Suggestions for desert Ts???

[viper69]

Wasn't planning in it. The first thought that crossed my mind was my Tarantula would get injured or impaled on a cactus spike ...noooooo cactus... no ser...



Okay so a sand-blend would be best? What is wrong with just sand though? Bad for burrowing or something?



I love it!

In the wild many Ts burrow with a blend of sand and other things in the substrate. If you use sand, you need to make the right blend.

 

[antinous]

a sand based maybe for a desert T that has been mentioned, sand is pure trash for burrowing if it's just pure sand. honestly just stick to coco fiber its simple, easy, and cheap.

I wouldn’t say it’s cheap, it’s quite expensive compared to other substrate. But it is pretty simple and does ease any worry/paranoia you might have

 

[boina]

Pretty sure @Exoskeleton Invertebrates has kept various arid species on silica sand without issue.

Sand can be used, I thought it would have to be mixed, but I guess I was wrong. After reading the thread @The Grym Reaper posted, if you do choose to go with a desert/arid species such as B. smithi, A. hentzi, etc. white silica sand would work.

Just because it works doesn't mean it's the best idea ever. Yes, it can be used but I still wouldn't. I like to mix fine sand and/or clay with coco fiber substrate if I want to make a really good substrate, but pure sand? It shifts. It's obvious that the tarantula cannot burrow in it but it can't even dig or rearrange it, ot incorporate it in a web. It won't hold a molting mat as well, because it shifts. And it's abrasive. In my opinion it has only disadvantages.

 

[Tenebrarius]

I wouldn’t say it’s cheap, it’s quite expensive compared to other substrate. But it is pretty simple and does ease any worry/paranoia you might have

its pretty darn basic though.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Just because it works doesn't mean it's the best idea ever. Yes, it can be used but I still wouldn't.

I did say in my other post it's no good for anything that likes to burrow, I also wouldn't use it personally just because of how heavy it'd make an enclosure. I'm not saying it's ideal, just that it can work.

It's obvious that the tarantula cannot burrow in it but it can't even dig or rearrange it, ot incorporate it in a web.

None of these things would bother a GBB in the slightest, they don't dig or landscape at all and mine has never incorporated anything into her webbing, the abrasiveness wouldn't even matter as they just put down a thick layer of webbing over whatever substrate you use anyway.

 

[PhilMcWonder]

If anyone has an Arid/Desert Terrarium I would love to see it.

 

[Jurdon]

Just because nobody else has explicitly said it: If you’re gonna buy sand, don’t buy it from a petstore. Especially if the label says “Calci-sand”, “Repti-sand”, etc. I’m no sand advocate, far from it actually, but those substrates give actual sand a bad name.