T-Rex Coconut Mats- Use?

[viper69]

I have 3 T-Rex Coconut mats, I've never used. I was wondering if people have used these with arboreals? Recommendations to use or NOT to use? I wouldn't know. I had them in a supply box, still sealed.

http://reviews.petco.com/3554/12007/t-rex-t-rex-crab-island-climbing-background-reviews/reviews.htm

http://www.t-rexproducts.com/products/hermit-crab/climbing-background/index.html

 

[Kodi]

I would use them with some wood and silk leaves as decorations. It would look great.

 

[viper69]

I would use them with some wood and silk leaves as decorations. It would look great.

I was wondering if could use them against the glass, perhaps that would allow them to climb better, I don't know. Mine go vertical on glass, but it's not exactly found in nature, then again neither is a coco fiber mat haha.

 

[Formerphobe]

I cut them to desired size and glue them into a cylinder with a bevel at one or both ends to make a cheap hide for arboreals.
I've also made half-rounds and glued at angles onto walls of tanks, then piled substrate on top to make pre-fab burrows.
And you can cut appropriate sized 'half-rounds' and just set on substrate for terrestrial hides.
I've contemplated using a sheet as a back drop - would take up less space than a sheet of corkbark.

 

[plasticfaye]

That's a great idea for a climbable backdrop. I have walked by these I don't know how many times and never thought about using them for tarantulas. Getting out my hot glue gun now! Lol.

 

[viper69]

I cut them to desired size and glue them into a cylinder with a bevel at one or both ends to make a cheap hide for arboreals.
I've also made half-rounds and glued at angles onto walls of tanks, then piled substrate on top to make pre-fab burrows.
And you can cut appropriate sized 'half-rounds' and just set on substrate for terrestrial hides.
I've contemplated using a sheet as a back drop - would take up less space than a sheet of corkbark.

That's what I was thinking of too last night, preformed hides. Hmm. but I don't think the mat itself will stay curved by itself as a half round, seems too stiff. It would make a good inner surface for lining PVC pipes and surrounding PVC too.

That's a great idea for a climbable backdrop. I have walked by these I don't know how many times and never thought about using them for tarantulas. Getting out my hot glue gun now! Lol.

Oh yeah, that's what they are usually for. For hermit crabs its for them to climb on. For vivarium people it's often used as the supporting vertical "foundation" to put plants on, wire in assorted air plants etc. I just haven't used them because I don't have hermit crabs anymore.I just thought it MIGHT be easier surface for them to climb on than glass.

Then again, I have read people reporting that carpeting can act like "glue" and really slows a T down when they walk. While the cocco mats aren't carpeting, to me, they have rudimentary structure of carpet, so I wasn't sure if they would be good or not.

 

[Poec54]

That's what I was thinking of too last night, preformed hides. Hmm. but I don't think the mat itself will stay curved by itself as a half round, seems too stiff. It would make a good inner surface for lining PVC pipes and surrounding PVC too.

My thoughts too.

 

[viper69]

My thoughts too.

Do you think Pokis would use it to climb on?

 

[Formerphobe]

That's what I was thinking of too last night, preformed hides. Hmm. but I don't think the mat itself will stay curved by itself as a half round, seems too stiff. It would make a good inner surface for lining PVC pipes and surrounding PVC too.

They come rolled up and it's difficult to get them to lay flat. I've used the inner part of the roll for 'half rounds' and had to stick both ends in the substrate to keep it from rolling back up again. The outer part of the roll relaxes more easily.
I used a piece this evening to cover a section of 6" PVC pipe for a hide. Glued some leaves and stuff to it and my N. tripepii thinks she has a mansion.

---------- Post added 12-05-2013 at 11:52 PM ----------

Do you think Pokis would use it to climb on?

Three of my Poecis have felted coconut fibre tube hides. They all use them, even when given different options. I've not used it as a backdrop.

 

[viper69]

They come rolled up and it's difficult to get them to lay flat. I've used the inner part of the roll for 'half rounds' and had to stick both ends in the substrate to keep it from rolling back up again. The outer part of the roll relaxes more easily.
I used a piece this evening to cover a section of 6" PVC pipe for a hide. Glued some leaves and stuff to it and my N. tripepii thinks she has a mansion.

---------- Post added 12-05-2013 at 11:52 PM ----------


Three of my Poecis have felted coconut fibre tube hides. They all use them, even when given different options. I've not used it as a backdrop.

