Substrait ?

Jerry

Arachnobaron
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Jan 1, 2016
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Do you have to mosten coco fiber it needs to be dry for my G pulchripes anyways can't I just break it apart
 

TownesVanZandt

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Are you talking about those bricks? They need some water in order to expand. You might soak it, break off what you can and repeat until you´re done. That way you will have to use less water, but it´s much more work.
 

EulersK

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Are you talking about those bricks? They need some water in order to expand. You might soak it, break off what you can and repeat until you´re done. That way you will have to use less water, but it´s much more work.
This works, but you can also just fill a bin with about two gallons of water (warm works best) and let it soak overnight. It'll take about a week to dry out completely.

Those bricks are a hassle, most people don't use them for that reason.
 

Toxoderidae

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I used bricks ONCE. let it soak for a bit, tried to break it apart, it broke apart, but was extremely hard and mushy at points. (Odd right?) Gave it to my burrowing crab (May he rest in peace, had a failed molt sadly) (G. quadratus) and he was the one who tore it apart and put it where he wanted to. I'd just buy one of the 10 to 20 pound bags.
 

EulersK

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I used bricks ONCE. let it soak for a bit, tried to break it apart, it broke apart, but was extremely hard and mushy at points. (Odd right?) Gave it to my burrowing crab (May he rest in peace, had a failed molt sadly) (G. quadratus) and he was the one who tore it apart and put it where he wanted to. I'd just buy one of the 10 to 20 pound bags.
Or just buy a metric buttload of sphagnum/peat moss for a tenth of the price.
 

BorisTheSpider

No this is Patrick
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Or just buy a metric buttload of sphagnum/peat moss for a tenth of the price.
Exactly . I buy the 3 cubic foot bag from Lowe's for ten bucks a bag . It's enough to last for years of heavy T collecting .
 

Jerry

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Yea I know how to wet it down just hoped there was a way around adding all the moisture and then waiting for it to dry out my T has like a half inch of sub in the kritter kepper and is climbing the sides I wanted to get the sub deeeper to lessen the hight of a potential fall asap but looks like I get to wait and the moss is great but I prefure coco fiber so I will just have to soak it and wait thanks guys
 

EulersK

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Yea I know how to wet it down just hoped there was a way around adding all the moisture and then waiting for it to dry out my T has like a half inch of sub in the kritter kepper and is climbing the sides I wanted to get the sub deeeper to lessen the hight of a potential fall asap but looks like I get to wait and the moss is great but I prefure coco fiber so I will just have to soak it and wait thanks guys
Why do you prefer coco fiber over other substrates?
 

Jerry

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It works well for me besides the soaking pain and I get it super cheap I bought the big block of coco coir for 3 dollars
 

Trenor

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I mix it up using water like other have said. I add water slowly to keep it from getting overly wet. Then once it is hydrated I add in sphagnum/peat moss at about 50/50. The coco fiber keeps the moss from being as dusty. The moss allows the mixture to pack better for burrowing then just coco fiber. Has worked pretty good for me so far.
 
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viper69

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I mix it up using water like other have said. I add waster slowly to keep it from getting overly wet. Then once it is hydrated I add in sphagnum/peat moss at about 50/50. The coco fiber keeps the moss from being as dusty. The moss allows the mixture to pack better for burrowing then just coco fiber. Has worked pretty good for me so far.
I do the same 50/50 mix. What species do you have on it? I've only tried it on my E sp Yellow, and it worked well. Is your I mira on it....
 

Trevis

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Jul 3, 2016
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U can just soak it for 30.minutes and squeeze the coco peat and put aside and repeat....there u got ur substrate rdy!
 

Trenor

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I do the same 50/50 mix. What species do you have on it? I've only tried it on my E sp Yellow, and it worked well. Is your I mira on it....
So far almost all of my Ts are on it. Both I.mira and the A.ezendami have made really nice tunnels in it with no issues. The rest of them seem to like it pretty good too. The slings burrow easy if they choose.

