good substrate for a GBB

[Paladin]

will striaght vermiculite do the job or just peat also work?

any other suggestions would be good too

 

[MrT]

Originally posted by Paladin
will striaght vermiculite do the job or just peat also work?

any other suggestions would be good too

I use 100% peetmoss. It works great. Mine isn't a burrower at this time. But if it does decide to burrow it can with peetmoss. If you use 100% verm. your T wont be able to burrow if it wants to.

Ernie

 

[vulpina]

You can use straight vermiculite, it all depends on the species of spider. If it is an old world burrowing species I use a potting soil/peat/vermiculite mix, new world terrestrials can be kept on straight vermiculite.


Andy
_________________________________________________
1-T. blondi 1-G.rosea
1-B. boehmi 1-A. seemanni
1-L. parahybana 1-H. hercules
1-A. geniculata 1-C. fasciatum
1-C. cyaneopubescens 1-B. vagans
1-B. albopilosum 1-A. avicularia
1-T. pruriens 1-H. albostriatus
1-P. regalis 1-B. emelia
1-A. moderatum 1-G. pulchra
1-G. aureostriatus 1-C. fimbriatus
1-C. thorelli 1-C. crawshayi
1-E. cyanognathus 1-H. lividum
1-M. mesomelas 1-E. murinus

 

[Mojo Jojo]

I wouldn't give any terrestrial straight vermiculite. Also, I really don't like using soil. I think for most terrestrials, a mixture of peat/vermic 70/30 would be quite fine. Peat naturally fights mold and the vermic is great at retaining moisture. Together they form Voltron!

;P
Jon

 

[Faunya]

A bit off topic, but...

What about using perlite in place of vermiculite? (Or mixed with peat)...Is perlite a reasonable substrate to use?

-Faunya

 

[Paladin]

so i guess its of to lowes for some peat moss...

thanx all for the responses. If you have any info on GBB's it would be nice because as you may know already, the caresheets out there produce dome pretty contrary info sometimes.

 

[Cronoss]

I use 100% vermiculite for all my T's(including GBB)
my old world spiders have no problem burrowing.
just thought i'd throw that in.
Bryan

 

[Jesse607]

I keep my juv. male on 100% bone dry peat, with an artificial burrow and a small water bowl.

 

[Paladin]

if and when they burrow, do they come out for long enough periods or do they stay under for weeks or months. If so, is it possible to counter this by using just a hide, or will it just burrow and defeat the purpose altogether?

i know, lots of questions, but i want to get it right

 

[Mojo Jojo]

Originally posted by jezzy607
I keep my juv. male on 100% bone dry peat, with an artificial burrow and a small water bowl.

How long have you been keeping it like that? Has it molted under those conditions?

Jon

 

[MrDeranged]

I don't know about Jezzy, but I've been keeping mine in similar conditions for over a year and it's been molting and doing fine. Probably about 4+ inches now. Too much humidity can kill this species. They need humidity like a Chilean rose does, which is to say very very little.

Scott

 

[Jesse607]

I have had my male for a year now, when I got it, it only had about a 1" legspan, and now it is about 3.5", so yes it has done very well under very dry conditions.

It does tend to stay in its burrow for up to a month at a time, only coming out for water once or twice during that time, during this time he is in premolt.