restless morph

[mp2952]

i moved my recent morph into a different tank. his old enlcoser was smaller and it had moss laid on top of gravel with plants and a cave. now i just have gravel, but i still put in a cave and plants. he hasn't gone into the cave and he walks around the tank like he is looking for some place to go. i thought he was hungry, but he has yet to eat since he morphed a week ago. do juveniles prefer moss? i didn't think he cared about it, but if it makes a difference, i'll put some back in his tank.

 

[Daniel]

Some morphs like to dig and hide somewhere, so maybe he is really looking for some moss. Just give it a try and you will see whether it makes any difference.

 

[mp2952]

yeah. you're right. thanks for the fast reply

 

[mp2952]

he climbed into it before i could finish putting it all in

 

[Jennewt]

Why are you using gravel as a substrate? The first time I made a terrestrial setup, I tried doing it with wet gravel. This was a disaster; it stank. I now have the opinion that soil-type substrates are actually a whole lot "cleaner", ironically. If you want to know more, please ask, I need to get offline at this moment, or I'd tell you more...

 

[mp2952]

i don't know much about soil and i'm kind of stuck at school with only gravel. i just used it because that's what i'm familiar with. where could i get good soil to use? and also, when can i expect my morph to start eating again? he morphed on the 18th. i know they don't eat for usually week or more, but this is my first time raising larvae, so i get worried about every little thing.

 

[Mark]

You can use standard top soil sold in bags at the garden centre or hardware store. Make sure you buy a brand that is free from any additives (pesticides, fertilizers etc). If you’re lucky you’ll find one that is both organic and sterilized.

A number of keepers on the forum mix coco-fibre (the sort you can buy in compressed blocks from pet shops) into the top soil as it improves water retention. I personally go for straight top soil.

Avoid peat based soils.

Hope that helps.
Mark

 

[mp2952]

oh, i could get that then. i thought it would have to be some special ordered soil. would i have to clean it the same as gravel and sand before use?

 

[Jennewt]

Be sure you don't get "potting soil", just plain top soil. You don't have to clean it. Another option is soil-type products ("jungle mix" and such) sold at pet stores. These are overpriced, but work well. Another virtue of soil substrate is that the tank rarely needs cleaning; soil does a great job of breaking down waste naturally (which wet gravel doesn't).

 

[mp2952]

hopefully this weekend i can go out to get top soil with no fertilizers or pesticides. thanks for all the advice.