Substrate/barrier help

[Arachnophobphile]

ORIGINAL QUESTION:
I'm trying to redo my T's enclosures. I have a GBB and N. Chromatus. I plan to do a 70:30 topsoil: orchid moss mixture with a barrier separating from drainage (hydroballs or other).

My first question is does this mixture sounds good for both T's and second question is what's a cheap barrier that's safe for them? I need to be able to cut fit.

THE ANSWERS I GOT:

Does not answer my question. Laughs at mentioned hydroballs without any idea why I would want a drainage layer.



Again fails to answer my question in the first place. Laughing at the idea of a bioactive enclosure, although I was able to gather some more experience with the fact a drainage layer may be unnecessary so that's somewhat useful for me to keep researching why I might need or want one.

This goes on with a bunch of people chiming in on the fact that a bare bones container is all you need as long as you provide a hide basically and how anything else is essentially stupid. I provide a small research study with claims and it's appropriately questioned and scrutinized but following responses including yours indicate a predisposition of opinion versus emerging scientific fact.

@cold blood comes in with the same type of old-school mentality shooting down pretty much everything I've been stating. I provide a ton more research in the avenue of memory, learning, and how enclosure setups have a clear correlation to behavior.

And the guy you responded to is one of the few that actually had the guts to just provide actual relevant information with limited opinions that serve zero to my said original question other than the fact that maybe a drainage layer is worth looking into more.

I am a fan of keeping things simple, however, I have a specific vision for my setups. Likewise the topsoil mixture really shouldn't matter for the GBB so honestly do not know why I asked that question I suppose I was more curious about choosing orchid moss over the usual sphagnum because it wasn't available at my location at the time. However, I now do realize I may want to go for a more sand-like dry scrub setup with cacti if I want to go true to her environment. It's just that for some reason I thought that they, like the N. Chromatus, were found in both tropical and desert environments. She's currently in premolt so before I redo her enclosure I'm going to wait a while and do more research in the meantime.

I am going to see my vision through despite many of your opinions. I get that a lot of you have tons of T's and doing a bioactive would be crazy but I have TWO freaking T's man, I MIGHT get one more, maybe. So like I'll do the bioactive and make it as ludicrous at I want man... the least you guys could do is state your opinions/experience without people feel like you're gate keeping the hobby with should's and should nots. It not a handling debate, it was never even a debate at all... I mentioned hydroballs and the thread went bonkers.

You still yapping....

 

[viper69]

Laughs at mentioned hydroballs without any idea why I would want a drainage layer.

I know what they are used for. I’ve seen them for decades in PDF setups, never for a T because they aren’t necessary.

And @cold blood was being thorough, despite what you may think.

 

[dev0n]

Well your recommendation especially for a gbb will only lead it to death.

These setups are for something amphibian not tarantulas. Wouldn't even use these setups for Asian arboreals.

He literally said to not require high humidity.

you could've(nobody here is a mind reader) just made things easier for all in your first post stating you wanted to set up a planted bioactive type cage for your ts. a couple of members have really nice planted set ups they are the ones you wanna get information from. so probably your best bet is to calm down some and post a new thread asking your questions.i'll also say imo a gbb isnt a good t for what your trying to do mine hated damp substrate and got as far away from the damp dirt as it could the few times i flooded over its water dish. it also webbed like crazy and covered the plastic plants i had in its cage with a thick coating of webbing so i dunno how that would affect live plants.

I never said anything about humidity, however, I can see the misunderstanding with the whole drainage part with the appropriate mesh question. But I never really asked for that just the mesh and substrate...

You still yapping....

Well people are still commenting... so yeah, I'll respond to my own thread...

I know what they are used for. I’ve seen them for decades in PDF setups, never for a T because they aren’t necessary.

And @cold blood was being thorough, despite what you may think.

Though he may be thorough, @cold blood was being thoroughly inaccurate regarding his opinions on T's behavior and memory.

I never asked if they were necessary but I appreciate your input. I most likely will not use them in my GBB setup or at all. It depends after I look into it more. I'll post my setups a while from now. It's going to take a while...

 

[Arachnophobphile]

He literally said to not require high humidity.


I never said anything about humidity, however, I can see the misunderstanding with the whole drainage part with the appropriate mesh question. But I never really asked for that just the mesh and substrate...


Well people are still commenting... so yeah, I'll respond to my own thread...


Though he may be thorough, @cold blood was being thoroughly inaccurate regarding his opinions on T's behavior and memory.

I never asked if they were necessary but I appreciate your input. I most likely will not use them in my GBB setup or at all. It depends after I look into it more. I'll post my setups a while from now. It's going to take a while...

Good lord just stop you're embarrassing yourself.

