- Arcadia EarthMix Tropical & Forest is a naturalistic, bio-active ready substrate designed for reptiles and amphibians from tropical and forest habitats. It has been developed to provide the right balance of moisture retention and drainage, helping keepers build stable, planted and more natural enclosure environments. This specialist blend combines organic matter and volcanic rock to create a clean, mineral-rich substrate that supports live plants, beneficial microfauna and long-term ecosystem stability. It is an excellent choice for keepers who want to create a more naturalistic vivarium or terrarium with improved functionality and enrichment. Why Choose EarthMix Tropical & Forest? EarthMix Tropical & Forest is ideal for keepers building humid or semi-humid enclosures for forest species. The carefully balanced blend helps maintain a natural substrate structure while supporting rooted plants, clean-up crews and realistic environmental texture. Unlike basic decorative substrates, it is designed to function as part of a living enclosure system. This makes it particularly useful for bioactive keepers who want a substrate that supports both their animals and the wider enclosure ecosystem. Bioactive Ready from Day One Arcadia EarthMix Tropical & Forest is designed for bio-active keeping from the start. Custodian species can be added from day one, allowing the enclosure to begin developing into a more balanced and self-supporting system immediately. This makes it a strong foundation for naturalistic setups where keepers want to combine live plants, microfauna and habitat-specific décor into one cohesive enclosure design. Balanced Moisture Retention & Drainage Tropical and forest enclosures often need a substrate that can retain useful moisture without becoming stagnant. EarthMix Tropical & Forest has been formulated to provide this balance, helping keepers manage humidity while still maintaining healthy drainage through the substrate. The inclusion of volcanic rock also increases mineral content and helps create a more open, functional substrate structure for longer-term enclosure health. Supports Live Plants & Natural Growth EarthMix Tropical & Forest supports the sustained growth of live plants, making it well suited to planted vivariums and terrariums. Live plants can help improve humidity, provide shelter and climbing surfaces, and contribute to a more natural and enriching enclosure overall. This makes the substrate particularly useful for keepers wanting to build lush forest-style displays with practical bioactive benefits as well as visual appeal. Naturalistic Movement & Enrichment A good substrate should do more than simply cover the base of an enclosure. EarthMix Tropical & Forest provides a more realistic texture underfoot, helping support natural body movement, digging and exploration where appropriate for the species being kept. When used as part of a well-designed naturalistic enclosure, it can help create a more engaging and welfare-positive environment. Key Features: Bio-active ready substrate for tropical and forest enclosures Supports live custodians from day one Balanced moisture retention and drainage Encourages sustained live plant growth Mineral-rich blend with volcanic rock Suitable for planted naturalistic vivariums and terrariums All-natural ingredients Made in Britain Directions for Use: Add Arcadia EarthMix Tropical & Forest to the enclosure to a suitable depth for the species being kept. For best results in bioactive systems, use with live plants, leaf litter, suitable décor and an appropriate clean-up crew. Maintain humidity in line with the needs of your species and overall enclosure design. Where required, combine the substrate with a suitable drainage layer to support longer-term tropical and forest ecosystem stability. Suitable For: Tropical reptiles Forest reptiles Tropical and forest amphibians Bio-active vivariums and terrariums Planted naturalistic enclosures Frequently Asked Questions: Is Arcadia EarthMix Tropical & Forest bioactive ready? Yes. EarthMix Tropical & Forest is bio-active ready and suitable for custodians from day one. Can I use EarthMix Tropical & Forest with live plants? Yes. It is designed to support sustained live plant growth, making it a strong choice for planted vivariums and terrariums. What makes this substrate suitable for tropical enclosures? It is formulated to provide a balanced mix of moisture retention and drainage, helping create stable conditions for tropical and forest species. Can I add clean-up crews straight away? Yes. EarthMix Tropical & Forest is suitable for beneficial microfauna and custodians from day one. Is this substrate suitable for naturalistic forest vivariums? Yes. It is specifically designed for tropical and forest-style naturalistic setups, including planted and bioactive enclosures.