Substrate depth & moss pit

[FairyDefender]

New Hermie mom. I need to add more substrate but one of my hermies is buried and has been for a few weeks so I think he is molting. Another has a pretty cool cave dug and I don't want to mess it up. Is it safe to add more while they are under? Using Fluker's Hermit Beach. In some places it's 4-5 inches deep but in others only about 3. I have no idea where the one has buried himself. He is the largest, his shell is about 1.5 -2 inches tall.

Also I want to add a moss pit. How deep should the moss be? Will they feel safe in it during the day or should it be covered? Right now they all seem to bury themselves during the day.

Thanks for the help

[curlysister]

You can add up to an inch of substrate, but don't pack it down at all.

[Hermiesguardian]

I think what curlysister meant to say is an inch every 24hrs. And I would add just don't cover up the tunnels. So add around it. Playsand is probably much cheaper than what you mentioned. And a moss pit can be a few inches deep. It's very loose and they dig right through it, push some out of the pit. Some of mine sleep in there during the day. It doesn't have to be dark around the moss pit.

[FairyDefender]

Thanks!
I was afraid I wouldn't mix the play sand correctly but when it's time for clean sand I will try that way. I thought it would be deep enough when we got the terrarium but ran out of sand & didn't want to make the poor little guys stay in the plastic container of pebbles they came home from school in. Oscar buried himself right away so then I didn't know what to do.
As far as the moss pit, I keep thinking there has to be more I'm missing. So if I understand correctly it's just a "bowl" of damp moss for them to hang out in, preferably up above ground level? Seems to simple, lol

[curlysister]

I think what curlysister meant to say is an inch every 24hrs. And I would add just don't cover up the tunnels. So add around it. Playsand is probably much cheaper than what you mentioned. And a moss pit can be a few inches deep. It's very loose and they dig right through it, push some out of the pit. Some of mine sleep in there during the day. It doesn't have to be dark around the moss pit.

What the heck?? I could have sworn I typed 'every 24 hours'!! LOL, thanks for clarifying it!

Also, FairyD, when you say 'time for clean sand', do you mean changing it all? if you have proper substrate and there's not a problem like a bacterial bloom, it never needs to be completely replaced. You can just add more as needed. I have gone from a 10 to 20 and then to 55 gallon tank, and have just added more substrate and mixed it up. In 8 1/2 years, I have never thrown out my sub and started again.

[FairyDefender]

Wow! I did not know that. I thought for sure I would have to change it at some point. That's awesome. So glad u told me that! Thanks!