Sand for B. Smithi Substrate?

CEOAirsoft

Arachnopeon
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Aug 17, 2016
Messages
8
I was thinking about doing a really cool desert style enclosure once my B. Smithi got older, but was wondering if sand would be a good substrate for the T. I feel like sand might create some problems like unstable ground for walking, or getting grains in its food. Any thoughts?
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
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Feb 22, 2013
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Sand isn't great - there are stories of sand getting caught in book lungs. I'm not sure how valid that argument is honestly, but I wouldn't risk it.

If you're looking for a more natural setup, head over to the vivarium subforum. I've seen several desert enclosures that look very nice, but I honestly have no idea what substrate they're using. I've seen the term excavator clay being thrown around, but I'm not sure if that's the stuff.
 

chanda

Arachnoking
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I use the local sand/dirt for some of my locally-caught Aphonopelma. I figure, if they're walking around on it out in the wild, they can walk around on it in my house. On the other hand, all of my store-bought Ts get store-bought substrate: Eco earth and sphagnum moss, mostly.
 

Exoskeleton Invertebrates

Arachnoprince
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Yes I do use white silica sand for most Brachypelma that have been or still in the hobby, same with Aphonopelma species and Grammostola species as well. Hell my Grammostola sp. "Northern Type" are doing a lot better in white silica sand than the other substrate I was using Eco Earth and Vermiculite were causing issues with my northern species. I was loosing some of them now they are thriving and eating better. As for sand getting into the book lung my opinion I want to see proof of that. I never had a problem using sand with the species I'm keeping in. After 26 years of using sand and never gave it up.

Yes even now my B. smithi is in a white silica sand substrate.
 

shining

Arachnodemon
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Yes I do use white silica sand for most Brachypelma that have been or still in the hobby, same with Aphonopelma species and Grammostola species as well. Hell my Grammostola sp. "Northern Type" are doing a lot better in white silica sand than the other substrate I was using Eco Earth and Vermiculite were causing issues with my northern species. I was loosing some of them now they are thriving and eating better. As for sand getting into the book lung my opinion I want to see proof of that. I never had a problem using sand with the species I'm keeping in. After 26 years of using sand and never gave it up.

Yes even now my B. smithi is in a white silica sand substrate.
I've always wondered where the notion that sand gets in book lungs of arachnids came from. Desert scorpions are kept primarily on sand and nobody ever claimed for it to happen to them.
 

Exoskeleton Invertebrates

Arachnoprince
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I've always wondered where the notion that sand gets in book lungs of arachnids came from. Desert scorpions are kept primarily on sand and nobody ever claimed for it to happen to them.
Is nonsense. Some of this species do fine in sand, one of this days I'll post a photo of a set up I have.

When I choose to keep any of my drier species in sand I do wait until they are at least 4" inches, sometimes a bit less than 4" inches. If any of my species that are kept in white silica sand and approaching to a molt I do decide to change them in a different substrate for them for example vermiculite so they can have a little bit of humidity for them to have a good molt. If they already are a good size tarantula I don't bother to change them in a temporary enclosure.

With baby slings or very young juveniles obviously the common sense would be to keep them in a humidity environment for. I would never keep them in sand during that stage of their life. You will loose them do to the lack of humidity.

I had a Grammostola sp. "Northern Type" that just molted she is on white silica sand and she was 4" inches, she molted fine in white silica sand and I didn't need to change the environment at her size for her to have a good molt. Of course there is always that exception regardless of what substrate you use that any species can have a bad molt.
 
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Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
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Mah... check this video, for instance (I suggest you to turn off the music, btw, quite crappy IMO) I would never house a P.murinus into something like that (not even mention the inadequate inches of substrate and that sort of dino-bone item).

Only because their continent of origin is Africa doesn't mean that sand should been necessarily involved. They live in the "dirt", not in the desert.

 

ratluvr76

Arachnodemon
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I got a G. roses sling as a rescue one time. Previous owner had it on sand substrate. The sling was almost unable to walk and it's movements were disjointed and awkward. I put it on Coco fibre sub and just kept feeding him and made sure he had access to water. At first he had a hRd time eTing. It took 4 molted for him to get "better" with his mobility and everything improving a bit more each molt. I can't say for certain it was the sand but I felt at the time that maybe particles of sand were caught in his joints.
 

Exoskeleton Invertebrates

Arachnoprince
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I got a G. roses sling as a rescue one time. Previous owner had it on sand substrate. The sling was almost unable to walk and it's movements were disjointed and awkward. I put it on Coco fibre sub and just kept feeding him and made sure he had access to water. At first he had a hRd time eTing. It took 4 molted for him to get "better" with his mobility and everything improving a bit more each molt. I can't say for certain it was the sand but I felt at the time that maybe particles of sand were caught in his joints.
That's why I said 4" inches never a sling.
 

Exoskeleton Invertebrates

Arachnoprince
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Mah... check this video, for instance (I suggest you to turn off the music, btw, quite crappy IMO) I would never house a P.murinus into something like that (not even mention the inadequate inches of substrate and that sort of dino-bone item).

Only because their continent of origin is Africa doesn't mean that sand should been necessarily involved. They live in the "dirt", not in the desert.

I only mentioned Brachypelma, Grammostola and Aphonopelma and it depends of the species I did not recommend Pterinochilus species.
 
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Exoskeleton Invertebrates

Arachnoprince
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Here are photos on set of the photos are my Grammostola sp. "Concepcion" the other Grammostola sp. "Northern Type". Obviously I wouldn't put a pulchra on sand.



 

Exoskeleton Invertebrates

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
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Jun 17, 2007
Messages
1,101
Mah... check this video, for instance (I suggest you to turn off the music, btw, quite crappy IMO) I would never house a P.murinus into something like that (not even mention the inadequate inches of substrate and that sort of dino-bone item).

Only because their continent of origin is Africa doesn't mean that sand should been necessarily involved. They live in the "dirt", not in the desert.

What's one of the first mistakes that people do to a tarantulas enclosure? The height of the substrate. Why did this guy add sand and another mixture of substrate? Beats me???????
 
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