Hi, so I created this paludarium/vivarium.
It has a small water section, there is a pump in the opposite corner with a tube that comes out into the pool of water. The base is filter foam so this helps keep the water clean. Which is great.
I used coco coir for the substrate which sits directly on the filter foam. It has 3 layers of filter foam and I keep the water level up to around the tip of the second layer. Meaning I have around an inch of filter foam between the water and the soil.
The coco coir is always really wet, some plants died but some are doing great. Some plants in the picture are just cuttings from a bush to provide more greenery while the plants grow in.
My question is, is this sustainable or will I see any issues, it’s been like this for a couple months now and is full or springtails and a good amount of woodlice.
Or should I put in a different drainage layer between the the filter foam and coco coir? If so what drainage layer? Leca clay balls?
by Think_Bug_3737
2 Comments
If the soil is too wet it’s not good, expanded clay would be perfect!
Given this opportunity, I’ll tell you that coconut fiber alone (unlike what many people say) is not a suitable substrate.
A suitable substrate would be:
2 parts tree fern peat
1 part coconut fiber
1 part dead sphagnum moss and dried leaves
2 parts orchid bark
Coco coir is probably the worst substrate besides potting soil.