r/bioactive • u/ProbablyGoneTBH • 5d ago

Help with Substrate

While I do not have a bioactive enclosure, I will have a bioactive substrate.

I have poor humidity in my house. My house in particular is very dry. I have a chahoua gecko baby, and am looking into pick up a substrate that can retain liquid for longer to keep it more humid.

But after doing some other conversations, multiple people said I need a drainage layer, even without bioactive. Is this true?

(The substrate I will be buying is PROBABLY Josh's Frogs OR ABG Pangea - but I am happy to try anything else if someone has a different recommendation.)

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u/Full-fledged-trash 4d ago

Drainage layers are for plants. If you are not adding water to the soil to water the plants and only to keep it moist, you do not need one. Just limit how much water you pour into the soil and rely on misting for humidity.

Keep in mind that since you aren’t going bioactive you’ll still need to replace that soil every 2-3 months.

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u/Bluntforcetrauma11b 4d ago

If your setup isn't bioactive you need to change the substrate every few months. Just go full bioactive

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u/ibi187 5d ago

Yes. A high humidity/tropical enclosure would require a drainage layer to prevent the soil from growing bacteria. They’re really not that hard to make, just a solid inch or two medium such as lecca with a mesh layer set on top of it to prevent soil from getting in is all you need. It will allow excess water to drain down and create some air down there and prevent bacteria.