good news, but

[Richard Simmonds]

Sounds to me then that i am using the wrong stuff, but it will be good to c.

[Glen Feasey]

Maybe we could get a few others to help with feedback and it would be of substance for the BTS Board for consideration?

[Neil Ashby]

Yes sounds a good idea , but in the end , if you are happy with what you use and are not having problems then its all down to personal preference i guess !

Im sticking with Vermiculite..........

1 it doesnt promote mites
2 its great for humidity
3 i can get a large sack of it for just over a tenner and it lasts me for 3 years
4 my T`s have always seemed happy on it ( the main reason in my opinion )
........ and finally , ive only recently changed the substrate in all of my T`s tanks and it took me ALL DAY !!!!!!!!!

[Ray Hale]

Hi, the problem of mites is as old as the hobby and one that has had much discussion over the years.

In most cases the mites tend to appear with the presence of food debris such as dead crickets. Crickets are not the cleanest of insects and have a habit of dieing in an arkward place out of sight. The mites that infest their bodies have a field day on decaying matter.

I believe it may be a husbandry issue rather than a substrate problem Try the following.

I dont feed and water at the same time as this often leads to the premature death of the cricket as the humidity level causes them respiratory problems. Water one day and feed the next.

I feed once a week and then I check if the cricket has been taken the next day. If it hasnt I remove it and try again a couple of days later.

Another tip that I have found useful is to microwave the substrate ( beforeputting the spider in ) as this kills of any organisms in the substrate. I use a tupperware box with a lid and do itfor 30 secs. Allow it to cool and set your tank up. Works for me and although I suffer like anyone else it does ease the problem

Hope this helps

Ray Hale
BTS

[Phil Rea]

I found that when I used just vermiculite for substrate that it used to stick to the legs and feet of the spiders, so I stopped using it neat. I use a mixture of peat and vermiculite for pretty much everything nowadays and it seems to work for me.

I've never noticed a mite problem as such except for one glass tank that I had with very poor ventilation. It was getting sopping in there, (I couldn't dry it out because it was a push fit lid), and I noticed some mites on the substrate. None whatsoever on the spider though. I just moved the spider into another better ventilated container and she's as happy as larry in there and no mites

[Colin D Wilson]

For the past 30 odd years i have used steralised top soil / peat and some form of inorganic volcanic rock (vermiculite) in varying mixtures and find that slightly more peat that vermic works best for humidity etc.
The problem most people have with mites is (as said many times above and on this forum) bad housekeeping. This is not always the fault of the keeper as it's hard to find a hidden dead cricket or 'T' faeces and remove them before the mites start to appear.
I have even known vermiculite alone to harbour mites when kept too damp or food remains / faeces has been left too long.
If the same attention is given to general housekeeping as it is to offering foodtuffs then only periodical substrate changing needs to be undertaken.
Also, as i have said before in some recent posts, keeping a few woodlice in the enclosure will dramatically reduce the 'leftovers' and assist in the cleansiness of the living conditions for the 'T'. as they feed on leftover food stuff, any micro bits of faeces and i believe they are particular to mite eggs.

After reading through that i'll just add that i have now stepped off my soapbox