How often should i clean enclosure

[SNIPERSTEVE23]

How often should i change my brachypema albopilosum enclosure ? i use that bricked coco humus stuff and can i mix this stuff with vermiculite

 

[hassman789]

You barley have to clean tarantulas enclosures (only spot cleaning bolus and stuff) I'm not sure how often though. I think like 6 months to a year? Thats my geuss. And you can mix substrates.

 

[Terry D]

Steve, Hassman is right. The search function would reveal many good threads on this subject as well.

I only use peat but many keepers do mix subs. I'm a little gung-ho about mite prevention so I replace the peat as often as once a month in tiny enclosures- especially those with a water cap and bulldozing inhabitants whose activities wet/wick into the sub pretty quickly- occasionally as often as every two weeks if they get too wet. Others, such as P ornata do not yet have waterdishes and have only been changed out once since August except #2 which was also rehoused. They are much less messy and have more routine areas when leaving boluses than my other spiders- with exception of white-washing walls at times. I do bolus patrol 1-2 times a week depending upon feeding schedules in the sling enclosures- wiping walls with cloth and water once every 2 weeks or so.

My sub/ad charges have only been in their larger enclosures at most for ~6 months. I'll likely wait 'til 9 months to a year to entirely replace the sub. They are all dryish, and inhabs fairly neat and routine- only wet near waterdishes. I do bolus patrol once a week and wiping of walls once every 3 weeks or so. Have a good time keeping.

Terry

 

[WARPIG]

Every couple of months for me, I just take out the trash the T's leave for me.

I only change the strate if I am re-housing. I have some T's on the same strate going on two yrs.


PIG-

 

[Mattyb]

I just remove the "left overs". Usually you want to change the substrate about once a year but i have a few going on two years +.

 

[KevinFrancisco]

You barley have to clean tarantulas enclosures (only spot cleaning bolus and stuff) I'm not sure how often though. I think like 6 months to a year? Thats my geuss. And you can mix substrates.

I agree. Twice a year is not bad. Just clean the water dish once in a while I guess.

 

[MIC]

I am rather fussy about enlosures' maintenance. Once a week I am cleaning water bowls and taking off dirts. This allows me to almost forget about substrate substitution (I use coco fiber). Every blue moon I am microwaving, for two minutes, the old substrate and here I am with a full functional new substrate.

 

[jebbewocky]

I just spot-clean, and replace sub only when re-housing, or if something's wrong.

 

[Londoner]

Every couple of months for me, I just take out the trash the T's leave for me.

I only change the strate if I am re-housing. I have some T's on the same strate going on two yrs.


PIG-

I just spot-clean, and replace sub only when re-housing, or if something's wrong.

Ditto to both these posts. I have some that have been on the same sub for the best part of three years now. It can take some time for a T to lay down drag-lines and webbing so it can feel at home and navigate around it's enclosure. From the spider's point of view, new sub is like being put in an unfamiliar place and having to start all over again IMO. I only change it out if there's a real need to. As long as your spot-cleaning is regular, there shouldn't be a need.

 

[7mary3]

The only time I've ever completely changed substrate that wasn't due to a housing change was with my H. lividum. She molted, left the molt in her burrow, then left 3 or 4 boluses (boli?) down there with it.

That aside some of my Ts are going on 2 years with the same substrate.

If you're diligent about spot cleaning, i don't really see a need to change substrate ever with a mature T, aside from issues that may pop up as I mentioned above.

 

[sn95]

As many of the others have stated, I only spot clean and had a similar problem with my H. lividum as 7mary3 that required a substrate change.

 

[SNIPERSTEVE23]

Thanks guys for the tips your all great !

 

[SNIPERSTEVE23]

Steve, Hassman is right. The search function would reveal many good threads on this subject as well.

I only use peat but many keepers do mix subs. I'm a little gung-ho about mite prevention so I replace the peat as often as once a month in tiny enclosures- especially those with a water cap and bulldozing inhabitants whose activities wet/wick into the sub pretty quickly- occasionally as often as every two weeks if they get too wet. Others, such as P ornata do not yet have waterdishes and have only been changed out once since August except #2 which was also rehoused. They are much less messy and have more routine areas when leaving boluses than my other spiders- with exception of white-washing walls at times. I do bolus patrol 1-2 times a week depending upon feeding schedules in the sling enclosures- wiping walls with cloth and water once every 2 weeks or so.

My sub/ad charges have only been in their larger enclosures at most for ~6 months. I'll likely wait 'til 9 months to a year to entirely replace the sub. They are all dryish, and inhabs fairly neat and routine- only wet near waterdishes. I do bolus patrol once a week and wiping of walls once every 3 weeks or so. Have a good time keeping.

Terry

Thanks Terry:razz: