Eco Earth mixed with?

[yarok]

My Eco Earth just arrived and I have heard people mention mixing it with organic fertilizer. This seems like a good idea to me and I was wondering what kind of fertilizer to use? Is it the same as organic topsoil? I dont really know anything about fertilizer or topsoil but i would very much like to experiment with that mixture. It seems like it would be great for digging and holding in moisture. Would this mixture attract bugs, mites? Would it get moldy or start growing things if I kept it moist for humidity? Please comment and let me know your experience and the pros and cons of this mixture. Thank you.

 

[Guggie]

I was under the impression that fertilizer of any type was bad. Perhaps they meant organic soil? I've heard of that being used before.

Personally, I recently started using Eco Earth and Cypress - and I love it.

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

Sorry for the confusion in the other thread. I would just mix it with topsoil (which is pretty much dirt).

I personally have never had an issue with bugs or mites using the cheap 25-lb of topsoil from walmart or Lowe's. I've mixed with cypress and with coco coir. You "may" see these little tiny bugs (smaller than fleas) that are light brown/tan. These are not harmful to your reptiles. Silverfish, wood mites, etc, they seem to have a variety of names, but they are simply little insects that live in moist terrarium-like environments, and feed on dead vegetation and leftover food. They are not parasitic. If you want to decrease their presence, make sure you are removing uneaten food from the enclosure quickly.

 

[yarok]

I just switched out my cypress mulch for some eco earth in my sulcata enclosure. I didn't like that he was eating the cypress mulch and there are tiny splinters and dust. It also doesnt seem to hold moisture very well. He also couldn't create any lasting burrows because the wood chips just fall apart. I'm going to make it about 2 inches deep, maybe deeper. See if that works out better for humidity and burrowing.