Safe substrate?

[Tarantulas&Cats]

Just wanting some advice on tarantula substrate. Been a while for me since I'm just now returning to the hobby. Before I always used the ground coconut fiber. But now I've heard some pretty negative issues with it. I just want the best for my T's. Anyways does anyone know much about the Zoo Med Reptisoil? That's what I recently purchased for mine. Eventually I'm planning on getting the Bio Dude's soil mix. Its just not in immediate reach... i can be so impatient. (Selfish I know).

 

[Sugar Wolf]

I don't know the straight facts about Reptisoil but I use Reptisoil for all my T's and I love it and so do they especially the diggers lol... I use it for my bioactive enclosures because what's in it is really good for plants to live and grow.

 

[Tarantulas&Cats]

Cool! Good to know. That does make me feel better about using it. Do you mind me asking, How many tarantulas you have? And how long have you been keeping them? Technically I'm not a beginner, although I've only had one in my possession since 2015, when I was basically put in a predicament to get rid of all of mine, which was around 30 or so, all different species, as well as everything for them... Lost so much money because i just gave them away. Friends & coworkers... That way I knew they'd be taken care of, cause they were all keepers themselves.They hit the jackpot! Supplies, nice metal shelves that held them... Everything, But did manage to keep one though. Still have her too. Have had her since 2004. I was seriously into the whole hobby thing for a little over a decade. I loved my spiders. Anyways, sorry for rambling on for so long... I Thank you for your opinion on the subject... Have a good one!

 

[m0lsx]

I use Coconut Coir that I buy from poundland. We have around 100 T's & it gives us no problems at all.

The only thing I would not personally use is topsoil. I used to drive HGV's & regularly did "soil away" jobs on tippers. Sometimes moving so called topsoil to locations that sold it on.

Top soil simply means it is the upper part of the ground that you walk on. It could come from anywhere & be of any quality. Some suppliers screen the soil, that is sieve it. But that does not remove unwanted bactarias or chemicals from sites of various qualities that are being cleared for development & that is the normal source for topsoil.

Assuming the soil comes from agricultural land & not an old commercial site. Would you want pesticides, herbicides & the many & varied fertilisers that are used in agriculture in your T's enclosure? Look up the common bactaria found in soil, it's not a nice list.

One job I did for a few weeks was driving a sewage tanker. Some of that sewage was moved to agricultural land & injected as a fertiliser. Practices have changed since then, but it is still legal to do it.

 

[Tarantulas&Cats]

That's also good to know. I'm sure it depends on the species but how wet or dry do you keep it? Thank you for the advice...

 

[m0lsx]

That's also good to know. I'm sure it depends on the species but how wet or dry do you keep it? Thank you for the advice...

Just to add. Topsoil is a personal thing for me. Others keep T's on topsoil with no problems.

With moisture I vary from very dry, with moistened substrate under the water bowl & the water bowl moved every couple of weeks, to allow the substrate to totally dry out in that area & thus avoid mold. To slightly moist substrate that is kept clear of mold with one of natures small white recyclers called Springtails. I then add a small amount of dried yeast to my enclosures, to create mold & thus keep my springtails healthy & ready for action.

It is hard to describe how wet something is. But I want my wettest substrate to feel slightly moist to the touch, but not be wet. If I pick up my wettest substrate & rub it between my fingers, I only end up with very slightly moist fingertips & that in a well ventilated enclosure gives me a very high humidity. I do not use hygrometers, but it will be around 90%.

Another way to keep your enclosure humid, is to get a reasonable sized water bowl. I use peanut butter lids, as they offer a reasonable surface area & depth.

Moist substrate requires good ventilation to keep your T healthy. I provide ventilation for my moist enclosures from just above the substrate to the lid. Even if that means adding ventilation holes to a commercial arboreal enclosure.

Springtails are part of a system known as clean up crews. If you want to look them up.

 

[Lentulus]

I use coco for my dozen or so T’s. Reptisoil is just peat with humus, coco, and sand. You could get that much cheaper at Home Depot in the garden section. Just make sure it’s organic and there’s nothing sharp in there like perlite. Perlite can be perfectly safe if it’s “fine“ rather than coarse. That Biodudes stuff is also just organic soil with a little more added to feed plants for a bit—cheaper alternatives also at Home Depot.

When looking for soils, there’s always an ingredient panel listed like food at the grocery stores. Once you’re familiar with what is what, lots of safe cheap alternatives. If money is no object, then
everything mentioned above could serve the purpose.

 

[DustyD]

I like Biodude but it is expensive. I think there are several types of reptisoil, with slightly different ingredients but it seems to be popular. Others as you have seen make their own. Buidude’s includes some charcoal which is not harmful to Ts but my T’s have traditionally bulldozed it out of their dens and or deposited it in their water dishes.