Preparing coco fiber...

[kman]

...I just want to say it's a PITA big time. I've done it before but I've never made this "much" in one shot. I've spent the last 10 hours preparing it and all I have to show for 10 hours is a measly 1 cubic foot.

Soaking it, wringing out the water, baking it till it's bone dry 2 cookie sheets at a time...geez

Anyone come up with a way of doing this faster other than having more than 1 stove?

Cheers

 

[revoltkid]

...I just want to say it's a PITA big time. I've done it before but I've never made this "much" in one shot. I've spent the last 10 hours preparing it and all I have to show for 10 hours is a measly 1 cubic foot.

Soaking it, wringing out the water, baking it till it's bone dry 2 cookie sheets at a time...geez

Anyone come up with a way of doing this faster other than having more than 1 stove?

Cheers

i use eco earth all the time with out any problems
i dont even bake it anymore
dont listen to the box. just add as much waster as you think you need, if you want you can even split a brick. dont try and cut a brick...its almost impossible
i take a brick, turn it to its side and then take a flat head screw driver and hammer and just tap the hammer on the top of the screw driver so embeds and splits the brick in two

 

[s__i__v]

lol at cutting a brick. i agree! i made it what i thought was 1/2 way through with a huge serated knife... i was 1/8th of the way through... that stuff is PACKED.

now i just do a whole brick and bag what i dont use

 

[mxslanksta]

i have had multiple problems with the bricks. i cant pu it any better then you a PITA. i stricylt buy bags of the premade bake that a lil and ur all set. the bricks never dry. i made mine a week ago and its still soaked. whenever my lps had bags i buy almost all of them

 

[ghordy]

I've stop messing with those bricks and bought me a big 'ole bale of peat moss for about $10. I have enough substrate to last for several years.

 

[Motorkar]

I use Exo Terra Plantation soil. It is compressed brick of coconut husk fibre. I soak it with exact amount of water for an hour or two, so all is nice and wet. Then i stir it with my hands, removing any hard parts that didn't fall apart, then I take large shallow square box, spread it all over the surface and dry it on the sun for better part of the day. I know it takes a while, but it is worth doing it like that, belive me!

Also, you can mix some sand into this substrate. Or you can buy peat at the flower department store, there is very cheap in large bags and you don't need to soak it.

 

[vvx]

I use a 5 gallon bucket with lid for hydrating my coco fiber. 3 quarts of water as hot as I can get it from the faucet with 1 brick, and about 2 hours, and it's done. I don't bother baking it, it'll dry out soon enough in the cage and slightly moist substrate won't hurt anything I keep for a week or so.

 

[Steve Calceatum]

I use a 5 gallon bucket with lid for hydrating my coco fiber. 3 quarts of water as hot as I can get it from the faucet with 1 brick, and about 2 hours, and it's done. I don't bother baking it, it'll dry out soon enough in the cage and slightly moist substrate won't hurt anything I keep for a week or so.

+1

I'd like to add that after soaking it, I'll wring out the individual handfuls of coco fiber before adding it to the enclosure. Use what you need, and bag the rest. For species that like it humid, I mix in a little Exo Terra Forest Moss. Looks more natural than vermiculite, and works just as well to hold in moisture.

 

[blue_carrot]

hey guys, i know what you mean with that damn brick of exo tera coco fiber!!
i got my first T on wednesday so im new to it but i put 3.5 litres of water in for an hour - sopping wet!! squeezed most of the water out and then put it in the enclosure - my G. Rosie wasnt happy at all so i put it all in the oven - being way too excited i left it to cool for a while but put it back in the enclousre, still being too hot it condensed around the side of the enclosure and the humidity shot up! now its falled to about 75% but i need it way down cos shes climbing the walls and she not happy!!

anyone help with hw to reduce humidity??

