Bioactive Substrates

[Terranaut]

So in another thread (not the wood mite thread) there was a small bit about bioactive substrates. I want to know more about this.
What is a good mix to use?
Where to get it?
What to avoid?
What in it eats poop?
Why is it better for my snakes than aspen or paper?
What are the bad points if any?
Please only post facts and from experience. I can google just as good as the rest of us. This should be only accurate information and not second hand guesses at what should work. I know some of you use this so please post up!

[BarelyBreathing]

I use Eco Earth or an Eco Earth, children's washed play sand mix. I use a mix of wood mites, springtails (most effective poop eaters), earth worms (also very effective) and isopods. You can get colonies of springtails and wood mites online where they sell food for dart frogs, or you can collect your own. I've got some on logs I've foudn outside, on leaf litter, on branches, etc. I've also discovered that if I have a lot of springtails in one enclosure, I can put a piece of rotting fruit in there and use it to move springtails to another enclosure, so the rotting fruit trick may work outside as well. This method hasn't been tested.

You can also collect isopods and earth worms (I prefer night crawlers) outside, but you can get isopods from garden stores and worms from bait stores.

Avoid black mites.

To have a truly bio-active enclosure, you need both bugs and plants. The type of plants depend on the species, but this is an excellent website to determine what plants to use: Vivarium Plants (http://www.blackjungleterrariumsupply.com/Vivarium-Plants_c_63.html)

I have officially moved every single one of my reptiles over to bio-active enclosures. It's easier to maintain (I rarely need to clean it). It doesn't smell (I've had people who have never been around reptiles come into my home of over 70 reptiles and not be able to smell them, I've even had a vet and a zoo official stick their heads in my enclosures and not be able to smell anything other than "forest"), and my vet had tested that compared to non bio-active subtrates, there is less amonia and nitrates.

The bad points is that it takes a little while to set up and while your bugs are establishing, you will still need to spot clean. You also can't move stuff around in the enclosure or transfer it to another enclosure without disrupting the ecosystem. I've moved my enclosure to a larger one and I had to wait to re-establish the colonies.

Another thing to keep in mind, if you have something that likes to eat worms or isopods, that can't be the main source of bugs in your enclosure, because your animal will eat them faster than they can clean up.

[Terranaut]

Thats great. Of your reptiles do you have beardies? If so do you mix the soil differently to suit their natural habitat?

[BarelyBreathing]

I don't have beardies, however I know many people who keep them on bio-active substrates. I will ask them what mixture they keep them on.

[BarelyBreathing]

Here's the first answer I got.

i was using top soil and sand mix but i got rid of that and dug up my own dirt

[lady_bug87]

I plan on using bioactives as well thats why I am so interested in it. I've been experimenting with my lacertas using black earth playsand mix with a couple of plants and I can tell you the difference is remarkable. so far with them I have not used any mites or springtails. Though I spot clean, the earth gets tilled by my lizards and myself, plants help breakdown and absorb waste etc. I have had crickets breed in that tank as well and since there is plant matter, fresh water not to mention I feed my lacertas calcium-rich gecko food they dont pester my lizards

[Terranaut]

I have tried every substrate under the sun except for this. Almost sounds to good to be true. I hope some others who use this chime in as well. Great input so far thanks!!

[lady_bug87]

I picked up simple black earth

[BarelyBreathing]

It's not so much about what substrate you use, but more about what is in the substrate. The substrate you choose is just there to support the humidity levels your animal needs, as well as the plants you decide to add.

[jarich]

Beardies are the one animal I have that I havent tried bioactive with. Ive always been told they need low humidity and as a result I didnt think soil would work. I would also think they would try to devour any plants that might go in, so not sure how that would work.

[Lankyrob]

Would grasses from thearea the animals are native be enough or do you need to have plants?

I would love to do this for all my snakes at some point in the future.

[BarelyBreathing]

Would grasses from thearea the animals are native be enough or do you need to have plants?

I would love to do this for all my snakes at some point in the future.

Yeah. I use grasses in a few of my habitats.

[infernalis]

I have been using play sand mixed with lawn soil I dug up myself out back.

I found that everything I need is already in there.

