BIG Ts - Big hides

[Jones0911]

Alright so here is one of my Theraphosa stirmi i have them both in enclosures this size.

When I first got them (about three molts ago), they would not use any hides I put in their enclosures but as you can see its bare in there.

I was wondering if anyone knows where online I can buy some nice size caves for this guy and gal?

There was a guy on these boards who custom made some maybe he'll chime in about his.....I'm looking for some that only open on one side but will also be big enough for them as full size adults

 

[sasker]

I will be in a similar situation as my LP and Pampho are growing like crazy. Where I live, old buildings have these round roof tiles. I want to give this a try. Perhaps you can find one they use for the top of the roof.

 

[mconnachan]

I've noticed a lot of keepers use large flower pots cut in half then submerged into the substrate, they look good as the substrate is deep enough to cover the pot at one end of the enclosure, hope you find something suitable.

 

[Jones0911]

Thanks for the idea!

It opens on both ends but this is what they use to Tile the houses in some parts of Arizona.


Now, my next question is....Do they sell these tiles at Home depot singularly?

Does any one in the USA know? If so much?

If they aren't too much i might buy some for most of my Ts

Thanks again @sasker

 

[sasker]

I am yet to find a flower pot that is deep enough though. The ones I see in the garden centres are all quite wide, but shallow. I live in Bulgaria and I notic there is not a huge demand for flowering pots compared to Western Europe. Still, even in the Netherlands I am not really finding the pot I am looking for.

 

[Jones0911]

I've noticed a lot of keepers use large flower pots cut in half then submerged into the substrate, they look good as the substrate is deep enough to cover the pot at one end of the enclosure, hope you find something suitable.

When I would use flower pots I would have to break them but they never break how I'd want them to lol

how do you cut a flower pot?

I don't have any power tools that could do that and I'm not sure if they'll do it at Home Depot

 

[mconnachan]

When I would use flower pots I would have to break them but they never break how I'd want them to lol

how do you cut a flower pot?

I don't have any power tools that could do that and I'm not sure if they'll do it at Home Depot

Haha - sorry I should have said the ones I've seen used are plastic, then they are cut easily with a coping saw or a hack saw, then submerged into the substrate, sloping gently upward to an incline at one end of the enclosure, which is then deep enough for the large flowerpot(plastic)to be covered with substrate and or moss. Using this method hides the whole flower pot so it's not unnatural looking.

 

[Andrea82]

If you don't have a preference for round hides you could just use a plastic storage box like this: https://www.google.nl/search?q=blac...AUIOCgC&biw=320&bih=452#imgrc=WaJQKnf7r5fQ5M:
without lid and not see-through material. Cut the side of one of the short sides and done

 

[Mojo288]

Thanks for the idea!

It opens on both ends but this is what they use to Tile the houses in some parts of Arizona.


Now, my next question is....Do they sell these tiles at Home depot singularly?

Does any one in the USA know? If so much?

If they aren't too much i might buy some for most of my Ts

Thanks again @sasker

Not exactly the same, but hip and ridge shingles should work too, just at more of an angle than a curve.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Owens-Co...ingles-20-linear-ft-per-Carton-DE20/205664179

They come in packs though, but thats just an excuse for more T's

EDITE: you may want to check if they treat the shingles with anything toxic to you T's (weatherproofing, build materials, ect. )

 

[Jones0911]

Not exactly the same, but hip and ridge shingles should work too, just at more of an angle than a curve.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Owens-Co...ingles-20-linear-ft-per-Carton-DE20/205664179

They come in packs though, but thats just an excuse for more T's

EDITE: you may want to check if they treat the shingles with anything toxic to you T's (weatherproofing, build materials, ect. )

Thanks!!

 

[Mojo288]

Thanks!!

Anytime, after all this is what the forums are for

 

[viper69]

how do you cut a flower pot?

You sir need a Dremel! Right @EulersK

 

[viper69]

Not exactly the same, but hip and ridge shingles should work too, just at more of an angle than a curve.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Owens-Co...ingles-20-linear-ft-per-Carton-DE20/205664179

They come in packs though, but thats just an excuse for more T's

EDITE: you may want to check if they treat the shingles with anything toxic to you T's (weatherproofing, build materials, ect. )

I would NOT use those at all. They have chemicals in them. Also, they are soft, if a large T wanted to chew it, I think it could.

