- Messages
- 278
Top soil I found at Lowes pic's included
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Who will use this??
- Thread starter Fleas
- Start date
- Messages
- 550
- Location
- Lake Elsinore, CA
Not sure, the only thing I will use has to come from the reptile store so I am positive there isn't anything bad in it.
I don't see anything listed on the label for included fertilizers, etc. but i agree with the Entity, if there are any doubts, don't use it.
I was thinking of using a similar soil at the local garden center here and mixing it 1:3 with with the coconut fiber and adding vermiculite to help hold moisture for the geniculata i'm ordering this weekend.
I was thinking of using a similar soil at the local garden center here and mixing it 1:3 with with the coconut fiber and adding vermiculite to help hold moisture for the geniculata i'm ordering this weekend.
- Messages
- 278
Thanks guys I was hoping someone will say, ya I use that brand all the time lol am rehousing 3 t's and wanted to try something new I can't stand coconut fibers no more. Am always here t keepers using this amazing thing called top soil, also ever thing at the store seems to have added stuff in it too
I'm limited on what can i get for substrates, enclosures, and whatnot. I have to order online or drive 2 hours to the nearest location with anything worth buying. You won't find the additive free soils in the big box stores like Lowes or Home Depot. Your best bet for that is going to a local greenhouse or landscape company and picking some up. If they don't carry any they'd have a better idea where to find it than one of the clueless employees at the big box store.
- Messages
- 1,091
- Location
- New Mexico
Looks like top soil I have used in the past. Put it into a black container or trash bag, moisture it, let it sit in the sun for a week or so. This week take care of parasites, seeds, spores and fungus.
- Messages
- 5,547
- Location
- Outside San Antonio, TX
In my area, if you leave substrate drying in the sun, you will have a large colony of mites included when its half dry. I have to use the oven. I've found zilla jungle mix very good substrate to use. Expensive though. Holds moisture well, its a fir/coco peat mix.
- Messages
- 5,547
- Location
- Outside San Antonio, TX
I just paid 22 at my lps. I like zilla heat mats for my roaches as well..also overpriced, I'm just too lazy to use heat tape
- Messages
- 363
Should be fine, doesn't seem to have additives. I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure RobC on youtube used to use soil with fertilizer in it all the time and never had any problems. I am by no means suggesting the use of fertilized soil but I do think we as tarantula keepers are a little to cautious sometimes. "Seeds, spores, and fungus" are likely not going to hurt your tarantula, these things do live in the wild... I use peat moss, I just bought a giant like 85 litter bag of it at lowes a couple months ago for like 13$. That's about the price of a 3 brick pack of eco earth, except you will get 24 litters tops. Plus peat moss holds moisture and burrows much better. I have rehoused over 25 tarantulas off this bag of dirt and haven't even put a dent in it. I have a friend that has been using it for the last 10 years without issue.
Peat moss is my next substrate. I just got in a 3 pack of the eco earth bricks. you have to moisten them thuroughly to break down the brick so it's usable substrate. The bricks seem to have more or maybe just longer fibers in them, so they pack a little different than the bag of eco earth i bought when we got the GBB back in May. Savage seems to be happy with the moist brick substrate.
- Messages
- 363
I used eco earth for years, but the more tarantulas I got the less cost effective it became. I like to give T's a lot of substrate to work with and the bricks just don't give you that much. I have also had problems with eco earth getting moldy/rotten deep down in moist sub enclosures. Haven't experienced this yet at least with peat moss
- Messages
- 363
Yeah during several cleanings of enclosures when I got to the bottom a bad smell arose and the eco earth turns this reddish color. I often poor water into substrate so it would concentrate in spots and I think that's what was causing it. Years ago I made more eco earth than need and instead of letting it dry out first I put it in a couple big Ziploc bags. A month or so later I went to use them and it was the worst smell ever!
After reading this possibility of the eco earth molding in more moist enclosures I noticed a greenish whitish line of something in the substrate I hadn't seen before. Having Redrum burrowed in near there I had my son help me gently dig Redrum out, then I dumped the enclosure, cleaned it, and added fresh sub just moist enough it packs and holds shape.
Redrum hasn't molted yet. But I'm sure he's close. His abdomen is fat and shines like it was oiled and is almost pure black.
Good news is it was not mold as I had feared. It was a particle of the bag the sub was packaged in it looked like. It was on the edge of the tunnel Redrum had created so my guess is he moved it so it was visible.
Redrum hasn't molted yet. But I'm sure he's close. His abdomen is fat and shines like it was oiled and is almost pure black.
Good news is it was not mold as I had feared. It was a particle of the bag the sub was packaged in it looked like. It was on the edge of the tunnel Redrum had created so my guess is he moved it so it was visible.
- Messages
- 363
Every time it happened to me it was a red color, and the smell was obvious. You could only smell it once you got to the bottom of the substrate though. However, in general I keep most species relatively dry and use water bowls and misting for humidity.
- Messages
- 797
- Location
- Warminster PA
If u can find it, buy "Eco earth". There are no additives in it, and it holds moisture great. I mix it 50/50 with coco fiber substrate and it works great. Not everywhere sells it tho. I get mine at Home Depot and it's only like $8 for a 10 lb bag
- Messages
- 363
You are buying eco earth in 10 lb bags at home depot? Sounds crazy unlikely
