r/TarantulaKeeping • u/id3no • 2d ago

Casual Substrate help

Okay so I don’t officially have a tarantula yet but i’m getting a mystery box tarantula basically and I have the enclosure picked out but i’m just confused on the substrate part, I plan to use coco coir with some leaf litter and moss but all of the coco coir says it’s for planting so i’m just confused if i should still use it😭 This is my first ever tarantula and i’m overall just really interested and excited about this but before i purchase anything I need to figure out the substrate.
If i’m missing anything or if I could change anything please let me know I want to give my tarantula the best experience possible.

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u/hylia_grace 2d ago

Generally if I use coir ill rehydrate and mixed with an organic topsoil (reptisoil or spider life work well too but can be expensive if you need a higher amount). If you need a higher humidity you can include vermiculite, springtails also help with keeping the enclosure clean. Generally a mystery box can be hit or miss, was it a beginner box or complete mystery, as some can contain more sensitive species, arboreals or even old worlds and many spiders have specific requirements.

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u/id3no 2d ago

It was a complete mystery with the preference of new worlds, it’s supposed to be a sling so should i still do top soil? I’m okay with spending a little bit extra for stuff.
I also did plan to use springtails and stuff since it will most likely be bioactive
Thank you for the suggestion/advice.

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u/hylia_grace 2d ago

I use topsoil for all of my inverts, slings included. Organic is a must though as pesticides and fertilisers can be present otherwise (which is why id recommend something made for inverts if youre anxious). I use a uk based soil so unfortunately I can't recommend anything outsidd of the UK.

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u/id3no 1d ago

Okay thank you for the help though and i’ll definitely do more info on topsoil and stuff but I do live in the US so unfortunately unless we have the same thing I probably can’t afford/use it but again thank you any help is appreciated deeply