Mould in sling pots

[Jennifer Todd]

Hi everyone

I'm after some advice. I had to clean out two of my B smithi sling pots because I noticed small patches of mould starting to grow on the substrate. I was just reading the other thread about using woodlice for adult T enclosures and was wondering if there is anything I could do or use for very tiny slings, legspan <1cm, to prevent mould growth.

I'm using coir as substrate and I gently mist the pots twice per week, the substrate is not swamped. The pots have air holes on the sides and on the lids. My slings are kept on a shelf with a statted heat-mat and temps are 75 - 80.

Jen

[Colin D Wilson]

Hi Jennifer,

In my mind the answers simple...i would change the substrate from Coir to a suitable compost based substance.

I have used Coir on its own as a substrate and have found if it's kept quite damp then mould forms....not good !!
To be honest i find the stuff pretty useless all round as it's too dusty when left to dry for genus such as Grammostola and Aphonopelma too.

Many people use this stuff and swear by it but i've yet to be impressed.

[Elaine Ross]

I agree with Colin on the coir substrate. I used it for my T. apophysis and some of my Avics and had nothing but problems. I not only had mould but also had mushrooms growing in it. I've changed to a peatmoss substrate and have had no issues with it so far in any of my tanks.

[tim battman]

what brand of compost are you using? as i cant find an additive free one or is the fertiliser in it not a problem?

[Elaine Ross]

I'm using 100% Irish peat moss from the local garden centre. It is additive free but came with springtails already in it which are handy for keeping the tanks clean.

[tim battman]

none of the garden centres round here stock peat moss that i can find what are the other alternatives ?

[Colin D Wilson]

I use the cheapest one from Wilko's, about 80p for a medium size bag, ingredients are on the side..nothing untoward in there.
As it's that cheap it's just reclaimed peat and soil mix and does the job nicely

[Jennifer Todd]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I have noticed the coir gives my G rosea a dusty bum.

I re-housed my B albopilosum with a mix of coir and vermiculite to aid humidity. This T loves to burrow and I want to change to peat as it will hold up better.

Thanks for the Wilkos tip Colin. Do you microwave that peat before using it or just use it staright from the bag?

[Colin D Wilson]

It's best to microwave it just to be on the safe side, i've found it's pretty sterile when it's been used for more resilient inverts such as cockroaches....no untoward mould or anything.

[Christian Elowsky]

If you allow the coir to compost on it's own you'll make your own and waste nothing. I have never seen the point in fighting biology.

You have a food resource (organic substrate), to that you add water and allow air to come in contact with it. Unless kept very dry, you will get molds, fungi, bacteria, all the stuff which happens in nature. If it's a problem, then allow it to occur in a plastic bucket or tote a few months before you try it out.

As peat is not sustainable and variable, coir is a possibility, albiet one that I dislike as well. Might I suggest a mixture of oak leaves (clean sources only) and coir? The acidification would slow some of the processes which people find unsightly.

Michael Jacobi has a DVD out stateside which demonstrates very well how to compost and keep the system going including the use of detritivores. Hopefully it will reach the other side of the puddle if folks need a visual example to follow.

In the end, my advice has always been, relax. Too wet or not enough air movement is bad, but not all fungi is bad.

Good luck.

[ty sinclair]

hi jennifer i use the soil that comes in the shape of a brick. i looked at 1 of my t's 1 night everything ok. woke up in the morning and the sling pot was half surrounded by white fluff. i had more soil that was completly dry so i just emptied out the old soil and put in the dry stuff. maybe cause the pots are so small u cant really get much air in them compared to a bigger tank.

[Jennifer Todd]

Ty, that brick stuff is the coir. I had white mould that suddenly appeared. I only gently misted the pots, didn't soak them, and still got it. I baked that stuff in the oven at 200C when I prepared it too.

I have now changed all my slings, and put a new B albopilosum on the Wilkos peat mix. I nuked it to sterilse it. Hopefully the peat will be better and hold up a little better for my B albops who like to dig.

[Robert Sleaford]

I use coc coir and don't really have a problem with mould. The only time mould ever appears is if I miss leftover food particles. I just pick it out and the problem is no more.

Also, trying misting a little less often, or increasing ventilation. You'll find the right balance with practice.

[Danny Wilson]

hi there,
i also used to use coir for all my t's but now only the likes on my Brachypelma's and baboons as they prefer alot more arid conditions from my experience so the real solution tbh would be just to mist alot less. I have had no problems with mould since i decided to only use the coir for these t's only and then like the other comments i use a peat based substrate for all others.