Rainforest Substrate Mix
- Regular price
- $10.00
- Sale price
- Unit price
- $10.00/L
Bring the rainforest floor into your enclosure. Our Rainforest Substrate Mix is a moisture-holding bioactive substrate for frogs, geckos, tropical reptiles and invertebrates, blended in-house to grow lush plants and moss while staying open and fresh, not soggy.
Ideal for: Tree frogs, Boyd's forest dragons, leaf-tailed geckos, jungle and green tree pythons, rainforest scorpions, tarantulas and velvet worms.
What's in our rainforest substrate mix
We publish our ratios so you know exactly what your animal is living on.
- 50% Coco Coir: holds moisture, stays soft underfoot and gives plant roots an easy medium to grow through.
- 15% Peat: holds moisture and gives the mildly acidic soil that forest plants prefer.
- 10% Sand: gives structure and drainage, and helps burrows hold their shape.
- 10% Horticultural Charcoal: keeps the mix open and helps it stay fresh-smelling.
- 10% Bark Bedding: adds structure and airflow, and slowly breaks down to feed isopods and springtails.
- 5% Aqua Soil: nutrient-rich granules that feed live plants and add structure.
Optional toppings: Large leaf litter, coconut fibre, live or dried moss and mycorrhizal fungi.
Bag size: [add bag sizes, e.g. 5L / 10L / 20L]
How to use it
- Lay a 3–5cm drainage layer of LECA, cover it with drainage mesh, then add 5–10cm of substrate.
- Keep it moist but never waterlogged; excess water should drain into the layer below.
- Add leaf litter and moss, then seed with springtails and dwarf white isopods.
- Expect a short white mould bloom in the first weeks while the soil establishes. Your clean-up crew will clear it.
Safe, tested and fertiliser-free
- Every batch is mixed from new or sanitised ingredients and contains no fertilisers.
- This is the same mix we test and use in our own custom bioactive enclosures.
- Don't let animals eat substrate. Feed from a dish or tongs, or cap feeding areas with sand or moss.
- These ratios are a broad guide. Research your species' needs and ask us if you're unsure.
Rainforest substrate FAQ
What is the best substrate for tree frogs?
A moisture-holding, soil-based bioactive mix over a drainage layer, topped with leaf litter and moss. Our Rainforest mix is built for exactly that.
Do I need a drainage layer?
Yes, for humid setups. A drainage layer of LECA under mesh stops the substrate from waterlogging and going sour.
Can I grow live plants in it?
Yes. The coco coir, peat and aqua soil hold moisture and nutrients, so terrarium plants and moss establish well.
Pairs well with: Expanded Clay Pellets/ LECA, Cut to Fit Drainage Separation Mesh, Springtail Cultures, Fern Moss (Thuidium delicatulum).
Blended in Surry Hills, Sydney, and shipped Australia-wide.
Supplies ship within 1 to 2 business days, depending on stock, and usually arrive 1 to 3 days after dispatch.
Live animals ship on Mondays and Tuesdays only, so they are never in transit over a weekend. Order by 11am Sunday to ship that week. Orders containing a live animal ship together on the next live dispatch day.
We hold live animal orders during very hot or very cold weather and ship them once conditions are safe. We’ll let you know if your order is held.
We ship Australia-wide. Live animals cannot be shipped to the Northern Territory or Tasmania.
Read our full [Shipping Policy].
Our Surry Hills store is small, so we keep in-store stock deliberately limited. Not everything online is on the shelf, so call us on (02) 7813 9640 before visiting for a specific item.
All reptiles and amphibians are sold online only, due to permit requirements.
Visit us at Shop 5, 450 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010. Open Wednesday to Sunday.
Every live animal is checked before it leaves us and packed by an experienced keeper.
If your animal arrives dead, contact us within one hour of delivery with a photo, and we will send a replacement. You don’t pay shipping on the replacement. Photo helps us identify what caused death so we can help prevent it from happening again with your order, and others.
Someone needs to be home to receive the parcel. We can’t cover animals left at a depot, sent to an incorrect address, or reported more than an hour after delivery.
Reptiles and frogs: most states require a licence before you buy. After ordering, email your licence details to info@biotastudio.com.au or add them to your order notes. If we don’t have them, we’ll contact you by SMS or email before your order ships.
Insects, spiders and supplies: most don’t need a licence, but rules vary by state and species.
See our [Reptile & Frog Licensing Guide] for every state.
New to keeping reptiles, frogs or insects? Our free [Care Guides] cover housing, temperature, humidity and feeding for every species we sell. Need somewhere for your animal to live? Shop [Ready-made Enclosures] or have one [custom built]. Questions? [Contact us] and an experienced keeper will help.