Storing excess Eco-Earth

[transcend11]

I got my first brick of Eco Earth today. I only need a small amount that I want to put in her moist hide, but the brick was near impossible to break off a piece. Instead I am just following the directions and soaking the entire brick.

But since I only need a small piece of it, how can I store the rest? I think I would obviously need to store it dried, right? But then how can I let it air dry without it being a perfect target for bacteria and mold growth?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[fallen_angel]

When you need just a little bit of it, you just get one end of the brick wet and scrape off what you need with a knife. Since you've soaked the whole brick, you could put it in something like a bin and leave it open to air dry, then store it in a plastic bag. It will take about 3 days, and it should be just fine. Until it is dry, you can't really put it inside of anything because mold will grow.

 

[acpart]

I have had no problem storing the wet stuff in a sealed (large) ziploc bag. I stored it for several months and used as needed and never saw any mold on it.

Aliza

 

[MonteQ's]

I just use a 15 qt tub. Leave the lid on, and it'll hold the moisture for a looong time. Never had any mold either...though I do go through the stuff pretty quickly

 

[voretaq7]

Eco-Earth is coconut fiber, so it's pretty mold resistant - I used to store mine in a big tub and just open it up every few weeks to air it out.

The only way I know of to break those bricks apart is with a table saw - I did it once, then decided the effort (and dust, and small of burnt coconut...) just wasn't worth it.

 

[fallen_angel]

We had a mold problem with ours, but we weren't really trying to store it for long-term purposes. I just used a little bit of the brick and then put what I didn't use back in the wrapping and underneath the sink for a few days. Last night when I got the brick out to use the rest of it, there was mold on one of its sides. But it must have been because it wasn't kept in something air-tight and there was some moisture.

 

[Grinning Geckos]

To dry a little quicker, you can spread out a layer on a cookie sheet and bake it in the oven at 200. The heat will help a lot, but it shouldn't burn it unless it's in there a LONG time.