Shopping for substrates?

[Scythemantis]

Most of my inverts are burrowers, but the substrates I've tried so far aren't very good at all unless kept very, very moist, which leads to mold problems.

I'd like to mix my own from sands/soils available in garden shops, but I'm not sure what to look for. What do you guys use?

 

[sick4x4]

ummm

peat moss...its cheap and you get alot of it and every nursery around here has it!!!you dont have to treat it and it works for everything!!!lol

 

[Scorpendra]

i use coconut fiber bed-a-beast substrate. it expands in water, is perfect for burrowing inverts, and is sold in every single pet store i've been to. my P. cancerides (affectionately named Cancer) loves to play around with it and burrows like a pet hole sometimes.

 

[bugmankeith]

I use Fir wood chips, if you mist it evenly is provides alot of moisture, and never molds.

 

[kraken]

I thought evergreens like fir had a natural "bug repellent" in them? I may be mistaken... I use coco fiber and peat mixed.

 

[bugmankeith]

My cockroaches love it!

 

[Stylopidae]

My cockroaches love it!

And Chris Farley loved his drugs.

I don't know about fir for certian, but I do know that cedar and pine can cause some serious problems in bugs, like sterility and death.

Search on it, and it should clear up any questions.

 

[xelda]

I personally like to use coconut fiber (Bed-a-Beast, Eco Earth, Forest Bed) because it retains moisture much longer than peat moss so you don't have to mist it as often. And more importantly, it's more nutritious than peat moss, which is something I take into account since a lot of my burrowers eat the substrate they're burrowing in.

You can fix mold problems by increasing the ventilation and not feeding so much food that they have leftovers. "Stirring" the substrate helps too, but your burrowers will take care of that themselves by burrowing. Or add some isopods into your set-up since they relish moldy food.

 

[kraken]

And Chris Farley loved his drugs.

I don't know about fir for certian, but I do know that cedar and pine can cause some serious problems in bugs, like sterility and death.

Search on it, and it should clear up any questions.

Thats what I was thinking..I have seen people use hardwood chips and cypress chips,but evergreens I have always been taught that it was bad for bugs and reptiles.

 

[bugmankeith]

Mine seem to be doing fine, they reached adulthood and are healthy, mabye fir is the only type that doesnt affect them?

A forest by me has rotting wood, some from evergreens, and wood cockroachs hide under it, and their wild not forced to live their, mabye this will debunk that myth?

My,my evil cheshire you love to use sarcasm.

 

[Scythemantis]

Leftover food doesn't make a difference, the mold grows wherever there is moisture. I live in a dark, humid converted horse stable with few windows and no insulation against the elements. If it were any moldier in here, it would have to be condemned, and that's not even a joke. I'm just short of finding mushrooms in my hair every morning.

That's why I want something that keeps fairly sturdy even bone-dry.

 

[Stylopidae]

Mine seem to be doing fine, they reached adulthood and are healthy, mabye fir is the only type that doesnt affect them?

A forest by me has rotting wood, some from evergreens, and wood cockroachs hide under it, and their wild not forced to live their, mabye this will debunk that myth?

My,my evil cheshire you love to use sarcasm.

Hence the name

As for the wood roaches, natural selection over generations could have made them immune to any effects of pine and cedar.

I can assure you that it is not a myth, there are plenty of threads on the boards about the subject.

When the wood is in a state of decay far enough as to where you can't smell any sort of piney odor, then it is safe to use. Otherwise, stay far away. And give it your ex GF's dad's phone number. Tell it you have a stalker fetish, too.

 

[bugmankeith]

So what would you reccomend? I have used bed a beast and peat moss, both grew mold all over my decor and tank, so that's why I switched, plus the bark held all the moiture I needed.

 

[stonemantis]

I use a mix of coconut fiber (Bed-a-Beast, Eco Earth, Forest Bed) and peat.

 

[bugmankeith]

Been there before it all molded. I seem to have no problems with the fir, but i know cedar and pine are bad. What about Aspen, they sell it as snake bedding and say it's safe for insects. Does it keep good humidity, and does it mold?

 

[bugmankeith]

Can anybody help please.

 

[Stylopidae]

Yeah...totally lost this thread.

I'm raising superworms in Aspen now (don't quite know if it's working, though) and they're doing fine. I'd venture to guess Aspen is safe.

 

[bugmankeith]

Thank you I may switch to aspen.

 

[Scythemantis]

Aspen is safe for rodents, which are very susceptible to the toxins in other wood beddings.