Substrate preference poll

[8leggedrobot]

I use jungle mix & bed-a-beast combo for all my Ts. I DID have a problem with white fuzzy mold under one rosehairs hide for a couple days but I am sure I just didn't let it dry out enough first. It was still too moist when I put her in there, and I knew that at the time even, but she was looking like she was getting ready to moult so I kind of told myself it was 'ok'. But other than that one time it's been awesome.

On another note, I know the cedar argument is over, but that reminded me of the fact I kept my texas tan I had at 14 on a combo of aquarium gravel, and cedar hamster bedding! :8o I had no clue it was bad for them at the time, the pet store told me to keep them on gravel (yay pet store knowledge) but I just felt like it needed some more natural bedding. I read about 2 years ago that was bad for Ts and the guilt has never left me, heh It lived for three years like that though, but I did notice the crickets died off real fast. I over-fed my Ts back then, too... always keeping 2 or 3 crickets with them at all times. I was a bad mommy... but I know more now, TG.

 

[Vogelspinnen]

I use a 50/50 Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss and Topsoil with no additives mix.

I pull out 90% of the sticks, rocks, and other unnecessary organic clumps for a nice clean and consistent substrate. Regular attention keeps it from growing anything harmful to the Tarantulas as well as looking more natural than Vermiculite.

 

[RaZeDaHeLL666]

100% peat moss.

 

[Rob1985]

100% peat moss.

I have had good luck with peat moss. it drys quick if it get wet :worship:

 

[MysticKigh]

rather than repeating the attribues of coconut bark, I'll just say I like it and it's what I use 85% of the time

 

[MysticKigh]

I'm using 50/50 peat-vermiculite. I have been all over the place around here, and cannot find any soil without additives. .

If you can bring yourself to face the throngs of people, you might try Walmart. I was thrilled and shocked to find an organic soil with no additives there. Just be careful that you've gotten a bag without any tears or holes. Apparently the non-arachnid world isn't very interested in this stuff and if it sits stacked up for too long with water trapped in the bag you get that funky stagnant water smell

 

[lta3398]

I also use a 50/50 mix of Canadian Sphagnum peat moss and a good soil with NO additives, and I have no problems! The mixture seems to work fine for me!

 

[lta3398]

I have also had success in finding the right soil at both K-mart and WalMart...so as stated above, if you can handle the crowds, they should have what you want!

 

[Kid Dragon]

For my terrestrials I like 100% peat moss. For my arboreal I like 100% vermiculite.

I have a rosie on a pre-molded soft rubber insert that she's done well on for over a decade. It has a built in basement, and a split level top. Its the Ritz-Carlton of 10 gallon enclosure substrate. Not only is it easy to spot clean, its inert to fungi and mites. I originally bought it for a snake, but it was too good to pass up for my T. So I gave it a try, and I'm glad I did.

I use 100% peat for my adult terrestrials, and 100% vermic for my adult arboreals too. Howerver I use 50-50 peat/vermic for my slings, both terrestrial and arboreal.

 

[dangerprone69]

I've been all over the place as far as substrates go. Coconut fiber is excellent but I think it's a bit expensive. You can buy it in bulk from Bean Farms and some horticulture webstores for much less than you'll pay for it in Petco, as low as $2.50 a brick plus shipping. I never had a problem with it molding when I used it, but the other kind of coarse coconut chunks grew mold very quickly when I tried it on my G. rosea.

Lately I've been using peat and vermiculite. You can buy a huge brick of peat at Home Depot or Lowes for $5 or $6 and vermiculite is only $3 a bag at Lowes (the HD near me isn't carrying it yet- whatever). I use a 50/50 mix for species requiring higher humidity and all slings: bone dry peat for desert/scrubland species. Peat by itself tends to dry out very fast and mixing it with granulated vermiculite keeps the moisture up where it should be for tropical species.

50/50 peat/verm mix also works very well for most roaches. My hissers and dubias have never been happier.

 

[kellyeta]

I use dark bark and some moss. No problems with mites either.

