What do you use for substrate?

[Tomoran]

Bagged top soil for all my spiders, the cheap stuff, $1.50 for a big bag at Home Depot.

Hey, Poec!

What brand do you use? I've been using the Scotts, but I don't know if there is a better brand out there for it.

 

[Martin Oosthuysen]

When I acquired my fist tarantulas in the late 90s, everyone recommended that they be kept on vermiculite (and some of the vendors kept them on colorful aquarium gravel or stones!). Obviously, things have changed and we now know much better. When I really got into the hobby recently, coco fiber was all the rage. This is still one of my favorite subs, but it can get quite pricey when you start filling large enclosures.

In the past year, I've done a lot of lot of experimenting with different subs as I look to find the desired properties I need for different set ups while trying to keep costs down. After listening to other experienced keepers, I realized that coco fiber might not be the be-all end-all, and that other substrates might work as well or even better.

I've tried everything from coco fiber to top soil and peat (all organic), to mixtures of all three along with some vermiculite for moisture retention and filtering. I tend to have a different mix depending on the type of set up (arid vs. moist) or size of the enclosure.

So, what are you find folks using these days? Anyone else do some experimenting? If you use mixtures, what are they?

Hello
I tend to use cocopeat,I mentioned on another forum coco fiber I guess I hashed that up. So far cocopeat has worked wonders,used it with all my setups terrestrial arboreal even fossorial. So far 0 complaints,the Tarantulas burrow create elaborate homes etc.

So from my perspective great,where I am it is cheap easy to use little hassle. Are there other alternatives ? Of course,there are multiple choices. I believe every hobbyist has his own taste,and as long as there is no negative impact well who is right who is wrong ? Perspective

 

[Poec54]

Hey, Poec!

What brand do you use? I've been using the Scotts, but I don't know if there is a better brand out there for it.

It's sold in Florida under the Timberline brand, but it could vary throughout the country. No need for them to ship dirt 2,000 miles. It's great stuff. In the wild very few animals live in coco fiber, because of the hazard of falling coconuts (like cannonballs, not a place you want to put a hammock). I just don't like the stuff at all. Give me good old dirt.

 

[Tomoran]

It's sold in Florida under the Timberline brand, but it could vary throughout the country. No need for them to ship dirt 2,000 miles. It's great stuff. In the wild very few animals live in coco fiber, because of the hazard of falling coconuts (like cannonballs, not a place you want to put a hammock). I just don't like the stuff at all. Give me good old dirt.

I actually picked up my first bag of topsoil after you recommended it, and I've been using it more and more. My stirmi and both chilobrachy species are on mostly topsoil, and my E. pachypus are on 100% topsoil. My burrowing species seem to LOVE it, as it holds its shape very well.

Do you ever have difficulty with water absorbing into it, or am I just getting difficult batches?

 

[Poec54]

It varies in how moist it is, and if it's stored where rain can get on it. Since many species like slightly most substrate (tropical terrestrials from high rainfall regions) it's usually okay out of the bag. For east and southern Africans, Aphonopelma from the SW US, and Avics, I'll pour some in a cardboard box and let it dry for a few days.

 

[Tomoran]

It varies in how moist it is, and if it's stored where rain can get on it. Since many species like slightly most substrate (tropical terrestrials from high rainfall regions) it's usually okay out of the bag. For east and southern Africans, Aphonopelma from the SW US, and Avics, I'll pour some in a cardboard box and let it dry for a few days.

Yes, it's usually at a nice moisture level right out of the bag, which has been great. Thanks!