Arid substrate

[driipybrii]

So the title says it all.. I got my first T in October and have quickly learned soo much about them. Right now I have all slings and my one needs to be moved soon. I find that Coco fiber is to loose so I mixed it with peat and AGAIN.. to loose. I’m wondering what is a good mix for dry species? I feel as though even if I pack it down it won’t be able to hold burrows. I’m going to be trying top soil mixed in.
ALSO , I know that substrate has been talked about a lot on here but every time I try to filter I can’t find what i’m actually looking for.

 

[cold blood]

You may not be able to find your definitive answer, because there isn't one....that's something you could have found over and over. Any substrate can be used for any species....but they all cannot be treated the same.

Dirt is dense, so it can be just dumped in...coco fiber and peat can absolutely be tamped down, it just needs to be done while damp.

 

[TheraMygale]

What species?

is the substrate moistened before?

Cocofiber should be properly moist before adding. This means, usualy, we let the enclosure dry before we add tarantula.

but even if we dont its ok. They might climb more. And if my intuition is right, arid means you have a terrestrial tarantula. So substrate level should be high enough to avoid falls.

Cocofiber works. It does. I have B emilias in it. And they have done extensive burrows.

its how you work the cocofiber: when and how.

 

[fcat]

I'm a big fan of reptisoil... But im too chicken to buy anything from the hardware stores (like topsoil) and do I pay a premium for it.

 

[TheraMygale]

I'm a big fan of reptisoil... But im too chicken to buy anything from the hardware stores (like topsoil) and do I pay a premium for it.

I will never buy reptisoil again, because i have a low tolerance for fungi.

I have a d pentalors on reptisoil. I had to let it dey out because of fungi. This is an issue because d penta like moisture.

So i let the enclosure dry out and i had no more fruiting bodies. I even reduced the water bowl size.

Its been below 60 in terms or house humidity. Everyone, including feeders, were due for some rain.

In less then 30 minutes, a mushroom sprouted in d pentaloris enclosure.

I am DONE.

This last batch, even after emailing company, is horrible. I dont keep my sub overstaturated. Im a horticulturist. I know sub moisture.

This is bad. I dont have time for this randon crap.

I wanted to love reptisoil. And im sure it works for all you southern desert folks. But its not good for me.

Cocofiber forever now.

 

[fcat]

Hey, I'm proud of these!!

I will never buy reptisoil again, because i have a low tolerance for fungi.

I have a d pentalors on reptisoil. I had to let it dey out because of fungi. This is an issue because d penta like moisture.

So i let the enclosure dry out and i had no more fruiting bodies. I even reduced the water bowl size.

Its been below 60 in terms or house humidity. Everyone, including feeders, were due for some rain.

In less then 30 minutes, a mushroom sprouted in d pentaloris enclosure.

I am DONE.

This last batch, even after emailing company, is horrible. I dont keep my sub overstaturated. Im a horticulturist. I know sub moisture.

This is bad. I dont have time for this randon crap.

I wanted to love reptisoil. And im sure it works for all you southern desert folks. But its not good for me.

Cocofiber forever now.

Hey it's not easy growing mushrooms!

 

[cold blood]

Hey, I'm proud of these!!
View attachment 490131
View attachment 490130


Hey it's not easy growing mushrooms!

Beautiful....I've always thought it looked neat the couple times I've had a mushroom pop up.

 

[TheraMygale]

Hey, I'm proud of these!!
View attachment 490131
View attachment 490130


Hey it's not easy growing mushrooms!

You only have sucess at growing fungi when not trying too 🥲

 

[fcat]

L4nsky inadvertently taught me everything I accidently know

(by reading his unpublished book on ventilation and moisture)

You only have sucess at growing fungi when not trying too 🥲

 

[TheraMygale]

L4nsky inadvertently taught me everything I accidently know

(by reading his unpublished book on ventilation and moisture)

Well, he grew/grows them.

My approach is different.

My indoor plants are gods when i just dont respect them anyways.

 

[driipybrii]

I'm a big fan of reptisoil... But im too chicken to buy anything from the hardware stores (like topsoil) and do I pay a premium for it.

I want to expand and don’t want to have to pay a big price for the soil

You may not be able to find your definitive answer, because there isn't one....that's something you could have found over and over. Any substrate can be used for any species....but they all cannot be treated the same.

Dirt is dense, so it can be just dumped in...coco fiber and peat can absolutely be tamped down, it just needs to be done while damp.

Honestly this reply helped alot. I know to tamp it down I’ve just seen so many people talk about when it dries out it still gets loose etc. I made it in a little tote so I’ll just put it in an enclosure and tamp it down. I’ve just seen so many people say different things about how to do things and that’s what’s really messing me up lol. Thank you

 

[cold blood]

I want to expand and don’t want to have to pay a big price for the soil

Topsoil is BY FAR the cheapest option available, and it's not close.

The stuff you want isn't the fancy stuff for growing plants, you want the cheapest stuff....the stuff marketed for filling holes and leveling ground....it's like $3 for 40lbs

Topsoil

• cold blood
• Dec 29, 2017
• 2

 

[driipybrii]

What species?

is the substrate moistened before?

