Substrate?

[NevularScorpion]

I would never go waste cash on Eco-Earth.
Plenty of appropriate things can be found at your nursery.

I use peat.
Anything you buy marketed for the Pet trade is marked up 300%
Total waste of money.

^ I second him

 

[NevularScorpion]

I have a question about isopods but it isnt worth starting a new thread over since isopods were just mentioned here. Is it safe to use isopods that i catch in my yard to keep my avic tanks clean?

Like what other members suggested quarantine them and use the second generation . I tried both, I took some isopods from my garden and put them directly to my tarantula cage(in my exp nothing really bad happens). I also breed them then put the second generation to my T cage. Just to be safe I recommend you to breed them then use their offspring in your T enclosure.

 

[G. pulchra]

I use a mixture of peat and eco earth and had really good luck with it.

 

[MIC]

I would never go waste cash on Eco-Earth.
Plenty of appropriate things can be found at your nursery.

I use peat.
Anything you buy marketed for the Pet trade is marked up 300%
Total waste of money.

I agree but you can amortize the cost by reusing the coco fiber after microwaving it for few minutes.

 

[codykrr]

^ when you have over a hundred tarantulas, Coco fiber is just not feasible to put in every tank. It adds up fast.

Also who wants to microwave substrate for 100 or even 20 Ts?

Personally I like peat moss. It retains moisture a lot better, looks more like the real deal, and allows for better burrowing(imo). resists mold alot better, and can be given back to the earth easier(and better) that Coco fiber. I throw all my used peat in the garden.

 

[JimM]

And you're not further enabling and buying into the insane pet trade mark ups.

 

[curiousme]

I've heard that it is much cheaper to buy the coco fiber at a nursery/ greenhouse, but none of the ones close to us have it. Regardless, peat and potting soil make a great mix and are cheap.

 

[codykrr]

^ same here. When I first started I could not for the life of me find Coco fiber at ANY nursery around here. but I found plenty of peat.