[Terranaut]

Thanks everyone. I am so going to try this. I think I will start with my king. Do it a few weeks and see how it goes. He is the only snake I have that doesn't seem to care when I change his substrate.
Anyone got pictures ??

[Kaity]

Is it plausible to have bioactive substrate in a front-opening enclosure, or would the bugs just crawl right out?

[Terranaut]

Is it plausible to have bioactive substrate in a front-opening enclosure, or would the bugs just crawl right out?

Thats a great question. I have almost all pvc front opening vivs.
Also how deep do I need it to be?

[infernalis]

No, the bugs will not leave their habitat.

I have had a big bio active cage sitting in my reptile room for a year, and no "cleaning bugs" have offered to keep my reptile room tidy for me yet.

[Aaron_S]

I use Eco Earth or an Eco Earth, children's washed play sand mix. I use a mix of wood mites, springtails (most effective poop eaters), earth worms (also very effective) and isopods. You can get colonies of springtails and wood mites online where they sell food for dart frogs, or you can collect your own. I've got some on logs I've foudn outside, on leaf litter, on branches, etc. I've also discovered that if I have a lot of springtails in one enclosure, I can put a piece of rotting fruit in there and use it to move springtails to another enclosure, so the rotting fruit trick may work outside as well. This method hasn't been tested.

You can also collect isopods and earth worms (I prefer night crawlers) outside, but you can get isopods from garden stores and worms from bait stores.

Avoid black mites.

To have a truly bio-active enclosure, you need both bugs and plants. The type of plants depend on the species, but this is an excellent website to determine what plants to use: Vivarium Plants (http://www.blackjungleterrariumsupply.com/Vivarium-Plants_c_63.html)

I have officially moved every single one of my reptiles over to bio-active enclosures. It's easier to maintain (I rarely need to clean it). It doesn't smell (I've had people who have never been around reptiles come into my home of over 70 reptiles and not be able to smell them, I've even had a vet and a zoo official stick their heads in my enclosures and not be able to smell anything other than "forest"), and my vet had tested that compared to non bio-active subtrates, there is less amonia and nitrates.

The bad points is that it takes a little while to set up and while your bugs are establishing, you will still need to spot clean. You also can't move stuff around in the enclosure or transfer it to another enclosure without disrupting the ecosystem. I've moved my enclosure to a larger one and I had to wait to re-establish the colonies.

Another thing to keep in mind, if you have something that likes to eat worms or isopods, that can't be the main source of bugs in your enclosure, because your animal will eat them faster than they can clean up.

Shoot some full pics up your enclosures. It would be nice to see.

Also, do you have any issues taking wild insects and feeding them to your animals? Unless it's purely snakes.

I ask because I know pill bugs need to be captively kept for a few generations due to the high mineral/metals they have in the wild counterparts. So it's ideal to get some, breed them, send the adults back out and keep breeding the now captive hatched ones.

[BarelyBreathing]

I've added many pictures of my bio-active enclosures across the forums. Many.

No, I don't have issues with wild bugs. When I take something from the wild, I make sure I take it from an area that is chemical free. I collect my furniture and leaf litter from state sanctioned open spaces.

I've yet to notice any animals eat anything but the night crawlers and the springtails (dart frogs eat the springtails).

[BarelyBreathing]

On the beardie substrate question, this is a response from a guy who I respect very much when it comes to bio-active. In fact, he's the reason I started doing it myself.

Beardies arent very soil type specific so theres alot of leeway in what works. A basic 50/50 mix is an ok place to start though im with gecko in digging vs buying.

"gecko" is the person who I quoted the first time.

[Aaron_S]

I've added many pictures of my bio-active enclosures across the forums. Many.

No, I don't have issues with wild bugs. When I take something from the wild, I make sure I take it from an area that is chemical free. I collect my furniture and leaf litter from state sanctioned open spaces.

I've yet to notice any animals eat anything but the night crawlers and the springtails (dart frogs eat the springtails).

None of your pictures really seem to be "full shots" so I was hoping for some of them.

Do you have a gallery of them? I don't go into many threads so I haven't seen them and since others asked for pics I figured this thread is a good spot to repost them. You have a new internet connection, put it to use ;)

I know what dart frogs eat :P Thanks for letting others know though.

[BarelyBreathing]

It's just getting annoying, that's all. I'll post a few.

