Please check out my buddy, Mike's review for another opinion on Lugarti substrate! • Video Lugarti site: www.lugarti.com/bedding-substr... Amazon: www.amazon.com/Lugarti-PTS-8-...
Sounds like you came to a lot of the same conclusions as me. I was mostly trying to compare it to what I thought its' main competition, loose Eco Earth. I think it out-performs Eco Earth in every way. For sure costly when you have a larger collection. Great video and thanks again for the shout-out!
Yup, you were spot on. I figured I'd go ahead and compare it to what I use, as a lot of folks were asking me if I had tried it. I'll definitely use it for slings and smaller stuff, but it's just too pricey for larger stuff. And you're most welcome!
I'm a designer and also loooove the rubber/matter coating for some reason. Design magazines and some fashion magazines use it for their covers and it makes me want to hold them. I've used the Lugarti roach chow and it seemed like the roaches really loved it, but like the substrate, the price is much higher than what I can make it for.
Hey, Matt! Oh, man...I'm a sucker for that. I just love the feel of it. We published a fiction journal and a couple books that used that finish. I'll have to try out the roach chow. How much does that go for?
Hey Tom i have recently peaked interest in collecting and caring for Tarantulas. Through my research not only of youtube but of outside sources i have seen your name come up a lot. Substrate was one thing i was a little unsure about as there are many varying types, combinations and opinions. This settled some of my worries. I found your video very informative and easy to understand. Definitely hit that like and subscribe button! Cant wait to get started! Thanks.
Welcome to the hobby! Watch out...it's VERY addictive. :) And thanks so much. I figured I could put this together and let folks hear my opinion and decide for themselves if it's worth it. And thank you for the subscription! :)
You do this to me all the time. Here I am, innocently watching your video and I bust out laughing at your spanking the bag comment. 😂 So much great content and charming humor in one channel. Thanks, Tom. Great video, as always.
Can't believe I just watched you talk about dirt for nearly 24 min... Lol. Good stuff as always. Looks heavy on the peat to me, and a lot like what I have mixed up. I use mostly Peat and coconut coir with some vermiculite mixed in. At some point I tossed in some topsoil (very small amount just what we had left over after planting a few things).
Bahahahaha. I can't believe I just made a 20 minute video about dirt! Thanks so much, bud. Yeah, that was what it felt like, too. There are so many custom mixes that work just as well, and they are so much cheaper. Plus, it's fun to experiment and to mix stuff up!
Great review from what I have seen on several other reviews I would agree with your conclusion. I see it as a good go to for slings and for beginning hobbiest.
I used this substrate for my Aphonopelma and Brachypelma and so far they loved it! lol Just like what you said, keep the surface dry and bottom moist, but i actually just overflow their water bowl for most of my arid species and that's about it. Works like a charm since it hold moisture longer on the bottom depending on how much cross ventilation holes you provide for your arid T. enclosure..
I bought this for my T Albopilosus. I don't really add water to it, like make it rain, but I have some sphagnum moss and a water dish and I spray it and make sure it's moist. The dark color it is when you opened it is still the color that's in my enclosure. I worry about my sling drying out because I live in the high desert, at 4500 ft in Reno, NV. But my enclosure just has cross ventilation and I open it to feed Hairy Potter, lol, and to look at him some times, even though I can look right through the top since it's acrylic. My point is, it's holding onto the moisture incredibly well. I'm so paranoid about moisture, but it seems to be fine.
Hey, Callie! Love the name. haha Yeah, this stuff did seem to hold onto moisture well. I stopped using it because I had a bag that was filled with fungus (maybe just a bad bag)? With that species, you can always put a water dish and some most in there as well. Thanks for commenting!
I only have five tarantulas, all slings, as well as a mature Damon diadema and I still have half a bag of Lugarti left. It is fantastic with keeping moisture and my slings are having a field day burrowing. My diadema requires more humidity and it’s nice to not have to moisten the substrate constantly. I definitely agree with the cost though. I can’t imagine having a large collection and using it for all of the enclosures. As my Ts get bigger, I’ll probably end up using your mix, even if I only have five Ts. All of mine are terrestrial species anyways. Thank you for making this! Great review video!
Hi, Jordan! Yeah, I moved away from this stuff a while back. I got one bag that was just infested with mold, and I had to change a bunch of sling enclosures. I now use the Terra Aranea from the Bio Dude and mix my own. Thank you, Jordan!
