Laterite!

Jobe

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 9, 2002
Messages
187
Thats it....substrates here are driving me crazy....
Can anyone tell me what they think of laterite? I got tonnes of it near my house!....Everythin sold here has fertiliser mixed in.

If there anything wrong with laterite?...seems to hold enough, maybe ok for burrowers. Also, is the PH any heavy concern?

Thanks ppl
 

Botar

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 27, 2002
Messages
1,441
Sorry Jobe, I've never heard of it.

Botar
 

Code Monkey

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
3,783
I had never heard of it, either. Looked up what I could find out and still couldn't tell you whether it would work or not. From the description it doesn't sound like it would work any better than potting soil and given the low pH (~5) and high iron content, probably not worth it unless you feel like being experimental.
 

Jobe

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 9, 2002
Messages
187
Thanks C_M.

Main reason i asked was because i found that it is almost bare compared to the high organic compound of potting soil.

Holds quite ok too. If the high iron content is ok on the part of the T, i guess i would switch.

I have a C.Paganus in a laterite-only substrate tank. He seems to be doing fine. The only slack part of laterite is that it doesnt hold moisture as well, and i would have to moisten it often. He does not seem to burrow much tho, but he seems to be eating and movin about quite leisurely...

My main fear is that the soil here is FULL of stuff...im givin it a week before i decide to shift. Plus, the red color of laterite seems quite nice too :)

Cheers, and thanks again!
 

TigerWoman

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 12, 2002
Messages
91
Originally posted by Jobe


My main fear is that the soil here is FULL of stuff...im givin it a week before i decide to shift.
Cheers, and thanks again!
If you put it in the owen for 1 our at 200 celsius, u wont have to worrie about anything that may live in the substrate, and could hurt your T!
 

King_Looey

Arachnoprimate
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 19, 2002
Messages
304
Good advice Tigerwoman. But you could also microwave the stuff for a few mins.
 

Jobe

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 9, 2002
Messages
187
:)

I did try microwaving, but it gets sorta moldy after a few days...might be the climate here...

:(
 
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