# Confused about ABG mix charcoal.



## chinwag (Aug 20, 2017)

Hi,

I've been researching ABG mix, think I'm getting there but I have a few questions about the charcoal component;

What sort of size should the charcoal be going in as, does it go in as small lumps or is it added as powder?

Is any hardwood charcoal suitable?

I have some activated charcoal around, would that be OK to use?

I've mostly been looking at recipes recently and trying to understand the components, so I still need to understand the science behind it, at the moment I'm excited to get started but baffled by the charcoal!

Thanks.


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## rjs5134 (Feb 1, 2017)

I originally bought Horticultural Charcoal at my favorite garden supply store. I used a bagful in a shoebox for springtails, and it is perfect for ABG mix. Now I use too much so I use lump charcoal from the big box stores. It comes in large bags, like charcoal briquettes(but not), and needs to be broken into marble sized pieces. I half-fill an old pillowcase and drive over it with my truck a few times and then use a hammer to break up the last few large pieces. A large bag yields a little more than a 5 gallon bucketful. Powder is useless and large chunks are nearly as useless.

HTH


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## rjs5134 (Feb 1, 2017)

Here is what I use:


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## Luckyfroggie (Apr 4, 2017)

I use the same stuff. About $15 per bundle at your local big box hardware store. I also boiling it before I use it to ensure I don't welcome any unwanted pest in my viv/cultures.


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## S2G (Jul 5, 2016)

The stuff I have is around dime sized. Go to a hardware store buy some natural lump charcoal (cowboy brand etc). Get a pillow case etc smash it with a hammer take the pieces the size you want rinse them real good and your done.

I personally use turface mvp and recommend it above everything except the clay used for pumilio froglets. I use my own leaf litter I dry out so $8-$10 and I have substrate for several vivariums. 50lb bag has lasted me thru 2-29g, 1-20gH, 3-sterlite containers, 55g, and several iso cultures.


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## chinwag (Aug 20, 2017)

Cool, thanks a lot for all the replies everyone, all makes sense now!


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

rjs5134 said:


> I originally bought Horticultural Charcoal at my favorite garden supply store. I used a bagful in a shoebox for springtails, and it is perfect for ABG mix. Now I use too much so I use lump charcoal from the big box stores. It comes in large bags, like charcoal briquettes(but not), and needs to be broken into marble sized pieces. I half-fill an old pillowcase and drive over it with my truck a few times and then use a hammer to break up the last few large pieces. A large bag yields a little more than a 5 gallon bucketful. Powder is useless and large chunks are nearly as useless.
> 
> HTH


My neighbors have scratched their heads a few times, watching me stick a pillow case under the trucks tire, for a quick back and forth over it.

Activated carbon, as in aquarium carbon? The particle size is probably too small. I haven't seen any big enough. One of the carbon's functions, is to improve drainage. Shoot for an average 1/4" to 1/2" particle size.

Powdered carbon would still freshen the soil, and it would still give you a Terra preta richness. Google it. It would, however, be worse than useless for drainage. Powdered charcoal would reduce the drainage pockets, filling them with powder, therefor actually reducing the drainage.

While we are at it, make sure you get old school, stiff, tree fern fiber. The new bagged stuff is total garbage. It's too soft to do it's intended job...again, drainage. I know that Mike at Glass Box Tropics, still insists on the real stuff. You can always find it there. Someone's going to comment, so in reply, No, tree fern fiber does not destroy our environment. Tree fern fiber is absolutely sustain-ably harvested.


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## chinwag (Aug 20, 2017)

Thanks @Pumilo,

The stuff I have is aquarium carbon, definitely too small!

Tree fern fiber is proving impossible get here in the uk, the only supplier I could find has this;

'_Granulated tree fern root (Xaxim) - A fantastic neutral substrate. Mix with a normal (pesticide free) compost and watch those bromeliads and ferns grow. This is from the 'Soft' tree fern (Cyathea)._'

Unfortunately Glass Box Tropics don't ship internationally but I'll see if I can source it somewhere online that does.

Thanks again for the extra info.


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