 

[T-Harry]

I can't say I have a preferred substrate. I always choose the substrate depending on the kind of T that I hold in the cage. For tropical T's I use a mixture of peat and vermiculite in order to attain a high humidity inside the cage. For T's that like it a bit less humid I use coconut fiber. For T's living in (half) deserts I use a mixture of peat and sand (I know it says in the beginner threads somewhere that you should not use sand but me and lots of other guys are not of that opinion. How could sand harm a T that lives in a desert? I think it's just natural for them). The hotter and dryer the natural habitad of the T the more sand I use (up to 50 : 50). For T's living in not too humid forests I use a mixture of peat and pine bark humus.

 

[Gingitsune]

New substrate feed back

I'm new here, my mom let me have her Chilian Rose hair...she's put in shredded fluffy newspaper animal bedding and what I believe are natural fibers of some sort packed into pellet shapes (like the shapes you buy rabbit alfafa food in) and says the T does alright with that...will this hurt her at all or have any negative sideaffects (other then watching to make sure the material under the water bowl does not mold)
Note: Both items are relativly soft and sold as animal bedding, so they are presumbly safe in terms of toxins, and the spider appears fine as well

 

[jbrd]

well i was reading the poll and i seen on there that vemiculite is way down on the poll ? i use vermiculite in my bed-a-beast (or an equlivant) to help retain mouisture in my T.blondi enclosure and the humidity has never dropped below 50%. now heres my question, if this works so well to help retain the moisture and alot of people are not using it, is there a problem with the vermiculite that i am not aware of ?.
as of this day i have had no problems with mites or mold, though i did have to change the substrate out because of a bad pinhead problem

 

[JJJoshua]

Coconut fiber for all my T's

 

[Lorgakor]

I have a question about my substrate. I am using a peat/vermiculite mix in all my cages, and I have noticed that it is molding very easily. I don't keep any of my cages moist, just a water dish. In my T. blondi tank, there have been small spots of mold, they seem to pop up almost as soon as the substrate gets a little wet, either from misting or from an overflowed water dish. In my E. campestratus tank, there was mold under the waterdish, which I rarely overflow, that tank is very dry. In my little G. pulchra tupperware container, which I have never misted, there was mold blooming on the surface in a couple of spots. This is the second time I've found mold in hers, I had to change the substrate out once already. Yet I haven't found any in my B. smithi tank, or in my little B. emilia container, which I spritz more often.

I'm a little confused because I've been reading and I know that people use a peat/verm mix for their more moisture dependant species, yet I can't see how if it molds so easily. I am thinking of dumping all my cages (I only have five Ts) and using something else, but I don't know what. I just don't know why there is mold. I think my room humidity is around 50%, and room temps go between 70 and 80 degrees. My Ts all have a lot of ventilation, so that can't be it. Although they are all on a bookshelf, maybe that hinders the ventilation?

Anyone else had problems like this? What substrate molds the least?

 

[Kali]

i had previously thought i had a mold problem with my peat/vermic/coco mixtures, but realized that i just had poopy T's. don't let the substrate get wet unnecessarily. i have had luck when coco substrate gets too dry to pour water from a cup into it on one side. the tarantular room in my home gets really dry...
although, my b/f's rosie refuses to acclimate to any substrate except calcisand. i changed out her substrate a couple of times while he's been away, and she hangs from the lid of her cage until the substrate is changed back. i've let her sulk for up to a week like that before changing back. eventually she won

 

[juggalo69]

I use Eco-earth bricks mixed with Jungle-earth wood chips. Works well for my G.rosea.

 

[Lorgakor]

That's the thing, I don't let it get wet unnecessarily. My G. pulchra container has never been misted, only a water dish and it still got mold. The only moisture was from slightly damp vermiculite and peat out of the bag when I put her in. But that was quite some time ago. That is why I don't understand why there is mold.

Have any of you tried these Bio mats for non burrowing Ts?
http://www.beanfarm.com/cgi-bin/sto...cart_id=1427072.12155*fN7as3&xm=off&ppinc=bed

 

[scorpdaddy]

My Prefered Choice

I use a 50/50 mix of potting soil and shredded coconut