# How often do you change the substrate?



## Kathy (Dec 11, 2010)

Just wondering how often you totally clean out the enclosure, rinse everything out, and replace the substrate.


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## Lorum (Dec 12, 2010)

I like this hobby because I don't have to do a lot of cleaning... just when necessary, I think totally cleaning out the enclosure (with everything implied on it) can be made once every two years or more (depending on humidity of the substrate, feeding regime, etc.) without problems if you are careful and often remove boluses, clean terrarium's walls, etc.

But it also depends on the species... have you ever had T's who love to mess up the enclosure with feces?


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## codykrr (Dec 12, 2010)

I couldnt vote. Because I usually do an annual cleaning of ALL enclosures.  

I find with proper spot cleaning MOST species dont need frequent total cleanings...  It can stress them out to much if you clean to often.

But with species such as Avicularia(who spray poop everywhere!), and other Ts that flick lots of hair before a molt(IE- T. blondi, Brachypelma...and a few other new worlders.)  I change them about every 6 months.  Only because I break out from the U hairs so to minimize the chances of hairs wafting in the air I change the sub more often.

That being said...I dont include slings/ juvies because they get rehoused throughout the year.  

Also with species that need high humidity, I try and change those more often due to possibility of mites, mold, and calcium build up from flooding the substrate.


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## RoseT (Dec 12, 2010)

Id say once a year, but with some maintenance throughout that year to keep the mold absent.


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## xhexdx (Dec 12, 2010)

Never       .


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## Nicole (Dec 12, 2010)

xhexdx said:


> never       .


+1        .


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## fatich (Dec 12, 2010)

nicole said:


> +1        .



+1       .


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## barabootom (Dec 12, 2010)

I clean mine about every six months, every Spring and Fall.  I keep mostly terrestrials and they do poop into the substrate.  I don't believe in letting them live in their own filth.  I disagree with those that say never.  One might get by with never cleaning, but how unfair to your T's.


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## barabootom (Dec 12, 2010)

codykrr said:


> I couldnt vote. Because I usually do an annual cleaning of ALL enclosures.
> 
> I find with proper spot cleaning MOST species dont need frequent total cleanings...  It can stress them out to much if you clean to often.
> 
> ...



Excellent post.  :worship:


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## P. Novak (Dec 12, 2010)

I spot clean bi-weekly, and I have found that to be sufficient enough. I will clean out their entire enclosure if they are being transfered are if there is a persistent mold or mite problem, which I really haven't had trouble with at all. I use to clean their cages every year, but saw no need to do so since they arachnids are really not that dirty at all.


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## Chris_Skeleton (Dec 12, 2010)

xhexdx said:


> Never       .


Agreed. Just spot cleaning, or if I get a better substrate.


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## moose35 (Dec 12, 2010)

i have some cages with 7 year old dirt....


moose


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## Scourge (Dec 13, 2010)

I only ever fully clean out an enclosure if there's some sort of problem. For instance, mold that won't clear, phorids etc. Most of my humid enclosures have isopods which keep them clean anyway, and I don't have any problems with the dry enclosures.


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## Poxicator (Dec 13, 2010)

how often do they get cleaned in the wild? That's how often I clean mine


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## Chaika (Dec 13, 2010)

Clean?

I have only changed the substrate in an enclosure once (when it had mushrooms growing out of it) otherwise I will only disturb the substrate when I'm rehousing and I have reused sub if it looks/smells ok


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## Kathy (Dec 13, 2010)

Chaika said:


> Clean?
> 
> I have only changed the substrate in an enclosure once (when it had mushrooms growing out of it) otherwise I will only disturb the substrate when I'm rehousing and I have reused sub if it looks/smells ok


LOL, good point!  Although the wild ones may have more resistance to disease.


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## barabootom (Dec 13, 2010)

Poxicator said:


> how often do they get cleaned in the wild? That's how often I clean mine


To my knowledge T's don't poop in their burrow and in the wild it rains where most species live.  In the wild there is also a constant air exchange.  You can't compare an enclosure to the habitat of a wild T.


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## xhexdx (Dec 13, 2010)

barabootom said:


> To my knowledge *T's don't poop in their burrow* and in the wild it rains where most species live.


So wait, the argument is that they poop in their burrows in captivity, but not in the wild?


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## barabootom (Dec 14, 2010)

xhexdx said:


> So wait, the argument is that they poop in their burrows in captivity, but not in the wild?


My T's rarely poop in their burrows.  They usually go to a corner of the enclosure and poop, or poop in the water dish.  My avics just spray it everywhere.  I only keep new worlds, and I don't keep any deep burrowing species, so I'm not saying it never occurs.  However, in the places I've collected T's, during the rainy season the ground is thoroughly flushed with heavy rains.  I doubt that happens in an enclosure.


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## Poxicator (Dec 14, 2010)

If your T poo's in the corner then surely its only the corner that needs cleaning. I remove whats visible, making sure there's no uneaten food and remove mould + bolus. Schultz suggest they create little waste so cleaning the whole closure does little to increase the hygienic state of the enclosure. Obviously if the enclosure smells you may have a different opinion.
The problem with removing everything to replace it is that your tarantula, over months, will lay down a thin layer of webbing on the substrate and coat this with its irritating hairs. These are the guidelines that a tarantula uses to know its area/home. Removing this must have a stress factor if we consider in the wild they'd almost never leave an area of 1 sq m. The way I look at it would be someone coming to your house and removing all your furniture, but at least they hoovered


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## Lorum (Dec 14, 2010)

barabootom said:


> To my knowledge T's don't poop in their burrow


I think that is different depending on the species (or even on the individual tarantula), but yes, they do poop in their burrow. But, in the wild their burrows are deeper and (usually) have branches (in fosorial species), and they can keep boluses, exuviae and poop in one of the "chambers" (or take them out of the burrow).

IMO we should not compare both conditions (T's in the wild and T's in captivity). But I agree, if they are kept under proper conditions, you can have the same enclosure/substrate for the tarantula's lifetime.


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## micheldied (Dec 15, 2010)

I only remove what I find..... Never cleaned before.


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## tmanjim (Dec 15, 2010)

The only time I change the stuff completely is when I have to rehouse due to the T growing out of the current enclosure. Otherwise it is spot cleaning only. I have 38 T's, I can't imagine doing it any more often than that and I know there are alot of arachnonuts with many more T's than I have.


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