The safest moisture delivery system for your substrate.
Pod-Wicks are designed to gently release water without heavy top watering by heavy handed spraying or heavily pouring water in order to achieve a desired moisture gradient. Heavy top watering dramatically increases the potential for drowning small inverts, especially the unseen babies that dwell within.
Once filled, the Pod-Wicks will usually take about 30 minutes to be absorbed by the soil and emptied, depending on the density of the substrate being used. The larger sizes may take longer. The key is "priming" or "pre-moistening" the soil in which the Pod-Wicks will be positioned. Dry soil can often be hydrophobic, which means it will actually want to repell water instead of absorbing it. Failure to prime the area properly could lead to water taking whichever path is easiest to travel and could end up going straight to the bottom or elsewhere within your enclosure.
Each home has different ambient temperatures and humidity, as well as ventilation. I always suggest monitoring for a couple of weeks to see how often it needs to be refilled.
Note: Pod-Wicks are not designed to store water and release as needed. The substrate will wick water from the reservoir until empty.