I wasn't telling you what the dart frogs eat, I was pointing out that those are the only animals I've noticed that eat the springtails.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m611/SnakeShed/DSC_0049.jpg
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m611/SnakeShed/DSC_0008-1.jpg
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m611/SnakeShed/DSC_0127-1.jpg
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m611/SnakeShed/DSC_0003-2.jpg
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m611/SnakeShed/DSC_0010-1.jpg
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m611/SnakeShed/Old%20computer/100_4614.jpg
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m611/SnakeShed/Old%20computer/100_4559.jpg
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m611/SnakeShed/Old%20computer/100_4508.jpg

[EmbraceCalamity]

I love all your setups so much. DX What kind of snake is that in the hexagonal tank? It (the tank) looks just like mine.

~Maggot

[Aaron_S]

That's an amazon tree boa.

I've only seen a couple of those pics so I'm happy to see the others.

[Aaron_S]

Hedy, can you get your tests from your vet about ammonia and nitrates and scan them and post them? I think a lot of people would like to see them. You'd be setting a precedent with the proper experiment/s in bio-activity in private collections I would think.

[BarelyBreathing]

I love all your setups so much. DX What kind of snake is that in the hexagonal tank? It (the tank) looks just like mine.

~Maggot

Crush is an Amazon tree boa (ATB).

Hedy, can you get your tests from your vet about ammonia and nitrates and scan them and post them? I think a lot of people would like to see them. You'd be setting a precedent with the proper experiment/s in bio-activity in private collections I would think.

Yeah, I'll see what I can do. I also plan to carry out new tests sometime after the holidays and the plan is to compare them to when the tests were last taken.

[EmbraceCalamity]

Crush is an Amazon tree boa (ATB).How big is the tank? Will the snake be in there its whole life?

~Maggot

[BarelyBreathing]

How big is the tank? Will the snake be in there its whole life?

~Maggot

It's 36"x24", and Crush is full grown. That's his permenant home.

[EmbraceCalamity]

It's 36"x24", and Crush is full grown. That's his permenant home.How many gallons is that?

~Maggot

[BarelyBreathing]

How many gallons is that?

~Maggot

I have no idea.

[EmbraceCalamity]

I have no idea.How many inches is one side?

~Maggot

[beardeds4life]

Regarding the topic of keeping bearded dragons on bioactive substrate I was talking to somebody on another forum that kept his dragons in one. He used a sand soil mix. He also had basking spots of about 130 degrees. His animals seemed very healthy so it must be working.

[BarelyBreathing]

How many inches is one side?

~Maggot

13". That's weird. Who makes something that is 13"? Why not 12"?

[SpOoKy]

Both of my beardies got switched to 50/50 sand dirt substrate from the advice of a highly knowledgable keeper on another forum. Both of them have never been happier/healthier and I will frequently find them roaming around finding bugs and digging throughout their enclosure. I did find a little bit of a humidity rise the first couple of days as the dirt was a little moist but it sorted itself out quickly. Now my enclosures both have really dry/dusty substarte on the hot side and a little more moist on the cool side. I will sometimes find my female a little burried on the cool side which makes me think she may be using the moister soil as a hydrating meathod.

I will never go back to paper towel/tile/carpet/....
at least for my beardies.

[Terranaut]

Both of my beardies got switched to 50/50 sand dirt substrate from the advice of a highly knowledgable keeper on another forum. Both of them have never been happier/healthier and I will frequently find them roaming around finding bugs and digging throughout their enclosure. I did find a little bit of a humidity rise the first couple of days as the dirt was a little moist but it sorted itself out quickly. Now my enclosures both have really dry/dusty substarte on the hot side and a little more moist on the cool side. I will sometimes find my female a little burried on the cool side which makes me think she may be using the moister soil as a hydrating meathod.

I will never go back to paper towel/tile/carpet/....
at least for my beardies.


Did it reduce the or help with the smell of their poop? I clean it as soon as possible but if I was at work alk day and it has baked under the lamps it can be rancid and stink up my foyer next to the snake room. Gonna try this very soon.

[SpOoKy]

I do not get a poo smell from my beardies at all. Only time it ever happened was once my male pooped on the basking branch right under the light there was a mild smell. I also keep very high surface basking temps so it dried up very quickly.

