Best Substrate To Use for My Cobalt Blue

[venom6669]

I was wondering what's the best substrate to use for a burrowing tarantula, such as my Cobalt Blue? I currently am using eco earth in his plastic canister he's living in, but I've heard that vermiculite's the best and/or peat moss or both?

 

[Nada]

I wouldn't use straight Vermiculite for anything. I use a 70/30 mix eco/vermiculite. Peat is also good, just be careful of what peat you buy as some has pine/cedar in it which kills Ts. I have a couple dozen happily burrowed King Baboons, in Eco/Vermiculite so I'm a big fan.

 

[venom6669]

I added about 70/30 of the eco earth and vermiculite into my Cobalt's enclosure, (plastic container) and I even made a pre-made burrow hole using my finger and a pencil and my Cobalt Blue's still not burrowing yet! Another source told me just to use peat moss. Will he burrow eventually? Other than that, he's eating great!

 

[Nada]

yeah, eventually s/he'll burrow. I've seen it take as long as 6 months for a burrower to burrow.

 

[ipreventdeath]

I currently have straight coco fiber, placed in damp and pounded flat, for my burrowing roseas and haven't had an issue yet. My larger female has a fairly good sized cavern going currently and everything is holding up nicely.

 

[ipreventdeath]

And when I say pounded flat, I mean pounded.

 

[Kurt Nelson]

My H.Lividum does fine in straight eco earth. They web it up so it's not likely to collapse.

Some H.Lividum can take a month if not longer to burrow. I wouldn't worry too much about it not burrowing right away.

 

[venom6669]

I just purchased an unsexed 3" OBT (Orange Baboon T) Pteriniochilus Murinus that's currently living in a plastic shoebox and it bolted right out on me after I opened the lid to do spot cleaning and it went right behind my snake tank and climbed up the wall. I was able to capture it while still on the wall in a plastic deli cup and I noticed one of its right back legs came off! I blame myself for it getting out on me & losing one of its legs. Would it regrow back after its next molt? It doesn't appear to be bleeding or it's abdomen has bursted!

 

[Bast]

As long as there is no other injury or 'bleeding', it should be fine after it's next moult. Don't beat yourself up to much, OBT's are super fast, and it's hard to understand just how fast until you see it first hand.

 

[Kurt Nelson]

Did you find the leg in the enclosure? Have you found the leg at all? They don't bleed blood, they bleed a clearish color substance. Just make sure you have a water bowl in there so it can stay hydrated just in case it is indeed "bleeding". As long as it can replace the fluids it's losing you should be in the clear. When it molts next molt it should have a leg in replace of the one it has now. Although it wont be as thick and robust as the others it will be about the same size. On the molt after the leg should be the same as all the other ones. Some times I wish I molted.

 

[Bast]

Did you find the leg in the enclosure? Have you found the leg at all? They don't bleed blood, they bleed a clearish color substance. Just make sure you have a water bowl in there so it can stay hydrated just in case it is indeed "bleeding". As long as it can replace the fluids it's losing you should be in the clear. When it molts next molt it should have a leg in replace of the one it has now. Although it wont be as thick and robust as the others it will be about the same size. On the molt after the leg should be the same as all the other ones. Some times I wish I molted.

Yeah moulting would have been super handy over the course of my lifetime LOL

 

[Denny Dee]

I have two Cobalt Blues and they are both avid diggers. They seem to love burrowing into excavator clay (Zoo Med substrate for reptiles). On top of the clay, I would recommend the Eco/Vermiculite (70/30 mix) mentioned above. Know this: You won't see them much after they burrow. True story: I thought I lost my juvi. Didn't see her for months and after seeing crickets grow old and retire in the tank decided she must have passed? The burrow was very deep (I like to make my own burrow hoping they will move into is so I can see them at my leisure with a flashlight but she decided to make a vertical one instead). So, on implulse, I purchased a Chilobrachys fimbriatus at a show to replace her. I emptied out the entire enclosure except the biggest piece of the excavator clay (this stuff gets heave so use caution) as I was hoping to salvage all my hard landscaping efforts. I placed the Indian Violet into the the new enclosure and she went right into my home made burrow entrance. Perfect. The next day, when I went to mist the tank before work, I noticed the T was out and about so misted around her. I thought I noticed something move in the burrow as it was already webbed up. That night when I got home, "the" T was in the back corner. I looked closer and, much to my dismay, it was my "dead" Cobalt! Horrifying! Much more so for the Cobalt Blue but horrifying for me as well knowing that I had my hand all over the tank cleaning out the old substrate and am amazed she never nailed me. I moved fast and rescued the poor critter and re-located it. Both Blue and the Indian Violet are alive and well (if T's have nightmares, than this Blue must still have them being shoved out of the burrow by an angry Chilobrachys!)