Are fir tree's a no-no?

[Shayna]

I got this Fir and Sphagnum peat moss mix for subsrate, it says it is ideal for frogs, anoles, geckos, skinks, snakes and toads. Just wondering if the fir is okay?

 

[Talkenlate04]

I got this Fir and Sphagnum peat moss mix or subsrate, it says it is ideal for frogs, anoles, geckos, skinks, snakes and toads. Just wondering if the fir is okay?

Sphagnum and peat moss together is ok, but I heard that some firs have a natural posion to them that might cause you some trouble. I can't for the life of me remember where I read that though. I am sure someone else knows more.

 

[Shayna]

I looked back in other forums and there was a person using the same zilla substrate, asking the same question but the replies were "I just use potting soil or coconut fibre etc", no one answered the question can it be harmful. There were some people that said 'well I THINK I heard somewhere it MIGHT be dangerous', but I can't find anything confirmed.
The other person using this stuff said he/she had been doing so a while and all was fine.

Can anyone give me confirmation about fir mix? It isn't bark chips, it has the consistency of coconut fibre and I'm mixing it with coco fibre 50/50.

 

[-Sarah-]

Hi Shayna,

Talkenlate04's right, fir would definitely be a no-no I believe I read in The Tarantula Keeper's Bible (by Stan and Marguerite Schultz) that fir trees are in the same family as cedar trees - and cedars secrete oil, which is extremely toxic to tarantulas. I'm not 100% sure if it was in that book, though... it might have been in a different book. I've been using plain 'ol sphagnum peat moss from Lowe's, and they love it. I used to get Scott's brand peat moss from Wal-Mart but it got to be $4 a bag, and I've got 12 tarantulas ranging in various sizes. I went to Lowe's and got a HUGE bag of it for around $3. It would have taken 50 or more Scott's brand bags to make up that amount. I tore a small enough hole in the bag that I could get my hands in to take some peat moss out when I need it. Hope this helps!

-Sarah

 

[lunixweb]

hi ya.. big no-no to the fir , sarah and Ryan are right it could be dangerous for the T, but peat moss and sphagnum is ok :}

 

[lunixweb]

I forgot to say why.. it is due to the resin of the firs, all firs has resin or some kind of wax, that could be toxic or poisonous to the T.. I'm not an expert but I read this..

 

[rattler420]

any thing that comes from a soft wood trees (pine, cedar, fir, & pretty much any evergreen) contains resins thart are harmful.