Forget this thread and start a new one with very specific on topic post. You will get better advice/help

 

[catboyeuthanasia]

Someone stated that springtails took over their enclosures and killed the stock.I don't believe that for a minute.

The springtail thing was for soft-bodied inverts (velvet worms) so it might not be too applicable for tarantulas. I was mostly using it as an example about how something seemingly harmless can blindside you and do real damage if you are not careful setting up a bioactive.

I guess to build on this a little, I don't mean to sound like I'm discouraging experimentation here. Without failure, we won't learn anything new. This is how I learned velvet worms are tougher when it comes to skin injuries than generally assumed. However, a proposed experiment should be able to justify its existence in the context of previous knowledge. This is especially true when the life of an animal you have put in your care at stake. I would set up a tried-and-tested, boring, backup enclosure before I attempt anything too wacky.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

The springtail thing was for soft-bodied inverts (velvet worms) so it might not be too applicable for tarantulas. I was mostly using it as an example about how something seemingly harmless can blindside you and do real damage if you are not careful setting up a bioactive.

I guess to build on this a little, I don't mean to sound like I'm discouraging experimentation here. Without failure, we won't learn anything new. This is how I learned velvet worms are tougher when it comes to skin injuries than generally assumed. However, a proposed experiment should be able to justify its existence in the context of previous knowledge. This is especially true when the life of an animal you have put in your care at stake. I would set up a tried-and-tested, boring, backup enclosure before I attempt anything too wacky.

What do the springtails eat if the spider goes along time without eating?
I had some spontaneously appear, then they seem to have died off.
When I originally read the title of this thread, I assumed this was about drainage layer?? How useful are they?

 

[Dry Desert]

Good lord just stop you're embarrassing yourself.

Forget this thread and start a new one with very specific on topic post. You will get better advice/help

OP has already had Relevant advice from myself and @Dorifto .

He objects to all the injected crap from the Box of Dirt brigade, " You must do it this way as Ours is the only way ".

 

[Dorifto]

The springtail thing was for soft-bodied inverts (velvet worms) so it might not be too applicable for tarantulas. I was mostly using it as an example about how something seemingly harmless can blindside you and do real damage if you are not careful setting up a bioactive.

Such heavy outbreak probably hides another unseen issue. Springtails are harmless even in huge quantities, I mainly use them to detect any possible issue with my husbandry, as they are a very good indicator that something is wrong or out of place. This can be applicable to other critters like mites etc, which are good indicators of hidden issues. So probably another thing was the real issue and they simply did their job cleaning the decaying matter.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

OP has already had Relevant advice from myself and @Dorifto .

He objects to all the injected crap from the Box of Dirt brigade, " You must do it this way as Ours is the only way ".

BS! What he will have is a dead gbb and probably his N. chromatus as well.

 

[catboyeuthanasia]

Such heavy outbreak probably hides another unseen issue. Springtails are harmless even in huge quantities, I mainly use them to detect any possible issue with my husbandry, as they are a very good indicator that something is wrong or out of place. This can be applicable to other critters like mites etc, which are good indicators of hidden issues. So probably another thing was the real issue and they simply did their job cleaning the decaying matter.

Normally yes, but not for Velvet worms. These things create holes in velvet worm skin by crawling on them, and then drink hemolymph from these holes. I've got one with the scars to prove it:

The little light spots are scars. Ive seen springtails drinking droplets from them before they healed. She's all better now: just had a baby last week! I guess my point here is that even something widely believed to be harmless can do damage so it pays to be careful.

What do the springtails eat if the spider goes along time without eating?
I had some spontaneously appear, then they seem to have died off.
When I originally read the title of this thread, I assumed this was about drainage layer?? How useful are they?

I guess we got sort of side tracked with the bioactive talk. I don't trust springtails, but they are mostly harmless and come into terrariums on plants. Dart frog bioactive terraria love them, since the frogs can snack on them, and they help control the waste.

 

[dev0n]

Good lord just stop you're embarrassing yourself.

Forget this thread and start a new one with very specific on topic post. You will get better advice/help

All I did was spit facts and a bunch of asshats like yourself came out of the woods to laugh at me for quote overcomplicating things when I didn't even ask about that... so honestly you guys just embarrassed yourself. You know before I even made an account on arachnoboards I had already heard about a lot of long time members being the elitist type and well this definitely confirms it.

Now I know how to mess with you guys... all I gotta do is say hydroballs.

BS! What he will have is a dead gbb and probably his N. chromatus as well.

Well that's funny because my GBB actually just molted and is looking super healthy (posted video in T pics section). I think you're making a lot of assumptions here; I'm not making a rainforest my guy...