What do you use for substrate?

J

Jimbobtom

Fourth Instar
Was wondering what you all use in your substrate mix, mainly regarding species like:

P Nivea

Pycnoscelus surinamensis

Archimandrita tesselata

Blaberus giganteus

Gyna centurio/lurida/caffrorum

Hissers

Etc...

I was using orchid bark, but was told it could be harmful, any thoughts?

I've also heard adding charcoal can help keep the substrate fresh... Is this true?

Right now I plan to use coco coir, oak litter, possibly charcoal?, and sphagnum moss. Also using cork bark for hiding/climbing. 

Anything else I should add? Anything I should remove or make sure not to use? Anything species specific to mix in?

This is a roach forum, but if anyone feels like answering, would this also make a suitable substrate for isopods? 

Sorry for so many questions. Just redoing all of my bins and want to make sure I have everything perfect.

 
The substrate I use is coco fiber, sphagnum moss, coco husk chips, crushed dried leaves, and charcoal. Then a layer of leaf litter and bark/branches for hiding. I use the same substrate for all roaches and isopods. The only thing that changes is how dry/moist the substrate must stay depending on the specie

 
Longhorn1234 said:
The substrate I use is coco fiber, sphagnum moss, coco husk chips, crushed dried leaves, and charcoal. Then a layer of leaf litter and bark/branches for hiding. I use the same substrate for all roaches and isopods. The only thing that changes is how dry/moist the substrate must stay depending on the specie
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Does it really matter how much, or just mix some in? 

 
I normally do 2 parts of coco fiber, 2 parts of sphagnum moss, 1 part of coco husk chips, and 1/2 part of charcoal. Then I just add some decent amount of crushed leaves and mix it all up. So far I haven't had any problems with that.

Edit: I honestly don't know if it really matters the amounts of each haha

 
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I have A. tesselata, B. craniifer, and domino roaches (forgot their name) in coco fiber with leaf litter added on top and in. Seems fine so far. Most roaches aren't as substrate-reliant as things like millipedes can be. Same thing should work for most isopods, yes, though a bit of rotting wood is also good (but not required) to add for them. 

 
I use coco coir, mixed with dead oak leaves for most of my roaches and a layer of leaves on top. I also add (depending on the species), pieces of bark (alder, birch etc.) to provide a hiding space. 

For the species that eat wood (e.g. Panestia), I use flake soil (fermented and composted oak wood chips and sawdust) and pieces of partially rotten wood (that has been laying in my garden for a few years). 

In case of climbing species (e.g. Thorax porcellana), I also add twigs and branches. 

Hornbeam leaves, or leaves from other trees that curl up when dried is very suitable if you have small species that like to hide (e.g. Perisphaerus pygmaeus). 

The downside of some substrates is that that are fungus gnat magnets, so I add soil from other enclosures in new ones, because that contains predatory mites that seem to control fungus gnat. Th roaches itself don't seem to be bother much by the little flies, but my wife does object having them around in large quantities in our house. 

 
I mainly use coconut fiber, but I'll mix in dead leaves, rotten wood, and some Zilla "Jungle Mix" from time to time for certain species. 

 
Hisserdude said:
I mainly use coconut fiber, but I'll mix in dead leaves, rotten wood, and some Zilla "Jungle Mix" from time to time for certain species. 
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My buddy does tree removal. He does some big oak trees.... was wondering if the wood chips/leaves would make a good addition to the substrate? I could probably get some big bags of them.

 
Jimbobtom said:
My buddy does tree removal. He does some big oak trees.... was wondering if the wood chips/leaves would make a good addition to the substrate? I could probably get some big bags of them.
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Yeah those could make a good addition to the substrate, the leaves especially, the wood may not be too helpful unless it's been rotted a bit. 

 
I just bought bags of earth used for terrarium critters (says for eg frogs, beetles and millipedes on the bag) from the pet store along with a bag of leaf litter and soft rotting wood I collected a year ago from the woods then dried, a bit of moss on top as well. The roaches like it, the isopods like it, the springtails like it, so far so good. 

 
Before I was told they were illegal, I had a decently large colony of B. giganteus. I just used plain coconut fiber, and I ended up with hundreds of babies before I got rid of them. 

 
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Straight up coco fiber.  Can be moist or dry depending on the species.  Maybe some dead leaves for species that need it.

 
Hello!

I prefer coconut fiber, too. Main reason: I can be 100% sure that it contains no toxic ingredients. 

A second reason is that I am living far away from the next woodland and do not have a car. 

One or two times a year I collect oak, beech and hazelnut leaves and twigs and some peaces

of rotten wood, allways for the next year.

Another good reason is that it is very fine.

A real disadvantage of this coconut soil is this yellow fungus which occurs not seldom in humid climate. 

A handful of times I left this fungus inside the roaches box for any reason. I never had casualties resulting 

of this fungus and with the time my Trichorhina tomentosa, which I have in all humid containers, eliminated 

all of the fungus (I think it was because of the isopods, but there also may have been other reasons).

So a panic complete replacement of the substrate everytime a yellow fungus is seen is not obligatory

nessecary in my opinion.

Some years ago I made good experience with grave compost for my deep digging species.

But espacially when it is a rare or expensive roach species I am allways too afraid to use any soil for which 

I do not definitivly know that it does not contain for example ivy leavs or parts of toxic bark. 

I think when I would have an appropriate sylvan nearby I would search for a good place to get wood soil.

Greetings, Marco

 
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