How soon can coco fibre be used?

[TheHound]

Once I've expanded a brick of coco fiber, can it be used straight away to fill an enclosure and put the tarantula in, or does it need some time to dry?

I have a new enclosure coming tomorrow and wondering whether to do the substrate now, or whether I can put it in some water about an hour before I set up the enclosure? Species is T Sabulosus.

Also, does it matter:

A. What water I use (I can choose between filtered hard water ((which we drink)), or unfiltered softened water). Also which of these is better for it to drink?
B. If the container I use to expand is 1000% spotless?

 

[Matt Man]

I air mine out on flat trays to allow it to dry. Freshly expanded fibre is pretty moist. I expand mine in a clean hardware store bucket. I do mine days before I use it because I dry it, then I bag it so
I have some on hand. Even fibre that has dried will still moisten up a bag, it holds water pretty well. All these timelines expand in winter because airing out takes longer with cooler, moister conditions.
For water, I use what I drink as I figure it has the lowest odds of impurities

 

[Coradams]

I use dry, Most of my ts prefer dry. Also, if your coco fiber goes in wet and dries over time, it can sump and you end up with an enclosure that is 1/4 or 1/3 full instead on 1/2. You can dry coco fiber in the oven at low temps in thin layers on baking sheets. Google how to do it exactly. Overflow a water dish to keep a corner moist. Slings you can put the moist substrate at the bottom and dry on top . The sling will burrow to the moisture level it likes. Hope this helps.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Once I've expanded a brick of coco fiber, can it be used straight away to fill an enclosure and put the tarantula in, or does it need some time to dry?

I have a new enclosure coming tomorrow and wondering whether to do the substrate now, or whether I can put it in some water about an hour before I set up the enclosure? Species is T Sabulosus.

Also, does it matter:

A. What water I use (I can choose between filtered hard water ((which we drink)), or unfiltered softened water). Also which of these is better for it to drink?
B. If the container I use to expand is 1000% spotless?

The trick to coco-fiber is not using the whole amount of water per brick. I use half the amount of water and it comes out perfect.

I use tap water and never had a problem. Also after the brick has absorbed all the water, (I like to wait 30 minutes to an hour forgot exact time) then hand mix it around.

Take a handful when you think it's done and squeeze it. No water should drip from it. That is how you know it's ready.

When you fill the enclosure do it in phases. Put some in and pack it down. Repeat until you have the desired amount of substrate in the enclosure.

Also important, do not fill it 1 inch from the top, (for terrestrials). Remember you need to make a starter burrow. The T will also excavate bringing more substrate out and dumping it.

Even my 4.5 inch T. vagans excavated to the bottom bringing a lot of substrate out and dumping it. Also my 3.5 inch A. chalcodes did the same.

Now there are adult species like my T. albopilosus that never uses it's hide and starter burrow I made. However most NW slings to juveniles will.

After that just keep water dish full and overflow it from time to time.

 

[TheHound]

Thanks all - that's super helpful.

We have an AGA - even with the covers down over the plates it puts out a ton of heat. Thinking just putting the substrate on top would hopefully dry it out quick enough to avoid clumping.

I had been thinking about using a small amount of vermiculite in it also, mainly to vary the texture of the substrate - not sure how that affects this.

The trick to coco-fiber is not using the whole amount of water per brick. I use half the amount of water and it comes out perfect.

I use tap water and never had a problem. Also after the brick has absorbed all the water, (I like to wait 30 minutes to an hour forgot exact time) then hand mix it around.

Take a handful when you think it's done and squeeze it. No water should drip from it. That is how you know it's ready.

When you fill the enclosure do it in phases. Put some in and pack it down. Repeat until you have the desired amount of substrate in the enclosure.

Also important, do not fill it 1 inch from the top, (for terrestrials). Remember you need to make a starter burrow. The T will also excavate bringing more substrate out and dumping it.

Even my 4.5 inch T. vagans excavated to the bottom bringing a lot of substrate out and dumping it. Also my 3.5 inch A. chalcodes did the same.

Now there are adult species like my T. albopilosus that never uses it's hide and starter burrow I made. However most NW slings to juveniles will.

After that just keep water dish full and overflow it from time to time.