Terra cotta roofing is an interesting idea, I tend to stay away from heavy hides myself, always concerned above cave-ins. Esp if it was roofing.

 

[Nightstalker47]

Alright so here is one of my Theraphosa stirmi i have them both in enclosures this size.

When I first got them (about three molts ago), they would not use any hides I put in their enclosures but as you can see its bare in there.

I was wondering if anyone knows where online I can buy some nice size caves for this guy and gal?

There was a guy on these boards who custom made some maybe he'll chime in about his.....I'm looking for some that only open on one side but will also be big enough for them as full size adults

Cork bark is what I use for most of my Ts, it comes in various sizes that you can cut and shape so works great for larger and smaller Ts alike. Plus its practically mold proof and gives the enclosure a very naturalistic look.

You can also recycle your cork bark when a specimen outgrows it's hide, so it's not something that will ever go to waste. It's very expensive where I'm from so I make sure to buy in bulk and then cut my pieces to the sizes I want.

 

[Jones0911]

Cork bark is what I use for most of my Ts, it comes in various sizes that you can cut and shape so works great for larger and smaller Ts alike. Plus its practically mold proof and gives the enclosure a very naturalistic look.

You can also recycle your cork bark when a specimen outgrows it's hide, so it's not something that will ever go to waste. It's very expensive where I'm from so I make sure to buy in bulk and then cut my pieces to the sizes I want.

Thanks!!

 

[EulersK]

Another vote for getting a Dremel

Concerning a large hide, there are these sprinkler valve covers at Home Depot. They basically look like giant cups and are made of a tough plastic. They run about $10 from what I remember, and of course you'll end up with two hides out of them.

EDIT:
So, they're called a valve box, apparently. And they're half the price that I thought they were:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/6-in-Pla...-mobileweb_pip_rr-_-203451381-_-100377386-_-N

 

[sasker]

hip and ridge shingles should work too

I don't know. They are made from a sort of asphalt, right? I would prefer a more natural material, both for the looks and to avoid the possible introduction of toxic materials in my enclosures.

Another vote for getting a Dremel

Dremel tools are super expensive where I live, even the most basic accessories. I bought a cheap variation for a third of the price and it has a flexible shaft as well.

 

[beaker41]

I have been rehousing a bunch of my tarantulas lately and I am using plain terra-cotta flowerpots from Walmart at 3 inch diameter all the way to 6 inch diameter. I have a Dremel and a pretty thick grinding wheel for it that I have tried to cut the pots with and it seems to work on the outer red clay service but as soon as you try to get deeper it runs into something harder that only heats up the grinding wheel and makes me nervous about shrapnel.

It seems to be helpful to allow the pots to soak overnight in water and makes them somewhat less likely to splinter. After you get that first half crack down one side of the pot it is much easier to get the other side to crack as well. The bottom of the pot is somewhat thicker so rather than try to chisel through I pull apart the two sides and allow it to break on its own. Sometimes the bottom breaks nicely or the circular part come off with one side. It doesn't always provide as smooth of a cut as I'd like to but the jagged edges are going down into the substrate anyway so I am not worried about them bothering the tarantula .

It is no exact science and it seems to be easier to get a good result on a smaller flower pot but it is possible to get a break that is good enough to give you half a flowerpot with nothing at the bottom. I like to remove the bottom so what you end up with is pretty much exactly like that curved roof tile but decreasing in size towards the back.

I bought a bunch of extra ones at Walmart as they are only between $.50 and $1.50 each. I have broken at least 1/3 of those by getting too aggressive with the chisel or just getting an unlucky crack line but I have enough of them now that will work for my purposes after some experimentation.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Just buy/order a massive cork tube and cut it in half, I found one in my LPS for about £10 and ended up making 3 large hides out of it and had enough left over to bung a couple slabs in for my arboreals.

 

[campj]

Here's how we do it: two sets of hands, a thin flat head screwdriver, and a rubber mallet. Make a series of small holes with the corner of the screwdriver from top to bottom. Eventually the pot will crack. Turn it over and make another series of small holes along the crack. Eventually it'll split and you'll have two halves. Results are fairly consistent, but you may lose half a pot here and there.