Best substrate/mix for burrowers?

thedragonslapper

Arachnosquire
Joined
Feb 1, 2018
Messages
72
What’s everyone’s opinion here? Tightly packed peat soil or mixture of something? Don’t have much experience with fossorials. My old porteri has never burrowed in her life and my last two other Ts were arboreals.
 
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kingshockey

Arachnoangel
Joined
Sep 4, 2017
Messages
826
What’s everyone’s opinion here? Tightly packed peat soil or mixture of something? Don’t have much experience with fossorials. My old porteri has never burrowed in her life and my last two other Ts were arboreals.
i just use coco fiber packed down tight the ones that burrowed all lined their burrows with webbing along with the surface.
 

emartinm28

Arachnoknight
Joined
Mar 29, 2020
Messages
271
I used to use coco fiber but now I’ve started using the bio dude’s terra aranea. I didn’t really see any difference between the two except that the burrows made with the latter are more aesthetically pleasing imo. The Ts will reinforce their burrows with webbing regardless.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
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Dec 8, 2006
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What’s everyone’s opinion here? Tightly packed peat soil or mixture of something? Don’t have much experience with fossorials. My old porteri has never burrowed in her life and my last two other Ts were arboreals.
Whatever works- I don’t care if they borrow or not as long as they are eating well and not exhibiting signs of stress etc

I like giving them some moss in cocofiber to add some structure to the sub, couldn’t tell you if they like it hah
 

mack1855

Arachnoangel
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Sep 5, 2016
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820
For ease of use...I have found Reptisoil works well for fossorials,burrows.One bag and good to go.
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
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Dec 25, 2014
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5,845
The truth is that you can use everything, from normal coco fiber to topsoil to Irish moss peat... Isn't important. I add (fine grain) vermiculite only if the species in question require a 'more moist' parameter (e.g H. gigas, 'Haplos' and so forth).

Just add inches of whatever-you like-substrate, never being a 'substrate Scrooge' :pompous:
 

l4nsky

Aspiring Mad Genius
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Jan 3, 2019
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The standard substrate mixture I use is the following mix by volume:

  • 2 parts Zoo Med Reptisoil
  • 2 parts dry, loose Zoo Med Eco Earth
  • 1 part dry sphagnum moss
  • 1 part vermiculite
I have found this mixture to retain moisture extremely well as well as being able to compact tightly and support extensive burrowing with no risk of collapse when compact. I use this substrate almost exclusively and I’ll mix up large amounts of this to store in plastic storage totes.
 
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