yeap! Lots of moss!and live plants including fresh aprout that never last, babies mow them down before they get a chance to grow they didn't want to eat their "protein" so I decided to dump all the earthworms from the package into the substrate. That was 6 months ago, those earthworms are still there and lioking good! terracotta saucer for water dish with edges at substrate level. Babies go in and out as they please few times a day, meals served on nice piece of slate and larger leaf to help with clean up and those are the commercial foods that I supplement with daily and calcium powder that I give couple of times per week. I'm thinking now I should start my own separate threads one for enclosure, lights, substrate, plants and feeding. It just took me so much work to get to this point, I'd like to help others who are like I was frantically looking for answers worried sick for their new pets. Best of luck to you and please keep us posted. I'd love to hear about your progressAs for the substrate, I don't use any "reptile carpets) or anything plastic. I've heard of some torts eating pieces of plastic or such resulting in medical emergencies due to obstructed GI tract. I also like nice thick layer of substrate, mine is at least 4 inches. It's bot flat, I made few "hills" in there, my babies love to climb. In some areas my substrate is 6 or more inches but I also try to grow plants in it and keep some critters to create a mini ecosystem. My goal is to not have to change the substrate at all, and so far, I haven't! In 6 months! Most members here like orchid bark and coco coir, some use cyprus wood chips and top soil. I have orchid bark on the bottom, coir with little top soil in the middle and the top is lined with different kinds of moss. I'm still trying to find some moss that would live and thrive in there but I think it's too hot for the moss so every few weeks I turn the substrate and check on the plant roots, trim the "uglies" off etc and the moss that has lost it's looks gets turned under, and replaced with new fresh clump. Hope this helps. Please ask any questions you may have.