new enclosure

Kazuki

Arachnosquire
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Jul 11, 2005
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75
hi guys. i just bought a new bigger better tank for my a. seemanni and she is an adult.

so i'm building a new home for her. do u guys think 50% peat moss and 50% perlite will work for her? and i want to add a live plant in the enclosure, but i dunno anything about plants. would u guys recommend any plants that would live a long time in the suitable enclosure that fit for an a. seemanni? i'm thinking ferns, but theres so many types but i am not sure which work and which don't.
 

bonesmama

Arachnoprince
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Sep 28, 2004
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Most people, I think use peat/vermiculite, 50/50. I don't remember reading about anyone using perlite. It may be too fluffy for your seemani to be able to construct a good burrow. I have 2 seemanis and have always had them on the peat/verm. mixture,and their burrows hold up very well. As for plants, I have tried them with very limited success. I bought plants that were suggested for terrariums, ground covers, ferns, stuff that can handle low light, and there's only one plant (an orchid,believe it or not!) just barely alive.I know people have had success with pothos. Do some searching, there's a couple threads on it.
 

Thoth

Arachnopharoah
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Avoid perlite. Don't use perlite with you ts. It may pose a danger to your ts. It is basically volcanic glass that is heated causing the moisture in it to puff up (similar to popcorn) causing it become very porous and able to retain water, like a sponge. The problem is it is glass, and the dust from it are sharp little crystals which if ingested with prey, can cause internal damage or get into the joints and cause fine cuts which could bleed out slowly. This is the same mechanism that diatomaceous earth uses to kill, if you look at it under a microscope it is sharp sillica crystals (shells of long dead microorganisms)
 

Kazuki

Arachnosquire
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Jul 11, 2005
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i just got this craziest idea. does anyone think throwing in a venus flytrap might work?? hey it could help eat off some mites right?
 

Potatoemoe

Arachnosquire
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Sep 22, 2005
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not sure about the potential damage the the venus fly trap could do to the T. Probably none but better to be safe than sorry. I am using one live plant in one of my terraiums, not sure of the species bought it at Lowe's on sale. It is a low light tropical plant. What I did though it replant it in a bigger pot so it could grow then barried the pot and all in the substrate so that when I water it the water retains around the plant but not out in the substrate. Also perlite is a big no no.
 

Crimsonpanther

Arachnobaron
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Sep 29, 2005
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Those conditions your providing for your A.seemanni sound like it will be one happy spider ! :clap:
 

Windchaser

Arachnoking
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Dec 13, 2004
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Kazuki said:
i just got this craziest idea. does anyone think throwing in a venus flytrap might work?? hey it could help eat off some mites right?
I wouldn't recommend it. After all, a Venus fly trap is a predatory plant. You stand the chance of it trying to consume part if not all of your tarantula.
 

Potatoemoe

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Sep 22, 2005
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Windchaser said:
I wouldn't recommend it. After all, a Venus fly trap is a predatory plant. You stand the chance of it trying to consume part if not all of your tarantula.
besides if he is getting it to take care of the mite problem there is more of a serious issue than plant choice.
 

Lover of 8 legs

Arachnoknight
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Oct 19, 2005
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Venus Flytrap requires very moist conditions which will cause you more problems now fewer.
 

Thoth

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Windchaser said:
I wouldn't recommend it. After all, a Venus fly trap is a predatory plant. You stand the chance of it trying to consume part if not all of your tarantula.
No venus flytrap species is big enough to pose a risk to an adult t (slings on the other hand possibly).

Mites are too small to trigger the traps and the moist conditions, like others said, needed for the plant will actually encourage might and mold growth.
 

fscorpion

Arachnobaron
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Aug 28, 2005
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Kazuki said:
i just got this craziest idea. does anyone think throwing in a venus flytrap might work?? hey it could help eat off some mites right?

Nice idea :rolleyes: but the Venus flytrap (dionaea muscipula) as the name says, is able to catch mainly flies or larger flying insects that will try to feed on its leaves...so, no mites, sorry, they are too tiny to activate the triggering mechanism...
Also, the flytrap requires some VERY SPECIAL care, like: a lot of sun, a resting period, demineralazied water and pure peat moss substrate (which is not the one you use for your tarantulas)...
 

fscorpion

Arachnobaron
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Lover of 8 legs said:
Venus Flytrap requires very moist conditions which will cause you more problems now fewer.
Almost completely true, but the flytrap actually needs only a water dish as a permanent water source, it doesn't require a high air moisture...
 

AussieTkeeper

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Aug 12, 2005
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Thoth said:
No venus flytrap species is big enough to pose a risk to an adult t (slings on the other hand possibly).

Mites are too small to trigger the traps and the moist conditions, like others said, needed for the plant will actually encourage might and mold growth.

Enough said LOL
i agree
 

SydneySpider

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Nov 7, 2005
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Kazuki said:
i just got this craziest idea. does anyone think throwing in a venus flytrap might work?? hey it could help eat off some mites right?
Flytraps need a LOT of light. Bunch of humidity too. And they mold really easily. I got one to eat my extra crickets. It was way too much work. You have to keep it in the sun, but it can't get too hot, plus it needs lots of humidity (as i said) so usually have to keep it covered (as i live in a desert) therefore it can't catch its own food you have to feed it and it molds SO easily! Definitly wouldn't work. Save yourself the time and get a fake plant ;)
 
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