The right soil for your tarantula -> Jacksonville

I had some trouble finding the right soil.

Solution:
If you want an easy way out, buy topsoil without any additives, goes around $1.24 at lowes.
If you need more sand or more earth, mix it with the topsoil.
For moisture loving spiders (example Lasiodora parahybana) add a part of coconutfiber or turf.

Be very careful with the so called organic soil, since in most cases it will contain manure.

If you use your own garden soil, check for insects like ants, little flies,..... also if you use fertilizer, pestizides, weedkiller dont use any gardensoil for your tarantula.

Zypressmulch is a big nono.
Mulch in general is in most cases a bad choice, since it contains chemicals and sharp wood pieces.

If you want to use mulch, use the the kind sold in petshops (normally you would use that for reptiles).

Avoid keeping your spider on 100% gravel or sand.
Never use glassdust !

Avoid sharp objects it could harm your spider.

Since we live in Florida and you are not an icebear, there's no need to heat the tarantulas enclosure.
Most tarantulas will rest during the winter, so you will experience fewer to no molts.
A drop in temperature during the winter is fine with your spider, as long as you keep your spiders inside.

Lighting is only requiered if you have live plants in your tank.

I agree about not heating, but my pokies molt through out winter it could be do to that my apartment never gets lower then 65 and only on cold days

Well my house is always over 70F in the winter, I am always cold
But in the office upstairs it is a little bit cooler, not much, since it is also my "repti's hibernation room".

G.rosea actually needs a winter break to be in excellent condition.
Here in Florida it is easy, if you use a cooler room and stop feeding, most of the roseas will fall into hibernation.
Good thing: they will have a feeding frenzy in spring.

I am not very experienced with pokies.
The only one I had was a P.ornata, she was a total beauty !
So, I am not sure if pokies fall under the category "needs a winter rest".

I use coconut fiber for all my tarantulas. Its alot easier than trying to find potting soil or anything else that's clean and doesn't have fertilizer in it.

Oh, and if my G. rosea eats one cricket, I consider it a feeding frenzy.

I currently just have a female Chilean Rose-Hair who just went through her first molt about a month ago. She's been living in a 10-gallon tank with about a 3in layer of peat moss since I got her. I change it monthly and she seems to do very well in it.

I never changend the soil of my spiders, if you establish a colony of this little white bugs that live of decaying stuff they will do the work, or just look for the little dirt ball and take it out the enclousure.
That worked prettu good for me.
Also I keep my G.rosea on the dry side and the L.parahybana on the wet one.

I heard that there is a good kinda critter that you can put in with your T. it's supposed to eat decomposed stuff and anything in the cage that don't belong, what are these and where can I get me sum :-)

There are little white bugs, that you could put in, I will give you the latin name, so you can order them over the internet.

and that name would be?

Well, it took me a wile, but finally here it is:

Trichorhina tomentosa - Dwarf Tropical Woodlice

Totally save for every T and every tank, these little guys are amazing.
I never changed soil or anything, once in a while I cleaned the glass, or took out big waste balls from my spiders.