Flooded P. muticus' home

Goodlukwitthat

Arachnoknight
Joined
Mar 10, 2015
Messages
178
My P. muticus is in one of Jamie's terrestrial juvenile enclosures and it has buried itself and tunneled the entire front bottom of the enclosure (letting me see the front and both sides of full view) It hasn't came up to the top in a month and a half now, it molted roughly 3 ish weeks ago but has yet to to come up for food. I noticed it's abdomen was rather small for my liking so I refilled its water dish then poured a small amount along the wall, letting it soak through and collect along the bottom. As soon as the water touched it, it immediately lowered its body and began drinking. It stayed like that till the water dried up. So now I'm wondering if an occasional "flood" isn't a bad thing.
 

Rittdk01

Arachnoknight
Joined
Oct 4, 2016
Messages
258
Should be fine on occasion. any tarantula I want to keep a little more humid I keep on jungle mix substrate. IME Regular coco fiber gets nasty quick and molds when moist, jungle mix does not. Jungle mix is also much darker and more attractive as substrate.
 

Goodlukwitthat

Arachnoknight
Joined
Mar 10, 2015
Messages
178
Should be fine on occasion. any tarantula I want to keep a little more humid I keep on jungle mix substrate. IME Regular coco fiber gets nasty quick and molds when moist, jungle mix does not. Jungle mix is also much darker and more attractive as substrate.
Thanks for the info. I was actually going to the pet store today to get another heat bulb for my leo, now I'll check out the prices on different substrates.
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
They are great drinkers. A trick that works for me is to offer a water dish (always full) a more 'bigger' just near the (main) burrow entrance. With a syringe or a plastic pipette pour room temperature water drops near that burrow (not too much). It's not rare for me to spot my baby out, in full 'calm' mode, drinking :kiss:
 

Red Eunice

Arachnodemon
Joined
Mar 2, 2014
Messages
666
Thanks for the info. I was actually going to the pet store today to get another heat bulb for my leo, now I'll check out the prices on different substrates.
Why not just pick up a bag of topsoil for $2 and use that?. Cheap and the most natural substrate to offer a burrowing species. IMO/E
While I was in Kenya, there was only dirt to walk on, no coco fiber or jungle mix anywhere. ;)
Yes, an occasional wetting of the sub causes no harm, it DOES rain in Africa. I don't get it wet to the point of reaching the bottom and pooling though. I've a 6"+, 4"ish and an 1.5" sling, all in plain, firmly packed topsoil. All have water dishes/caps in close proximity of their burrows, they will surface (occasionally) and get a drink. The sling fills the water cap with sub and I replace it twice weekly when I fed.
 

Goodlukwitthat

Arachnoknight
Joined
Mar 10, 2015
Messages
178
Why not just pick up a bag of topsoil for $2 and use that?. Cheap and the most natural substrate to offer a burrowing species. IMO/E
While I was in Kenya, there was only dirt to walk on, no coco fiber or jungle mix anywhere. ;)
Yes, an occasional wetting of the sub causes no harm, it DOES rain in Africa. I don't get it wet to the point of reaching the bottom and pooling though. I've a 6"+, 4"ish and an 1.5" sling, all in plain, firmly packed topsoil. All have water dishes/caps in close proximity of their burrows, they will surface (occasionally) and get a drink. The sling fills the water cap with sub and I replace it twice weekly when I fed.
Mine has a full water dish at all times and I keep the sub bone dry, hence why I wasn't using potting soil. I just flooded water against the side of the wall until it went to the main bottom of the enclosure, wasn't even a full teaspoonful.
 
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