# Should I be worried about a lil mold?



## OxDionysus (Feb 8, 2010)

I switched from 100% peat to mixing with with 50% organic potting soil and now I have mold everywhere. It didn't come from my wood that I use because I had the wood sit in the oven at 300 for a few hours. I have some isopods on  the way but still worried.

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## Teal (Feb 8, 2010)

*What sort of T, and what size, is in the enclosure? 

Can you clean the mold off? (until the isopods get there, is my point hehe)

A lot of people would say to rehouse immediately, I think... but I think the biggest worry with molt, is it the T molts with mold in the enclosure? I don't know for sure... I usually switch out any wood that gets moldy, for something un-moldable (yeah, I totally just made that up lol). *


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## OxDionysus (Feb 8, 2010)

right now I have  3" parahybana in it. He struts around all over in it, it has 2 levels with that wood. but I noticed the mold in all the tanks I switched over to mixing the potting soil with the peat. In the other cages It is a white fuzz that at first I mistook for webbing. I would have stayed with straight peat but it always dried up and left gaps in the sides of my tanks.


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## Teal (Feb 8, 2010)

*Hmm... then I'm really not sure. The only problems I've had, are molt caused by the wood getting too wet. Maybe you can drop the humidity just a little bit in the enclosures?

I read a thread on here not too long ago, about wood sprouting with mold until it becomes completely saturated and then not molding anymore? But I don't remember how the whole thread went. 

If it were me, I would just dry the enclosure out a little bit and clean off as much of the mold as I could.. unless I felt like redoing the entire enclosure (or all of the effected enclosures) with new decorations.. which I've been known to do lol. 

Sorry I am not too much help! Hopefully someone else will chime in  *


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## OxDionysus (Feb 8, 2010)

the thing is this is the result of my just re-doing some of my enclosures lol :wall:


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## Shell (Feb 8, 2010)

I agree with Teal. If you aren't able to completely clean out/rehouse, then clean as much of the mold out as possible. Mold isn't good for us, I can't imagine it would be good for our spiders either, but again I don't really know.

The only time I have had a mold issue was with my new A.versi sling, I found some mold in the cube he came in, so I just immediately rehoused him. 

Sorry I can't be of much more help either.


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## TalonAWD (Feb 8, 2010)

Mold usually occurs when there is little ventillation. Almost like saying the air becoming stagnant. How is the enclosure ventillated?


Now on the other hand I have a container with sphagnum peat moss (substrate) and wet. Its covered but has just 2 2" screen vents (fiberglass screen) Humidity is 100% and water vapor is constantly building up on the walls and top of the inside of enclosure. But no mold:? What I have in there is Moss growing. I'm not sure why theres no mold being that theres hardly no ventillation but  one guess is the moss is creating oxygen and maybe that has something to do with it.


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## rvtjonny (Feb 8, 2010)

TalonAWD said:


> Mold usually occurs when there is little ventilation. Almost like saying the air becoming stagnant.
> 
> one guess is the moss is creating oxygen and maybe that has something to do with it.


you may be rite with the moss... 

OxDionysus, switch out the wood that you are using and pick up some cork bark instead, it dont mold at all.. open up your vents and let the tank dry up a little and that should take care of it.

a good read on mold..http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=173335


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## Jilly1337 (Feb 8, 2010)

I never had good luck with soil as a substrate.  Peat and Coco fiber usually are fine but throw in some soil and you get mold and mushrooms.  Potting soil would have fertilizer rich ingredients designed to feed a plant isolated in a container.  Even though it's organic, it still is very attractive for molds and fungi.  I'd probably switch them out of that substrate or you could try pillbugs.


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## Venom (Feb 8, 2010)

*MOLD IS DEADLY TO TARANTULAS*

Whether you sterilized the wood or not, mold spores simply get around, and colonize wherever they find nutrition, moisture, and an undisturbed setting. Warmth helps also. Your T-tank, if you have restricted airflow (and sometimes even if you haven't) will grow mold if you use the wrong materials. Most woods are not usable for this reason: they are subject to being colonized by molds.

Cork bark, coconut halves--these do not rot, and are mold-resistant. Grape-vine also is pretty good.

For mold resistant substrate, try sphagnum peatmoss. It is slightly acidic ( don't worry, it won't hurt the T), so it will resist mold very very well, even when moist. Potting soil is really NOT good stuff for a tarantula tank--it contains far too many organic materials that can mold. You want peatmoss, coir (coconut fiber), vermiculite, or a combination of these. Soil = bad.

But whatever you do...GET THAT MOLD OUT OF THERE!! Mold spores can also grow in the book-lungs of your tarantula, killing it.

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## OxDionysus (Feb 8, 2010)

Venom said:


> *MOLD IS DEADLY TO TARANTULAS*
> 
> Whether you sterilized the wood or not, mold spores simply get around, and colonize wherever they find nutrition, moisture, and an undisturbed setting. Warmth helps also. Your T-tank, if you have restricted airflow (and sometimes even if you haven't) will grow mold if you use the wrong materials. Most woods are not usable for this reason: they are subject to being colonized by molds.
> 
> ...



ok switching back to straight spag peat... the mix looks soo much better but oh well


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## JimM (Feb 10, 2010)

Venom said:


> *MOLD IS DEADLY TO TARANTULAS*
> But whatever you do...GET THAT MOLD OUT OF THERE!! Mold spores can also grow in the book-lungs of your tarantula, killing it.


