Potting Soil?

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Bipolar Rocket

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Dec 11, 2006
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I'm about to get an B. Albopilosum and I'm havin' trouble finding potting soil. The best I could come up with (that doesn't contain plant food/pesticides to the best of my knowledge) is Hyponex. On the back it says: 'This product is regionally formulated from organic materials (hypnum peat, forest products or compost), sand and perlite.', is this a good type of potting soil? Typically what brand do you use? Also, how much height should be between the potting soil and the top of the Kritter Keeper for a 1.25 inch-er?
 
becca81

becca81

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I use peat moss and vermaculite mixed together. If I'm out of vermaculite, I just use peat moss.

Worst case scenario, go to PetSmart or PetCo and buy some EcoEarth (coco fiber). It'll cost you a bit more, but if you don't have many tanks to fill, it'll work. :)

Good luck!

Becca
 
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Bipolar Rocket

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becca81 said:
I use peat moss and vermaculite mixed together. If I'm out of vermaculite, I just use peat moss.

Worst case scenario, go to PetSmart or PetCo and buy some EcoEarth (coco fiber). It'll cost you a bit more, but if you don't have many tanks to fill, it'll work. :)

Good luck!

Becca
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I heard that vermaculite can be toxic. Is there any truth to this?
 
Count Tarantula

Count Tarantula

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Coco Bedding

I use a 50/50 split of coco bedding and sphagnum peat moss. The coco bedding really holds moisture in. And I've never had any problems with mites or anything like that.;P
 
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krtrman

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the coconut fiber now comes in small circular packages. it is enough to fill a kritter keper or a small tank with substrate. this might work for you. i love the stuff.
 
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secular

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Bipolar Rocket said:
I'm about to get an B. Albopilosum and I'm havin' trouble finding potting soil. The best I could come up with (that doesn't contain plant food/pesticides to the best of my knowledge) is Hyponex. On the back it says: 'This product is regionally formulated from organic materials (hypnum peat, forest products or compost), sand and perlite.', is this a good type of potting soil? Typically what brand do you use? Also, how much height should be between the potting soil and the top of the Kritter Keeper for a 1.25 inch-er?
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i've been using that hyponex potting soil mixed with schultz's peat moss (maybe 50/50 or so) for all my terrestrial T's for quite some time now with no problems. for the arboreals i mainly just put down some of the peat moss. anyways i think you should be fine, if you want to use it.
 
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cliff

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I used Hyponex and the only problem I found was a bloom of tiny gnats. They did not bother anything but were a little annoying. I would try what the others recommend.

Cliff :)
 
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Bipolar Rocket

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cliff said:
I used Hyponex and the only problem I found was a bloom of tiny gnats. They did not bother anything but were a little annoying. I would try what the others recommend.

Cliff :)
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Wait... contained IN the Hyponex? Were you able to get rid of it? I think I'm going to use a 50/50 peat moss/Hyponex blend. How high should I fill it so that the spider won't injure himself?

Also, is perlite/vermaculite toxic to humans?
 
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ZOKU

ZOKU

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Nuthin' but Eco-Earth for me... *shrug* It works and holds moisture well.
 
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BassMan

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I'm using eco-earth mixed with a little peat moss 80/20 for my B. Smithi. It seems to hold moisture well and is good for digging. I like Schulz peat because it come in convenient resealable bags and is of excellent quality.
 
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Cory Loomis

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I take the cheapest topsoil I can find and mix it 2:1 with peat moss for my terrestrials and for some of the arboreals. The main thing is to ensure that neither soil nor peat has fertilizer or pesticides mixed in. For some of my arboreals, especially small Avicularias, I compact a 1" to 2" layer of long fiber peat because it is so absorbent and keeps moisture levels where they need to be. For obligate burrowers, I try to make certain that there is some structure in the substrate, often by mixing in a bit of Eco-earth or cypress mulch. Know what your tarantula has in its natural environment and try to duplicate it. With desert species, I mix in a bit of sand instead of peat. Nothing is "best" for all species.
 
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spid142

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peat moss

Ive changed to peat moss only, for all my Ts. Kept mostly dry, with weekly misting. Both terrestrial and arboreals are doing fine. I've noticed both types rearrange the peat moss around their retreat to suit themselves. Some will even make silk-lined burrows thru the peat moss.
 
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cliff

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Bipolar Rocket said:
Wait... contained IN the Hyponex? Were you able to get rid of it? I think I'm going to use a 50/50 peat moss/Hyponex blend. How high should I fill it so that the spider won't injure himself?

Also, is perlite/vermaculite toxic to humans?
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Yes, I think the gnats were in the soil when we bought it. We originally bought it for some repotting of house plants. When the gnats showed up I thought they came with the plants. But I used it for my A.chalcodes tank and the gnats showed up a few weeks after the setup. They seem to need moisture, after the substrate became totally dry they seemed less. I put a small spider in to help control them and it worked pretty good till the T ate him. It was pretty small and I feed roaches and was hoping the T would ignore the wolfie but no such luck. As far as the gnats go they do not seem to bother anything. Going to try some rove beetles when it warms up and they can be sent.

Don't know about the perlite/vermaculite question.

Cliff :)
 
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