Would this be alright as a substrate?

Crowbi

Arachnopeon
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Oct 31, 2016
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This here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Canna-50L-...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XE507NKCCPK6N5W49MJV

I'm having some trouble finding appropriate substrates that aren't blocks or bricks. I've tried a coco coir brick before and had a lot of trouble getting it to try (and yes, I tried the microwave and the oven and it just stunk up the house). In the UK so I can't just leave it outside to try by itself either.

I've also found that the shops I get my t's from only have blocks or unsuitable substrates for the stuff I keep atm.
 

chanda

Arachnoking
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I would be a little leery of using that one because of the "natural plant booster" (which is probably a euphemism for manure) and the perlite (which is formed from volcanic glass and may be too abrasive for your pets). You'd be better off using plain topsoil than anything with fertilizers and other additives.

The coco bricks aren't that bad to dry - you just need to give them time. I use them all the time and I love how convenient they are. When I want to dry one in a hurry, I do use the oven - and a VERY large roasting pan (lined with foil) so I can expose as much surface area as possible. I also go in and stir it periodically to bring the moist bottom layer to the top and speed drying. It does smell a little weird, but it's not that bad.
 
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KezyGLA

Arachnoking
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You could use the bricks but always have excess out drying getting ready for the next rehouse.
 

KezyGLA

Arachnoking
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Eco earth is the safest. If you spread it out thin on a surface or tray it will dry fast. Sometimes I take a hairdryer to it and works well
 

mistertim

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Sep 4, 2015
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You can buy bags of Eco Earth that you don't have to water and then dry out. That's what I buy. The brick thing is a pain in the ass that I'm not really interested in dealing with.
 

dopamine

Arachnobaron
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I had bad experiences with drying out Eco Earth bricks in the past, but i've found that simply using less water than instructed solves this problem.
 

Trenor

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I had bad experiences with drying out Eco Earth bricks in the past, but i've found that simply using less water than instructed solves this problem.
I just mix up a lot at the time and put it in a substrate bin. As it dries, I turn it over to put more moist sub on the top. I usually keep peat, topsoil and coco fiber on hand so I can rehouse as needed. With the amount of Ts I have it helps not to try to mix up stuff before needing to house. I recently rehoused 4 large juvi terrestrial Ts with enough substrate to burrow if the wanted and that took a lot.

If I only had a few I might would consider just getting the bag eco earth but that would be way too expensive for me atm.
 

Ungoliant

Malleus Aranearum
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If I only had a few I might would consider just getting the bag eco earth but that would be way too expensive for me atm.
Yeah, coco fiber is way more expensive loose than compacted. (I ended up getting a bag of loose Eco Earth just because we really have nowhere to set up drying racks for wet substrate to dry.)

I also like peat, and I will be experimenting with some different mixtures of coco fiber, peat, and maybe a little vermiculite.
 

Bugmom

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May 28, 2012
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I like to mix it. It's dusty if you don't IMO.
Not to mention doesn't want to absorb water. I hate peat for that reason.

I'm in the states, but I bought Black Magic coco coir from Home Depot, $21 for a HUGE bag of it. It's premixed with perlite (to hold in moisture). I like it a lot. It's designed for hydroponics, but I'm loving it for all of my animals, from tarantulas to reptiles. https://www.blackmagic.com/products/coco-coir-mix/
 

Trenor

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Not to mention doesn't want to absorb water.
I usually have to put it in a bucket and add water and let it set. Once it starts soaking up water it holds a lot of moisture. I like adding it to coco fiber because it help pack better than just the coco fiber. Lately I have been adding topsoil in as well.

The big thing I don't like about just coco fiber is that it doesn't pack well.
 

clive 82

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Sep 11, 2016
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This here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Canna-50L-...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XE507NKCCPK6N5W49MJV

I'm having some trouble finding appropriate substrates that aren't blocks or bricks. I've tried a coco coir brick before and had a lot of trouble getting it to try (and yes, I tried the microwave and the oven and it just stunk up the house). In the UK so I can't just leave it outside to try by itself either.

I've also found that the shops I get my t's from only have blocks or unsuitable substrates for the stuff I keep atm.
If you want to use coco coir but want it on the drier side don't add as much water as they say on the instructions. I add less water which slightly softens the block then break it up with my hands, until its the consistency you want.
 

dopamine

Arachnobaron
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341
Not to mention doesn't want to absorb water. I hate peat for that reason.

I'm in the states, but I bought Black Magic coco coir from Home Depot, $21 for a HUGE bag of it. It's premixed with perlite (to hold in moisture). I like it a lot. It's designed for hydroponics, but I'm loving it for all of my animals, from tarantulas to reptiles. https://www.blackmagic.com/products/coco-coir-mix/
Gonna try this stuff thanks for the link
 

Walker253

Arachnobaron
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Jun 12, 2016
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554
For coco bricks, in addition to less water, I use hot water. For me, it seems to absorb and dry faster.
 

Venom1080

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Sep 24, 2015
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i keep a bucket of coco fiber around, and a big bag of peat. i prefer to use 80% peat and 20% coco fiber. holds water, looks nice and makes the eco earth last a lot longer. (as peat is pretty cheap for alot)
 

Bugmom

Arachnolord
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May 28, 2012
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$1.37 for 40lb.....call off the world search;)
I know you've linked to this like 50 times over the years, but I still cannot find plain ol' top soil anywhere. Not wal-mart, not Home Depot, not gardening supply stores. Everything has additives along the lines of Miracle Gro, or has compost added to it. I have looked in both cities I've lived in in the last two years and cannot find PLAIN DIRT like that. :mad:

Additionally, the bags that I had from the two times I actually found PLAIN FREAKING DIRT in the last year or longer - one molded so I tossed it out, and the other led to soil mite infestations in everything i used it in. Totally ruined two springtail colonies. It would take a couple of months for the mites to, I dunno, hatch or whatever they do, then almost overnight hundreds of the creepy little jerks would be all over whatever they were in. Soon, they'd be in the thousands. You can ask @sydsnybny about my mite battles :rofl:
 
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