Disclaimer: This article is aimed at the German audience of the Terrarium Blog, as the Trixie Coco Husks are only available in the German Amazon store. You can keep reading and gain some insights, but keep in mind that the product isn't available on the US version of Amazon.
Today's review is about the coco husks by Trixie. Coconut fibre is good component to mix loose substrates. By adding it to your soil, you can provide good drainage of excess water. Your plants' roots get more oxygen and the chance of mold is reduced. If you want to learn how to mix a good substrate, read this article.
Affiliate note: I receive a small commission for some of the products linked in this article, if you buy them through my links. This won't cost you any more than usual! I recommend all of these products based on my honest opinion and not because of the commission I receive. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn through qualified sales. For more information, please read this affiliate note.
Features of the Trixie Coco Husks
The Trixie Coco Husks* are sold in three sized that all feature the same product.
Available sizes
- 1 piece (135 g)
- 9 litres (640 g)
- 60 litres (4,54 kg)
The sizes confused me a bit at first. The product is highly compressed and doesn't have its final volume of 9 or 60 litres during shipping. The 9 litre version says that the packing is about 1 litre in size. If both other options are compressed the same amount, the 60 litre variant should come in s shipping size of about 6,6 litres. Similarly, the size "1 piece" should come in packaging the size of 220 millilitres and result in about 2 litres when fully grown. Otherwise you can orient yourself by their weight when choosing a size.
Mildly acidic pH value
Coconut fibres pH value lies at around 5.0 to 6.0 and is thus mildly acidic. It doesn't reach a point where that's harmful for your plants though. If your adding other substrates, the pH value of course changes again. If you're just going to use this though, you should maybe check whether or not your plants can accommodate to these acidic conditions.
Neither bioactive nor fertilized
Since the product is hydrosterilized, no mushrooms or other germs are present. But that also strips it of any bioactivity and should be mixed with some soil from outside for any closed terrarium build. It is also not fertilized which is very positive for closed terrariums as excess fertilizer cannot escape to anywhere.
What the users say
First the positives
At the point of writing this review, the product has 1690 reviews and 4.6 out of 5 stars. It's apparently very soft and loose making it suitable for spiders trying to dig around in it. I mean larger spiders like tarantulas of course, which you should never keep in a closed terrarium. Nonetheless, the substrate is quite loose.
By the way, you can find suitable insects here
In combination with pumice, akadama and normal gardening soil the substrate is good for keeping bonsais. You'll remember these ingredients if you've read the article about bonsais in closed terrariums. Bonsais are quite delicate when it comes to the pH value. You should add any peat which has a very low pH value of 2.5 to 3.5.
The reviews also praise the size of the product and say it's optimal for small or medium terrariums.
There are negatives too
Let's keep talking about the size. Some buyers say that the medium size definitely doesn't expand into 9 litres. The actual amount lies at around 5 to 8 litres. That's definitely a minus point since you also can't returned any opened substrate.
Some reviews talk about plastic bits, strings or paper snippets inside the product. That's a little unpleasant but not harmful to your plants. Plastic is very unreactive and doesn't release any toxins into the soil. Nonetheless this shouldn't happen and is another minus point.
Another negative point is the missing portioning. You really get a solid brick of substrate which is hard to divide when dry. Small, individual pieces would be better here which you could soak with water however you like.
Tips for using it
Some buyers say it's difficult to divide the brick into smaller pieces. One user recommends using a saw which is supposed to make it very easy. If you want to use the entire amount at once, you can also soak it with water completely, which should allow you to divide it by hand.
Summary
The Trixie Coco Husks are a much beloved product to mix a closed terrarium substrate with. It's available in three sizes of which the small variant is best for closed terrariums. The low pH value of 5.0 to 6.0 should be unproblematic for most plants but you shouldn't add any peat to it. Plastics, strings or paper snippets appearing in the product are definitely a big minus and according to the reviews, aren't even a rare find. Generally speaking though, many people seem to like the product and it serves its role like advertised.
You can buy the Trixie Coco Husks here*.
