Bioactive substrate for theraphosa apophysis

[bartulsesartic]

The biodude doesn’t ship to my country and would need a bioactive substrate for a theraphosa apophysis so anything would help. I also found a dealer that mixes custom substrate so if i could get any recommendations on around how much of what material to put into it that would be great too. (I believe it is one quart and 24 quarts jn total)

 

[8 legged]

There is absolutely no indication for a bioactive enclosure for tarantulas - this is just a trend like the full beard right now!
If you still want something similar, take a mixture of potting soil (without additives), vermiculite and throw in a few springtails and dried leaves! Finished!

 

[viper69]

Your T doesn’t NEED a bioactive anything.

When will the insanity stop

 

[KaroKoenig]

Go into the woods, find a beech, maple, oak tree, remove the top layer of leaves on the ground underneath it and grab your soil.

Don't remove too much from a single spot, don't dig too deep. You want the top mulch layer with all the rotten leaves, not the geology underneath.

Put back leaves and allow that spot 2 years to regenerate.

Take a deep breath and enjoy the fresh air.

Done.

No artificial mix (insert yuppie brand name here) could ever reproduce the properties of this stuff.

 

[Neonblizzard]

Your T doesn’t NEED a bioactive anything.

When will the insanity stop

I think it's thanks to Mr. David L Beasties on YouTube

 

[8 legged]

I think it's thanks to Mr. David L Beasties on YouTube

...not to forget the guy who decided to turn dirt into gold! But maybe mankind doesn't deserve it any other way!

 

[moricollins]

Bioactive is just a marketing term.
Peat moss, topsoil, coco fibre, etc. are all as bioactive as any premade "bioactive" substrate. Save yourself some money and just use regular cheap substrate.

Every single one of my tarantula enclosures were bioactive, they all had mites at some point in time .

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I just use a mix of Westand topsoil, sedge peat, and fine vermiculite for everything. Not had any issues with it.

 

[Smotzer]

Bioactive is just a marketing term.
Peat moss, topsoil, coco fibre, etc. are all as bioactive as any premade "bioactive" substrate. Save yourself some money and just use regular cheap substrate.

Yup this^^ and people think they buy some "fancy" soil/substrate and put in a pothos and now they hhave this hhighly advanced enclosure called a bioactive......all you did was put a plant in it....

 

[Wolfram1]

Yea it all those damn youtubers repeating the term over and over.

Soil was used before and will be after.

 

[Dorifto]

The biodude doesn’t ship to my country and would need a bioactive substrate for a theraphosa apophysis so anything would help. I also found a dealer that mixes custom substrate so if i could get any recommendations on around how much of what material to put into it that would be great too. (I believe it is one quart and 24 quarts jn total)

Buy a bag of topsoild and you will be buying 99% of biodudes, reptiosil, creature soil... etc but at a 2000% (20xcheaper) litterally. You are paying basically their marketing ads.


Regarding to your T, what kind of enclosure are you planning to build? And second, how big it your T?

 

[bartulsesartic]

Buy a bag of topsoild and you will be buying 99% of biodudes, reptiosil, creature soil... etc but at a 2000% (20xcheaper) litterally. You are paying basically their marketing ads.


Regarding to your T, what kind of enclosure are you planning to build? And second, how big it your T?

The theraphosa species is very moisture dependant and the largest tarantula of them all , the enclosures are going to be larger for room for it to bolt and stretch. Since I don’t want to worry about mold and not worry about high humidity rotting food into mold. Anyway it seems fun to keep some isopods and springtails and most likely sell some. Anyway I’ll look in the reply’s for a mix.

 

[Dorifto]

The theraphosa species is very moisture dependant and the largest tarantula of them all , the enclosures are going to be larger for room for it to bolt and stretch. Since I don’t want to worry about mold and not worry about high humidity rotting food into mold. Anyway it seems fun to keep some isopods and springtails and most likely sell some. Anyway I’ll look in the reply’s for a mix.

I know that theraphosas are big... I mean how big is your apophysis.

Use topsoil, and forget any special blend of magical substrates, that's what I use in my vivariums, and never had any single issue of molds. Also it keeps the right amount of moisture for those type of species.

Also what kind of enclosure are you going to use? Your plan is to use isopods, real plants...? Because you will need plenty of ventilation.

 

[bartulsesartic]

I know that theraphosas are big... I mean how big is your apophysis.

Use topsoil, and forget any special blend of magical substrates, that's what I use in my vivariums, and never had any single issue of molds. Also it keeps the right amount of moisture for those type of species.

Also what kind of enclosure are you going to use? Your plan is to use isopods, real plants...? Because you will need plenty of ventilation.

I haven’t gotten my t. Apophysis yet it will come as a 1.5 inch sling, I plan to get dwarf isopods, springtails and plan to put some live sphagnum moss inside with a bit of leaf litter on top for the isopods. Ill take your recommendation and use topsoil as the main substrate.

 

[Dorifto]

I haven’t gotten my t. Apophysis yet it will come as a 1.5 inch sling, I plan to get dwarf isopods, springtails and plan to put some live sphagnum moss inside with a bit of leaf litter on top for the isopods. Ill take your recommendation and use topsoil as the main substrate.

At that size forget that stuff and focus on learning how behaves and what are the thing it likes, moisture, darknes etc. Once you have learned those things and the T molted several times, then and only then start thinking of adding isopods, springtails etc. If you add isopods, be carefull, depending on the species, they can be predatory too, and pose a high risk to your T, eg if the T is molting.


For now I'd get a small enclosure, a cork bark, sphagnum moss and topsoil. Observe and learn all about your T.

 

[bartulsesartic]

At that size forget that stuff and focus on learning how behaves and what are the thing it likes, moisture, darknes etc. Once you have learned those things and the T molted several times, then and only then start thinking of adding isopods, springtails etc. If you add isopods, be carefull, depending on the species, they can be predatory too, and pose a high risk to your T, eg if the T is molting.


For now I'd get a small enclosure, a cork bark, sphagnum moss and topsoil. Observe and learn all about your T.

I only plan on adding dwarf purple isopods which only grow to about 1-4mm when it is in it’s juvenile enclosure but I think I’ll add springtails to the Sling enclosure. The isopods wont be causing any issues for the T

 

[Timc]

As stated, at that size I wouldn’t worry about making it a fancy pants enclosure, since it won’t be it’s permanent one anyhow. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it sounds like this might be your first T, and Theraphosa husbandry can be a little tricky for a beginner; getting that down first should be you main focus. Good luck.

 

[Dorifto]

I only plan on adding dwarf purple isopods which only grow to about 1-4mm when it is in it’s juvenile enclosure but I think I’ll add springtails to the Sling enclosure. The isopods wont be causing any issues for the T

Looks like you are dicided to do it, so what enclosure are you going to use. How big, and with which kind of ventilation system.

I'm not trying to discourage you, but I'm being realistic.

This are my enclosures, so I know about what I'm talking about.