Pure peat for obligate burrowers?

schlinkey

Arachnoknight
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Jul 28, 2002
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Can't find any top soil (or regular dirt) near where im livin, so i've given my H."longipedum" 100% peat (peat moss) instead. Have any of you tried usin 100% peat for burrowers? obviously its not as goood as dirt or soil because of its consistency, but is it viable?
 

Lycanthrope

Arachnolord
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Oct 10, 2002
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yeah 100% peat is fine, just water it down and mix it real well(otherwise water just seems to sit on it). my H. lividum currently has a wonderful burrow going in just such a setup. i just get it moist and pack it down a bit.
 

dennis

Arachnodemon
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Jan 2, 2003
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I use pure peat too, for kinda like anything. And they all live, from my burrowing Acanthoscurria brocklehursti spiderling till my arboreal Avicularia versicolor.

If you want to make a stable and strong substrate for the spider to burrow, you have to built it up in layers. Like, first put in an inch of peat, press it down so it will become stronger, and spray some water on it... Do so untill you reach the resired depth of the substrate, and you will have a mighty fine strong peat based burrow ground!

Hope this has been of any help :).


Dennis
 

schlinkey

Arachnoknight
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Jul 28, 2002
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yeah thanks :) bet my fiesty little demon will be diggin in no time *she's so cranky without a burrow* hehe
 

Venom

Arachnoprince
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Jul 21, 2002
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I'm using pure peatmoss for my Ephebopus murinus. It works just fine: great at holding moisture, and retaining a burrow. Plus it's slightly acidic, so it won't mold when moist.
 
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Joy

Priestess of Pulchra-tude
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Oct 12, 2002
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I have gone to 100% peat for most of my burrowers. If you set it up as Dennie describes, it holds burrows very well.

Joy
 

Weapon-X

Arachnodemon
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Jul 19, 2002
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re

yeah i use peat all the time for my burrowers and aboreal tanks, holds mosture pretty good, then i put regualr moss on top to help retain humidty, every now and then i spot clean with the tongs to avoid mold from remains--Jeff
 
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Mojo Jojo

Arachnoking
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Nov 3, 2002
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2,122
I have gone to using either pure peat or peat vermiculite mix for quite some time now. I am on my second tankful now for my female A. geniculata, and for a second tankful, I have some sort of roots growing in the terrarium. And I am using a totally different brand of peat this time. Anyone know what could be growing? More peat?

Jon
 
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