White spores on wood?

[123rc123]

Its clearly monsoon season at your house.

LOL thats kinda what I was going for.....

 

[cold blood]

LOL thats kinda what I was going for.....

Without really good ventilation, mold will be an issue.

I would get a bunch of isopods and put them in.

 

[dragonfire1577]

All praise the mighty springtail, bane of mold spores and destroyer of tarantula waste.

 

[viper69]

I would go over to the Dendroboard and examine how they setup drainage for dart frogs. It's really easy to do, also that setup looks nice. I would also post your pic or ask to have your thread moved to the Vivarium forum where it may get more visibility or rather focused answers by people w/this experience. I know Abraxas Complex has good experience in this dept.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

All praise the mighty springtail, bane of mold spores and destroyer of tarantula waste.

Sounds like a 'Souls' statement

 

[peterUK]

Just leave things alone and let it run its course. I just cannot understand this obsession of boiling, baking or sterilising everything. I have never boiled, baked, microwaved or sterilised anything that get put into my tanks. My substrate is bought from gardening centers (topsoil and composts) and get my bark, leaves, branches etc from the local parks and woods. The only things that are not natural are the water bowls and halved flowerpots that i use for hides. I very occasionally get mould or mushrooms appearing but so what, thats what the isopods are there for and they keep things under control.

When everything is sterilised, the micro-organisms are killed off and then when the mould/fungus spores that are everywhere settle and start to grow there is nothing to eat them and keep the mould/fungus under control.
There was a thread recently where people were taking about why the Europeans (mainly Germans) were so far ahead than the US keepers in keeping and breeding many species and this is, I believe, one of them. On many of the German forums there are sub-forums that only deal with substrate and the substrate most recommended is 'forest soil'. Which is the top few inches of soil scrapped up from under the leaf litter where there are multitudes of isopods and micro-organisms.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

There was a thread recently where people were taking about why the Europeans (mainly Germans) were so far ahead than the US keepers in keeping and breeding many species

That's a very interesting thing worth of a debate. I don't want to question now about the specific issue you mentioned (boiling etc among others, of course) but only give my views about the "Europe VS USA" Theraphosidae 'feud'.

I have a question, for all (and not of course) the Europeans enthusiasts: when in the '70, people like Poec54 (if 54 is referred to 1954 like i think, of course) already owned dozens of NW and probably lots of those were WC, of course, Theraphosidae... well, how many in Europe were able to do the same like him?

I tell you... as far as i know, in Italy in the '70 no one (save for the Doria museum of Genova).
In Germany? Probably (and i say probably) but definitely NOT in the DDR, the Eastern (and paranoid commie) Germany that lasted until 1990.
Hungary (where now there's skilled ones, indeed) ? Let me doubt, my family visited that land in the '80 under the iron "commie" curtain and life was very hard, terrible.

In the former USSR nations, or those under a commie grasp like Romania? I sincerely doubt that when they (USSR) invaded Afghanistan someone watered a Psalmopoeus irminia in his/her Moscow, Kiev, San Petersburg house etc

So what remained back then? Spain and Portugal? Those were worst than Italy in that issue according to people i know from those nations. France, Austria? Bah. Who knows. Former Yugoslavia? Nah, not back then... "Hello President Colonel Comrade Saviour Tito, Foibe hero, please inspect my new Brachypelma smithi".

IMO remained UK (i assume with England definitely way more than Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) and Western Germany above all.
Probably Switzerland, ok.

So, IMO, USA people started prior than Europeans. Then in Europe things changed... they (USA) got "lost" somewhat, i think thanks even to their almost paranoid high priced/security/import check stuff and laws, while "here" brown boxes and "soft" controls were the rule.

Just that... because granted, in the old world people (breeders) are more skilled.

 

[viper69]

It's common knowledge that exotics flow more easily across the borders into Europe, especially Germany than they do here in the USA. Also, when it comes to OWs, Europe is more centrally located to Africa than the USA. It's not because the Europeans have some "secret" knowledge.

Also, there is a difference in European mentality in general than in the USA society specifically as it relates to nature, and the use of natural items that extends into the hobby. It's no surprise the Europeans use many things from their backyard w/out a second thought, and USA thinks it needs to be cleaned before use.

As a different example, the Europeans are far more ahead of the USA in using so-called "living walls" on buildings as a means to combat global climate change. It's still in it's infancy here in the USA.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

It's common knowledge that exotics flow more easily across the borders into Europe, especially Germany than they do here in the USA. Also, when it comes to OWs, Europe is more centrally located to Africa than the USA. It's not because the Europeans have some "secret" knowledge.

Also, there is a difference in European mentality in general than in the USA society specifically as it relates to nature, and the use of natural items that extends into the hobby. It's no surprise the Europeans use many things from their backyard w/out a second thought, and USA thinks it needs to be cleaned before use.

As a different example, the Europeans are far more ahead of the USA in using so-called "living walls" on buildings as a means to combat global climate change. It's still in it's infancy here in the USA.

You are right but i still believe that the hobby (probably viewed back then in the '70 as a simple "have a Tarantula at home" in USA, but could be wrong uh) started way prior in the United States than in Europe (save i think only for England/West Germany).
Especially with those NW T's of the 'border' (Mexico etc like genus Brachypelma for instance).

When i was a baby, born on January 22 1979, Poec54 was in his 25 owning dozens of T's, i'm 100% sure of that :-(