Soil etc in tanks

[SDSnakes]

What do you guys find to be the best
mixture? What about that peatmoss
"soil" type stuff... not the actual moss.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Silty alkaline dirt.

Peat moss will not do.

Silty alkaline dirt.



http://members.shaw.ca/westcoastmonitors/digginga.jpg

[V.aw]

Jeff, Silty Alkaline soil, is this a common soil to purchase?

I find mixing cypress with organic soil works pretty well

[KaHane]

We use organic acidic soil for the tropical species and sandy alkaline dirt for desert or close to desert species. What's best is to find out where your monitor is from and it's habitat and surroundings. Then you can do your best to duplicate it's natural substrate and habitat.

[NiagaraReptiles]

The "best" soil for you can be several different types depending on what your goals are for your monitors. There are plenty of different dirts that can give a monitor what they need for homes, and other activities, but less that work for nesting :)

Best wishes,

JonK

[Dom]

As for dirt .. I needed a temporary solution for winter (since I can't get outside dirt for a new cage for savanahs.. - damn winter)

So I bought potting soil - it was HORRIBLE (thats all I could find at this time of the year in stores)... I then tride to wet it down and mix it well with maybe 50% cypress mulch .. and WOW was I ever impressed .. its only temporary till I get some good dirt but I was amazed .. In a matter of hours I had 2 borrows that were a good 12 inches deep .. It held up really well..

[V.aw]

Hey dom, where were you able to purchase cypress? were you forced to pay a pet store price for it? I find it extremely difficult to find it up here!! any help would be appriciated.