Clay Pebbles (LECA) - Bioactive Drainage Layer

Clay Pebbles for sale from Big Z's (LECA). See the product description for dimensions and included items.

Clay Pebbles (LECA) - Bioactive Drainage Layer

Every bioactive build that goes bad goes bad from the bottom up. Water sinks, the soil turns sour, mold climbs the glass, and the cleanup crew ends up living in mud. A layer of clay pebbles stops all of it before it starts. Pour them in first and extra water has somewhere to go: down into the pebbles, away from your soil, your plants and your animals. It is the cheapest insurance you will ever put in an enclosure, and the one part of the build you never have to replace.

Why keepers pick this one

• Bottom-Up Insurance: water drains into the pebbles instead of pooling in the soil, so burrows stay damp, not drowned.
• Real Quarts: we label by what is inside the bag, not the size of the bag. 2.5 qt means 2.5 qt of clay.
• Feather Light: fired, air-filled clay. A full 12 x 12 inch drainage layer weighs under 2 lb, nothing like gravel.
• Buy It Once: clay does not rot, compact or break down. Rinse it, reuse it, build again.
• Springtail Ready: springtails thrive on damp clay, so a small bag doubles as the base for your own springtail culture.

Which size?

• 1/3 qt bag: sling enclosures, deli cups, nano builds, and starting a springtail culture.
• 2.5 qt bag: a full 1 inch layer across a 12 x 12 inch floor (2 inches across an 8 x 10). Covers most Buddy enclosure floors.

Specifications

• Material: expanded clay pebbles (LECA), about 8-16 mm, round
• 1/3 qt bag: about 135 g
• 2.5 qt bag: about 875 g
• Every bag filled on a scale and labeled by the volume of clay inside

Build it out

Clay pebbles on the bottom, a substrate barrier over them, then Tropical Burrow Mix or Multipurpose Mix on top. Finish with Tropical Leaf Litter Mix, a 10 count of Dwarf White Isopods and a Springtail Master Culture, and you have a full working bioactive floor from one cart.

Good to know

• Give the pebbles a quick rinse before use to knock off clay dust.
• Keep the water line below the top of the pebbles so the soil never sits in it.
• Arid setups like Desert Burrow Mix do not need a drainage layer.

Building tropical? Put this in the cart first. Everything else sits on top of it.