Yeah I have some, rolled/unopened for like 15 years, just never made a dart frog tank w/them. So thought Ts.... I see now, makes sense. Yeah I think PVC is perfect (it doesn't mold!) as long as there's a rough surface for them to grab onto.

I was thinking of getting some PVC, and cutting it half, length wise, that way when my T goes down in the burrow, I can still observe it. I've seen this in books. Have you tried this before, I'm always nervous about making hides for them, despite their opportunistic tendencies, as they may ignore it.

Curious, in making a hide out of PVC, how do you determine the proper inner diameter for a T. I don't want them to be too cramped, or ignore it because it's too small. The only thing I can think of is estimate based on how tall and wide they are in a resting stance.


I stumbled across these PVC hides..cool looking, hadn't thought of making them more interesting or adding holes along the length

http://www.tarantulasus.com/showthread.php/1750-PVC-hides?

 

[Formerphobe]

I've seen that thread! Yeah, that is pretty cool. I haven't been that imaginative...
This is one of the things I've done with the felted coconut fibre:

My one Aphonopelma that has this set up just hangs out in the buried tube, hasn't made any modifications.
Another Aphonopelma sometimes uses hers, sometimes doesn't. She recently started chewing on and dismantling one edge of the coconut fibre.
The B. emilia (pictured) has dug out a burrow beyond the end of the felted tube. She's been in this set up for a couple of years now. She buried the coconut shell hide on the surface.
Another B. emilia and a B. boehmei used their buried tubes for awhile, then filled them in with substrate. Now you can't even see where they were.

 

[viper69]

I've seen that thread! Yeah, that is pretty cool. I haven't been that imaginative...
This is one of the things I've done with the felted coconut fibre:

My one Aphonopelma that has this set up just hangs out in the buried tube, hasn't made any modifications.
Another Aphonopelma sometimes uses hers, sometimes doesn't. She recently started chewing on and dismantling one edge of the coconut fibre.
The B. emilia (pictured) has dug out a burrow beyond the end of the felted tube. She's been in this set up for a couple of years now. She buried the coconut shell hide on the surface.
Another B. emilia and a B. boehmei used their buried tubes for awhile, then filled them in with substrate. Now you can't even see where they were.

Yeah, I thought those were pretty creative for PVC and just cutting them! I'm not that creative either, thank god for the internet at times.

I saw these here as well, also cool http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?229313-New-DIY-hides


Oh, thanks for this pic!! That looks pretty cool.nI understand much better now. In that pic, what is the substrate, is it only coco fiber, or is it a mix? I've seen in my small vials with just coco fiber over time it naturally dries out, and it does collapse or sink down a bit. Sometimes the T's lair doesn't collapse in because the spiderling has enough web up (that's my assumption) and other places I've seen it cave in a bit.

 

[Formerphobe]

The substrate is a mix of coco fibre and sphagnum peat. I packed it in really firmly while it was wet, then let it dry some before I put her in there. Over the past couple of years, she has dug out a susbstantial cavern beyond the end of the sheet of coco fibre. I know what you're talking about as far as the substrate drying and shrinking. That hasn't happened in this tank yet, but is one reason I used the felted coco fibre sheet to at least shore up the primary entrance.

 

[viper69]

The substrate is a mix of coco fibre and sphagnum peat. I packed it in really firmly while it was wet, then let it dry some before I put her in there. Over the past couple of years, she has dug out a susbstantial cavern beyond the end of the sheet of coco fibre. I know what you're talking about as far as the substrate drying and shrinking. That hasn't happened in this tank yet, but is one reason I used the felted coco fibre sheet to at least shore up the primary entrance.

Had a feeling it was a blend. Hmm...I'm not sure what I'll do yet, I suspect I'm going towards a blend, or I think Poec and others use straight top soil.

 

[shebeen]

Has anyone tried mixing a small amount of sifted Excavator Clay, say 10%, with coco fiber to act as a binder? Or use a clay-water solution to moisten the coco fiber when packing it into the enclosure?

 

[viper69]

Has anyone tried mixing a small amount of sifted Excavator Clay, say 10%, with coco fiber to act as a binder? Or use a clay-water solution to moisten the coco fiber when packing it into the enclosure?

I haven't. I heard mixed reviews on the Excavator Clay. After reading how the material works, and if it gets wet (how much I don't know) it softens again, and will crumble. I changed my mind on it. It reads like a great product, I just don't know after reading a lot of reviews on people who used it.