can ground coffee be used as a substrate?

[Crotalus]

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 ).

Try a different brand. I havent even seen potsoil with perlite in it.

 

[gagamboy]

i think this is a very nice experiment... and i think everyone should try to expand their bounderies and see the unlimited possibilities for their pets...

although coffee might be a bit off hand, at least he experimented first on a cricket..

 

[Barbedwirecat]

WOW there are a few of you here that are downright mean. Experamintation is what got alot of new and interesting things developed. Things like CARS and pretty much everything we rely on. Remember someone had to first experiment with substrate when we as humans first started being capible of keeping Ts in captivity, and from there on making the conditions right to breed them.

I don't think this experiment was stupid at all I think its was awesome. I am glad you did it becuase it will help some of us in the future that might have thought to do the same thing.

Be proud of what you did, don't let no one get u down about it.

Sidenote: there are still alot of books out there RECENTLY pupblished that say GRAVEL is a suitable substrate. The more we read and find out and experiment on our own, the better we know.

Other sidenote: Where the HECK do you guys get your peat?!? I can never find it cheaper than 10 bucks for 20 lbs. I've been using this stuff for years for my frog bedding....


Last sidenote: I'm not so convinced of that "spiders on drugs" site. Many of the webs that do not look like normal spiders webs of different species look like they have been drawn in MSpaint, no contrast, just straight lines unlike the other ones. Plus, if you gave us a scientific site outlineing exactly what amount of the drugs the spiders where injected with or fed and then the exact consequences, instead of a site that looked kinda like EabaumsWorld without the haha, I would be much more convinced. If this was a joke to post it, I aplogize, I do not find the humor.

 

[Satanika]

WOW there are a few of you here that are downright mean. Experamintation is what got alot of new and interesting things developed. Things like CARS and pretty much everything we rely on. Remember someone had to first experiment with substrate when we as humans first started being capible of keeping Ts in captivity, and from there on making the conditions right to breed them.

I don't think this experiment was stupid at all I think its was awesome. I am glad you did it becuase it will help some of us in the future that might have thought to do the same thing.

Be proud of what you did, don't let no one get u down about it.

Sidenote: there are still alot of books out there RECENTLY pupblished that say GRAVEL is a suitable substrate. The more we read and find out and experiment on our own, the better we know.

Other sidenote: Where the HECK do you guys get your peat?!? I can never find it cheaper than 10 bucks for 20 lbs. I've been using this stuff for years for my frog bedding....

I don't think they are being mean necessarily. They are just being blunt, to the point and don't beat around the bush. Just a matter of perception, IMO.

Don't trust every book that comes out in this hobby. You would be surprised what people get paid to write nowadays.

We have found peat at Lowes, Home Depot and more recently at National Wholesale Liquidators (not sure how fast I would get it at NWL, but interesting just the same).

 

[C_Strike]

i whole heartedly agree with barbedwirecat, i dont feel there was any justification in being so hostile 'blunt' and seriously.

Lmao peyote?... a spider on mesculin, THAT is funny, tho unneccessary lol.

I too am not convinced with the pictures, there is no written explaination, and being black and white, concidering these days everyone uses colour cameras, why is it B&W? *i saw no date*

I do understand that chemicals can affect a spider, especially in the web construction, like with wasps that lay there lavae inside spiders. on the final day of the spiders life with the parasitic larvae within it, its normally prestine web turns out to be little more than a mess of a few strands. Its apparently due to chemicals realsed by the grub, though i dont know the reason.
Seems plausable, and probabal but those particular pictures dont look genuine.

Jus my thoughts, ciao

 

[RVS]

This thread is so strange...

 

[Nightshade]

stupid add ins..

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 ).

I was going to go with potting soil, but chose peat moss because the store I was in didn't have any plain black earth.
Once I'm back in Ottawa I'm going to find a bag of just plain old black earth (I believe that's actually the right name for it) and do a mix of that and peat moss.
I hadn't considered before that peat moss is taken from a non renewable source. I might switch over to the coconut fibre stuff once my peat moss runs out.

 

[Gustavo]

when it come to the peat are you suppose to get the pure peat or the peat humous? the humous is in a bag and the peat is in a cube??

 

[Venom]

Peatmoss not renewable? Lol, of course it is renewable. It is formed by living, growing plants that, under the right conditions, pile up and are preserved. As long as the plants and the acidic conditions exist, they will work to produce ever more peatmoss and peat.

BTW, black earth is also not the best idea, because you can bet it will contain numerous mold and fungi spores that will germinate when kept moist and warm. Parasites ( nematodes, etc. ) may also be found in "black earth."

 

[Leiurus87]

ok, so the pics weren't very good. its not my site, im sorry for posting it. I have seen the caffine one in a more scientific publication,but im not going to look for it because if i posted it again, you would throw another fit and get all mad over nothing. This board seems awfully imflammatory today, is it the summer heat? Rant Over.

 

[Crotalus]

This thread is so strange...

Amen to that.

 

[subic_spiderworld]

I'm glad some people found something positive from this experiment while some even found it amusing. Oh and all dumb, stupid, flaming, etc remarks were not taken personally so no harm done here (except to the cricket)
But as I have said weeks ago, this experiment has been terminated with negative results.
i'm back to plain old (and very cheap) cocoNUT peat (not COCOA peat)

My purpose is to explore all things possible in this infant hobby of ours. So many things said, published and posted in the web are so vague and needs clarification. The only way we can advance specially in the Philippines is by being resourceful.

 

[subic_spiderworld]

Just to give everyone an idea on the Coco peat we can get here, it is actually grounded dried coconut husk. It is grounded to an almost powdery consistency and then dried out, sterilised and vacuum packed. A small block the size of a brick, when hydrated, will yield approximately more than half a bucket of substrate.
If left too moist, molds quickly grows.
If left out to dry, the peat turns crumbly and will not hold a burrow.
Moistened just right, it is perfect for our T's
Also, it holds moisture very well
ANDit is cheap, a brick size block cost 50cent$.