I definitely agree on all fronts. It’s a great product, really, but it’s just very costly. I do sometimes find that it holds moisture a little *too* well. If I accidentally overwater, I’m better off just changing it out rather than waiting for my wet T to dry out. Lol. But, it does hold burrows very well, and I’ve had almost no mold issues with it.
Great review, brother:-) I don't like nice packaging though. I really hate the thought of how much the packaging may cost. Speaking of Lugarti... I bought a pack of Lugarti terrarium grass seeds. Great stuff. Makes my T cages look very nice.
Hey, bud! Thanks so much. I agree completely. You have to wonder how much of that extra cost is due to the fancy packaging. Sure, it looks nice, but is it needed? I'll have to check out the grass seed! Thanks!
Thanks, Troi! Billie's my wife of 20 years. hahaha She's the one filming! :) And you can find those enclosures here: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GU90BOE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Just keep an eye on the prices, as they tend to go up and down. They were
Great video, once again! Are those enclosures toward the end made from mDesign boxes? I've seen those on Amazon and have been wondering how they'd work for T's!
Thanks so much, Nicole! Yes, those are the mDesign ones. I just picked some up to try out. The only issue I've found is that they don't latch, so I will have to make my own for them. :)
Good to know! Hahaha that was actually exactly why I hadn't picked any up yet. Wasn't sure if they latched or not. I suppose some acrylic latches could do the trick, but the overhanging lid would be a bit awkward... Eh, I'll probably pick one up and see what I can rig up. Thank you!
Hey Tom, as you said looks great sub for anyone with a small collection but for me with 70+ I use a mix of equal parts peat and top soil 6 scoops of each, 2 scoops of vermiculite and a scoop of sand, drains well through to the bottom layer and holds it too! By the way I pulled my P. irminia sac tonight and found I have around 100 N2's.
Yup, it's just WAYYYYY too pricey for large collections. I'm sorry, but I'm saving my money to buy actual spiders. What type of sand do you add? I'll definitely look into adding some to mine. And congrats on the sac. That's awesome!
Definitely the Bio Dude stuff, in my opinion. I like the mixture better, and it's a little cheaper overall. Plus, I had a terrible mold outbreak with a bag of Lugarti after I posted this review.
I wish I could get peat moss more easily! I got two sacks at a show back in the summer but went quick. I just switched to the plantation soil bricks from amazon but am gonna try the prorep stuff. I have had a few outbreaks of the yellow mold and that was with fairly dry substrate. I have started using boiling water when I do the bricks...not sure if a good idea or not.
Hey, bud! They sell in in huge bales over hear, but you can only find it during the spring. I WILL say that I was getting some mushrooms from the peat at times. That's was a little concerning. haha I HATE that yellow mold/fungus crap. I get it occasionally, and their seems to be no rhyme or reason to which cages get it. I wouldn't think that the boiling water could hurt, right?
Good review! looks like this would be perfect for the beginner keeper, who does not have a large collection. We use peat and top soil now , usually the cost is around $10 CAD ($7ish USD) a year. We appreciate the in depth review :) We were talking about you to tangled in webs at the show today , because we picked up a Phormictopus species.
Thanks, bud! Exactly! For someone just starting out, this is certainly viable. However, it gets pricey the more you get. And that's awesome! Congrats one your Phormictopus!!! Which species did you guys get?
Nice review bud! I am a little late to the party, but it is some pretty good substrate. Have you used it for any pedes yet? We currently have three locales of S. dehanni that we have reared for months. Great channel dude!
I have not. I actually moved away from it after a bag of it I bought ended up to be full of fungus. I had to do a bunch of rehousings and wasn't pleased. Have you experienced this issue? And thank you!
I do, especially the yellow stuff (which is apparently quite harmless). The best way to prevent it is to make sure that the cages are well ventilated. However, sometimes the substrate comes with mold spores in it. I've had a particularly bad time with coco fiber.
Psssst... Pro Tip... Get their "Natural Reptile Bedding". It's exactly the same and you get way more for the same money. I received the wrong item and complained and he replied right away and mentioned that they just rebranded the same stuff to reach the Tarantula community. I really like the substrate and it is superior to coco fiber in my experience.
