cocodust?
- Thread starter cloud711
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i use it for my emperors... they don't burrow much
i use it also for my Opistopthalimus, and she burrows like mad
seems to hold well
i use it also for my Opistopthalimus, and she burrows like mad
seems to hold well
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<ducks and covers>
my lividum has made a tube out of coco dust 2 times and they both held up well. I just made sure the coco dust stayed wet enough to hold a bond also hold the humidity that the lividum needs. My lividum webs all around from the entrance to where he lies in wait and it seems to hold the coco dust up pretty well.
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If you mean coconut fibre ( this stuff ) then make it up (following the instructions) so that its wet enough to stay in a clump when you squeeze it together, but not so wet that you can squeeze water out of it and it'll hold a tunnel perfectly well.
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My emp is good with it, so I am sure your forest scorp will bode well also.
yup thats the stuff. mine is the brick shaped cocofibre. in the instruction it says soak it in hot water. but that would make the substrate very wet, and prone to mites right? how do i keep it moist? by misting the surface right?Wikkids_Wench said:
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You'll find that if you pour the water on gradually, breaking up the coconut fibre as you do so, you won't need to use as much water as is recommended. Basically, just pour on a little water, and then use a fork or something to break up the bit you've moistened, then move on to another bit of the brick. Once you've got as much of the brick broken up as you need (if you don't need all eight litres, use a hacksaw or sharp breadknife to slice off as much of the brick as you need and keep the rest dry for future use), you can leave it to dry or put it on a baking tray and bake it at up to 350 farenheit to help it dry. Just make sure you keep an eye on it as it bakes to stop it from burning!
Once it's cooled it'll hold moisture pretty well if you're using it in a tank with a good lid. The occasional misting should be enough to keep it moist but if you find you're having problems maintaining the substrate moisture or humidity in the tank, there's some good tips here .
Once it's cooled it'll hold moisture pretty well if you're using it in a tank with a good lid. The occasional misting should be enough to keep it moist but if you find you're having problems maintaining the substrate moisture or humidity in the tank, there's some good tips here .
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Yeah, I cut chunks off mine. People might get a little shock how much substrate they end up with if they fling the entire brick in a basin of water .
.how do you do the misting? i mean do you just mist the surface of the substrate? im planning on using a large critter keeper(i think the largest size available here in the Philippines. the lid is well ventilated. im planning on putting 3-4 inches of substrate. any more advice you can give me to make the substrate appropriate for burrowing?
i dont think im going to have problems with humidity. because it is quite humid here in our country. humidity today according to the newspaper is around 84%. the temp is around 81 degrees. so temp and humidity wont be an issue that much.
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Yup, mist the surface of the substrate as needed - you might find you need to mist heavily if you allow the substrate to get very dry, but if you maintain the moisture level within the tank the coconut fibre should hold moisture pretty well.
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Er, why?cloud711 said:leave the other side dry and the other moist?
If you do that, the side you leave dry will be no good for burrowing. If you want to leave the scorpion a drier area, then mist one side more heavily than the other, but for the coconut fibre to hold up tunnels it needs to be damp all the way through...
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I mixed mine with a little bit of sand while wet and packed it in the aquarium. I also put a water dish in one corner, My heterometrus burrowed under it and stays there most of the time. If you give them something to hide under they should burrow under it in time.
Darrell.
Darrell.
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You mean creating a reservoir? You'd only need to do that if you had real problems maintaining the moisture level in the substrate - if you put the coconut fibre in while its still damp and keep it misted then you should be okay.
But yes, if you find that the coconut fibre is drying out faster than you can mist it, use the reservoir method. Darrell's tip of mixing some sand into the coconut fibre would also help since the sand holds moisture well and allows for better drainage away from the surface - as you mist it, it draws the moisture down deeper into the substrate
But yes, if you find that the coconut fibre is drying out faster than you can mist it, use the reservoir method. Darrell's tip of mixing some sand into the coconut fibre would also help since the sand holds moisture well and allows for better drainage away from the surface - as you mist it, it draws the moisture down deeper into the substrate
ok here goes: (after pouring some water on the brick and breaking it up into pieces, i let it dry(dry but damp) a little bit then put it into the tank. to maintain the moisture i should mist the entire surface every week or if i can see that the substrate is getting dry.) am i getting this right?
what kind of sand should i use? can i use the very small gravels use in fish tanks?
to wikkids_wench: im sorry for asking too much stupid questions. i want to thank you for your advice.
what kind of sand should i use? can i use the very small gravels use in fish tanks?
to wikkids_wench: im sorry for asking too much stupid questions. i want to thank you for your advice.
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Better to ask a stupid question than make a stupid mistake Besides, I've seen far more stupid questions (and asked some...)
Once the coconut fibre is in the tank it should hold its moisture pretty well. The colour of the cocnout fibre will probably start to lighten as it dries - if you notice the colour changing, mist it a little to darken it again. Feel the substrate a few times as it dries before putting any beasties in the tank and you'll soon work out what colour substrate you need to maintain to maintain the right moisture level...
As for the type of sand, most homeware stores and garden centres sell playsand - the fine type used in kids' sandpits rather than the coarser type sold for builders. Its pretty much ideal for this sort of thing and is relatively cheap as well.
You can mix some small aquarium gravel into your substrate as well (the undyed type), but the sand would be more effective at holding moisture.
Besides, I've seen far more stupid questions (and asked some...) Once the coconut fibre is in the tank it should hold its moisture pretty well. The colour of the cocnout fibre will probably start to lighten as it dries - if you notice the colour changing, mist it a little to darken it again. Feel the substrate a few times as it dries before putting any beasties in the tank and you'll soon work out what colour substrate you need to maintain to maintain the right moisture level...
As for the type of sand, most homeware stores and garden centres sell playsand - the fine type used in kids' sandpits rather than the coarser type sold for builders. Its pretty much ideal for this sort of thing and is relatively cheap as well.
You can mix some small aquarium gravel into your substrate as well (the undyed type), but the sand would be more effective at holding moisture.