Just a brief introduction....

[Dave Jay]

Welcome!
Natural peat (as opposed to coir/coco peat) is mined from the ground much as minerals are, large tracts of swamp-land or old swamp-land are destroyed to obtain the peat which is why using it is a bit controversial and why coco peat is now widely used in it's place in both the pet and gardening industries. Personally I find coco peat to be a great product in both the garden and in enclosures, my preferred mix is one part sand to 6 parts coco peat as this is close to the sandy soils found here. Using sand for tarantulas is debatable, some say sand will damage the exoskeleton or erode the joints in it but a lot of my scorpions and tarantulas come from sandy areas in nature so for them I would imagine it's not a problem.

 

[Whitelightning777]

If it's a dry spider like a brachy, Coco fiber is fine.

The problem comes with moisture dependent tarantulas. Natural peat is acidic and mold resistant. The synthetic substitutes and cocofiber, even Lugardi is prone to mold which can harm your tarantula depending on the species of each. Tom Moran did a review of Lugardi and encountered mold, which he was upset about it and recommended against using it.

No one knows for sure what can harm what because the science hasn't been done. Therefore, it's best to avoid any fungi within the enclosure at all.

Of course, if one is vigilant and observant, mold can be controlled. If you get it, simply pull out the tarantula, discard the moldy substrate. Wash the cage in scalding hot water to kill the spores. Let it dry and then rehouse the tarantula, which should be in a catch cup or temporary enclosure obviously.

 

[ilovebrachys]

we really could do with some research and answers on mould and its effects on Ts and how best to avoid it as in there natural environment the moulds and fungus we encounter in our home environment those particular Ts in the wild would never be exposed to-so to a degree I suppose it makes them all the more sensitive to them as they would have no natural immunity to them?

 

[Whitelightning777]

Yes, the mold in different parts of the world will no doubt have different risks just as human diseases in different parts of the world put non native humans at increased risk.

Humans, unlike tarantulas, can be vaccinated.

The same thing is probably true with any disease, which is why it's a good idea to avoid pulling feeders from the wild even if they are free if pesticides.

Native spider diseases might seriously attack tarantulas while not affecting native spider species.

 

[ilovebrachys]

Well said @Whitelightning777 totally agree!

 

[Dmantook]

What brand/type of vermaculite do you use? There are many different types. Thanks

 

[MassExodus]

Hi Brachys, sorry I missed your intro. The best sub for Brachys is excavator clay. Because they do fine on it and it looks pretty awesome. You can basically construct a desert habitat with tunnels, canyons, etc. Looks cool af. But you have to play with your water/clay/sand mixture ratio to get it solid and looking right. Its fun if you get bored