When shoudl I change the substrate?

HannibalCmp

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Topic. Im not sure how long Ive had it in there but it doesn't stink. KMaybe its just the smell of my room that makes it seem not to stink cause I live in a man's room!
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Don't let your mind wander...It's too small to be out on it's own.
 

kellygirl

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It shouldn't stink unless you leave cricket remains in there. If there is mold or some sort of parasite, obviously clean it. Otherwise, I would clean it as little as possible so as not to disturb your tarantula. It would be very traumatizing if you cleaned the substrate too often!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Scott say he rarely (if ever) changes his substrate?

kellygirl
 

Valael

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Yeah, Kelly hit it right on the head.



Tarantulas really aren't very dirty and don't put off much waste -- 6+ months. Unless, like Kelly said, you have parasites, mold, or cricket parts floating around causing problems (mites).
 

Code Monkey

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I only change substrate when I change containers or about every 12-18 months just because I like to see a shiny new cage every now and again.

Assuming you do periodic spot cleaning of prey, changing a Ts substrate out is mostly for aesthetics rather than sanitation. They're just not that messy of animals, well, barring arboreals' fascination with flinging poo at the tank sides ;).
 

Steve Nunn

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Originally posted by HannibalCmp
Topic. Im not sure how long Ive had it in there but it doesn't stink. KMaybe its just the smell of my room that makes it seem not to stink cause I live in a man's room!
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Don't let your mind wander...It's too small to be out on it's own.
Like everyone says, as little as possible. I have arantulas which haven't had a change in over two years. I kid you not.

Cheers,
Steve
 

Gillian

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On a completely unrelated note: awesome avatar, Steve! Did you design it?
Peace,
Gillian
 

Steve Nunn

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Originally posted by Gillian
On a completely unrelated note: awesome avatar, Steve! Did you design it?
Peace,
Gillian
Thankyou! I have to confess, my wife did it up for me :) The clickable banner however was done by a chap called Mark Newton (Scorpion people will know Mark ;) ) and has been the banner for my site for a couple of years now. No need for me to change it, he did a fantastic job.

Steve
 
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MrDeranged

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Jul 16, 2002
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Last I checked, there's no "Substrate Fairy" running around and changing the dirt in T's burrows in the wild, so unless I see something wrong in my tanks, the substrate stays. I do spot cleaning twice a week and remove and debris or leftovers and haven't had any problems. Been over 2 yrs without a substrate change on most of my T's.

Scott
 
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