Arboreal Substrate Question

Atabby

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I'm getting ready to rehouse my P. irminia hopefully today, and I sent my husband to get some substrate. Not sure what he was thinking but he came back with a bag of Zoo med Forest Floor reptile. It's mostly Cypress chips. Would this be usable in the P. irminia enclosure? I have cork barks for a hide area and some frog moss for added deco and to help with the humidity. (soaked, drained, and well squeezed) Can I use the Forest Floor or get something like Terra Arana or Coir? In her enclosure now she had made a web tunnel on the outside of the cork with a turret.. Just a minimal amount of burrowing. Like a big webbed sleeping bag. Forest Floor reptile Substrate Yea or Nay?
 

viper69

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Size of T is USEFUL

I’ve used only coco with mine, no chips.

Never worried about humidity either
 

Tentacle Toast

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What the poor man was thinking is "I hope this is just right.... enough to get her to never to send me out for stupid spider soil again..." But seriously, the one that delegates is ultimately responsible...:watchingyou:

How big are the chips? Can it be salvaged by adding coco peat & moss? Not ideal, but it'll keep you safe at home in the meantime ;)
 

Chris LXXIX

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I tell you my opinion: There isn't a substrate for arboreals, doesn't exist such a thing. The substrate you provide to arboreal T's is the same substrate (save for the quantity) you provide to terrestrial and fossorial ones.

I would stay away from everything with inside "chips". I would stay away from everything branded as "Tarantula's/Exotic/Whatever substrate" on the package (a scam, basically, for exploit the recent years T's market boom - In this case substrate is ok, but it's only a waste of money).

Just use coco fiber, use Irish moss peat or, use the old good topsoil (just check it's 100% bio, without chemical/additives stuff inside). Nothing else :)
 

Finikan

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Oh my. I can only imagine sending my husband out alone on an errand like that!

How big are the chips? Can it be salvaged by adding coco peat & moss? Not ideal, but it'll keep you safe at home in the meantime ;)
Second this. Those chips look awful chippy to me.
 

BoyFromLA

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Arboreal substrate needs to be very carefully selected with certain degree of standards.

That, which can be translated into:

The exact same substrate you use for your terrestrial, fossorial tarantulas, such as coco fibers, top soils, peat moss, etc. Something other than wood chips.
 

Atabby

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Oh my. I can only imagine sending my husband out alone on an errand like that!
I know, that was kinda dumb of me wasn't it. :embarrassed::rofl:



Second this. Those chips look awful chippy to me.
I

Well I was in luck, I found a bag of the good stuff. Which I used as substrate for an Aphonopelma seemanni.
Thank you all for your input.! I will not use the cypress for P. imirnia. But now I can't find the replacement top for the exo terra 12 x 12 so I'll have to find that first before proceeding. :wacky:
 
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