Is there documentation of this?
I'm not disagreeing with you, but I've never seen mold in small amounts cause a tarantula any harm. I certainly don't panic when I see it.


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## OxDionysus (Feb 10, 2010)

JimM said:


> Is there documentation of this?
> I'm not disagreeing with you, but I've never seen mold in small amounts cause a tarantula any harm. I certainly don't panic when I see it.


well sht, I just cleaned out all the mixed peat with potting soil because of this. replaced it with straight peat and it sucks. did I do it in vaine?


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## Venom (Feb 10, 2010)

JimM said:


> Is there documentation of this?
> I'm not disagreeing with you, but I've never seen mold in small amounts cause a tarantula any harm. I certainly don't panic when I see it.


I'll look for a reference for you, but if you run a search on "mold" in this forum, you'll find that it's pretty commonly known that this is a hazard.


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## OxDionysus (Feb 10, 2010)

I really liked the mixture just not the mold..when I get my isopods would i be safe? the potting soil is pretty moist when I mix it


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## TalonAWD (Feb 10, 2010)

OxDionysus said:


> replaced it with straight peat and it sucks.


May i ask why you think it sucked?


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## OxDionysus (Feb 10, 2010)

TalonAWD said:


> May i ask why you think it sucked?


well the peat is a little moist but dries fast and very powdery (I think I made that word up) but yea it shrinks when it dries ans leaves space at all 4 walls on my cntainers perfect for roaches to hide in. the mixes peat and potting was darker and stuck to the places I put it. but it grew mold like no other, maybe the pill bugs will help I dunno. I will set up my emp scorp tank with the mix and isopods and see what happens. only thing is she is definitely gravid. so I dunno


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## Stan Schultz (Feb 10, 2010)

OxDionysus said:


> right now I have  3" parahybana in it. He struts around all over in it, it has 2 levels with that wood. but I noticed the mold in all the tanks I switched over to mixing the potting soil with the peat. In the other cages It is a white fuzz that at first I mistook for webbing. I would have stayed with straight peat but it always dried up and left gaps in the sides of my tanks.


First, your parahybana doesn't need a high humidity or a swamp cage at that size. You can care for it a lot like a curly hair (which it resembles closely) or any other semi-arid to arid species. Just give it a molt or two to adjust to the dryer circumstances. Of course, make sure it always has a dish of water so it can take a sip when it gets thirsty. The drier cage will eliminate the mold.

Second, the mold you *CAN* see is almost irrelevant. It's the things you *CAN'T* see that'll kill the spider. Mold is the least of your worries. It's all the other things that are growing in there with the mold. They'll go away too as you dry the cage out.

And, almost all commercial potting soils now contain composted wood or lumber "byproducts." Basically, these are simply the garbage left over from lumber mills that was thrown in huge piles and allowed to rot. Eventually, someone clears away the dry outer layer, sifts, and repackages the partly rotted (aka, composted) inner stuff as potting soil. And, for plants it usually doesn't work too badly.

But, because we never know for sure what woods were used, we're never entirely sure that it's safe for arachnids. Some woods (e.g., most coniferous woods, but especially red cedar) are definitely harmful. So, we urge you to not use anything called "potting soil." Instead, use common, unadulterated, horticultural peat from a garden/landscape supply. Or, use shredded coconut husk from a pet shop.

Newaygo, Michigan? I've been through there many times. Used to wilderness camp around the Hardy Dam and Croton Dam areas.  Not bad fishing either! Oh. Sorry. Off topic!


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## JimM (Feb 10, 2010)

Venom said:


> I'll look for a reference for you, but if you run a search on "mold" in this forum, you'll find that it's pretty commonly known that this is a hazard.


Yeah, it's just that I've been around long enough, and have enough experience to know that some of the things that are "commonly known" are really just common assumptions. I'm willing to take the mold info at face value though, even though in 20+ years of messing with T's I've never seen it cause an issue.


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## Draychen (Feb 10, 2010)

*Mold on Wood*

If you have a good eye and a decent knife that can get into the tough to reach places, you can cut the mold off the wood. I have done this a few times to the grapevine wood I use. Once the mould has been cut off the wood, it generally does not reappear. I would suggest changing the substrate though.. A T will sometimes spill their water dish around their cage and suck the moisture out of the dirt. Most desert species will do this. Mold isn't just a threat to getting onto the T, it is a threat of being inhaled. Many molds are toxic, not to mention that mold spreads through spores in the air. Breathe it in, and your T can get mold around it's book lungs and other places. All around nasty stuff. I hear you can microwave or oven heat the potting soil to ensure all bacteria is killed before placing it into the mix. 

  Another option (IF you have access to it): Sphagnum Moss. Lightly dampen it and place it around the portions of the tank covered by the mold. It's high acidicy and CEC will not only inhibit further growth, but may also kill quite a few forms of mold within a few days. (And it smells nice too!)

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