Zoo Med Eco Earth Coconut Fiber Substrate is made from coconut husks, offering an eco-friendly, one hundred percent natural substrate which can be used in terrariums with confidence.
The loose fiber substrate can be safely used to create a humid terrarium that is natural, comfortable, and safe for your reptile pet.
The natural fiber substrate helps maintain humidity levels for reptiles and amphibians that thrive in high humidity levels.
Pros
- The ideal choice for natural terrariums
- Suitable for reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates
- Naturally absorbs and breaks down odors and waste products
- Choose from a loose or compressed brick
- Natural and effective for live plants and a bioactive setup
Cons
- The natural coconut fibers can be ingested and can lead to impaction
Design and Features
The Zoo Med Eco Earth can be used damp helps to boost humidity levels, stimulates natural digging, and burrowing and is ideal for live plants to complete a bioactive enclosure setup.
This can be mixed with other substrates to create a natural and comfortable enclosure for your pet.
An added benefit is that the Eco Earth will absorb and break down odors and waste inside the terrarium.
The product can also be used dry or used in conjunction with the Zoo Med HydroBalls to create excellent drainage for plants and humidity.
The substrate is suitable for forest-dwelling lizards, snakes, frogsm and toads, along with invertebrates, tortoises, and Box Turtles.
Add the natural substrate at least double the height of your pet to encourage natural burrowing.
When you receive your Zoo Med Eco Earth, it will come as a brick or loose dry soil.
Once you have soaked the brick or added moisture to the soil, you should have a soft and quality substrate you can layer across the bottom of your terrarium with confidence.
This is a one hundred percent natural product which can be used with reptiles and amphibians that thrive in high humidity.
| Loose | 8q (8.8L) | Check Price |
| Compressed Brick | 7-8 Liters | Check Price |
Use and Maintenance
The good news is that the Zoo Med Eco Earth is very easy to use.
If you are using it in brick form, simply place the brick in a container of water and allow it to absorb for thirty minutes. Break it up with your hands and use it immediately to provide a welcome and comfortable humid substrate.
The Zoo Med Eco Earth is best suited for living plants and you will want to conduct spot checks daily, removing any feces that is visible, along with any mold you may come across.
Bear in mind this is a damp substrate in a humid environment, mold is possible.
The soil should be viable for at least six months, in which it is recommended you replace the soil with clean and fresh soil.
Soil maintenance is very easy once it is placed in the bottom of the terrarium, simply mist daily to ensure humidity levels remain at optimum.
Keep a close eye on your hygrometer to ensure you maintain humidity levels required.
How Much Soil Do I Need?
This is an estimate on the amount of Eco Earth you will need to create a natural terrarium for your pet.
Each brick is 8.8 liters or 8 US liquid quarts, this makes 462 cubic inches of moist earth.
Measure the base of your terrarium and the thickness of substrate needed.
A good example is a forty-gallon breeding tank of 36” x 18” x 18” with 4” substrate is the volume of the terrarium, which works out to 2592 cubed inches.
Divide the 462 cubic inches of eco earth in each brick into the total coverage area and this will advise how many bricks required.
In this case, it would be 5.6 bricks to cover four inches of area.
Is This Product Good Value?
Overall looking at Zoo Med Eco Earth Coconut Fiber Substrate, you will find it is an excellent value if you want to create a natural terrarium.
Use it wet or dry for burrowing and digging animals, while soaking a brick is ideal for the humid terrarium.
A one hundred percent natural product that lasts six months before needing to be replaced, while offering to break down odors and waste is an excellent option for any reptile owner.
Related –Exo Terra Plantation Soil Review
Summary
The Eco Earth is a good quality product suitable for humid and dry terrariums with digging and burrowing animals.