# Rocks in the enclosure



## Beastie (Oct 27, 2016)

So my lovely little grape vine root decor I made for my GBB sling has started to grow a bit of mold in a couple of spots (mainly where it's touching the substrate). I keep the substrate mostly dry and overflow her water dish every once in awhile. So I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to remove it, which sucks. I am so tired of wood products other than cork bark which seems (so far) less likely to mold. I don't have any cork bark available for her enclosure right now and would like to use something already available if possible so I was considering using rocks from my yard. I had the thought however that maybe there was a reason people don't seem to do this often. Is there anything wrong with using rocks? Is there any possibility of them leaching something into the soil if they get damp?


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## Venom1080 (Oct 27, 2016)

little bit of mold is nothing to worry about. sub should be bone dry for GBB after 1.5" or so. rocks can potentially harm a spider if they fall on it.

Reactions: Agree 4


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## bryverine (Oct 27, 2016)

What size rocks are we talking? Giant lava rocks or accent pebbles?

The falling is the problem with the larger rocks as mentioned by @Venom1080.

Though their natural environment probably has rocks and other dangerous objects, the point of captivity is to keep them alive for to enjoy their beauty. 

Edit:
Also, be super careful with outside "furniture" for tarantulas. You know, the whole pesticide/fertilizer/whatever spiel.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Beastie (Oct 27, 2016)

Venom1080 said:


> little bit of mold is nothing to worry about. sub should be bone dry for GBB after 1.5" or so. rocks can potentially harm a spider if they fall on it.


I don't think she is that big yet, still just a little thing, maybe total leg span (all stretched out) of a quarter. Here is some of the mold I'm talking about, there's some at the base of the wood and a little in between the two pieces that I can see. I don't want anything to hurt this little one  she's my baby.


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## Venom1080 (Oct 27, 2016)

Beastie said:


> I don't think she is that big yet, still just a little thing, maybe total leg span (all stretched out) of a quarter. Here is some of the mold I'm talking about, there's some at the base of the wood and a little in between the two pieces that I can see. I don't want anything to hurt this little one  she's my baby.


id overflow the water dish once a week or so to provide a little extra humidity at that size, no more. maybe your ventilation isnt good enough? again, dont worry about it, i have triple that in half my tropical cages. if it gets out of control, rehouse it.


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## Estein (Oct 27, 2016)

Aside from the danger rocks can pose to a falling tarantula, I'm also always wary of collecting things from outside for use in enclosures. I can never be completely sure that what I'm using hasn't come into contact with pesticides or fertilizers or what-have-you, and I don't want to run the risk that, even with cleaning, something harmful could make its way to my T. Like you said, my Ts are my babies!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Beastie (Oct 27, 2016)

bryverine said:


> What size rocks are we talking? Giant lava rocks or accent pebbles?
> 
> The falling is the problem with the larger rocks as mentioned by @Venom1080.
> 
> Though their natural environment probably has rocks and other dangerous objects, the point of captivity is to keep them alive for to enjoy their beauty.


These are what I was considering they would be in the same spot as the wood. definitely won't use them if they're potentially gonna hurt my baby though.


Venom1080 said:


> id overflow the water dish once a week or so to provide a little extra humidity at that size, no more. maybe your ventilation isnt good enough? again, dont worry about it, i have triple that in half my tropical cages. if it gets out of control, rehouse it.


That's what I've been doing, though I may add ventilation. The ventilation is all towards the top of the cup (how I got it with her in it) so I think I'll add some a little above the substrate. I have been trying to keep the wetness away from the wood as much as possible. I moved the water dish a bit further from that corner and will add ventilation and keep an eye on it.


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## Beastie (Oct 27, 2016)

Agh ignore the first part of my last post, it was something I had decided not to post since the rocks didn't stay glued together anyway lol. Is there a way to edit posts?


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## Venom1080 (Oct 27, 2016)

Beastie said:


> Agh ignore the first part of my last post, it was something I had decided not to post since the rocks didn't stay glued together anyway lol. Is there a way to edit posts?


yes, theres a edit button on your posts for a while after posting them.


