# is it safe to bake coco fiber?



## Spidercrazy (Apr 3, 2010)

is it? cause i have it in the oven at 350 and i just want to know.


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## Arachnoholic420 (Apr 3, 2010)

yes make sure it's damp... cuz you dont want to burn down your house and turn down heat to 200-250..... 10 -15  or until its dries...


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## Spidercrazy (Apr 3, 2010)

it is damp its been in the sun drying for 1 day but its still to damp because i put a little too much water in it. but thatnks for the help


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## SDiego (Apr 3, 2010)

Should be fine. If it doesn't have water pooling in it, it's prolly fine to put in the tank too with your T, it'll dry out pretty quick (unless you are making really deep layer for burrower).


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## hassman789 (Apr 3, 2010)

*whats the point?*

why do people bake their eco earth? does it make it more compact and less "puffy/fluffy/powdery" lol. because if it does then i need to do that. its sooo annoying. i am ubsessive compulsive when  it comes to my pets lol.


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## Hobo (Apr 3, 2010)

Spidercrazy said:


> is it? cause i have it in the oven at 350 and i just want to know.


It's fine. Although some may argue it's necessity.

Something to learn though:
Next time, if you are unsure if doing something is ok or not, it's best to ask *before* doing it, not after.



hassman789 said:


> why do people bake their eco earth? does it make it more compact and less "puffy/fluffy/powdery" lol. because if it does then i need to do that. its sooo annoying. i am ubsessive compulsive when  it comes to my pets lol.


Some people want/need to dry it out ASAP, instead of waiting for it to become completely dry on it's own.


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## Hentzi (Apr 4, 2010)

What I generally do if i require dry substrate is bake the earth in the oven for a couple of hours of coarse the top is only dry and underneath is still damp so what I do is cut a garbage bag in half and spread the earth across it the earth dries in no time.


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## nakazanie (Apr 4, 2010)

Yep, I've done it to dry it.  Also, I've put it in the microwave.  Just keep an eye on it at all times!  

Nak


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## elportoed (Apr 4, 2010)

Bake is fine, but I think it's just take too long to heat up the oven and then it need to bake for a while.  I'd mist it a bit and nuke it in the microwave for a couple of minutes.  Let it cool and dry, then use it.


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## Venari (Apr 4, 2010)

If you're using the Exo-Terra bricks of coco husk, you can break it apart by hand. It's faster than using water to expand, and you don't need to dry it out afterward  

Once you have it completely broken apart, it doesn't swell up if you overflow the dish, and since some species (G. Rosea) like it bone dry, you can use it right away


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## CaseyG (Mar 7, 2022)

hassman789 said:


> *whats the point?*
> 
> why do people bake their eco earth? does it make it more compact and less "puffy/fluffy/powdery" lol. because if it does then i need to do that. its sooo annoying. i am ubsessive compulsive when  it comes to my pets lol.


To kill any harmful fungi or larvea that may still be alive


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## Pmurinushmacla (Mar 7, 2022)

CaseyG said:


> To kill any harmful fungi or larvea that may still be alive


Very little chance, especially if you buy from reputable sources.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Arachnophobphile (Mar 7, 2022)

Coco-fiber like Eco Earth, Josh's Frogs Mix lada lada lada......does not ever need to be oven baked.

The idea is to hydrate the coco bricks or if it's moist loose bagged put directly into the enclosure. If you over hydrated coco bricks simply drain it.

You can buy loose bagged dry coco fiber which I have. 

Since I've kept T's this is what I have always used.
1. Never had mold
2. Never had any other type of fungi
3. Never had bacteria
4. Never had a tunnel collapse from sling to adult
5. Never had to bake
6. Never had any issue ever with reputable company's coco fiber

The coco fiber to watch out for are some sold at hardware stores like Home D from a company you never heard of, simply don't buy it.

I did that only once and couldn't use it. Once hydrated after only a few days the whole bin was infested with mold. Hence the advice to stick to reputable well known brands, I'm not baking


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