T BLONDI...best substrate?

[Debi Low]

Hi all im after some advice on what substrate is best to use for housing a goliath? Ive done loads of research and most say to use peat as it holds the humidity best but everywhere Ive looked, no where is selling peat. Garden centres are only selling compost that is peat free and im not 100 % sure on what else would be best to use....

I can get coco fibre (the type u mix with water and it expands) but would this be ok?

I know im gonna need a lot as the goliaths need at least 6 inches of substrate...

thanks
debi

[Peter Roach]

It doesnt matter what you use really, as long as it retains moisture well.
Substrates that I have seen used are eco-earth, peat, screened topsoil, compost or a mix of any of them.
Eco-earth (coco fibre) is my preference although I would use a mix of eco-earth and vermiculite at a ratio of 4/1.
Vermiculite isnt something that i would use by itself but mixed with any of the previously mentioned substrates will help to retain moisture.
When I supply a deep substrate for burrowers, I mix in chopped up spagnam moss to help hold the spiders tunnels together and stop cave-ins.

[Colin D Wilson]

Cheap potting compost is a prefered choice here, the cheaper it is .. the less chemicles it has in it usually so less worry about anything in there to harm the spider.

Everything else .......... as Pete just said

[Peter Roach]

Everything else .......... as Pete just said

So i finally got summink right then ! ! !

[Mrs Linda Street]

Hi all im after some advice on what substrate is best to use for housing a goliath? Ive done loads of research and most say to use peat as it holds the humidity best but everywhere Ive looked, no where is selling peat. Garden centres are only selling compost that is peat free and im not 100 % sure on what else would be best to use....

I can get coco fibre (the type u mix with water and it expands) but would this be ok?

I know im gonna need a lot as the goliaths need at least 6 inches of substrate...

thanks
debi

Hi Debi, just to give you an alternative view regarding the keeping of Theraphosas, I started off with the traditiional wet substrate, dark dank hole, with the many problems of mites etc., but about 2 and a half years ago altered the whole lot. Went to dry eco-earth, hide dry and then sink a dish/container (I use the micro waveable ready meal type of dish) put that into the substrate, either along the side of the tank or at the front, and fill that with damp/wet eco-earth, and have never looked back since, no pests/mites, and a bunch of happy Theraphosas. I've got 10 Blondi & Apophysis, all of them are now housed like this, you get to see them, they go in their hide if they wish, but spend a large part of their time stretched out on their wet patch, and I personally don't use a tank bigger than 18" x 10" x10", as they are not the most active of T's. I also give them a light spraying, weekly, and without doubt, in my opinion, I think it's the best way I've found of keeping them, and it has no bearing on their overall colouration. One other point, don't make the mistake of overfeeding them

[Colin D Wilson]

The traditional wet substrate supersition more than likely came about from collectors finding the spiders wandering about after a heavy rain, thus leading to the idea that they prefered damper conditions. more than likely their burrows had been flooded so they were off to find somewhere dry to "hold up".
Again the idea that they are active spiders was supposed the same way with the collectors finding them out and about, as Linda says they are quite lazy spiders and will doss about in their burrows for the most part from what i've seen of examples kept in the fashion that Linda points out above (which is a nice setup idea to be honest)
The colouration changing regarding wet or dry substrate is one thing i haven't heard any reasonable evidence to prove (again Linda proves it has no effect), the spiders just seem to be darker when they moult and then go progressively lighter untill the y shed again from what i've seen. There's some fact in the dampness having an effect on some of the Aphonopelma and Grammostola genus from trials some people have done, these little snippets are sprinkled about on different spider forums so an hour or two spare for a search is needed.

[Mrs Linda Street]

Thanks Colin for those additional points, as I remember Mark (Pennell) also saying that he'd found their burrows to actually be dry on inspection in their natural habitat, and the colouration is as you say, and we've observed, bears no relation to whether they are kept wet or dry, it's just that I think people prefer the rusty colour prior to their actual moult, because they all come out very dark/black when they moult and gradually alter in shade as the months come around again to their next moult.

One other point I forgot to mention for Debi, is to also keep a good sized water dish available for them.

[Patricio Cavallo]

Hi, the closer you can get to this earth...will be the best I think:



:P

[Patricio Cavallo]

About their natural environment...

From my visit to FG.
FG has really humid forests. I've found TB in both really humid forests and just humid forests... I mean, that some where found where humidity was about 90% and up and the soil was wet (not flooded), and I've found a really nice population where the soil was drier in comparison to the other populations...though humidity was above 65% (and upper inside their burrows). In this ''drier'' place, there where almost no mosquitoes. And when I took a dirt sample, I dug and the dirt bellow the surface was considerably moister. I was surprised to see that some burrows occasionally received slight morning sunlight. And Theraphosas are usually at the entrance of their burrows, waiting for prey... they go back quickly inside when they sense your steps, but they don't go much deeper...I've found that they are really easy to take them out of their burrows and they show no defensive attitude at all! Even no flicking hairs. Well, there's a lot to tell about them for sure, so amazing animals!
Anyway, TB do need moisture to thrive in my opinion and upper relatuve humidity inside their cages. I personally use sphagnum moss (the thin and darker one), kept moist and a big water dish. I cover with plastic film about 1/3 of the mesh lid, where the retreat/burrow is. That seems to work well.

Cheers,
Pato