My M. Balfouri communal setup

[Frazam]

So, a couple of weeks ago I got myself five 1" Balfouri slings. I housed them in a 6"x"6"x6" enclosure, intending to transfer them to their permanent home in a few weeks time. I asked Tom Moran, and he says it's fine to house Balfs in a larger enclosure so here I go: a 20"x10"x12" bioactive terrarium for my little balfs.

It's under construction as I type this, hoping it'll get done by Tuesday or Wednesday. Substrate will be 3" of bioactive soil, with a 1" mix of sand and pebbles on top. Thoughts?

 

[cold blood]

balfouri require dry sub and enclosure...certainly not the kind of t you would want to go bioactive with.

I do love the rocky set up though...lots of nooks and crannies to get into.

 

[Frazam]

It's gonna be dry and arid for sure. Will copy its natural habitat. I only called it bioactive because I'll add in isopods as well.

 

[SteveIDDQD]

That's epic, really impressive.
Hope to see it when it's done and full of web castles!

 

[Frazam]

That's epic, really impressive.
Hope to see it when it's done and full of web castles!

Thanks! Since my balfs are 1 - 1.5" slings as of now, I'm guessing it won't be full of web castles for at least another 6 months to a year

 

[Dennis Nedry]

balfouri require dry sub and enclosure...certainly not the kind of t you would want to go bioactive with.

Oh you can go bioactive with a dry setup. Maybe not so much live plants unless they’re tolerant of dry conditions but there’s plenty of dry tolerant detritivores that can be used or double up as a balfouri snack

 

[Frazam]

Detritivores... So that's what they're called. Learned something new

 

[wingedcoatl]

That is a stellar looking setup! Good luck with the new commune! Not sure how isopods are going to do in a dry setup? My understanding is that they desiccate easily.

 

[Frazam]

I initially asked for springtails, but was told they won't survive, said that isopods are more adaptable to dry conditions. We'll see.

 

[cold blood]

I initially asked for springtails, but was told they won't survive, said that isopods are more adaptable to dry conditions. We'll see.

both isopods and sprinhtails breathe through gills, both require moisture to live....neither will survive a dry enclosure.

And the enclosure will be webbed up in a week or three...it wont take months.

 

[boina]

As @cold blood said: Isopods breathe through gills that need to be constantly moist. Either your balfouris will survive or the isopods will, but not both in the same enclosure.

@Dennis Nedry - what detritivores do you use?

Personally I think it's useless and a waste to add detritivores to a dry enclosure, because all the things you add the detritivores for, like mold, mites and pathogens, won't happen anyway.

 

[Dennis Nedry]

As @cold blood said: Isopods breathe through gills that need to be constantly moist. Either your balfouris will survive or the isopods will, but not both in the same enclosure.

@Dennis Nedry - what detritivores do you use?

Personally I think it's useless and a waste to add detritivores to a dry enclosure, because all the things you add the detritivores for, like mold, mites and pathogens, won't happen anyway.

Any semi arid tolerant isopods work. I generally just use whatever turns up in the peat, which is already bone dry when I buy it, it can be anything from small isopods to really tiny millipedes. Basically just a free bolus garbage service, obviously never have a mould problem in dry enclosures

 

[Frazam]

The setup is based off on what Scarab did for his balfouri communal (http://www.tarantulas.co.za/monocentropus/31023-monocentropus-balfouri-communal?limit=12&start=36).

Semi arid, with plants, and isopods. The Scarab thread has been referred to many times, and his success is what many (if not all) balf communals are based off on as well.

 

[Nonnack]

Looking forward to see final effect. I like your back wall.

 

[Frazam]

Looking forward to see final effect. I like your back wall.

It's been more or less a week since they've been housed in it, not much webbing yet.

I removed the big log though and replaced it with a smaller piece of driftwood. Cause they all went to the log's rear and I had a hard time feeding them. They still take pre-killed prey and they don't see their food right away. Afraid ants might get to it first, I replaced the log.

They've settled under the smaller driftwood and started webbing it. When they start expanding their burrow, I'll take a pic

 

[BenWilly]

Man I think thats really nice! You gave me inspiration for my set ups now !

 

[Sathane]

Any new pics with the Ts in there?

 

[Frazam]

I could take a pic, but you'll mostly see nothing they settled under the log and webbed it up a little. Nothing too impressive yet though and they spend 99% of the time inside their web tunnels. I'll take a pic later when I get home...

 

[Kyoko Shin]

For arid setups, dry substrates, you would do a layer of something that can hold moisture on the bottom to support the cleanup critters, then layer the top with something more arid, that can dry up and form a kind of crust, over the moist area. That's how it is in nature too, after all. The top is dry/dries quickly, but everything else underneath is supported by water that is retained there. For the bottom layer you could add some moss and things to hold water, then find a good bioactive substrate for the top layer. I'd say a mix of peat, sand, topsoil and that would support plants.

 

[Frazam]

For arid setups, dry substrates, you would do a layer of something that can hold moisture on the bottom to support the cleanup critters, then layer the top with something more arid, that can dry up and form a kind of crust, over the moist area. That's how it is in nature too, after all. The top is dry/dries quickly, but everything else underneath is supported by water that is retained there. For the bottom layer you could add some moss and things to hold water, then find a good bioactive substrate for the top layer. I'd say a mix of peat, sand, topsoil and that would support plants.

Hi, that is just about what I did the top is dry but the bottom is a mix of bioactive soil mix. I water the plant every 2 days (which is in one corner of the tank), and slightly overfill the water dish every 2 weeks or so (in another corner). The tank has been with me for about a month now, and i see some springtails and little black somethings (not sure what they are) climb about the webbing and eat the little bits and pieces of roach left by the balfs. So far, it's working. I see the detrivores more often than the Ts though haha.