The mix makes it less dusty over just peat moss. It stays hydrated well for slings and isn't powdery when dry. I was mainly using it because I made up so much when I was just getting started in the hobby. It's worked out well for me and I'll most likely stick with it once I run out of the mix I have left.
 
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Tim Benzedrine

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[QUOTE="Trenor, post: 2500429, member: 112909" I add waster slowly to keep it from getting overly wet. [/QUOTE]

I think this part is key. O found early on that using the recommended amount resulted in afinished product that took forever to dry. I add some water and then peel off layers and then add a little more water and repeat as necessary. I get a damp substrate rather than a soup that takes forever to dry. It still isn't the fastest method in the world, but it is an improvement. I''ve found that during the summer, spreading it on newspaper thinly on a hot sunny day also accelerates the process. Once I putIot on making pans and set it on the roof where it was mega hot, but I think the newspaper in the sun was as quick if not quicker due the the newspaper wicking away some of the moisture. Unlike several on here, I find it to be suitable, and the few that I have had burrow in it built reasonable stable holes without the benefit of amending it with anything else. I kind of doubt this would be the case with the more industrious digging species, though.
The big gripe from me is that it is not as cost-effective, but I like the storage convenience and appearance, personally.
 

Aaron94

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May 27, 2016
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Why do you prefer coco fiber over other substrates?
I've always found that funny. In germany people even tend to demonize coco fiber while in the states almost everyone uses it.
As you also explained in your video about substrates (check it out people), coco fiber isn't the best substrate. It gets dusty very soon when it becomes dry and remoistening(?) it is also not so easy which can be problematic for enthusiasts who don't keep their spiders 100% dry. Peat moss is basically the better version of it. Coco fiber is surely not bad and a reasonable substrate but i also don't understand why people choose it over other substrates. Probably because they're used to it and it's easy to recommend.
 
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EulersK

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I've always found that funny. In germany people even tend to demonize coco fiber while in the states almost everyone uses it.
As you also explained in your video about substrates (check it out people), coco fiber isn't the best substrate. It gets dusty very soon when it becomes dry and remoistening(?) it is also not so easy which can be problematic for enthusiasts who don't keep their spiders 100% dry. Peat moss is basically the better version of it. Coco fiber is surely not bad and a reasonable substrate but i also don't understand why people choose it over other substrates. Probably because they're used to it and it's easy to recommend.
It is indeed fool proof, that's why I recommend it to beginners. But after you have a few spiders? Not even close to being worth it.
 

Chris LXXIX

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I've always found that funny. In germany people even tend to demonize coco fiber while in the states almost everyone uses it.
As you also explained in your video about substrates (check it out people), coco fiber isn't the best substrate. It gets dusty very soon when it becomes dry and remoistening(?) it is also not so easy which can be problematic for enthusiasts who don't keep their spiders 100% dry. Peat moss is basically the better version of it. Coco fiber is surely not bad and a reasonable substrate but i also don't understand why people choose it over other substrates. Probably because they're used to it and it's easy to recommend.
I use coco fiber as well for Irish peat moss, and I can say without doubts that coco fiber works pretty well. It's obviously perfect for those T's that needs a "dry" sort of environment/parameters, but I have absolutely no problem using that with tropicals and obligate burrowers either. I just add vermiculite (fine grain one) to the substrate (for those T's that needs a more level of humidity) and that helps to mantain the right level of humidity in time. The rest is up to a water dish always full, proper ventilation, air circulation/recycle.

One of the reasons why here in Italy I stay away, but very, very away, from Topsoil, unlike a lot of US keepers, is because I can't absolutely trust and risk to use the brands we have available here (especially in a time where, to get T's here, isn't that easy) nor I want to get mad searching for what's inside. To order online that, from US or Germany, IMO is out of question.
 

crlovel

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Nov 23, 2011
Messages
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I drop three bricks in a 50 gallon tub, add water, stir and mix and break it up, add a huge bag of peat moss, and mix some more. This lasts me a long time.
 
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