Cocofiber should be properly moist before adding. This means, usualy, we let the enclosure dry before we add tarantula.

but even if we dont its ok. They might climb more. And if my intuition is right, arid means you have a terrestrial tarantula. So substrate level should be high enough to avoid falls.

Cocofiber works. It does. I have B emilias in it. And they have done extensive burrows.

its how you work the cocofiber: when and how.

I have a G. Porteri and some other terrestrial arid friends. I just kept seeing that dry coco fiber got dusty too. I’m not sure if that happens even if it’s patted down? People say so many different things and how the dust can hurt them etc. I just want the best care for them Thank you so much

Topsoil is BY FAR the cheapest option available, and it's not close.

The stuff you want isn't the fancy stuff for growing plants, you want the cheapest stuff....the stuff marketed for filling holes and leveling ground....it's like $3 for 40lbs

Topsoil

• cold blood
• Dec 29, 2017
• 2

I will look into it! I’ve been considering that for like a month now lol, I have a big bag of peat moss that i gotta use too. Thank you so much!

Reptisoil is around $1/qt if you don't try to get it on sale; even paranoid old me would trust cold blood's recommendation!

I want to expand and don’t want to have to pay a big price for the soil


Honestly this reply helped alot. I know to tamp it down I’ve just seen so many people talk about when it dries out it still gets loose etc. I made it in a little tote so I’ll just put it in an enclosure and tamp it down. I’ve just seen so many people say different things about how to do things and that’s what’s really messing me up lol. Thank you

 

[Brewser]

Grounds Frozen around here, gotta wait a few months before I can go gathering again.
Looking forward to it though.
Natural Freedom Finds Are Free Naturally
Best Regards,

 

[viper69]

Your title of post doesn’t say anything at all

Coco and peat moss can be packed down, I do it.

 

[driipybrii]

Your title of post doesn’t say anything at all

Coco and peat moss can be packed down, I do it.

does it still get dusty after it’s packed though? i guess i should’ve put recommendations in my title.

 

[viper69]

does it still get dusty after it’s packed though? i guess i should’ve put recommendations in my title.

It can- depends

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

...coco fiber and peat can absolutely be tamped down, it just needs to be done while damp.

Which will lead to questions about how to get rid of the condensation and/ or mold that forms at the bottom of a cage...
Which leads to answers about adding more ventilation...
Which leads to questions about why a tarantula seals itself in its hide...
Which leads to answers about pre-molt...

And so on.

This is a sarcastic reply not to be taken seriously by the way. I notice a cycle of questions and responses that appear to contradict themselves based on a lack of seeing the bigger picture in tarantula care. Meaning, one solution to a problem can lead to another problem which leads to another solution and down the rabbit hole we go.

 

[l4nsky]

Which will lead to questions about how to get rid of the condensation and/ or mold that forms at the bottom of a cage...
Which leads to answers about adding more ventilation...
Which leads to questions about why a tarantula seals itself in its hide...
Which leads to answers about pre-molt...

And so on.

This is a sarcastic reply not to be taken seriously by the way. I notice a cycle of questions and responses that appear to contradict themselves based on a lack of seeing the bigger picture in tarantula care. Meaning, one solution to a problem can lead to another problem which leads to another solution and down the rabbit hole we go.

At the risk of starting a philosophical tangent, this might have been intended as a sarcastic response, but I think you hit the target much closer to the center than intended or possibly realized. The more time I've spent organizing my thoughts on the matter, the more I've come to realize that a systematic approach needs to be emphasized for tarantula husbandry; however, the organic nature of this hobby doesn't lend itself well to setting the defaults necessary (ie ventilation patterns, substrate composition, temperatures, etc) on which such a system can be built, taught, and understood.

IMHO, it's a catch-22 situation that's preventing a major leap forward into the captive care and reproduction of tarantulas. It's not about cost or brand, its about identifying what's ideal and safe for the species in your care and going from there. Setting aside the safety discussion, I still wouldn't use straight top soil for the same reason I don't use straight Reptisoil. IME, it's not an ideal substrate by itself for most species.

As a point of rhetorical comparison, there were no commercially available UVB bulbs for reptiles on the market until 1993, yet reptiles had been kept indoors and were bred semi-successfully for how many decades prior? How many people experienced in the hobby and set in their ways argued they were unnecessary costs and a complete rip off just because their animals didn't get metabolic bone disease and appeared to be healthy by the standards of the day? For species like bearded dragons that require UVB, does anyone believe that that sector of the reptile industry would be as large or as successful without accepting UVB as a default requirement and building the systemic husbandry of the species around meeting that requirement?

 

[WolfieKate]

So the title says it all.. I got my first T in October and have quickly learned soo much about them. Right now I have all slings and my one needs to be moved soon. I find that Coco fiber is to loose so I mixed it with peat and AGAIN.. to loose. I’m wondering what is a good mix for dry species? I feel as though even if I pack it down it won’t be able to hold burrows. I’m going to be trying top soil mixed in.
ALSO , I know that substrate has been talked about a lot on here but every time I try to filter I can’t find what i’m actually looking for.

I get my arid mix from a vendor in the uk, Its a nice mix but it does have a sandy quality which the Tarantula’s seem to love for drainage, easy digging and generally earth moving. But it’s balanced with some soil and plant matter. Always add some moss anyway.