Mold Dangerous?

Flintloch

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 24, 2007
Messages
10
Hi all

I have a B. Smithi and H. Lividum housed with a mixture of Peat and Vermiculite, both seem "happy".

Lately, the Lividum's substrate has been getting moldy around her water dish. I've dug out and replaced the offending bits once or twice, but obviously it keeps coming back. Unfortunately now it seems to be getting moldy below the surface as well, and she has an extensive burrow which I don't want to disturb by digging up.

Provided I'm keeping the cage relatively clean, is there any health risk to the spider?

Interestingly, my Smithi's cage, which sits right next to the Lividum's, does not have the same problem despite having the same substrate and damp conditions around the dish.
 

Flintloch

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 24, 2007
Messages
10
Like a spiderweb growing out of the substrate?
Something like that. If you look very carefully you can see all the tiny dots that make up the "fluff".

I don't normally let it grow to this extent, and I will remove what is there this evening.
 

Stylopidae

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 7, 2005
Messages
3,203
Yeah...don't worry too much about it. I get it all the time and it never seems to hurt anything. Just remove it when you see it. When you take it out, the substrate it's ingrained itself into comes with it.
 

Flintloch

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 24, 2007
Messages
10
Yeah...don't worry too much about it. I get it all the time and it never seems to hurt anything. Just remove it when you see it. When you take it out, the substrate it's ingrained itself into comes with it.
Thanks very much. Will keep on keepin' on. :)
 

midnight_maiden

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 19, 2007
Messages
98
I use peat or a peat/coco fiber mix for substrate with all of my spiders and I will periodically find small bits of mold growing in their enclosures. I just pick it out the best I can when I see it and all my critters seem to be unaffected by it. As long as you don't let it overrun the cage it shouldn't be a problem.

~Carla~
 

Alice

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 29, 2006
Messages
976
like stated by the others, if you remove it once y<ou see it, there should be no problems. if you are really worried, you can also take out the substrate under the waterdish only and replace it with vermiculite. it's not very aesthetically pleasing, but it doesn't mold ;)
 

Lorgakor

Arachnomom
Staff member
Joined
Sep 9, 2004
Messages
2,369
Actually vermiculite can mould. I have two Avicularia sp. in containers with just vermiculite and as they were coming up to a moult I sprayed extra water in their containers. Needless to say all of the vermiculite is fuzzy with white mould. Now I have to rehouse them both. First time I've ever seen vermiculite mould, I too didn't think it would do that.

I've never had any problems with tarantulas becoming ill from mould, I've had it many times and I too just remove the moulding bits and leave the rest of the substrate. If it is invading the whole container I would clean it out though.:)
 

TheDarkFinder

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 18, 2004
Messages
923
Actually vermiculite can mould. I have two Avicularia sp. in containers with just vermiculite and as they were coming up to a moult I sprayed extra water in their containers. Needless to say all of the vermiculite is fuzzy with white mould. Now I have to rehouse them both. First time I've ever seen vermiculite mould, I too didn't think it would do that.
Vermiculite can not mold. It is impossible, it being inorganic substance. What molded was the organic's in the vermiculite. This could be the rat parts from the processing of the vermiculite, yes rats do meet their maker in processing plants. It could be your tap water, which could have a high microscopic load in it, with or with out chlorine. It could also be your food, the tarantula could not finish the hole prey so only eat what it could. This could have filter down, if you soak the substrate, and created organic spots in your media. This is what the mold is growing on. If you feed crickets you could have had egg laid and then rotted and form mold. I could go on and on.

The bottom line, the only substrate that could mold on it own is peat moss, and very unlikely unless it is organic. Coco fiber could rot but only after years.
 
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