Komodo tortoise eco terrain for skink substrate

[hungba]

I want to switch my lizards from aspen pellets over to a "sand soil mix" type substrate. I know it is cheaper to make my own but don't know where to get topsoil and playsand. We do not have huge stores like home depot or wallmart here, and while at the gardening supplies shop, I saw the soils labels were all in german, and I don't know which has fertilizers or not. The bags are also HUGE. The only one which I could read has no fertilizers or chemicals was not top soil, but peat moss (is that ok to use?)

Then at the reptile shop I see Komodo Tortoise Eco Terrain, which says it is a sand soil mix. Has anyone used this and is it safe?

[jclaiborne]

I mix peat moss in with my sand and soil to create my mix. I wouldn't use just that but it can be added. I have never seen/heard of Komodo Tortoise Eco Terrain in the US. Looking at pictures of it online it is hard to tell if it will hold a burrow or any moisture. What type of skink is it for?

[hungba]

Shingleback. It needs dry anyway.

If it works I may wet it and use for blue tongues (northerns, meraukes).

I will give hides anyway so they don't need burrows. They just fill the doors with substrate while inside. I don't think full underground burrows are a good idea because would be impossible to take them out etc.

I just want to make sure it is safe and doesn't have calcium sand or unsuitable soil in it. It just says sand soil mix. The company does make calcium sand but then again so does zoo med (vita sand) and a lot of their other stuff is good. Pro Rep (another company) also makes a sand soil mix but they DO add calcium sand, but it is stated on the package.

Gosh, I never thought it would be so much trouble getting a bunch of dirt.

Can't get playsand for a cheap. Apparently poor kids don't play in this country... They only have "sandtastik" brand, and they want 450 HKD (roughly 60 USD per 25 lb box).

No one even knows what topsoil is. Everyone plants stuff with "potting mix" with everything in it already and labels in German. The only reason I know the peat moss has no chemicals in it is the people who keep carnivorous plants use that brand because fertilizers kill them.

Can you just use straight peat moss?

[hungba]

Also what if I put those eco earth brick things mixed with some kind of sand?

[jclaiborne]

Wow, thats insane that it is so hard to find everything. I have never just used peat moss, but I don't see why you couldn't. I mix my peat with the dirt and sand. The texture is very much like eco earth. So it is very fine so you may want to pat it down, it will be a bit dusty at first as well, so you may want to give it a good spray down mix it up spray again until everything settles then let it dry a bit and see what you think. The other option you have is if you can get hold of anything like Provent A Mite or a like product, you can literally dig up dirt from a yard provided it doesnt get sprayed with pesticides and treat the dirt if you are worried about mites.

[hungba]

Thanks for the help. Doubt I can dig dirt though because in this city all I see is concrete. I can probably go far away and get it but I think really just want a store bought thing even if it is a bit of a ripoff, because otherwise I will just end up doing it once and never doing it again.

No one has any idea about the komodo product?

[hungba]

I did more digging and found a reptile specific soil called JBL Terra Basis. It doesn't really say whats in it though and again the bag was in german. Does anyone know about this?

[jclaiborne]

I'm going to guess that a lot of these products you are finding aren't available in the US. We have Zoo-Med and Exo Terra, they seem to have the US market pretty much locked up. Again the only thing I found on JBL is from a google search and it says its for humid environments and it is made from "different types of plant and soil mulch". Maybe your best bet is to try the peat if its cheap. I honestly don't know what else you could use since I am not familiar with any of the brands you have listed, I can only go by what I find online.

**you know another thought would be to create an account on bluetongueskinks.net and see if they have any advice. I don't know if anyone there is in Germany but there are quite a few members on there from Australia and may have some knowledge of substrate mixes that are available in your area**

[hungba]

Thanks again. The peat moss being a bit acidic is that a problem?

Also, what about eco earth? I find conflicting info as to whether it is digestible or not.

Right now my best bet I think is the komodo, its actually what I am looking for, just need to confirm it has no harmful stuff in it. Where did you find the info for jbl? I've looked around including the official website for jbl. Would be intetrsted what website that wad found. Perhaps I'll find something about the komodo.

I asked some local guys who keep tortoises what they do they said they went way out to a farm and asked the farmer if he had soil with no additives. The farmer just went behind his shed and dug up some dirt, guaranteed no fertilizer because it would cost extra!

[Jhill001]

Honestly there is very little difference between the U.S. brands and the Eurobrands. Some products are exactly the same, Komodo has the cool skull hides that exoterra sells here for example. And others are just a slight variation. I'm gonna read up on the products for a bit and maybe I can give you some advice.