can ground coffee be used as a substrate?

[Cerbera]

I honestly think you are screwing up big time.

Yep, me too. I don't understand why you have incentive to even try. There might not be peat moss in abundance, but you have all sorts of other options at your disposal. If spiders were meant to be walkin about on brewed coffee, they'd... no - its too ridiculous to even finish...

Sorry - I don't mean to be rude but cannot think of any reason AT ALL why this would even momentarily seem like a good idea.

 

[Mr_Baker4420]

you could use the coffee grounds and other organic matter and start a compost pile. and after a very very long time you should be able to use it as substrate.

 

[syndicate]

yeah if u dont have peat in your area go outside and dig up some dirt.your only risking the spiders life by trying this experiment

 

[GailC]

http://www.media-post.net/spidersondrugs.php website of interest! note the caffine exposure ;-)

Thanks for that link, very good info.

 

[tacoma0680]

if you are looking for a good soil just use 100% peat moss its cheap and great

 

[tacoma0680]

(I paid $1.70 for a 40lb bag of peat...I wouldn't use something like that at all...even if it was free)
why would you not use peat moss its the best thing on the market its great for Tarantulas is cheap and holds water great

 

[Amanda]

He said he was going to test it for mold growth/substrate suitability in an UNOCCUPIED enclosure.

 

[Hedorah99]

He then said he was thinking of putting in a lividum immediatly.

 

[subic_spiderworld]

Update

There is still no molds in the UNOCCUPIED enclosure, its very humid here now since it has been raining for more than 12 straight hours but the coffee is getting damper by the hour. I think it is retaining moisture from the humid air. If it continues to exhibit this trait until tommorrow, then this alone will make it unsuitable as a substrate.
Also the effect of the chemicals in the coffee as you guys pointed out again makes it unsuitable.
So I am abandoning this little experiment of mine and will continue to use coconut peat (even if peat moss is much much cheaper, how and where am I supposed to get them here in our country, flying them in by the sack full will surely cost more than the coco peat)


The cricket is still alive though, albeit with a big headache from not being able to sleep from all the caffeine. I will be setting it free (dont want to pass the caffeine to my pets).

 

[rospin]

Well now..at least the cricket got a reprieve...LOL

dang buggers keep dying on me!

 

[gagamboy]

wow!! very nice experiment thread, sir robbie... its like i'm following one of our local 'tele-nobelas' (soap operas)...

 

[Jonathan Rice]

Yes.

I say yes, but only foldgers! It's the best part of waking up!

 

[Venom]

This is a completely stupid idea, not worthy of discussion on AB. You may as well ask if you should substrate it on manure or gravel. The acidity would be way to high, possibly damaging in itself, and yes, caffeine is very disruptive / disturbing to arachnids. This is not even worth consideration or experimentation, it is simply dumb. If you value your animals, just get yourself some peatmoss and be done with it. There is no advantage to using coffee, and significant ( and obvious ? ) dangers inherent in doing so.

 

[gumby]

As far as coffee grounds....that's a nightmare waiting to happen.
You would have to be able to keep it *bone dry* in order to have any hope of it not molding, plus, it will deteriorate and rot quite rapidly, not to mention that coffee is, as someone else mentioned, used as a fertilizer in some soils, but it also has a ton of chemicals in.

I agree with not using coffee because of the chemicals your T would be rubbing her poor body against. does not sound very good for the T to me. also the $$$$$$$$$ you would spend would be crazy.
scott

 

[verry_sweet]

Fun experiment. Obviously nothing bad came out of this except a cricket on a caffeine rush. I think it’s great that you think outside the box :clap:

Steph

 

[Crotalus]

Great. Why not try grinded rat poison too.

 

[Thoth]

Though in theory if you composted the coffee grounds in a couple of years you'll have a potentially useable substrate.

 

[geopet]

Science conquers all

I just wanted to write that I think it was a good experiment to try out with the coffee grounds. Peat moss seems to be the preferred substrate in Canada while it would seem cocoa peat is popular elsewhere although I've started seeing it in my local store here in Canada the last couple months. The problem with regular peat is that although it is a natural material (and I wonder about that. . what is actually in it anyway??) it is not a renewable resource and takes hundreds of years to form in nature. Also peat production requires drainage of wetlands in order to harvest.

I think that cocoa peat is great because of the texture and moisture retention and because it is a renewable resource produced as a byproduct of other agricultural production. As my spiders need changing to larger cages I will be switching from the regular peat I now use to cocoa peat even though the cocoa peat is literally 20 times more expensive. If another renewable substrate alternative can be found to compete with the cocoa peat (and maybe lower the price) I say have at her !

 

[Crotalus]

Instead of peat or cocofiber you can use good ol potsoil

 

[Venom]

I don't like potting soil much. It too often has fertilizers in it, and that junky perlite stuff mixed in. Looks bad IMO. I prefer the natural look, and no added chemical content of peatmoss. Potting soil is more expensive and offers no advantages over peatmoss ( which has a degree of anti-mold acidity ).