Okay seems to me the "look it up "soil suggestion you had read on one thread has lead you to peat and perlit mix
Not that it wont work but how well it works ?

I have also read via" looking it up" and have read that succulent soil is more complex than peat and a high percentage of perlite mix.

So you're saying i should have used peat and pertile only? Or cactus mix and pertile only?

The soil looks much better and I am sure your plants enjoy wiggling their toes . . . er, roots!

I assume the builders sand is the coarse, almost chunky sand and not the fine stuff. The fine sand is not recommended for succulents.

They sure look happy!

Yes it was coarse and only added very little. Thank you for your compliments :)

From what I have been reading around here, it seems like peat is best avoided if possible. Apparently it compacts and doesn't rehydrate. I ended up making a mix of organic soil with no peat, perlite, and a bonsai mix that had halite and turface in it. We shall see how it goes.

I'm going to have to dig up the cactus mix bag that I used to find out of it had peat in it. Lol

If it was a cactus and succulent mix, it most likely does have peat in it.

Oh no :(
Well then why do most succulent gardeners suggest 50% cactus mix and 50% pertile?

I'm sure your soil did have peat in it, but you have done a good job in making it better for your plants. You may discover in the future that it is too water retentive or the peat won't absorb water. For now, things look pretty good to me.

I use a gritty mix of turface, fir bark and pumice or perlite. My area is very wet 8-9 months a year, so that helps me get through the summers. I started with the same mix you are using. I lost only a couple of plants during our monsoons, but it was my fault letting them get rained on. I also did not have my pots elevated so they could drain easily. I did fret over the moisture level and this new mix has worked for me.

Just keep an eye on your babies. You'll know if you need to "upgrade" to another mix. You are off to a good start!

Thanks!!! I appreciate your positive vibes and feed back. Here in southern California its been very hot and will continue to be until early October I'm sure. Our heat varies from humid to dry. We have some cool days but not very often. This soil mix did dry fast. My plants looked thirsty after a week. I will definitely keep an eye on them. Thank you again.