[BarelyBreathing]

Thanks for posting, Spooky!

[beardeds4life]

They have been known to absorb moisture through their vent. That is what they do while in brumation and part of the reason baths help so much. It is pretty limited though. I might have to try that. Mine smells absolutely horrible. At times it makes me gag.

[infernalis]

They have been known to absorb moisture through their vent. That is what they do while in brumation and part of the reason baths help so much. It is pretty limited though. I might have to try that. Mine smells absolutely horrible. At times it makes me gag.

May I please ask your source for this??

[SpOoKy]

I never bath my beardies. They get all of their moisture from the veggies and once in a while they will drink from a squirt bottle.

[Little Wise Owl]

Thanks for posting this thread. I've been wanting to move my beardies onto a bioactive terrain but didn't know how to approach it due to their low humidity needs.

[Terranaut]

Its been a great thread. Gonna post my buildup to this in this thread. This weekend for sure. King snake first then beardies. I also have a standings day gecko who I think this will be perfect for.
Thanks for all the input. More pics if you have them.

[EmbraceCalamity]

I put soil from the woods into my leo's enclosure mixed with a little sand, but it doesn't seem to have done much of anything. It just got really dry with hard chunks in it. But that works just fine for leos, so I'm not complaining. They're neat reptiles anyway. :)

~Maggot

[BarelyBreathing]

They have been known to absorb moisture through their vent. That is what they do while in brumation and part of the reason baths help so much. It is pretty limited though. I might have to try that. Mine smells absolutely horrible. At times it makes me gag.

May I please ask your source for this??

Same. I always thought that this was a myth.

Its been a great thread. Gonna post my buildup to this in this thread. This weekend for sure. King snake first then beardies. I also have a standings day gecko who I think this will be perfect for.
Thanks for all the input. More pics if you have them.

I can't wait to see them. I personally think that all tropical or semi-tropical geckos should be kept in this type of environment. There really isn't a better way to keep up humidity than live plants.

[beardeds4life]

May I please ask your source for this??

Sure it wont be for a few hours though till I get the time to dig it up.

[beardeds4life]

As I mentioned, when Bearded Dragons go into brumation in the wild, it is a common practice for them to burrow under things in their environment, or to bury themselves in moist soil to ensure that they receive enough hydration for them to survive until Spring. Beardies have evolved, over the years, to be able to take in a certain amount of moisture throught their vents, which is enough for them to exist on while in a dormant state.

This is from beardeddragon.org. Brumation article, page 9, paragraph 2.

Bearded Dragon . org - Brumation (http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/brumation/?page=9)

[Aaron_S]

How does anyone know that is truly how they do it? That's just someone writing in an article their thoughts.

[infernalis]

I don't buy "reptilian osmosis" in any way.

Can't even sell me that one.

Now, if you were to say they go deep to conserve moisture through respiration of dank air, I'd have to agree, as the lungs were made for humidity exchange.

[BarelyBreathing]

This is from beardeddragon.org. Brumation article, page 9, paragraph 2.

Bearded Dragon . org - Brumation (http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/brumation/?page=9)

Reptiles burrow in moist substrate to hold humidity so they don't lose is. Dry substrate or dry air pulls moisture from their bodies. Humidy air and humid substrate does not.

I don't buy "reptilian osmosis" in any way.

Can't even sell me that one.

Now, if you were to say they go deep to conserve moisture through respiration of dank air, I'd have to agree, as the lungs were made for humidity exchange.

This.

[infernalis]

Cross link>>>

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/natural-vivaria-plant-forum/97041-media-bio-active-substrates.html


I did this for another forum. Enjoy and share your thoughts/experiences.

