Josh’s Frogs ABG Mix Tropical Plant Soil & Bioactive Terrarium Vivarium Substrate (4 Quart/1 Gallon)
$22.99
Price: $22.99
(as of Oct 06, 2025 17:47:06 UTC – Details)
Product description
Josh’s Frogs ABG Mix Tropical Plant Soil & Terrarium Vivarium Substrate
Our mix is the original ABG Mix developed by the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The mixture creates balance between retaining moisture and proper drainage; it can last for several years if used properly!
This substrate mix is for most applications when growing tropical plants in terrariums.
How to Use ABG 
Prep
ABG may be layered or mixed within the bag when received. Always mix before use, either in a separate bucket or in the terrarium.
Wet the substrate with distilled or reverse osmosis water. The moisture helps cut down on dust.
Flatten as evenly as possible before moving on.
Step 1
ABG Mix works best when used with False Bottom, Substrate Barrier, Sphagnum Moss, and Leaf Litter.
Step 2
Add focal points like wood and hides
Step 3
Tuck plants around the decor with tall plants in the back and shorter plants in the front.
Step 4
Springtails and isopods are small insects that eat waste, dead plant matter, and mold.
Step 5
The vivarium is ready for Dart Frogs, or other pets that like low ventilation and high humidity.
Setting Up a Bioactive Vivarium
1 Layer Substrate 2 Decorate 3 Plant 4 Clean up Crew 5 Introduce Pets
What is ABG made of?
It is a special blend of Charcoal, Milled sphagnum moss, Fir bark, Tree fern fiber, and Peat moss.
What animals can live on this substrate?
ABG is ideal for Dart Frogs, Mantellas, Tree Frogs, Bumblebee Toads, Tropical Geckos, Anoles and Tarantulas.
Can it be mixed with other substrates?
We do not recommend diluting the ABG with other substrates like coco fiber as it may not work as intended.
How many bags do I need?
We recommend roughly 1 4qt bag per square foot of floor space. (Click on product images for a chart)
Why can’t I use it by itself?
While ABG is great for plant growth, the other substrate parts are important for the animals! False Bottom increases humidity and keeps the soil from becoming overly wet. Sphagnum Moss and Leaf Litter keep the ABG from sticking to frogs.
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Customer Reviews
4.8 out of 5 stars 1,256
4.7 out of 5 stars 554
4.4 out of 5 stars 29
4.7 out of 5 stars 212
4.6 out of 5 stars 50
4.6 out of 5 stars 98
Price
$22.99$22.99
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$23.99$23.99
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Bioactive
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
Climate
Tropical
Tropical
Tropical
Arid
Tropical
Tropical
Animals
Dart Frog, Geckos, Tarantulas
Tree Frogs, Geckos, Snakes
Dart Frogs, Mantellas
Leopard Geckos, Bearded Dragon
Pac-Man, Pixie and Tomato Frog
Hermit, Halloween Moon Crabs
Plants
Tropicals
Tropicals
Tropicals
Aloe, Sempervivum, Crassula
Tropicals
Nontoxic tropicals, epiphytes
False bottom required
✔
✘
✔
✘
✘
✘
Suitable with Auto Misting
✔
✔
✔
✘
✔
✘
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
Package Dimensions : 12.36 x 9.45 x 3.43 inches; 2.1 Pounds
Item model number : JF00504
Date First Available : April 8, 2014
Manufacturer : Josh’s Frogs
ASIN : B00JJS9WOO
Best Sellers Rank: #13,960 in Pet Supplies (See Top 100 in Pet Supplies) #29 in Terrarium Substrate
Customer Reviews: 4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 1,256 ratings var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
PLANTS THRIVE: Recipe from the Atlanta Botanical Gardens proven for decades to accommodate a huge variety of plants, especially tropicals and houseplants.
LONG LASTING: Specifically designed to break down slowly, making it prime for use in terrariums/vivariums.
BIO-BALANCED: Each of the multiple ingredients in this precise mix support a balanced ecosystem.
EXCELLENT FOR CULTURING: Great for springtails, isopods, and other similar insects
Not for use with hermit crabs or pac-man frogs. Please view our biobeddings specifically for those animals.
Customers say
Customers find this soil mix excellent for vivariums, particularly for bioactive setups, with one noting it’s better than plain coir/coco-husks. The substrate holds moisture well and comes with all necessary products in one bag. They report their plants are thriving, and one customer mentions it supports collembolans and plants effectively. While some customers appreciate the excellent price, others find it expensive.
11 reviews for Josh’s Frogs ABG Mix Tropical Plant Soil & Bioactive Terrarium Vivarium Substrate (4 Quart/1 Gallon)
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Jessica Gray –
Great for tropical pets!
Great bedding for our tree frog. Stays moist all day, and is great for his plants and bugs . Also Great that we don’t have to constantly be cleaning the poop, as this helps break it down, so we only have to clean it twice a year!
JW –
Worth it
Works great for my tarantulas I mix with coco coir and use sphagnum moss dispersed on. Holds up well to tunnels and holds moisture well
Kenny –
Amazing quality
Perfect substrate for any terrarium
Sandra –
Surprise!!!
I am in the process of setting up a vivarium for my grandson. I was planning on collecting some lowly critters from around our area of Southeast Alaska for my grandson to observe. I mixed Joshâs Frogs Biobedding and ABG substrates. I placed them over Joshâs false bottom and barrier. There is nothing else in there but a flat rock which I washed and baked in the oven. This morning I found a miniature snail making its way across the rock. It is only 1mm and as cute as a button. Its shell is iridescent and stands up like a tire. As you can tell I am not upset about the snail. I even placed some fish flakes on the rock and spritzed the tank for it. I am worried that there maybe other live critters that came in the substrate which I may not be very excited about. The substrates themselves seem to be good quality mixes. I gave Joshâs Frogs substrates 5 stars because I am happy with them even with the snail. I realize many other peoples objectives are different than mine and would be horrified by the stowaway. I wrote this review because I thought others would like to know of the possibility of a stray hitchhiker.Update: The snail turned out to be a garlic glass snail. I am not sure what they eat as there is not much information online about them just a larger cousin. I also found out there were other hitchhikers in Joshâs BioBedding. Nothing harmful, just clean up crew type critters such as earthworms and millipedes. All of the critters must have come as eggs in the substrate. Still happy with Joshâs Frogs substrates.
John Xavier Rutherford –
Great mix for planted vivariums. $$
This was a nice mix to use for some smaller planted vivarium although on the pricey side, not having to purchase separate products was a benefit. It comes in a 4 quart bag and it has separate layers so before you use it, you need to shake it up and thoroughly mix the layers before using it.It has Lyca rock, charcoal, sphagnum moss, coco coir in the bag. You will need to use a substrate barrier and Lyca rock as a drainage system, (false bottom) in your planted system.This also can be used for tropical plants as a soil mix. Itâs a little pricey for the 4 quarts but a nice fix without the hassle.
Reviewer –
Great znack
This is my favorite flavor
Hope –
Good stuff
Itâs great
Emma Hagman –
Exactly what Glarb, Augur of Calamity (whites tree frog) needed
This has the perfect layers of substrate necessary for a frog. Exactly what we were trying to find for a long time
Kevin Cservid –
This is easily the best possible mix for isopod colonies I’ve been using it for half a year now they’ve been proliferating like crazy, also perfect for microfauna in vivariums!
Mary Poirier –
It was a product I was recommended prior to purchasing and it’s exactly what I needed for my gecko’s terrarium!
Dan J. –
Product is great. Josh’s Frogs are great. The size of this bag of substrate (for the price) is not so great.