Mushrooms in a Tarantula Enclosure

[Brextenfarnsworth]

So being into Tarantulas as I am I have a bioactive enclosure set up that lacks plants. I was wondering if I could fill this void with Lion's mane mushrooms instead and then not use springtails or isopods? Would this work and if not then why?

 

[Poonjab]

Sounds like bad idea to me. You’re going to have to harvest it. Constantly messing with T’s enclosure.

 

[Tarantuland]

Why Lions mane? Do you want to eat something with urticating hair or tarantula poop? If you have an actual bioactive with a species that enjoys so much moisture, mushrooms will be a part of the cycle. But I don’t know why you’d want to inoculate with an edible mushroom

 

[l4nsky]

Have you grown gourmet mushrooms before?

 

[Brextenfarnsworth]

Have you grown gourmet mushrooms before?

No I have not but I've been researching Mycelium and fungal spores, substrate parameters and other things.

Why Lions mane? Do you want to eat something with urticating hair or tarantula poop? If you have an actual bioactive with a species that enjoys so much moisture, mushrooms will be a part of the cycle. But I don’t know why you’d want to inoculate with an edible mushroom

Lol it's a P. Metallica, so no indicating hairs just a feisty beasty boi and Tarantula poop. It's not to eat, it's for the aesthetics.

 

[Tarantuland]

I’ve grown lions mane before and they’re gonna want more moisture than a tarantula needs, also doing it indoors with grain spawn typically you have fruiting blocks that was wrapped pretty tightly with plastic

 

[l4nsky]

No I have not but I've been researching Mycelium and fungal spores, substrate parameters and other things.

No offense, but I could tell right off the bat by your choice of species. The ideal fruiting parameters for lions mane is a temp hovering around 65°F and 90% RH, which is nowhere near what almost any available tarantula species will tolerate. The problems just get worse from there TBH.

 

[Delta1243]

I think some species of fungi would be fine but it would require a lot of research and frankly not be worth it

 

[l4nsky]

I think some species of fungi would be fine but it would require a lot of research and frankly not be worth it

Respectfully, no. Keeping tarantulas and intentionally cultivating fungi are mutually exclusive, there is no overlap. Fungi will appear from time to time in established bioactive enclosures as part of a healthy and balanced system, but to try and cultivate only fungi and raise any animal in the same system successfully isn't possible.

 

[viper69]

So being into Tarantulas as I am I have a bioactive enclosure set up that lacks plants. I was wondering if I could fill this void with Lion's mane mushrooms instead and then not use springtails or isopods? Would this work and if not then why?

What void??

 

[Delta1243]

Respectfully, no. Keeping tarantulas and intentionally cultivating fungi are mutually exclusive, there is no overlap. Fungi will appear from time to time in established bioactive enclosures as part of a healthy and balanced system, but to try and cultivate only fungi and raise any animal in the same system successfully isn't possible.

Gotcha, I wasn’t really sure that was my assumption but good to know

 

[CedarArachne]

Lions mane looks pretty for a couple weeks. Then it looks terrible. It's a more difficult species to cultivate. It would be extremely difficult to get fruiting bodies while staying in the bounds of what a tarantula requires. I've always had to put them in a humidity tent and mist it constantly to get fruiting bodies.