snakeladyamy
New member
Has anyone ever heard of using dirt substrate for corns? The petstore in question has their baby corns in a 6''x12''x5'' (approx.) plastic tub with about three inches of DIRT substrate. On top of this, they are keeping them at at least 66% humidity. This is mandated by the corporate "planagram" of the company (although i have only seen one of the store locations actually following this)
I can think of several reasons right away that this could be VERY HARMFUL to a corn, especially hatchlings: resperatory problems, impaction, being crushed by the weight of the settling substrate (all the hatchlings were at the bottom of the tub), not to mention all the mites and gnats that were in there, evident by the ones crawling on my arm after i held them. And the dirt clings to them when you take them out- yech!!
Maybe i am off base though? I don't think so. I would like anyone who agrees to contact me or reply- I am going to be contacting the man in charge of the 'Planagram' to hopefully see if i can get him to change this- i think that if several 'experts' in the area called or wrote to him, it would have more impact. (this is a nationwide chain)
I can think of several reasons right away that this could be VERY HARMFUL to a corn, especially hatchlings: resperatory problems, impaction, being crushed by the weight of the settling substrate (all the hatchlings were at the bottom of the tub), not to mention all the mites and gnats that were in there, evident by the ones crawling on my arm after i held them. And the dirt clings to them when you take them out- yech!!
Maybe i am off base though? I don't think so. I would like anyone who agrees to contact me or reply- I am going to be contacting the man in charge of the 'Planagram' to hopefully see if i can get him to change this- i think that if several 'experts' in the area called or wrote to him, it would have more impact. (this is a nationwide chain)