I actually had a bag after this that was infested with fungus, so I never used it again. haha So, they overprice it for the tarantula community? Nice! I will definitely not be using this again. Thanks so much for the tip!
Hi tom awesome looking substrate may have to pickup a bag of it soon also got Phormictopus sp green gold carapax now she molted in transit but was ok I'll be uploading a vid the end of week
Definitely give it a shot! The stuff is great...just SO expensive! Dude, that's awesome! Congratulations! I'm so jealous. hahaha I still need that one. :)
Thanks buddy I'll be featuring the I.mira sling that I managed to get hold of aswell AWSOME little t's. If I manage to get a breeding project on the go with P.sp g "gold carapax " I'll send u few hoping to get it arranged for when she's ready
Those enclosures I just picked up on Amazon. I really like them, but they don't latch. I'm figuring something out with magnets. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GU90BOE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I get my substrate at Agway or Lowe's. :)
Hey tom have you shopped during jamies black friday deals? idk if i should go to my local place and pick some ts up or wait for jamies because idk how good her deals are going to be
Hello! I have five years running! :) She usually saves some great stuff up all year for that sale. You can usually find some great deals on females and such. It might be worth checking out!
I don't do it myself, but it certainly can't hurt! And I've heard of many others doing the same thing. Good way to kill off anything undesirable in it. :)
Hi, Kirk! I actually have to redo this one. The last bag of Lugarti I had (my 2nd) was completely infested with fungus. I had to rehouse 9 spiders as a result. I will NOT be using this anymore.
Ok i will keep on the lookout for the new video. I just got into the tarantula hobby a few weeks ago so I am trying to look for a better substrate then coco something that looks more natural. Are you still using your mix?
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GU90BOE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Watch the prices, as they seem to go up and down quite a bit (they were $14 when I bought them).
Tom. Wow that is a price hike. I will stick to your substrate. Rather spend extra on more ts that is on my wish list. I'd rather not fix what isn't broken. Lol great video though.
Yeaaahhhhh...hahaha. Pretty pricey for a bag of dirt. Granted, you can tell that they actually put together a pretty good formula, but I just can't afford to use it on much more than slings. Thanks, Christine! :)
This is an odd question, but if anyone would know, it’s you. If you are familiar with the SyFi show The Oriville... in the last episode Firestorm, there was a quick shot of what appeared to be a real T (as opposed to CGI) walking on a table. Red/orangish stripes on legs. Any guess as to species ?
(Apologies for the repeat comment, I sent this through your website but I'm unsure if it went through properly) Hi Tom, I'm a beginner tarantula keeper who recently got into the hobby with G. pulchra female (who is an awesomely chill specimen, couldn't have been any better as an introductory species). I really appreciate how informative your videos are and I have learned a lot. I was curious though, as I see a P. irminia in your intro but I have looked through all your videos and noticed you don't have a video featuring one. Do you have a P. irminia? If so I would love to see a video going over husbandry and temperament, and they seem right up your alley with the gorgeous black and orange colors. I am heavily considering getting one as my next T (knowing fully that they are much faster and defensive than my current species, but I am no stranger to defensive animals and have a wide array of reptiles).
Hello, Erin! Welcome to the hobby! I love my G. pulchra myself...that black is just stunning. I do have a P. irminia! She's just VERY shy and I've had a very difficult time getting enough footage of her to make a video. I DID recently do a husbandry article on them on my website. I don't know if you saw this: tomsbigspiders.com/2017/06/07/psalmopoeus-irminia-venezuelan-suntiger-husbandry-notes/ So far, mine has been pretty shy, but she is fast as heck. I came from a background in snakes an reptiles, and these things make most of those look like snails in terms of speed. If you give them a place to hide, they would much rather flee. Cleanings and transfers are where they can become a problem. Also, now that mine has put on some size, she's become a bit more bold and will sometimes investigate when I open her enclosure. She has bolted or been defensive, but I definitely keep an eye on her. hahaha I hope this helps!
Thank you very much for the reply! Hopefully you get lucky one day and get enough footage to make a video. I didn't know about your husbandry article on them and I will certainly give it a read.
I used vermiculite in the 90’s definitely better than what my 1st tarantula had. I’m ashamed to say but I didn’t have the knowledge or the access back then. My collection will not even be as big as the one I had in the 90’s. 2 only (maybe) lol.