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## viper69 (Oct 27, 2016)

Beastie said:


> So my lovely little grape vine root decor I made for my GBB sling has started to grow a bit of mold in a couple of spots (mainly where it's touching the substrate). I keep the substrate mostly dry and overflow her water dish every once in awhile. So I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to remove it, which sucks. I am so tired of wood products other than cork bark which seems (so far) less likely to mold. I don't have any cork bark available for her enclosure right now and would like to use something already available if possible so I was considering using rocks from my yard. I had the thought however that maybe there was a reason people don't seem to do this often. Is there anything wrong with using rocks? Is there any possibility of them leaching something into the soil if they get damp?


Grape vine molds very easily. I never used it. Cork is one of the most mold resistant wood products out there. Dump that wood and get some cork.


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## Beastie (Oct 27, 2016)

viper69 said:


> Grape vine molds very easily. I never used it. Cork is one of the most mold resistant wood products out there. Dump that wood and get some cork.


I know, I know but cork is so dang expensive especially to buy it for such a tiny enclosure. I've been meaning to buy some in bulk to keep around for whenever I need it but haven't gotten around to it. If it's not an immediate concern to get it out of the enclosure I will try to get some bulk cork bark this week.


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## Beastie (Oct 27, 2016)

Venom1080 said:


> yes, theres a edit button on your posts for a while after posting them.


Found it, thanks!


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## viper69 (Oct 27, 2016)

Beastie said:


> I know, I know but


nothing, just do the right thing.

You can't knowingly put the "wrong" material in there, complain about it and expect legitimate sympathy etc hahahah 

If you can't afford the proper materials, don't get the animal. It's like buying a Ferrari and complaining about the insurance.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Venom1080 (Oct 27, 2016)

Beastie said:


> I know, I know but cork is so dang expensive especially to buy it for such a tiny enclosure. I've been meaning to buy some in bulk to keep around for whenever I need it but haven't gotten around to it. If it's not an immediate concern to get it out of the enclosure I will try to get some bulk cork bark this week.


you dont need cork, get creative. driftwood works well too, ive used it for years.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Beastie (Oct 27, 2016)

I didn't "know" that wood would mold, the "I know, I know" was about the cork bark. I'm pretty sure there are A LOT more options than just cork bark and a lot of people have reasonable success from drift wood and similar "baked" wood. I had the grape wood on hand so I thought I would give it a shot.


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## Beastie (Oct 27, 2016)

Venom1080 said:


> you dont need cork, get creative. driftwood works well too, ive used it for years.


How much less likely to mold is driftwood than grape wood? literally I used this because I had it on hand (we bought it for our kingsnake that we didn't have yet so I cut two tiny pieces off), I was going to go out and get something to replace it but up until now it was working great, and it's been in there over a month.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Venom1080 (Oct 27, 2016)

Beastie said:


> How much less likely to mold is driftwood than grape wood? literally I used this because I had it on hand (we bought it for our kingsnake that we didn't have yet so I cut two tiny pieces off), I was going to go out and get something to replace it but up until now it was working great, and it's been in there over a month.


it molds a fair bit too in my humid cages. but again, unless the mold gets ridiculous, i dont care about it, it just doesnt do much.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Beastie (Oct 27, 2016)

Venom1080 said:


> it molds a fair bit too in my humid cages. but again, unless the mold gets ridiculous, i dont care about it, it just doesnt do much.


If it isn't going to hurt her in this small amount I will get something else jic, but leave and and see if it even gets worse. I hate to destroy that beautiful web.


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## mistertim (Oct 27, 2016)

A little bit of mold is no big deal as others have said...just spot clean it. I would just be a little worried about the enclosure for a GBB being moist enough for mold to grow in general. As slings, even GBBs DO need a bit more humidity but still not much. When mine was really small I just moistened a corner or a side of the sub once or twice a week and that was it.


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## AlbatrossWarrior (Oct 28, 2016)

I usually just have barren cages for heavy webbers or burrowers, lol. My GBB sling is very good at making the cage how she desires in very little time. I wish I could decorate their cages but everytime I bring up buying decorations to my mom she acts like I've just asked her to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge or something.. So I usually reserve my few plastic plants and cork for the ones who prefer premade hides


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## Red Eunice (Oct 28, 2016)

viper69 said:


> Cork is one of the most mold resistant wood products out there..


