Enclosure advice and questions

[Nmass]

I apologize as I am sure there are lots of posts with some of the information I am looking for but I am in need of some more personal advice. I acquired what I was told is a female Brachypelma albopilosum. I moved her into a new enclosure as the last was to small and better suited for a terrestrial species. I want to make sure she has a good home and I would appreciate any advice on making the enclosure better. Any advice on the best care for this species would be appreciated as well, I have read a lot of conflicting info. Also, I got her a new hide as the last one was way to small! It came with the last enclosure she used it but she was always scrunched up and sticking out. She liked going into it from the backside as it was set up against a corner the new one is flush against the glass and I often see her on top of the new hide towards the back almost looks like she is looking to get in that way. But since I have put the new one in she has been pacing around on the walls and hanging out in the corners. She had dug out the old one a bit maybe she just needs some time? She did greedily take two crickets after I put the new one in. Thank you for your help.

P.S. I am making an acrylic top this weekend.

 

[BoyFromLA]

If I were you,

I would move it to smaller size enclosure. About half size of that current one.

If not, I would add more substrates.

 

[cold blood]

I moved her into a new enclosure as the last was to small and better suited for a terrestrial species.

This is a terrestrial species (unless you meant your new enclosure is better suited?)....

This enclosure is, however, absolutely huge, probably [more than] twice what it needs. Ts, unlike most "pets", don't like big open spaces and as a result, added space makes acclimation take longer and often induces more burrowing and hiding away.

I want to make sure she has a good home and I would appreciate any advice on making the enclosure better.

Fill it halfway or a tad more with sub, and get a smaller hide, and bury it most of the way.

And make sure the sub is tamped down or it won't hold up to a burrow.

Any advice on the best care for this species would be appreciated as well

Keep part of the sub damp, a water dish filled with just water and a cricket or two every 7-12 days, pick out the bolus afterward and you are just fine...easy to care for.

I got her a new hide as the last one was way to small! It came with the last enclosure she used it but she was always scrunched up and sticking out

Ts prefer tight hides, open places, like the new hide provides, are basically useless to the t. Don't think of the hide as a house, but rather the start of a burrow (like the old one). If it needs to be opened up, the t will do that to its satisfaction.

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• cold blood
• Mar 12, 2017
• 3

C. schieoedtei

This is the best look I ever get of her...shame, because she is stunning.

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• cold blood
• Jan 30, 2017

darlingi AF

"hello"

What you observed with the t sticking its legs out of the hide was a classic hunting posture.

I often see her on top of the new hide towards the back almost looks like she is looking to get in that way

Well she lost her comfort zone and now has no real place to hide and a lot of space (lots of open space spells danger to a t).

But since I have put the new one in she has been pacing around on the walls and hanging out in the corners

Don't fret, this is normal acclimation...get things right and in time she will adapt.

She had dug out the old one a bit maybe she just needs some time?

Sounds like she had the old burrow just the way she liked it....lol.

 

[Nmass]

All very good info, thank you. I would like to keep her in what she has if this really is a huge problem I will figure something else out. I realize my mistake her last enclosure was for an arboreal I believe it was s small exoterra. I can move her back into that but I was told that was to small. I have a small piece of cork bark that I can bury with some more substrate and start a better hide. I am quickly discovering these half log things aren't the best for T's. Should I think about getting some fake plants or other things to fill up the space? People have mentioned that to big isn't the worst if it is set up right.

 

[Ungoliant]

All very good info, thank you. I would like to keep her in what she has if this really is a huge problem I will figure something else out.

The excessive horizontal space is not harmful if everything else is set up properly; it's just unnecessary.

I'd add more a little more substrate, especially on the side with the hide, and bury most of the hide (I prefer cork slabs to those half logs) so that there is just a starter burrow at the entrance.


Tarantulas will excavate to make a burrow bigger, but they never seem to figure out that they can add dirt to make a space smaller, so they just end up not having a hide if the hide is too big.

Should I think about getting some fake plants or other things to fill up the space? People have mentioned that to big isn't the worst if it is set up right.

In this case, fake plants would be purely for aesthetics. They wouldn't provide any benefits to the tarantula (but would provide places for feeder insects to hide).