Tom Moran my 1st tarantula in 1980 came to me in a plastic shoe box with tape holding the lid on. I upgraded to a 5 gal tank with metal lid. Poor Tarai lived on aquarium rock and her cave was the aquarium kind. There was no place to buy proper accessories. I am ashamed.
For us who have a lot to take care of this is not exactly the best option it looks very nice and the quality looks great however mixing your own substrate gives you more satisfaction knowing you on your own have been able to provide the best environment for your tarantulas 👍🏾
I agree completely, yonit. It's a good mix, but it would just cost so much to use it for a larger collection. And it can actually be fun mixing up your own recipes of dirt. :) Thanks, bud!
I used this with my B. Vagans and the burrow she created keeps getting bigger and bigger, I keep worrying that it's going to collapse and its held her burrow like a champ. Just my experience though :)
No doubt! While Im here, my B. Vagans is doing really well (from what I can tell) I've only seen her twice since I got her. She's burrowed and just stayed down there, but more and more people at my office are becoming super attached to her, which is awesome!
Hi Chris! CRAP! I'll try to get some footage of her when I get home. I completely forgot!!! Thanks so much. Yeah, stuff is quite good. I just wish it was less pricey. :)
Maybe they do, although there's no bulk discount on their site. It would have to be one heck of a discount for me to afford as much as I would need. :)
Stanley Posey anything without large amounts of fertilizer will do. Can't really do many things wrong with the substrate. Tarantulas are very uncomplicated.
Moss Tarantulas oh yeah I love peat moss but I'm looking to mix it with some top soil like Tom. I currently have a mix of vermiculite, peat moss, green spagnum moss, and coco fiber. I like the look but want to replace the coco fiber.
Ok. I need to get some top soil it seems! Seen a few of you guys use it inc Tom. I do rem watching one of his vids yrs ago when I started in the hobby. About his classic mix he uses. I stopped using vermiculite because I found my subs wasnt drying out fast enough. And had random mold a few times and I def wasnt overwatering which was the annoying thing. Am just about to freshen up my Stirmis subs simply because I have to keep it more moist than other of my T's. Well my Asians and Ephobus again have to keep my eye on the subs.
Peat moss is the universal substrate. You can't go wrong with it. It's great moist or dry for terrestrials or fossorials. And you can get literally 4x as much for substantially cheaper. Lugarti is pretty much a rip off, if you ask me.
I use topsoil myself, although I've used peat in the past. I stopped using peat for my moist enclosures because I kept getting mushrooms. It was driving me nuts! hahaha. I used peat recently in my M. balfouri communal enclosure, though. Everyone seems to have their go-to! :)
Pretty much what you're stating is it's good substrate for tease and for Keepers that have you know anywhere from two slings up to what five large tees and 5 large cheese might be pushing with that little bag. So get Lugarti if you have a small collection of animals. In my opinion that's just too pricey if you have a big collection how I only have 10 tease and I would not buy that bag for any of them. Stay with vermiculite topsoil peat moss coconut fiber that's exactly what I'm going to do. Now nothing against this expensive substrate it's just too expensive.
Tom Moran thx. Do you put all of your substrate in the oven. I am afraid of bacteria and parasite in my substrate. And thank you for answering my questions. 👍🏼
That's the thing...there isn't really much in there. For my H. gigas enclosure, it would take close to 5 bags! That would cost more than the spider did!
If you have a very small collection, it could be okay, but you can mix something very similar for a fraction of the cost. I WILL likely keep some on hand for slings.
Lol was that your dog at the end or a goofy grunt from you hahaha...you did much better with this than i would have lmfao (my video) *takes bag throws it over my shoulder* dont waste your money no one owns 1 tarantula lmfao!!! Surprising results tho
That was probably me, Brad. hahaha. I've gotten into the habit of doing stupid stuff at the beginning and the end of takes that I forget to edit out. hahaha I planned on completely panning it, as it's just so pricey. That said, it really is good stuff. Just too damned expensive. I'll keep some on hand for scorps, pedes, and slings, thought.
Hahaha hey i like it nothing wrong with some comedy it gives the videos some flavor and i think it gives you more of a personality with them as well....I would have never guessed it had some good properties to it to be honest...thats a good economical choice on your part as far as the extra expense...im like you i like my stuff nice and firm i pack the hell out of my substrate lol like it comes out in a brick when i rehouse to something else lol
