benefeit of wet substrate.

[robc]

I have a question: I know it is not advised to keep ypur humidity level high because you have to keep the substrate moist and that causes mites,well I get my humidity from the air not by misting the substrate, I have a custom made humidifier that puts humidity directly into the tank from underneath and the back of the tank is sealed to the wall, so basicaly I have 80% humidity with dry substrate. My question is ...Does a T need the substrate moist or is the air enough...I basicaly mimiced the rainforest in my tank in terms of temp/humidity except with out the wet substrate. Would this be ok for molting...You guys have probaly seen my tank its back a couple of threads (King baboon/hatian brown enclosure)

 

[Brian S]

I have a question: I know it is not advised to keep ypur humidity level high because you have to keep the substrate moist

Who the heck told you that? I keep my substrate moist with several species.

and that causes mites

,
Not if you keep out uneaten food remains

well I get my humidity from the air not by misting the substrate, I have a custom made humidifier that puts humidity directly into the tank from underneath and the back of the tank is sealed to the wall, so basicaly I have 80% humidity with dry substrate. My question is ...Does a T need the substrate moist or is the air enough...I basicaly mimiced the rainforest in my tank in terms of temp/humidity except with out the wet substrate. Would this be ok for molting...You guys have probaly seen my tank its back a couple of threads (King baboon/hatian brown enclosure)

I highly doubt a humidifyer will keep your enclosure humid enough. Think about it, does a species from the tropics live on dry substrate? I doubt it

 

[robc]

Who the heck told you that? I keep my substrate moist with several species.

,
Not if you keep out uneaten food remains



I highly doubt a humidifyer will keep your enclosure humid enough. Think about it, does a species from the tropics live on dry substrate? I doubt it

A lot of people say that...I have always thought of that to be wrong. The humidifier I have and the way it is sealed keeps the tank at 75% humidity a inch from the ground and 80% humidity at top...I do occassianly mist the cage once a week.

 

[Talkenlate04]

I keep slings of all sorts on wet substrate. And adults and juvies that require moisture like my big blondi she is on wet substrate almost all the time.

As Brian mentioned it's more about getting the food remains out. That is the cause of the trouble not so much the moist substrate.

 

[Brian S]

Unless you have a very top notch hygrometer, chances are its not very accurate in the first place. The rule of thunb I go by is if the substrate is a little moist then my humidity is just fine.

I have to disagree with those that say to keep tropical burrowing spp on dry substrate, that sounds like a good way to kill spiders if you ask me.

 

[robc]

Unless you have a very top notch hygrometer, chances are its not very accurate in the first place. The rule of thunb I go by is if the substrate is a little moist then my humidity is just fine.

I have to disagree with those that say to keep tropical burrowing spp on dry substrate, that sounds like a good way to kill spiders if you ask me.

My hydrometer is the most acurrate one you can just about buy....Its the same one the zoo uses, and I agree with you on the substrate...a lot of guys were saying keep it dry and I was thinking...if they come from a rain forest why keep it dry. Keep in mid the air in the tank is very moist it feels like a rain forest...but I want to keep the substrate moist...I am trying to duplicate my t,s enviroment.

 

[spartybassoon]

I, too, keep all my slings on wet substrate and have not had mite problems. I've had mold problems, but that is more a ventilation issue which I have figured out (make sure there is sufficient ventilation for the substrate to dry out, but keep it moist anyway). With a dry substrate, you have to work much harder to keep the T's from dessication whereas I often skip for a week or so in between misting my versicolors because the substrate is wet.

 

[robc]

I, too, keep all my slings on wet substrate and have not had mite problems. I've had mold problems, but that is more a ventilation issue which I have figured out (make sure there is sufficient ventilation for the substrate to dry out, but keep it moist anyway). With a dry substrate, you have to work much harder to keep the T's from dessication whereas I often skip for a week or so in between misting my versicolors because the substrate is wet.

I keep my versicolor subsrate very moist due to there high humidity level requirements

 

[Stan Schultz]

... [Originally Posted by robc] ... I know it is not advised to keep ypur humidity level high because you have to keep the substrate moist ...

Who the heck told you that? I keep my substrate moist with several species. ...

I did. A lot of others as well. Visit www.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/mites07.html.

... Not if you keep out uneaten food remains ...

But it's almost impossible to find and remove every minute piece of used food bolus. And an almost microscopic piece is almost the size of a mite and a month's supply of food for them. Or, several days supply of food for 100 of them!

It just makes more sense to use a global method for avoiding mites rather than spending hours picking through tarantula cages trying to distinguish between a tiny bit of used food and another bit of peat or coconut husk. Taking care of tarantulas is supposed to be fun, not an exercise in frustration.

... I highly doubt a humidifyer will keep your enclosure humid enough. ...

