Trying to decide between the two. The coconut husk almost looks like it might scratch him, but would be good for helping keep humidity in his enclosure, or can I mix the two?
Need to change his substrate out tonight since I found out there was peat in the potting soil I got :/. Thank you!
There's no reason they can't be mixed, but Eco Earth alone is probably the best.
That said, the best mix, in my opinion, is one of EcoEarth, tree fern fiber, a pool filter or terrarium sand, and (especially if you can't find tree fern fiber) a little no additive orchid bark.
Mix that stuff up with some uncontaminated top soil and you'll have a mix that will hold moisture without getting soggy as long as it's got drainage underneath. It will also be able to slowly compost down waste material, as well as the bark and fiber, lessening the amount of ammonia and nitrites in the soil.
Now, that said. The soil will still need a way to drain, and there's a pretty much fool proof way to do that; with expanded clay balls and plastic coated mesh (like the kind used in gardens or spread over the top of water barrels). I don't remember the name of it but it's a fine black mesh you can buy at most garden or hardware stores.
lay an inch or two of hydroponic balls on the bottom of a tank and spread a sheet of the mesh on top (fold up the edge so the soil doesn't fall into the clay balls) and make sure to leave a hole in the mesh for a pipe wide enough for a turkey baster to be inserted into so that excess water can be sucked out. Also be sure to put a cap on the pipe.
This way the moisture will stay the same as long as there's at least a little water in the clay ball layer. The expanded clay will act as a wick for the water, but only up to a certain level of soil moisture. Once that level of moisture is reached it stop wicking the water into the soil. If the soil gets too wet it will let the water drain down to the bottom of the tank.
As an added part of the soil you should use small maple leaves layer on most of the soil surface. Let them break down and turn brown. There great for caudates to hide under and are food for wood lice that help the tank break down waste. Layering the sheets of rehydrated moss on them and even cork bark will keep them moist. When you clean up salamander droppings you should put this broken down leaf material back in place.
