Is the Substrate Safe?

[Jeff23]

I have traveled to Home Depot, Lowe's, and Walmart and have failed to find potting soil that looks safe. Every bag is either produced by Miracle-Gro/Scotts or it says it contains processed forest products in the small print. I didn't look at the huge bags because I don't have a place to store that much extra soil.

I guess I will have to buy mine from a pet shop somewhere. Right now my spiderlings are fine in coco fiber. But I want to use a soil mix for any eventual purchases of terrestrial juvenile and adult spiders that like to burrow.

 

[Trenor]

I have traveled to Home Depot, Lowe's, and Walmart and have failed to find potting soil that looks safe. Every bag is either produced by Miracle-Gro/Scotts or it says it contains processed forest products in the small print. I didn't look at the huge bags because I don't have a place to store that much extra soil.

I guess I will have to buy mine from a pet shop somewhere. Right now my spiderlings are fine in coco fiber. But I want to use a soil mix for any eventual purchases of terrestrial juvenile and adult spiders that like to burrow.

Coco works fine for burrowers too. You just have to pack it tight when you put it in. The only way I could find peat moss was in large bails at Lowes.

When looking for just dirt it helps to ask for cheap hole fill dirt not potting soil. Most potting soil comes with fertilizers. Fill dirt is usually the cheapest stuff there and doesn't have fertilizer in it.

 

[mistertim]

Yeah you generally don't want potting soil, just topsoil; like Trenor said "fill dirt". Personally, for terrestrials I use a 50/50 coco/peat mix as IME it lends itself pretty well to burrowing and the peat holds moisture really well if you need a bit of dampness. I got my peat on Amazon for about 12 bucks for a 10 quart bag. If you don't have a huge collection those bags of coco and peat will last a while. But I definitely understand why the people who have over a hundred Ts go with topsoil...that would get expensive with coco/peat, etc.

 

[Poec54]

I definitely understand why the people who have over a hundred Ts go with topsoil...that would get expensive with coco/peat, etc.

Plus I can't stand cocofiber. Wouldn't use it if it was free.