Eco earth vs repti soil

[andy1997]

I used to buy ReptiSoil until I tried out a giant bag of topsoil... and realized that they were nearly the exact same thing. According to the bag, ReptiSoil is "A special blend of Peat Moss, soil, sand, and carbon." If you really wanted this exact mix you could buy all of the ingredients and mix them together yourself, for a fraction of the price.

 

[ComputerDellLI]

I use 'Creature Soil' for my humid fossorials. I use Eco Earth for everything else or sometimes a mix of the two.

 

[Cecelias lair]

I am from the UK and keen true spiders I use an arid earth mix from the spider shop my spiders seem to like it and it holds burrows not that my spiders do but it's nice to know they can. I did try potting soild but when it dried it came away from the edges and left a gap. I wasn't keen on that but thumbs up so far for the arid earth mix .

Thanks for the tip. Now I know where to buy soil.

 

[bobbibink]

I use BioDude—- I love this substrate and the T’s seem to too—- awesome for building burrows. I used to use Eco Earth but it just seemed terrible for my fossorials and I had some mold issues.

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[LucN]

I've always used Coco Fiber. Have yet to have issues. I don't think Repti-soil is available at my LPS. Coco-Fiber always come in a brick. Whenever I do get a new T, I'll be sure to allow the soaked sub to dry out before putting it in.

 

[Matts inverts]

I have used coco as a substrate for my tortoises but i want to use it for my t’s. I think it’s way better for slings and for humid species because it holds in the moisture and it has instructions to make desert substrate with it. I mixed a couple ingredients in for all my desert beetles and made a special mix for millipedes.

 

[spideyspinneret78]

I use Reptisoil for my moisture dependent Ts since it holds moisture well and doesn't mold. For my more arid species, I use cocofiber because it's cheaper.

 

[Charliemum]

Thanks for the tip. Now I know where to buy soil.

Glad to help I found the spider shop through bug realms on utube but been happy with every purchase so far so glad to recommend them . They do t's mantis scorpions millipedes isopods and beetles too. just saying coz ya may as well expand your collection while you get ya soil

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I use topsoil mixed with sedge peat and fine vermiculite. Costs less than a tenner to make up 46L of substrate and I've never had an issue with it.

I find tons of shredded plastics and tons of bugs and other not animal safe things in all organic soil. I have only found a piece of plastic once in my eco earth

I've found 1 small strip of plastic in a bag of topsoil in over 4 years. I lost count of how many bits of plastic, sharp stones, screws, viable seeds, etc. in blocks of eco earth in less than a year of using the stuff.

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

<Shrug> I just like the uniformity and appearance of Eco Earth. And lately, I've been paying more for the pre-bagged stuff instead of the bricks just for the convenience. Mind you, at currently only eight spiders, I don't need a metric ton of it. I did buy a bag of top-soil once, but it had a lot of pieces of woodchips in it. Not a deal-breaker, there are a lot of pieces of wood and twigs in the wild, but I just didn't care for it
The desert hairy scorpion I used it for dids several months later, but that might not have had anything to do with it. Could have been an error in care or since it was a wild-caught adult (most probably) it may have just reached the end of the road biologically.

Eco-Earth does get mouldy under some conditions but the only enclosure that I've had that problem with is the L.P. one, because the darned spider webs near the water bowl and wicks out water plus I have some inevitable overflow when adding water. Other enclosures , a few that have been set up a couple years, have not exhibited that issue.
In regard to burrows, the soiders that I have that have a proclivity to burrow. Ceratogyrus and A. seemanni, create web-inforced burrows that seem to hold up well.

 

[Cecelias lair]

Glad to help I found the spider shop through bug realms on utube but been happy with every purchase so far so glad to recommend them . They do t's mantis scorpions millipedes isopods and beetles too. just saying coz ya may as well expand your collection while you get ya soil

Funny you should say that because I keep being tempted to buy some tarantulas from there. I keep eyeing up the special offer boxes they offer. Especially the "my first spiderlings" set because they're such good price for what you get! Plus they come with everything you need to get started which would also be handy to me.
But as I don't have my own place at the moment I feel like it'd be unfair to bring a bunch of spiders to this place I'm living at. However tempting it is

 

[Charliemum]

Funny you should say that because I keep being tempted to buy some tarantulas from there. I keep eyeing up the special offer boxes they offer. Especially the "my first spiderlings" set because they're such good price for what you get! Plus they come with everything you need to get started which would also be handy to me.
But as I don't have my own place at the moment I feel like it'd be unfair to bring a bunch of spiders to this place I'm living at. However tempting it is

I am in a similar situation I have a young son 7 who is autistic and honestly he would try and play with the t's so ATM I am training him up with house spiders I found in our kitchen but while I wait I can do my home work n window shop

 

[Cecelias lair]

I am in a similar situation I have a young son 7 who is autistic and honestly he would try and play with the t's so ATM I am training him up with house spiders I found in our kitchen but while I wait I can do my home work n window shop

I'm autistic too so I know what it's like to resist the urge to obsess hahaha. I think my 10 year old son is also autistic and we've still been having times where we have to remind him to leave my parents cat alone at times.

I think window shopping for spiders has become as much of a hobby as looking after the ones I have

 

[CommanderBacon]

I do 50/50 Eco Earth and Reptisoil as a base and make adjustments by adding in substrate additives depending on what kind of habitat the T needs. I find that Eco Earth is too fluffy and dusty by itself and will reject moisture and not hold a burrow well, and Reptisoil will get dusty and hard and also reject moisture when it dries out, but together they work nicely for me.

I add excavator clay, sand, sphagnum moss, and/or fine charcoal depending on what the individual Ts need.

 

[Charliemum]

I'm autistic too so I know what it's like to resist the urge to obsess hahaha. I think my 10 year old son is also autistic and we've still been having times where we have to remind him to leave my parents cat alone at times.

I think window shopping for spiders has become as much of a hobby as looking after the ones I have

My son likes our cat too lol he can't stop trying to give him cuddles

 

[Crazyarachnoguy]

Timberline topsoil is the best!