Mold/Humidity and how to check it.

AllenG

Arachnoknight
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May 28, 2003
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Well, I made sure I made plenty of vent holes for my A.versicolor and Pterinochilus sp. slings in their new little enclosures. The substrate is a peat/verm mix slightly more peat then verm.

neway, the two slings never touch bottom, so I provide moisture by spraying the bottom part of their enclosure with of course water. My question is that I don't have condensation on the sides of the enclosures naturally, also I assume becuase I was aware of the need for ventilation so I provided plenty of air flow.

Neway, my Pterinochilus has about twice as much substrate as the versicolor. BUt yesterday I noticed a small spot of mold in the Pter's enclosure.

Here is what the enclosure looks like:



now the Pter's substrate fills the whole bottom half (in case he decides he want to burrow), so it holds the moisture much better. So I have sprayed it just a bit each day for the last two days becuase it feels barely even moist to the touch and looks dry through the plastic...however I noticed the mold yesterday in only one spot. so i pulled it out. I think it was on the remains of a crickets, but not sure. Neway, how moist should the substrate be to keep proper humidity? Or more appropriately what is a good gauge to measure humidity with? I know those reptile ones are supposed to be inaccurate, but would one of those 3 dollar ones work well enough?

Do I go out and spend the 60-80 for a digital one?

I'm not so worried about the mold, i mean i am, but I can just pick it out if its small and localized like it was last night...or i can just change the substrate, since his tube web doesnt even touch the ground at all...

but I would prefer to keep the humidity higher for him and my versicolor(if needed), but i don't know how to measure it.
 
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MizM

Arachnoprincess
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Allen,
I have HEARD that "roly-poly" bugs will eat mold and all cricket leftovers. I experimented with them... I put a few in one of my enclosures... and they did just fine. But then I never had mold in the first place except with my slings. I keep them WAY humid, and have found probably the same thing you did, a kind of web-like white mold that I just picked up off the substrate.... and then it never came back.

I got my hygrometer/thermometer at Radio Shack. Check this out, as low as $19.99:

http://www.radioshack.com/searchplus.asp?type=ALL&find=hygrometer&pagetype=toggle

Orange bitey things don't really need to be kept as humid as the others, but I would DEFINITELY keep the versicolor humid with lots of ventilation. BTW, your enclosures look great!!
 

Static_69

Arachnobaron
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Feb 14, 2003
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P. murinus really don't need it all that moist...
If your worried about you P. murinus sling not having high enough humidity just use peat as a substrate and never mist it...
It will eventually dry out on it's own and when it does just give it a quick mist, but it won't dry out for a while.





Risto
 

arcane

Arachnosquire
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Jun 25, 2003
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Do the rolly polies nibble on molting Ts?

btw, I have a cheap-o hydrometer, I'd say it's accurate +/- 5%-10%, which isn't that great.
 

TheDon

ArachnoDon
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AllenG dont bother misting the Pterinochilus sp tank. They like it dry and as they get older that will become more important as I have heard that high humidity can kill this T. I mist my tank maybe once every 2 weeks, and mine is doing very well. Just put a water dish in with it if it is big enough if it is pretty small I was told to use a film canister lid. But if they are about 2 - 3" you can but little clay pot bottems at Walmart for like $0.80 and they range in size. The Versi likes it more humid but ventilation is far more important. And about the hygrometers, you can buy them at petstores for like $6 and they stick on the side of the tank on the inside. I have one in almost all of my tanks except the newer ones because I have gotten used to how much misting and so on they need. But what it comes down to is ventilation is usually more important than humidity as humidity will cause mold. Even with the hygrometers in the tank teh humidity in some of the tanks falls to 60% even when they say they are supposed to have 80% and the tarantulas have done fine. With the versicolor also if it is small they will get there fluids from the crickets they eat, just make sure that the crickets have access to good fresh water and food so that the tarantula will get as much out of the crickets as they can. For my crickets I give them that gel water stuff that works really well. I havent lost any crickets for about a month now feeding them premium cricket food ($0.99 per little cup full) and the gel water, and trust me before that they would kill each other or they would just die. anyways good luck


peace

TheDon
 
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MizM

Arachnoprincess
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"If you don't eat your cricket, you can't have any pudding. How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your cricket?"

Pink-Toe Floyd

THAT IS ABOUT THE SECOND FUNNIEST THING I HAVE EVER READ. I AM ROFLOLSOMS (rollingonfloorlaughingoutloudspittingoutmysoda)

N E WAY... I THINK I saw the roly poly thing in TTKG... check it out! TheY did not nibble on or disturb my T in any way! And, they looK like little army tanks!:D
 

TheDon

ArachnoDon
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I want some roly poly bugs but I dont want to pick them out of the back yard for fear they may have insectacide on them

is there anywhere you can buy them?

peace

TheDon
 

MizM

Arachnoprincess
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:? Gee, I don't know. I don't even know what their REAL name is! We have literally thousands. And my yard is poison-of-any-kind-free, so that's where I get them.

Well, if you can't find them... I guess I could send you a handful! $15.00 each though. NOT! Just kidding, that would be as bad as selling dirt!!!:D
 

AllenG

Arachnoknight
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May 28, 2003
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I will check into them Terri, and maybe you COULD breed and sell rolies(sp?) hehehe...

Thanks for the info all...I will cut back on Ozzy's misting...and I will check with radio shack, but that link didn't work Terri :(


Neway thanks again.

-Allen
 

luther

Arachnodemon
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Apr 8, 2003
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679
I'm going to try the pill bug method too. I hope they don't annoy my Ts though.

I would warn against using tropical, giant pill bugs though. They have a nasty habit of dying after a couple of months in captivity. Shame, as they would look great in with a T.
 

jper26

Arachnobaron
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Apr 5, 2003
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On a side note where does everybody buy there peat and what brand name do they buy?
 

atmosphere

Arachnoknight
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May 21, 2003
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AllenG I have noticed this too.I just remove it fast like you say.It's gotten better since my substrate has dried out a little more.I really don't need it too wet anyway Because are natural humidity is like 77% and up during the summer months.Temp here runs 80 at night - 90-100 during the day.I also got a digital humidity/tempature gauge at Wal-mart for 15 bucks.:D
 

sunnymarcie

Celestial Spider
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Feb 13, 2003
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To the peat question~ Any brand, any where :D Usually
the nursery stock on hand. (Frank's)


Pill bugs, rolly polly's, what ever you want to call them~
These are Wood lice, they are common all over. As for their
Latin name, I'll have to look that up:rolleyes:can't remember it
:confused:
 

AllenG

Arachnoknight
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May 28, 2003
Messages
168
yeah I guess I shoulda asked what the average humidity is in California during winter and summer months.

I guess I kinda assumed it was like 10-20% but now that you say it, it probably is much higher, I just worry that in a molt it won't be humid enough and they may get stuck in their old body...

I am going to go check radio shack and such for a hygrometer so I can see what kinda humidity we have in our house.
 
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