Prepping my Substrate.

[Mydknight]

Hey everyone,

Was getting ready to do my first soil change out and my spider guy said I should microwave the soil for about three minutes (I'm using peat moss), to kill anything living in the soil. Is this really necessary or is it a waste of time?

 

[cold blood]

Hey everyone,

Was getting ready to do my first soil change out and my spider guy said I should microwave the soil for about three minutes (I'm using peat moss), to kill anything living in the soil. Is this really necessary or is it a waste of time?

Not only is is not needed, sterilization will actually set you up for problems....never sterilize....if things are living in the soil, great.

Also, substrate doesnt go bad, it never needs to just be changed.

 

[Teal]

Just no. To all of it.

 

[Mydknight]

Not only is is not needed, sterilization will actually set you up for problems....never sterilize....if things are living in the soil, great.

Also, substrate doesnt go bad, it never needs to just be changed.

Christ! That's two things he told me that are wrong. "Sterilize the soil and change it out every 6 months or so."

Now I'm beginning to wonder if this guy knows anything at all.

Ps. I should also clarify. When i bought my babies, they came in small plastic jars much like a pill bottle. So I wasn't changing the soil per se, I was just setting up their more permanent homes.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

You don't even need to do substrate changes, there are people on here who've had tarantulas on the same substrate for many years, just spot clean boluses and change water dishes as needed, tarantulas are very clean animals.

 

[FrDoc]

Christ! That's two things he told me that are wrong. "Sterilize the soil and change it out every 6 months or so."

Now I'm beginning to wonder if this guy knows anything at all.

Ps. I should also clarify. When i bought my babies, they came in small plastic jars much like a pill bottle. So I wasn't changing the soil per se, I was just setting up their more permanent homes.

I’m actually thinking the “wondering” about your guy is necessary. He is obviously uninformed (I’ll use that word) about the most fundamental aspects of tarantula husbandry.

 

[Vanisher]

Agree wiith all others. Substrate doesnt need to be changed as long as it is the right substrate! Cpcofibre, peat or soil should be changed as little as possible! Only reason is when spider is rehoused into something bigger, but even then, the pld substrate can be mixed in with the new!