Nice, thanks, will bear that in mind and maybe start with less than the 2/3 litres or so it seems to suggest. New enclosure is 15cm tall - I was going to fill it two thirds full, to give a decent amount of depth for burrowing and keep a small height between surface and ceiling to reduce drop hazard.

What's the reasoning behind packing in phases? To help ensure it gets packed right down?

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Thanks all - that's super helpful.

We have an AGA - even with the covers down over the plates it puts out a ton of heat. Thinking just putting the substrate on top would hopefully dry it out quick enough to avoid clumping.

I had been thinking about using a small amount of vermiculate in it also, mainly to vary the texture of the substrate - not sure how that affects this.



Nice, thanks, will bear that in mind and maybe start with less than the 2/3 litres or so it seems to suggest. New enclosure is 15cm tall - I was going to fill it two thirds full, to give a decent amount of depth for burrowing and keep a small height between surface and ceiling to reduce drop hazard.

What's the reasoning behind packing in phases? To help ensure it gets packed right down?

Coco-fiber is spongy so packing it down gives it firmness for the T's tunnels to hold instead of collapsing on them.

 

[Royalty]

I use it right away, but I also have been mixing it with dry peat and soil as well as moss. I generally have been using this for my Asian fossorials.

For my slings I tend to use it pretty much right after since they usually need the extra moisture. I usually make up my enclosures the night before rehousing tho.

 

[viper69]

Depends on species IMO to some extent

Water- I use ice hand-carved by virgins from Himalayan glaciers that are millions of years old.

 

[TheHound]

Made up the substrate - it's sitting in its tub on a rack on top of the AGA. Hoping it will be reasonably dry tomorrow, but if not I may give it a blast with a room heater.

I assume I don't need to wait between phases when packing down the substrate - just get it as firmly packed as possible, then do another layer? Got a 15cm deep enclosure it's going in, about 2 thirds of the way to the top, so I'm guessing only 3 or 4 phases.

Water- I use ice hand-carved by virgins from Himalayan glaciers that are millions of years old.

Too right.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Made up the substrate - it's sitting in its tub on a rack on top of the AGA. Hoping it will be reasonably dry tomorrow, but if not I may give it a blast with a room heater.

I assume I don't need to wait between phases when packing down the substrate - just get it as firmly packed as possible, then do another layer? Got a 15cm deep enclosure it's going in, about 2 thirds of the way to the top, so I'm guessing only 3 or 4 phases.



Too right.

What tarantula and size is this enclosure for?

 

[TheHound]

What tarantula and size is this enclosure for?

T sabulosus, around 5cm/2 inches.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

T sabulosus, around 5cm/2 inches.

You don't need to dry the coco-fiber. Make sure it's moist but doesn't drip water when you squeeze it. At 2 inches it will still use a starter hide and make a burrow.

 

[TheHound]

New home made up and tarantula now in. She went straight into the little starter burrow I'd dug under the hide. My first rehousing and it was pretty textbook.

What a satisfying process, making up the substrate, putting the enclosure together with the hide, burrow and water dish. I feel great now she's in a new, more suitable home.

Thanks for all the advice in this thread. I've done tons of reading over the last week on all aspects of husbandry, but you do come across a lot of conflicting stuff. It's very cool to have a board with lots of experienced, passionate keepers to garner some direct opinions.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

New home made up and tarantula now in. She went straight into the little starter burrow I'd dug under the hide. My first rehousing and it was pretty textbook.

What a satisfying process, making up the substrate, putting the enclosure together with the hide, burrow and water dish. I feel great now she's in a new, more suitable home.

Thanks for all the advice in this thread. I've done tons of reading over the last week on all aspects of husbandry, but you do come across a lot of conflicting stuff. It's very cool to have a board with lots of experienced, passionate keepers to garner some direct opinions.

Congratz.....

Last rehouse I did I was digging a starter burrow with my hand under the big corkbark, (final enclosure for my now adult T). A piece of corkbark went up inside under my fingernail, talk about pain. I use a spoon now

 

[TheHound]

Congratz.....

Last rehouse I did I was digging a starter burrow with my hand under the big corkbark, (final enclosure for my now adult T). A piece of corkbark went up inside under my fingernail, talk about pain. I use a spoon now

Ouch. I will bear in that mind next time!