The 6 Best clay substrates (2023 reviews)

The zoo med eco earth coconut fiber substrate is specially designed for your daily purpose and has plenty of most useful features. Zoo Med naturalistic flora is a life-like foliage to enhance your terrarium or paludarium. These HydroBalls are great if you're just doing a single small vivarium project. These babies wick water up beautifully and keep the seedlings moist while giving the seedlings enough space to grow out of the cracks. These balls will collect extra water and allow beneficial bacteria to thrive under your substrate layer.

These balls are helping to give the vivarium moisture and allow beneficial bacteria to thrive under your substrate layer. It is not that hard to get rid of the dust, all you have to do is rinse them off before putting them in your desired terrarium. This product is a good sized bag and very affordable compared to advertised clay balls for hydroponics needs. They are quite the helper in the responsibility to care for your pet.

Why We Like This:

Nice even small balls that fit well in small or large systems
Great stuff for building foutains or water falls in a tank
Good for reptiles and home grown mushrooms

Best For Bearded Dragon: Croci clay Substrate

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We would, of course, be remiss if we didn't mention croci clay substrate for regular usage. This is an excellent product for any DESERT reptile that loves to dig. It is meant for reptile substrate, not for fish. It is great for creating a natural landscape, lets your reptiles dig safely and can't be ingested easily. The excavator clay mixed with other substrate materials creates a wonderful environment for russian tortoises.

This stuff rocks, plain and simple. It is easy to use, fun to mould the custom cavern for juvenile bearded dragon. The dirt doesn’t come off on your hands, you can easily rub your hand on the fully dried clay and nothing noticeable will come off. It is very easy to add too much water which turns it into a mud swamp and it takes forever to dry out.

Why We Like This:

Really changes the entire look of bearded dragon terrarium
Clean up is also very easy
You can embed fake plants and plastic rocks so they are sturdy

Best For crested gecko: Pangea clay Substrate

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Not everyone likes to purchase substrate for their daily usage, but the pangea clay substrate would be an anomoly. This clay incubation substrate is premium quality and can be used for all reptile eggs. It absorbs water like it should and holds moisture like it should. It does not break down, does not compact, nor does it float. The color of this Incubation medium changes color based on the moisture level. It is used for incubating crested gecko eggs.

Why We Like This:

Good investment for long term
Lot of satisfied buyers

Best For building toilets: Zoo Med clay Substrate

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The zoo med clay substrate gives the top-tier substrate a run for their money by offering flagship specs at a much more affordable price. The Zoo Med naturalistic flora is a life-like foliage to enhance your terrarium or paludarium. It looks really cool and you can sculpt nice terrain. It will harden into what looks like dry, cracked, desert ground. It is dried dirt outside and also it is used to keep on tiles. It is one of the best substrates to use for desert animals, mix with sand and eco Earth to add a more natural look.

The point of this stuff is to sculpt tunnels and layers with clever tricks like long balloons that you can pop once it dries. It makes your reptiles feel like they are at home" in their natural habitat. It takes three bags of Excavator Clay to achieve this look.

Why We Like This:

Holds its shape so burrows and tunnels won't collapse
One of the best substrates to use for desert animals
Encourages natural drinking response and is water resistant

Best For naturalistic Terrarium type: Generic clay Substrate

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The generic clay substrate should be able to handle its purpose and duties with ease. Newzooland brings you a unique combination for reptiles lovers. The Eco Earth brick is a compressed coconut fiber that is ideal for burrowing animals. It is ideal for naturalistic terrarium type set-ups incorporating reptiles, amphibians or invertebrates and hydro balls to increase humidity levels for all tropical reptiles. Each eco earth brick makes 7-8 Liters of substrate and is available in a single pack and can be safely composted or recycled into potted plants or gardens. It is used to increase humidity in an enclosure.

Why We Like This:

, you can use hydroballs and mesh for landscaping real plants
Lot of satisfied buyers

Best Premium: Hydroclay clay Substrate

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The hydroclay clay substrate is specially designed for your regular usage and has plenty of features that are of high quality.

Why We Like This:

Helps maintain moisture and air around roots to prevent root rot
Delivers what they promise