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What's your "best" substrate for tarantula keeping?

octanejunkie

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3 Year Member
Tarantula Club Member
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4,163
For what it's worth, here is what I do

I dehydrate coco coir bricks, I purchase the two following one(s) from Amazon

Zoo Med Eco Earth Loose Coconut Fiber Substrate, 8 Quarts
- CHEAPER than same brand bricks by weight
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00167VVP4/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Zilla Reptile Terrarium Bedding Substrate Coconut Husk Brick
- first time purchase, cheaper than the "other brand" by weight
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001F9COL8/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

I hydrate as recommended and use a 5-gallon bucket for this. If I make it too wet, i then let it dry back out some by leaving the bucket open for a few days, covered with an old t-shirt so bugs don't roost in it, stirring it once to twice a day. It's easier not to over moisten, believe me.

Before using, I mix the dehydrated coco coir 1:1 with peat moss. I like this one, a lot, also from Amazon

Hoffman 15503 Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss, 10 Quarts
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CBITW/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

I leave it in the bucket with the lid loosely on top, allowing the substrate to naturally dry out over time and re-moisten as necessary or before use.

But that's just the beginning

For some species Ts I add vermiculite if more moisture is required. For other species I add clean dry play sand, from Home Depot or similar. leaf litter, charcoal or organic wood mulch* if I am setting up a biometric enclosure.

*make sure any woods you use are free of insecticidal toxins, avoid pine, cedar and any wood saps.

EDIT : sand will scratch plastic and glass enclosures, I use it less and less frequently stopped using sand.

Honestly, just mixing the coco coir (fiber) and peat moss equally is pretty much all I use these days for most of my tarantula enclosures. It holds moisture well, doesn't mold and Ts can dig in it and the burrows hold shape.

Sometimes, I just use the peat moss. It is MOLD RESISTANT and dark in color, offering natural feel, good odor, no strings and holds moisture better than coir alone.

Tom Moran (@Tomoran) turned me on to the peat moss/coir mix in this video and it's been a blessing!

As always, I pack my substrate down firmly to simulate "terra firma" lol so I have all of this stuff on Subscribe and Save with Amazon

What do y'all do?
 

liquidfluidity

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
193
Location
USA
1pt/ brick Eco Earth
1pt/ bag of Reptisoil
.5pt/ peat moss
.5pt/ vermiculite
1gal / purified water that I make myself

I may add moss and leaf litter also.

I have found this mix to be extremely mold resistant and holds moisture forever. If you have a species that requires things to be dry, skip the vermiculite and let the mix dry way down before using.
 

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