Sorry to disagree with you. The first question should be whether humidity is needed at all. Robc states that he has a king baboon and a Haitian.

King baboons need a burrow, not high humidity. They're one of the few tarantulas that don't thrive outside a burrow. And, they come from a dry part of Africa, not the rainforest. They're a veld creature, not a swamp dweller.

And, Haitians have been kept for the last 30 years like redknees, Arizona blondes, OBTs, etc. They may come from a tropical country, but they're definitely not an obligate rainforest tarantula and are easily capable of thriving in a dry cage as long as they're given a water dish.

Like temperature, the importance of humidity is vastly over-stated by most tarantula keepers. We're keeping some of the world's most resilient and adaptable creatures here, guys, not canaries, not ferns, not tropical fish, not African violets.

Enjoy your survivor tarantulas!

 

[robc]

I did. A lot of others as well. Visit www.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/mites07.html.



But it's almost impossible to find and remove every minute piece of used food bolus. And an almost microscopic piece is almost the size of a mite and a month's supply of food for them. Or, several days supply of food for 100 of them!

It just makes more sense to use a global method for avoiding mites rather than spending hours picking through tarantula cages trying to distinguish between a tiny bit of used food and another bit of peat or coconut husk. Taking care of tarantulas is supposed to be fun, not an exercise in frustration.



Sorry to disagree with you. The first question should be whether humidity is needed at all. Robc states that he has a king baboon and a Haitian.

King baboons need a burrow, not high humidity. They're one of the few tarantulas that don't thrive outside a burrow. And, they come from a dry part of Africa, not the rainforest. They're a veld creature, not a swamp dweller.

And, Haitians have been kept for the last 30 years like redknees, Arizona blondes, OBTs, etc. They may come from a tropical country, but they're definitely not an obligate rainforest tarantula and are easily capable of thriving in a dry cage as long as they're given a water dish.

Like temperature, the importance of humidity is vastly over-stated by most tarantula keeper's. We're keeping some of the world's most resilient and adaptable creatures here, guys, not canaries, not tropical fish, not African violets.

Enjoy your survivor tarantulas!

I keep my king baboon dry like I keep my red knee....he is burrowed 15" under ground....my hatian I do have humidity at night 70-75% and during the day 65%-70%. The king baboon is kept at 55-60 percent....but his enclosure is not misted very much at all.

 

[phil jones]

I did. A lot of others as well. Visit www.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/mites07.html.



But it's almost impossible to find and remove every minute piece of used food bolus. And an almost microscopic piece is almost the size of a mite and a month's supply of food for them. Or, several days supply of food for 100 of them!

It just makes more sense to use a global method for avoiding mites rather than spending hours picking through tarantula cages trying to distinguish between a tiny bit of used food and another bit of peat or coconut husk. Taking care of tarantulas is supposed to be fun, not an exercise in frustration.



Sorry to disagree with you. The first question should be whether humidity is needed at all. Robc states that he has a king baboon and a Haitian.

King baboons need a burrow, not high humidity. They're one of the few tarantulas that don't thrive outside a burrow. And, they come from a dry part of Africa, not the rainforest. They're a veld creature, not a swamp dweller.

And, Haitians have been kept for the last 30 years like redknees, Arizona blondes, OBTs, etc. They may come from a tropical country, but they're definitely not an obligate rainforest tarantula and are easily capable of thriving in a dry cage as long as they're given a water dish.

Like temperature, the importance of humidity is vastly over-stated by most tarantula keeper's. We're keeping some of the world's most resilient and adaptable creatures here, guys, not canaries, not tropical fish, not African violets.

Enjoy your survivor tarantulas!

a excellent reply if i may say so :clap: :clap: :clap: :worship: :worship: ---- phil

 

[Brian S]

But it's almost impossible to find and remove every minute piece of used food bolus. And an almost microscopic piece is almost the size of a mite and a month's supply of food for them. Or, several days supply of food for 100 of them!

I never pick out the food bolus. I was refering to dead crickerts and other parts. The best thing you can do is add Isopods in the moist tanks which compete with mites for leftovers

 

[robc]

I never pick out the food bolus. I was refering to dead crickerts and other parts. The best thing you can do is add Isopods in the moist tanks which compete with mites for leftovers

I have around 20 (rollie polies) in my moist tank

 

[Duc de Blangis]

i like the humidified air idea and am going to try it. it sounds much less frustrating than dealing with isopods because you're not forced into keeping the substrate wet all the time just to keep the isopods alive. that seems like way too hard of a balancing act for my liking.

 

[miarachnids]

I agree with Pikaia. "We're keeping some of the world's most resilient and adaptable creatures here, guys,"
These creatures adapt well to the conditions given to them.