Substrate

[Barbara Gittings]

Hi everyone, need some advice on substrate. I have been using Spider Life substrate, a forest formula sepecially formulated for spiders.

My G.rosea seems quite settle on this but I have noticed that it is begining to slightly smell, and when I try to spot clean my G.rosea appears to have webbed all over the floor of her tank. Has anyone else used this and is this normal for this kind of substrate? It is only coming up to three weeks since I first got her, so the substrate has not been there long.

What is everyone else using? any recommendations would be good.

Barbara

[Simon Batten]

I use coir coconut fibre for my substrate I have used a few different substrates but I prefer this one the most, the only problem with it is it dries out quite quick, but doesnt smell, you can get brick shaped blocks in wilkinson for 69p same stuff as the sell for £5 in the petshop near me.

I have never really spot cleaned my tanks as I never saw the need to, if there was a bit of dead cricket I will move it but generally I find them quite tidy, the sling pots get worse I clean them out once a fortnight else they can get a bit smelly.

[Richard Simmonds]

Hi Barbara, at the moment i am using two different substrates, one is 100% vermiculite, and the other is 100% peat. I have been running a little test for myself, as to which one is the best. Both seem good for the spider, and they both look ok. But vermiculite does seem (to me anyway) the best. You dont seem to get mites with vermiculite, and i know that others reading this, who use peat, will say that with good husbandry you wont get mites with peat. But when i have finished my little test, i will explain. Also vermiculite is much much easier for keeping humidity at the correct level.
Anyway as with everything with the great Trantula, you have to do what you feel is right for the T, and what you feel happy with.

[Daniel Carpenter]

Thats true...i use a mix of the both ....Only because i have alot of my tarantulas on show and a mix of the both works well and looks natrual. But like Richard said its best to see what your tarantulas like best, do a test buy a little of each substance and see what one works best for you and your tarantula.

[Simon Batten]

I used peat for a bit but its very dark and I just didnt like it too much plus the fact that its not a renewable source puts me off, vermiculite is good but I prefer the look of coconut fibre

[Neil Ashby]

i use vermiculite and am happy with it , as i think my T`s are too !

check out my thread titled " my collection" to see what it looks like , the last pics i posted i have added some moss which has enhanced the look of the tanks and made it look more natural !

.... and i have NEVER had mites !!!!

[Larry Shone]

I just use coir for all my Ts,and for a G,rosea you want it as dry as possible,mine's practically arid with a small water dish. They and B.smithi are desert species and I think the substrate should reflect this. You will find that even tho the sub. is dry it still feels quite humid in there. I once had my G.rosea on too wet a sub. and she wasn't happy at all. As soon as I dried it out she started feeding again.

[Robin Johannessen]

I prefer peat. If it`s a dessert species, I mix with sand. Jungle dwelling species I mix it with coco fiber. To some of my arboreals, I mix peat and vermiculite, becase I usually keep them on little substrate.

greets
Robin

[Colin D Wilson]

I have to say i've always used peat and vermiculite mixed in varying degrees. it's cheap so very replaceable if need be.
I have a small colony of woodlice in each tank to keep clean and use spagnum moss in varying amounts and degrees of moistness to control humidity (no hard fast rule to this, it's just what works best from experience)
Not had any problems as yet regarding substrate.
saying all this wheni purches two G roseas from Lee an kettering they were on a fibre substrate, must say i was impressed with it so will be trying combinations including this for future additions.

[Larry Shone]

Peats not a good idea over here, pretty taboo as its repsonsible for the destruction of a very valuable habitat. I think coir is just as good as peat, has the same properties.

[Colin D Wilson]

I use a brand called Moorland Gold (which used to be stocked up till recently by my local wilkos, now i have to get it from a local garden centre at £2.50 (45ltrs) when they have it !)
You can also order it online from Tamar Organics, but the delivery charge is a killer, working out to over a tenner for 45 litres

This is actually obtained from the filtering of water in west Yorkshire before it enters the drinking system. Also due to natural erosion from the peat moors large quantities of peat, silt and leaf mould also build up in reservoirs, this has been found to be detramental to the aquatic life so the reserviors are dredged out and the compost packaged up.

I know it's still technically peat, and i appreciate your valid point, but at the end of the day, it's not directly harvested. i also noted somewhere that a certain amount from the sale of this product, and others like it, is donated to the environmental fund that preserves the original habitat.

Failing being able to obtain this i have used a john innes compost that has peat substitute in it, there are a few available (can't remember which i had) you have to check for impregnated pestacides though.

[Daniel Carpenter]

Now this is just a past the by thing .....if people are worried about the enviroment go to this website, Just give it a click a day and you save 11.5 feet or so of jungle/ rainforest....it might be a load of rubbish but i do it and it looks good. And hey you could be saving tarantula habitat....
This is not the one i was looking for but very similer check it out...

http://ecologyfund.com/ecology/_donate_rainforest.html

And this is the one that i do every day....

http://www.therainforestsite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=4

Like i said it might be a load of rubbish but it sounds o.k and what the hell its only click... Sorry mark if i shouldnt be promoting other sites but once you look i am sure you will agree. And imagine if all of us on here did it ....we could save one hell of alot.
Just thought you might be intrested,
Dan.

[Larry Shone]

Well, Im not sure it would work, but I clicked anyway!

[Larry Shone]

I use a brand called Moorland Gold (which used to be stocked up till recently by my local wilkos, now i have to get it from a local garden centre at £2.50 (45ltrs) when they have it !)

This is actually obtained from the filtering of water in west Yorkshire before it enters the drinking system. Also due to natural erosion from the peat moors large quantities of peat, silt and leaf mould also build up in reservoirs, this has been found to be detramental to the aquatic life so the reserviors are dredged out and the compost packaged up.

Failing being able to obtain this i have used a john innes compost that has peat substitute in it, there are a few available (can't remember which i had) you have to check for impregnated pestacides though.

Hey that stuff sounds good to me! and I do use John Innes for my potted plants, of which I have hundreds-thought about using it for Ts too!

[Daniel Carpenter]

Good good we can only hope but it says at the bottom of the second link after you have clicked that ......'' '' number of people have clicked and have saved .... '' '' of the rainforest. But i dont know its worth a try.
Dan.