Potting Soil Disaster.

Caitlin

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
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1
I researched for days trying to find some decent substrate for my tarantulas that I wouldn't have to order online. I eventually found Ecoscraps potting mix. It claimed to not have any feces, fertilzers, and be completely organic. So I stopped by the store on my way home from work to pick some up. I got really busy and like an idiot I left it inside at my front door. I started noticing an unusual amount of flies around my house. Just earlier I walked over to the potting mix to find it torn and completely infested with fly larvae, gnats, caterpillars, and other worms.

Easy to say I'm not going to even try to use it. Plus I still can't find a damn substrate!

What substrate do other people use and what brand?
 

user 666

Arachnobaron
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Jan 27, 2017
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355
"like an idiot I left it inside at my front door"

that sounds like it was a great idea.
 

cold blood

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i go to home depot and buy Earthgro....its for filling holes, not growing plants....$1.37 for 40lb.

In some areas they sell timberline (or land)....its the same price....if it costs more than $1.75, its not the right stuff.
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
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I've started to use peat moss now. Far cheaper than the "eco earth" bricks and although a big bag takes up more room storage wise there's no annoying prep needed.
 

cold blood

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Can't say I don't deserve that. I just wasn't expecting it to be full of bugs.
No, he was saying it was actually a good thing as you discovered the problem before you actually used it.
 

cold blood

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I've started to use peat moss now. Far cheaper than the "eco earth" bricks and although a big bag takes up more room storage wise there's no annoying prep needed.
Just lots of dust....a word of warning to those with chronic lung or respitory issues/allergies...Stuff has its good qualities, but i get an asthma attack every time i work with it....and blow your nose afterwards and it looks like you were in a coal mine all day.
 

basin79

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Just lots of dust....a word of warning to those with chronic lung or respitory issues/allergies...Stuff has its good qualities, but i get an asthma attack every time i work with it....and blow your nose afterwards and it looks like you were in a coal mine all day.
I've yet to work with it absolutely bone dry.
 

Nixphat

Arachnosquire
Joined
Oct 8, 2016
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62
I purchased both my peat moss and potting soil from Lowes. The potting soil is a mixture of sand (edit: though not mostly composed of sand), minerals, etc, no fertilizers, etc. It was $1.50 for 40 pounds. I also bought my peat moss from there, the ingredients literally only read as, "sphagnum peat moss" and it was a little over $11 for 3 cubic feet. The cheaper the better. The less ingredients the better. @cold blood hit the nail on the head
 

14pokies

Arachnoprince
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Messages
1,735
"like an idiot I left it inside at my front door"

that sounds like it was a great idea.
Dude why are you here? Every comment you make is either insulting or irrelevant..

It's ironic not even an hour ago I was talking to good friend of mine that keeps,breeds and sells Tarantulas.. She litterally dwarves me in knowledge on many aspects of Theraphosids and she won't post because of negative people like yourself.

If members like you didn't log in anymore this forum would be much better off..
 
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14pokies

Arachnoprince
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Oct 25, 2014
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1,735
Can't say I don't deserve that. I just wasn't expecting it to be full of bugs.
No you don't deserve that.. You deserve to be treated with respect.. You made a mistake. It's no good reason for an inexperienced and less than mediocre keeper to insult you.

Don't take it personal he treats everyone like that..
 

Tanner Dzula

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 29, 2016
Messages
190
Dude why are you here? Every comment you make is either insulting or irrelevant..

It's ironic not even an hour ago I was talking to good friend of mine that keeps,breeds and sells Tarantulas.. She litterally dwarves me in knowledge on many aspects of Theraphosids and she won't post because of negative people like yourself.

If members like you didn't log in anymore this forum would be much better off..
he actually was not being sarcastic from what i read it was actually a good idea because he then discovered that the potting soil was full of other living organisms, that more then likely would have probably killed the tarantula.

what the OP thought was a stupid thing he did(leaving it by his door) might have saved his animals life, literally.



But as for the OP,
Simple things you can get without ordering,
1. plain jane topsoil(id filter it out of the big hard chunks if there are any)
2. Plain Peat Moss.
3. Vermiculite
and any mixture of these together depending on the species or Feel your looking for.
But of these will be pretty cheap, like stated by everybody else, the cheaper the better as that means its usually the most basic with nothgin extra added.

if you ever decide to order online there are also people that sell Coco-fiber in Large bricks for pretty cheap(12.50 for a 10LB Brick, rather then like 8$ for a 1 LB brick like at normal pet stores)
 

14pokies

Arachnoprince
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Messages
1,735
he actually was not being sarcastic from what i read it was actually a good idea because he then discovered that the potting soil was full of other living organisms, that more then likely would have probably killed the tarantula.

what the OP thought was a stupid thing he did(leaving it by his door) might have saved his animals life, literally.



But as for the OP,
Simple things you can get without ordering,
1. plain jane topsoil(id filter it out of the big hard chunks if there are any)
2. Plain Peat Moss.
3. Vermiculite
and any mixture of these together depending on the species or Feel your looking for.
But of these will be pretty cheap, like stated by everybody else, the cheaper the better as that means its usually the most basic with nothgin extra added.

if you ever decide to order online there are also people that sell Coco-fiber in Large bricks for pretty cheap(12.50 for a 10LB Brick, rather then like 8$ for a 1 LB brick like at normal pet stores)
Maybe.. However I'm never wrong :rolleyes:...
 

14pokies

Arachnoprince
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Messages
1,735
not saying you are, cause then id be an inexperienced and less than mediocre keeper insulting you. ;)
You can't insult someone if they don't care :)

Oh and the whole I'm never wrong thing was sarcasm.. I'm wrong all the time!
 

mack1855

Arachnoangel
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Sep 5, 2016
Messages
820
i go to home depot and buy Earthgro....its for filling holes, not growing plants....$1.37 for 40lb.

In some areas they sell timberline (or land)....its the same price....if it costs more than $1.75, its not the right stuff.
Here is what cold blood mentioned.
 

Attachments

Tanner Dzula

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 29, 2016
Messages
190
Here is what cold blood mentioned.
literally exactly. Great stuff, though gotta make sure to sift it through sometimes first,

Where I'm from, when it gets hot in the summer, it dries in the bag and can sometimes come out hard as cement it seems like.
Still well worth the effort for the amazing price though,
 
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