I use and have used many medias for my bio-active enclosures. I'll start by explaing a little bit about what bio-active means.
Bio-active is basically an enclosure that is alive for the purpose of consuming waste to feed plants. Plants help to create a more healthy environment. When you have a truly bio-active environment, you have several species of bugs that break down urates and feces, eliminating any bad chemicals that these materials create. When urates and feces are broken down, you have an environment that does not create foul smells and does not create exposures to unhealthy chemicals such as amonia and nitrates. Plants create oxygen which helps keep an isolated environment from getting stale.
You can decide what plants to add to your vivarium based on what region your reptile is from. If you need a little more help, there's a great list of plants by species here: Vivarium Plants (http://www.blackjungleterrariumsupply.com/Vivarium-Plants_c_63.html)
For bugs, I usually use a combination. I have found that works best, since each species I use has a little bit of a different function. Springtails are a light brown in color. They tackle waste above the substrate, along with leftover food, and anything else you don't want polluting your enclosure. Springtails can be brought in from outside in leaf litter, on wood, or dirt. You can also purchase a colony or two here: Springtail Starter Culture (http://www.blackjungleterrariumsupply.com/Springtail-Starter-Culture_p_935.html)
Another very efficiant cleaner bug is the night crawler. These will clean up anything in the substrate itself. I purchase these at bait stores, or you can dig them up yourself.
Then there are wood mites and isopods. I've only just experimented with isopods, so I don't really have anything to report about them. I got my wood mites on wood from outside, and in bags of cypress bedding. They are very tiny, and will appear white or light gray. They don't do as much as the springtails do, but they will help to clean up. They also keep your wood healthy.
While it's okay to stock your enclosure with bugs that your animals will eat, it's important to make sure that there are other bugs in there that your animal doesn't eat to be sure your eco-system remains runing smoothly. Small animals eat springtails and wood mites, larger animals will eat worms and isopods.
Now that we've gotten a crash course on bio-active, I'll talk about the subject of this thread: the substrate.
There is a plethora of different substrates you can use to create a bio-active enclosure. The type of substrate depends on what animals and plants you want to add, and the needs of those animals and plants as far as humidity goes. You may also need to consider what substrate best holds burrows, as a lot of reptiles need to burrow to survive. Here are some of the substrates that I have experience with.

Eco Earth
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m611/SnakeShed/Reptils/_DSC0015-1.jpg
I love this substrate! It's a great media for high humidity environments. You can deposite your tropical and substropical plants directly into the substrate. It can hold burrows well when it is mixed with children's washed play sand. It also supports all four of the clean up crew bugs I've mentioned. Basically, the only thing I have to say against this substrate is that it gets dusty when it's too dry, and is therefore not an appropriate option for animals that can't handle humidity.

Sand/soil mix
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m611/SnakeShed/Reptils/_DSC0006-2.jpg
This is absolutely the best substrate mix for animals that burrow. Pictured here is a mixture that is roughly 60% Eco Earth, and 40% children's washed play sand. I also added a little bit of cypress bedding on top. Washed play sand is very important to use if you buy from the store. You can also dig your sand up from an area that you can be sure has no chemicals or glass in it. Eco Earth can be replaced with a 100% organic top soil, or dirt you dig up from a non chemical area. This sand mix holds humidity well, will support plants that don't require a lot of nutrients, and will support all of your clean up crew bugs.

Cypress
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m611/SnakeShed/Reptils/_DSC0057.jpg
Cypress is a substrate that holds a lot of moisture. It's great for animals requiring a high level of humidity. The down side is that you can't add plants directly into it, and it doesn't hold a burrow. Worms will not thrive in an enclosure where the main substrate is cypress. It's also not very natural. I use it for a few of my animals to increase humidity by placing it on top of other substrate. On the plus side, it does support springtails and wood mites very well. It's important to make sure that any cypress you introduce to your animals is either 100% organic cypress or cypress bedding. Many mulches contain other additives that may not be healthy for your animal.

Top soil
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m611/SnakeShed/Reptils/_DSC0066.jpg
Top soil will support your clean up crew well. It's a nice substrate for animals who require a medium amount of humidity, and it supports live plants. Top soil doesn't hold burrows very well, though, so it's best to use with animals that aren't prone to digging. Be careful that the top soil you use is 100% organic, not "organic from inorganic materials".

Repti Bark
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m611/SnakeShed/Reptils/_DSC0013-3.jpg
This is another non-natural substrate choice. It also doesn't hold plants directly in it, nor does it hold burrows or support worms. It does support springtails and wood mites, though. I use this substrate because it can be used either moist or dry, depending on the environment you add them to. This is another substrate you can also add to the top of another to create more texture in an enclosure.

