Picked up a trick at a reptile expo last Sunday that saved my closed terrarium

I was talking to this guy selling moss at the local expo in Portland and he mentioned putting a layer of crushed charcoal under my soil mix. I had been having issues with mine getting funky after a few months, figured it was just bad luck. He said it helps with drainage and stops rot, so I tried it on my new build and it worked great. Anyone else use charcoal in their setups or am I just late to the party?

2 comments

2 Comments

cora4001mo ago

I've been using crushed charcoal in all my closed terrariums for like three years now. That Portland moss guy wasn't wrong at all. It really does stop the water from making everything rot down there. I do a thin layer maybe half an inch thick right on top of the gravel before the soil. Also helps with smell too, my old setup used to get that swampy stink but not anymore. Good find for sure.

the_nina1mo ago

Stick with the fine crushed stuff too, not the chunky barbecue briquettes. I made that mistake once and the big pieces left air pockets that messed with my drainage layer. Half inch is perfect though, any thicker and it starts stealing space from the soil and the roots really notice.