 Same with lignum vitae, moapani and cholla cactus. 
 Moapani is costly, lignum vitae is rarely available in its natural state and cholla cactus from local florist shops. I've a friend in AZ, avid hiker, collected and sent a large box of cholla to me. Only cost was the bulk shipping.

Reactions: Like 1


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## compnerd7 (Oct 28, 2016)

If your GBB doesn't have the ability to fall high up and land on the rocks, go for it, it's a cool look. 

If you take the rocks from outside, wash them with hot water, or even better, boil them for 15 minutes. Then bake them in the oven, 350*F for 10 minutes. That's overkill for ridding your rocks of any unwanted organisms  or chemical.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Jeff23 (Oct 28, 2016)

Unless your GBB are hanging out in the moist zone of your enclosure you may not need to moisten your hide area.  My GBB slings (1/2" to 1-1/2" size) don't even use the hide and I never see them near the water dish. They webbed over the hide entrances and sometimes even web over the water dish.  I simply remove any web from the water dish and keep it full.  I also slosh some water over the side so they can easily find it in the enclosure.  I provided lots of web points (cork bark and plastic plants) for them to use for webbing.  This may improve their comfort level to think they are safe without using the hide.

Reactions: Like 1


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## viper69 (Oct 29, 2016)

Red Eunice said:


> Same with lignum vitae, moapani and cholla cactus.
> Moapani is costly, lignum vitae is rarely available in its natural state and cholla cactus from local florist shops. I've a friend in AZ, avid hiker, collected and sent a large box of cholla to me. Only cost was the bulk shipping.


Cholla cactus molds quite easily, at least in frog environments. I couldn't use that w/my WTFs or my RETFs at all.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Red Eunice (Oct 29, 2016)

viper69 said:


> Cholla cactus molds quite easily, at least in frog environments. I couldn't use that w/my WTFs or my RETFs at all.


 Quite possible for it to mold in moisture rich enclosures.  For use in T and scorpion enclosures I've not had a mold issue. Yet.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## viper69 (Oct 29, 2016)

Red Eunice said:


> Quite possible for it to mold in moisture rich enclosures.  For use in T and scorpion enclosures I've not had a mold issue. Yet.


OHHH, yeah of course not hahah I was thinking mold in general, not our critters here.


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## Crone Returns (Oct 29, 2016)

Chollas flourish in the desert so it's best for desert spp. Personally I'd never use it except in rattlesnake and scorpion encloures. I'd be afraid a T would climb and fall on it. 
Just mho. I'm biased -- been punctured too many times by those evil things.


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## viper69 (Oct 29, 2016)

crone said:


> Chollas flourish in the desert so it's best for desert spp. Personally I'd never use it except in rattlesnake and scorpion encloures. I'd be afraid a T would climb and fall on it.
> Just mho. I'm biased -- been punctured too many times by those evil things.


I'm talking the wood, not the actual living plant

Reactions: Like 1


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## Crone Returns (Oct 29, 2016)

viper69 said:


> I'm talking the wood, not the actual living plant


Thank god. One just never knows....
I've had very strange questions by pp visiting me.  And you can pop off one of the sections (if you've got thick gloves and a large pair of tongs) and plant it. It'll grow.


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## Ellenantula (Oct 29, 2016)

viper69 said:


> Cholla cactus molds quite easily, at least in frog environments. I couldn't use that w/my WTFs or my RETFs at all.


I didn't know that!  I have some I had thought might end up in a T enclosure at some point.  I think I'll just keep mine for decorative purposes around the house now.  Truthfully, hated to part with it for T enclosures anyway.  lol

(To be honest, I have some driftwood intended for T enclosures also, and have selfishly kept them for general home display also.  I am not generous with my Ts!  They'll just poop or web up anything nice anyway).
That's why G-d made cork bark.


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## EulersK (Oct 29, 2016)

You know what definitely, positively, certainly will never mold? Terra cotta. Which is why that's all I use


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## viper69 (Oct 29, 2016)

I put cholla into a tropical gecko tank, and some grapevine (worse than cholla), I was growing the cure for cancer in no time. I like cholla because it's very light in weight.


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