Dry substrate

[Saksida2000]

What do you guys use for substrate, especially for dry species (GBB, OBT, Balfouri,...)? I noticed that coco soil bricks back together if left dry for a longer time. And what doesn't brick together is just dust. It looks horrible and also keeps the T from digging, because it becomes so hard when bricked back. So.... Any suggestions?

 

[kingshockey]

i just use damp coco fiber when setting new cages up and water as needed later on as time passes but with a gbb and balfouri you wont see any sub anyways muchless a water dish in few months time give or take depending on size of the t they both webb everyhing up top to bottom into a huge mat of webbing

 

[CaptainArachnid]

I use coco nut fiber bricks and never noticed anything. But I mixed them wit the bio dudes bio active substrate, as well as sphagnum moss and a bunch of crushed up leaf litter. To give them something as close to their actual real life environment as possible. Have had no Issues with it so far. My GBB webs it and doesn't burrow but the curly hair has a bunch of burrows in hers and has had no problems with digging.

 

[miranda0331]

I use coco fiber mixed with organic top soil.

 

[Saksida2000]

Am i maybe just not packing it down enough? I pack it a bit when setting up the substrate. And i don't have any problems with when the sub is damp, but when left dry, it pretty much goes back into a brick. I really don't know what to do.

 

[Vulash]

This is the "I'm new" preface.

I originally bought some coco fiber (husk?) and a small bag of creature soil. The coco fiber alone feels too fluffy for me, and the top part of the layers aren't holding their form well for my little beans burrows. I don't think I could have tamped it anymore than I did. I tried a couple mixing the two together, and I like that better, but the creature soil will get expensive as my little guys and gals grow. So I went to Home Depot and bought a large bag of pure Sphagnum Peat Moss. I like this much better, and it's pretty cheap as well. I just ordered a cheap sieve to filter out the larger bits so I don't have to do that by hand anymore.

 

[kingshockey]

Am i maybe just not packing it down enough? I pack it a bit when setting up the substrate. And i don't have any problems with when the sub is damp, but when left dry, it pretty much goes back into a brick. I really don't know what to do.

your overthinking things to much i think all 3 of those ts are heavy webbers and of the 3 my gbb balfouri didnt really do much digging they pretty much made web tunnels under the mat of webbing and contantly added layers of webbing i cant say that about obts never kept one but they seem the same way to

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Topsoil

i think all 3 of those ts are heavy webbers

They're all heavy webbers but C. cyaneopubescens is terrestrial whereas the other two are fossorial, both of my M. balfouri made deep burrows with a lot of webbing around the entrances, P. murinus are a little more adaptable but tend to become much more flighty/defensive when they don't have a proper burrow to retreat to (I've noticed this with some Chilobrachys as well).

 

[Vulash]

I think the question wasn't limited to just those three either. I don't think he's overthinking it by trying to pick a proper substrate.

 

[Matt Man]

Coco Fibre, Top Soil (various) Peat and sometimes some Sphag

 

[Arachnophobphile]

What do you guys use for substrate, especially for dry species (GBB, OBT, Balfouri,...)? I noticed that coco soil bricks back together if left dry for a longer time. And what doesn't brick together is just dust. It looks horrible and also keeps the T from digging, because it becomes so hard when bricked back. So.... Any suggestions?

Is Eco Earth loose coco fiber mix available in Slovenia?

That's what I use for my gbb and works perfect.

 

[Saksida2000]

Is Eco Earth loose coco fiber mix available in Slovenia?

That's what I use for my gbb and works perfect.

I use this one for all my Ts.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

I use this one for all my Ts.

The bricks work good too. I would use less water than what the directions call for.

After it expands the very top part will basically still be intact. Break that part up then add slightly a little more water to it to help loosen it.

 

[joossa]

ZooMed Reptisoil