what does vermiculite do with peat moss? is it better than coco peat? and what is peat moss? thanks for answering thoroughly
Go for Peat, or Vermiculite instead. Many of the professional keepers swear by Peat as a substrate, however although peat hold moisture quite well, the following are common problems: Mould, mites, fungus and other unwanted growths. To counter this the substrate should be microwaved (only when it's dry, otherwise their is a possible fire risk!) This will kill any mould or fungus spores, and anything else, such as mites. Vermiculite doesn't tend to encourage mould, fungus or mites. Though some tarantulas, especially arboreal species don't like it as it tends to stick to their feet. You can wet the coconut fibre a little more to encourage burrowing. I use a product called Bed-A-Beast. This product comes in a 4 X 8 X 2 block and when placed in water it yields about 8 litres of bedding. One block fills my five - 10x24 tanks and a dozen small containers for spiderlings.
What species of tarantula do you have? Is the sub wet at all? Some tarantulas, like the G.rosea (rose hair tarantula) for instance, do not like any kind of moisture in their enclosures. If that's the case, just let the substrate dry out entirely and the tarantula should again start walking on the ground.