 

[Motorkar]

It will dry out eventually. Next time, put only 3 litres of water, like it says on the directons text on the brick box.:wall:

Here is one tip: make sure you have all enclosure set up before you get spider, then there is no complications!;P

 

[Nomadinexile]

A small brick can be watered up in about 15 minutes. You just steadily pour water on middle of brick. After a couple of minutes, break off the wet parts by hand. Continue. As far as drying it out goes... The only thing I could recommend to speed that up is to do it ahead of time. I usually get way more than I need. I take a plastic walmart tub, fill it with coco, and use as needed.
Also, if you mix it with dry peat, it helps. good luck!

 

[samatwwe]

I put it in the need amount of water, let it soak. Then once its absorbed I get another tub and squeeze it out and put it in the other tub then occasionally let it sit out in the sun if needed.

 

[BCscorp]

Add water..need more? add more water...stir..break up clumps
Do this a FEW DAYS before you need it and it dries out fine on its own witrh a stir a couple times a day....
This drying in oven etc is causing yourself stress, prepare a few days in advance problem solved.

 

[kman]

I prepared this in preparation for some T's coming down the road. Don't need it now as I still have some from last time. The reason I bake it however is because I didn't once before and I got some mold in my KB enclosure. I have read several times to bake the substrate to kill any mold etc that much spring up in a moist environment.

I have also been told that leaving it outside is a bad idea since you can get all kinds of seeds/eggs who knows what in there that will cause you problems down the road. As anyone that has ever rehoused a KB will tell you it's NOT fun so maybe I'm being super anal for no reason but I want it to be as sterile as possible before I moisten it and use it for my T's.

I just wish I had 4 stoves with 4 racks each or something! Sure would make it go faster

 

[Motorkar]

I don't know about you, but I live in very clean enviroment without pesticides and such. Yeap, living in the countryside is great.;P

 

[BCscorp]

hey kman...i hear you.
Most contaminates are within a foot of the ground...spores of molds etc.
I let mine thoroughly (cocofibre) completely dry before using it for all enclosures. Constantly damp substrate is an invite for molds.

 

[snakebytes]

Forget the directions on the brick.

I use probably less than a third of the water they recommend. Then let it sit for an hour and break up the brick with my hands as much as possible. Repeat with small amounts of water till finished.

 

[WelshTan]

when making up my cocofibre I sit the brick into a sieve or colander hung over a washing up bowl and keep pouring water over the brick. it still expands but the excess water steadily drips out thru the bottom of sieve/colander. Then to dry water left in the brick after squashing the fibre with balled fists at bottom of sieve i put smaller amounts into microwave in glass casserole dishes. After micro 5 mins I put the hot dish onto surface n stir every few mins so the steam dispurses in the air. As I'm doin this i put the second bowl into micro. when the second bowl is ready to come out to be stirred I then put the first back in. I repeat the procedure several times until the cocofibre is bone dry. this usually takes under an hour. I find it quite effective.

 

[nakazanie]

I've stop messing with those bricks and bought me a big 'ole bale of peat moss for about $10. I have enough substrate to last for several years.

Yes, but some have ecological concerns about using peat.

I just use a hand saw to cut the bricks. Very easy.

Nak

 

[XEightLegsX]

...I just want to say it's a PITA big time. I've done it before but I've never made this "much" in one shot. I've spent the last 10 hours preparing it and all I have to show for 10 hours is a measly 1 cubic foot.

Soaking it, wringing out the water, baking it till it's bone dry 2 cookie sheets at a time...geez

Anyone come up with a way of doing this faster other than having more than 1 stove?

Cheers

I use half the water it calls for and i boil water in a large pot , then i add the brick, the brick expands and falls apart in about 60 sec. Then i dump it all in to a big vented tub and mix it up with a large spoon. Then i have it when i need it and its not soaked or to dry its just right. And i use a 50-50 mix of the eko-moss and substright and it looks more natural and as it ages it doesnt pack as bad and it holds water better.