Substrat Preference?

[DomGom TheFather]

nothing one puts in an enclosure should ever be sterilized IMO.

I knew that would get your attention. Lmao.
We've had this discussion before.

 

[cold blood]

I knew that would get your attention. Lmao.
We've had this discussion before.

So you are telling me I was being baited?

Well done.

 

[8 legged]

Additive free rearing soil (or forest floor), turtle substrate and vermiculite. I use for all kinds...
Only the very dry ones get sand...
The mixing ratio varies depending on the genus. If I use more moisture, I add more vermiculite. I mix the mineral directly into the soil and don't put it under it. So far it works flawlessly. Personally, I don't like the look of Coco fiber ... There are probably only a few spiders that live on coconut shavings in nature - but of course this is a cheap and clean alternative.

nothing one puts in an enclosure should ever be sterilized IMO.

I keep building back walls out of the loamy earth in front of the house. When the stuff is dry it holds up better than Pattex ;-)

 

[NatureJay]

Guys it's so hard to get organic potting/top soil in my country apart from digging it up myself which I prefer not to do. I can get peat compost without any additives or fertilizer which I've used to mix with some soil I salvaged from an old flower pot for my pede but it's quite expensive. I believe it's $4/lb, not quite sure but I'll ask wen I go buy some more.

I found this and thought I'd ask here first..."Garden Scape Potting Soil"


"And other Composted materials" I'm positive is cow manure... I read on here to stay away from anything with manure in it so I don't know. Plus there's dolomitic limestone in there, is limestone bad for T's? Was looking to mix it with the peat I normally use....
I bought an 8# bag to see wat it looks like, sifted the limestones and bark out and this is what it looks like.....

 

[NatureJay]

TTT....Input anyone?

 

[DomGom TheFather]

TTT....Input anyone?

I wouldn't use it.
The composted manure and whatnot shouldn't cause any issues if fully broken down but dolomaitic lyme can be used in the garden to kill and repel soft bodied insects.

 

[Dorifto]

Topsoil, because earth is not made of coco fiber.

Coco fiber is good to create problems, expensive ones

Topsoil is god.

 

[NatureJay]

I wouldn't use it.
The composted manure and whatnot shouldn't cause any issues if fully broken down but dolomaitic lyme can be used in the garden to kill and repel soft bodied insects.

Topsoil, because earth is not made of coco fiber.

Coco fiber is good to create problems, expensive ones

Topsoil is god.

Thanks guys... Did some searching and found a garden center with Coco fiber, topsoil, peat, vermiculite... So I'm gonna get me some topsoil and take it from there...

 

[Dorifto]

Froggdaddy dislikes topsoil? Too bad

Thanks guys... Did some searching and found a garden center with Coco fiber, topsoil, peat, vermiculite... So I'm gonna get me some topsoil and take it from there...

Unfertilized and pesticide free topsoil!

 

[NatureJay]

fertilized and pesticide free topsoil!

That is correct....

Unfertilized and pesticide free topsoil!

So I checked all topsoil ingredients and all had fertilizer sadly, even the ones that said "organic" ... Anything Miracle Grow had fertilizer... Saw they had Coco Fiber so that's what I ended up with. I'm just gonna make my own substrate mix...

1.42 cu ft / 40 L. $36 ECD / $13.50 USD


There was also this peat....Better than the coco fibre for diy substrate mix or nah?

 

[DomGom TheFather]

I've used that exact brand of peat on its own.

 

[NatureJay]

I've used that exact brand of peat on its own.

Interesting....There was a hole in one of the bags so when I saw how dry n crumbly it was, that just put me off it....
You said "I've used," did u stop using it?

 

[DomGom TheFather]

Interesting....There was a hole in one of the bags so when I saw how dry n crumbly it was, that just put me off it....
You said "I've used," did u stop using it?

No. I still have enclosures with it.
If you wet it and pack it down well, it's good to ride. I use peat for all my spiders.

 

[cold blood]

Guys it's so hard to get organic potting/top soil in my country

Never ever ever use topsoil labeled as "organic"....I see that label on topsoil and run the other direction.

See, all soil is inherently organic, when you see that label, its not in reference to the dirt, but rather to the additives.....which are usually compost or manure......organic topsoil is for growing plants....this is precisely what you want to avoid.....use the cheap stuff marketed for filling holes and leveling ground....that stuff isnt designed to grow plants, so no additives.

High cost is another red flag...just looking at your prices you posted tells me its the wrong stuff without even seeing the bag. I pay like $2 for 40lb. bags.....always look at the cheapest stuff and decide from those.

Topsoil

• cold blood
• Dec 29, 2017
• 2

this is what I typically use.

 

[KaroKoenig]

A new harvest, freshly collected in the woods not far from my home. Not much this time. Just enough for a substrate change in my Psytalla horrida colony and a rehouse of my small juvenile Caribena versicolor:


I'll let this dry for a day and it's done.