Dirt from outside
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m611/SnakeShed/Reptils/_DSC0054.jpg
This can differ greatly from area to area. In my area, the dirt is really sandy. It takes a little more effort to get it to hold moisture, so it would be good for animals that require a medium to low humidity level. In the picture, you can see I have added some cypress. This was actually to transfer springtails over from one enclosure into this one. On the plus side, my dirt can support plants with lower nutritional needs and holds a burrow phenomenally. It also supports all of my clean up crew, and my Dubia roaches love it. Be sure it is taken from an area that has no chemicals in it.

Leaf litter
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m611/SnakeShed/Reptils/_DSC0002-5.jpg
Leaf litter is a very important additive to any bio-active enclosure. It isn't a substrate on its own, but when added on top of a substrate or mixture of substrates, it has many benefits. Leaf litter houses many bugs that aid in clean up. Bringing leaf litter in from outside will actually help you bring these bugs into your enclosure. Leaf litter also helps to hold humidity for enclosures that need to be more moist. On top of that, it creates a wonderful natural hiding spot for your animals. As with other media taken from outside, it's important to make sure that your leaf litter is from a chemical free area.

The only down side to bio-active substrates are that it can sometimes take a while to establish your clean up colonies.
Obviously, the benefits of a bio-active enclosure are incredible. You never have to worry about cleaning. It creates a very healthy environment that is virtually odor free. I've had people come into my house who have never been around reptiles and not notice a smell, and I have dozens of reptiles. Bio-active enclosures have been proven to have a lower level of nitrates than animals kept on non-particle substrate without the use of harsh cleaning chemicals. They work for all reptiles, because reptiles in the wild are naturally a part of an eco-system. A bio-active enclosure is an eco-system on a miniature level. You also don't need to worry about the bugs getting out, because they prefer to stay in their environment.

[BarelyBreathing]

Thanks, Wayne.

[DragonsEye]

I have read that nightcrawlers an be difficult to maintain in vivs as temps often get too high in heated tanks. How have yours held up, BB?


http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c193/sally_anne_/Seasons/Holidays/Christmas/Christmasdecosmiley.gif

[BarelyBreathing]

I have read that nightcrawlers an be difficult to maintain in vivs as temps often get too high in heated tanks. How have yours held up, BB?


http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c193/sally_anne_/Seasons/Holidays/Christmas/Christmasdecosmiley.gif


Perfectly, even in monitor enclosures with a basking spot of 155. The substrate temperatures are much lower than the basking spot.

[poison123]

ive tried earth worms in my cages but they just end up dying. bb do you keep them in pure soil or sand/soil?

[BarelyBreathing]

I keep them in soil, backyard dirt, Eco Earth, and sand soil. All do well.

[Terranaut]

So how deep do you make it? I know some monitors have needs for it to be quite deep but lets say for a snake.

[KORBIN5895]

13". That's weird. Who makes something that is 13"? Why not 12"?

Most 55 gallon aquariums are 13" wide.

[BarelyBreathing]

So how deep do you make it? I know some monitors have needs for it to be quite deep but lets say for a snake.

What snake is this for? I know a guy who keeps his corn snakes on about 18", and they use it.

Most 55 gallon aquariums are 13" wide.

That's weird. It bothers me. Is it weird that it bothers me?

[KORBIN5895]

What snake is this for? I know a guy who keeps his corn snakes on about 18", and they use it.



That's weird. It bothers me. Is it weird that it bothers me?

No. It annoys me to no end too...... oh wait maybe it is weird.....

[BarelyBreathing]

no. It annoys me to no end too...... Oh wait maybe it is weird.....

thank you!

[Terranaut]

Holy crap 18" I don't have a single snake enclosure capable of 1/2 that.

[jarich]

I have read that nightcrawlers an be difficult to maintain in vivs as temps often get too high in heated tanks. How have yours held up, BB?


http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c193/sally_anne_/Seasons/Holidays/Christmas/Christmasdecosmiley.gif

Just have to make sure you get the right kind of nightcrawlers. The most common ones for sale are Canadian, which need a lower temperature to do well. Even room temperature is hard on them after awhile. If you buy the African ones online though, they do very well in those higher temperatures. They arent quite as big, but thats not a big deal if you are just using them for the soil.

[beardeds4life]

What are the ones I dig up in my backyard?