small amount of peat (sedge or sphagnum), some tripped up live sphagnum all mixed up and seeded with springtails and dwarf woodlice. I also add a little calcium bentonite powder into the mix as well, but that's just me. Gives you a mix that looks like this:-










I understand that this is pretty much the same mix as RichieB sells on Rainforest Vivariums as rainforest live soil, if you don't want to have to source the ingredients and mix it yourself.

Ade


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## aberreef (Aug 10, 2010)

I use the live soil from Richieb. It's alive with springtails and tropical woodlice. Great stuff IMO:2thumb:


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

i'm with Ade 100% on his first statement ecoearth holds too much water for subs and i hate using it to grow plants for the same reason.
We use a variety of subs but in essence they all have a very coarse frredraing bottom layer,used chopped sticks orchid bark etc etc,then topped of with part rotted oak/beech leaflitter finally whole leaves...plenty of,native leaf litter is microwaved to kill nemerteans which predate springtails
Stu


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

I have so far resisted the overwhelming pressure to keep darts gasp: I know, I'm _such_ a rebel!), but the mix I use for my various other frogs is broadly similer to the ones listed above; 'live' leafmould (I don't nuke mine), orchid bark, coconut fibre, organic potting mix and so on. Drainage is important, whether via a 'false bottom' or a layer of baked clay leca granules, separated from the soil above with a permiable membrane- some people use weed mat, I find nylon net curtain cut-offs work perfectly well.


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Ron Magpie said:


> I have so far resisted the overwhelming pressure to keep darts gasp: I know, I'm _such_ a rebel!)QUOTE]
> 
> Well Ron don`t you think you`ve hovered around in here long enough now ?
> It`s time you did something about it :whistling2:
> ...


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

frogman955 said:


> Ron Magpie said:
> 
> 
> > I have so far resisted the overwhelming pressure to keep darts gasp: I know, I'm _such_ a rebel!)QUOTE]
> ...


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Ok Ron I think it might be fair to excuse you :2thumb:.

Mike


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