Other Arachnids? Other invertebrates? Enclosures? Idk 🤷🏼‍♀️

[desmith0927]

I was struggling with where exactly to put this because it definitely includes a few things. I breed jumping spiders. I am one of the few in the US who has just gotten into breeding hyllus species. My question isn’t necessarily about breeding but the enclosure in question does belong to a mama diardi sitting on her egg sac.

Hyllus Diardi require higher temperatures, more/brighter light, as well as very high humidity - 80-90% range. What I am wondering most is two things, how are any enclosures kept as moist as mine need to be without mold? Also, having an issue with what I believe are fungus gnats.

I grabbed a bag of cocoa select from Josh’s frogs. It is in all 6 of my Hyllus enclosures. I noticed yesterday that in my one Hyllus Diardi’s (Iris) enclosure - I’ve had her the longest - there are a ton of little gnats flying up from the substrate. Besides that, I have noticed very small almost unnoticeable areas of white on top of a piece
of cocoa husk in two of my other enclosures. I have taken them out and scooped around wherever I think I see them.
I have a bag of Eco Earth cocoa substrate and I’m wondering if I should purge all enclosures of the Josh’s Frogs substrate and replace with that. As far as I know, Fungus Gnats don’t just appear out of no where? I could be wrong because I also know that they don’t survive when things are dry which the substrate was when I got it. I’m also worried about them potentially harming her or her eggs. I’m going to attempt to remove it all though it will be very difficult with her in an egg sac.
Yesterday I was at a Reptile Expo and I am now kicking myself in the butt for not getting springtails when they were there for me to do so. I do know that isopods and springtails would take care of any mold issues should they arise. Do I need to have both of them or will one or the other do? What about fungus gnats? If I get all of that substrate out and they somehow appear again, would isopods/springtails prevent those as well? Anyone else ever had this problem with gnats in your substrate?
I have six of the exo terra nano enclosures that my hyllus diardi/giganteus are housed in if that helps at all. Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated. I’m more stressed about Iris’s enclosure and what to do because of her sitting on an egg sac. I do not want to do anything that would unnecessarily stress her or harm her or the slings when they do emerge. Thanks!

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

Some mould is inevitable in a moist habitat, same as it is in the wild. The best way to minimize it is to have a healthy, diverse microbiome - which means NOT sterilizing everything that goes in your enclosure, contrary to common advice - and having a good colony of springtails and/or isopods. Bear in mind that if you do want to use isopods, some of the roaming species can be a danger to your spiders (during moults) and their eggs. It's generally safest to stick with dwarf whites if you decide to add isopods. Personally I would prefer springtails alone.

The fungus gnats won't harm your spiders. They and their larvae eat fungus, plant roots, and decomposing materials. We humans often find them annoying, but they pose no danger to your babies. As for how they got there, well that's easy - they fly and are tiny enough to fit through virtually any ventilation you may have.

 

[ForTW]

Well you already got the answer.
Coconut is the worst you can get. Can be fine, most likely isn't.
Stringtails, unfertilizes potting soil is the safest to go. Proper ventilation and there shouldn't be any issues. If so, let the fungus work and disappear as fast as it came. Unfortunately, once the nutrients creating them are used up, they won't come back. As mentioned 0 harm and 0 stress.

I used to have some shrooms grow in various tanks, always a pleasure to See but never a long lasting one...

Regards

 

[desmith0927]

Some mould is inevitable in a moist habitat, same as it is in the wild. The best way to minimize it is to have a healthy, diverse microbiome - which means NOT sterilizing everything that goes in your enclosure, contrary to common advice - and having a good colony of springtails and/or isopods. Bear in mind that if you do want to use isopods, some of the roaming species can be a danger to your spiders (during moults) and their eggs. It's generally safest to stick with dwarf whites if you decide to add isopods. Personally I would prefer springtails alone.

The fungus gnats won't harm your spiders. They and their larvae eat fungus, plant roots, and decomposing materials. We humans often find them annoying, but they pose no danger to your babies. As for how they got there, well that's easy - they fly and are tiny enough to fit through virtually any ventilation you may have.

Getting some springtails tomorrow!! Thank you! I took out her cholla wood and noticed that for whatever reason, most of the fungus gnats had taken up residence in there. I removed most of her substrate and am keeping the bottom layers moist and the top layers dry. It has seemed to help. Definitely going to stick with springtails for now and see how it goes.

 

[Ranitomeya]

Fungus gnats are common in the environment and will find their way into your house and into enclosures with conditions that work well for them. Your best option is to exclude them from your enclosures with fine mesh if you're not introducing them with live plants or moist substrate and decor.

A hard part of keeping organisms with preferences for high humidity is often balancing the need for ventilation. Stagnant air increases mold and bacteria by keeping things humid enough for their growth and reducing the airflow that would carry their spores from the enclosure and dry the surfaces they can grow on. Without the proper ventilation, you increase the risk of infections from bacterial growth and from high spore loads in their respiratory systems. Keep in mind that although many arboreal organisms such as Hyllus prefer high humidity, they often do not do well being on surfaces that stay wet from lack of airflow. One option is to keep them in well-ventilated enclosures with a humidifier running near them. Another option would be to keep them well-ventilated and mist manually or with a misting setup frequently.