Enclosure questions.

cooperevans001

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Hey there. I am somewhat new to T keeping, and I would like to know what things I could do to improve my Pinktoes life. She is very good at eating, moving around, and well hydrated. I just dont know about her cage setup. She is currently held in a large, tank, which is not vertical much, with mulch substrate, and her faux log. What things could I do, other than a different cage, to improve her quality of life? I am thinking things like different substrate, decorations, and different feeding schedule (I currently feed her 3 med crickets every 2 weeks or so). I want to make her life as natural and as happy as I can. Any tips and advice would help. Thanks!
 

viper69

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It's nice to see someone ask this type of information, instead of the typical "My Avic is Dying" post we usually read.

I have kept a lot of Avics over time, as do others on here.

Put up a pic before specific meaningful advice for you can be provided. A full side pic of container and one from above (showing the inside of course) would be needed.

Also, more specifics are needed. DLS of the T, and adjectives such as "large" provide no information at all, esp w/out knowing the size of the T. We aren't mindreaders ;)

In the meantime here's a link for you to read http://arachnoboards.com/threads/avicularia-husbandry.282549/#post-2461399

The only thing I can provide as of now is the substrate. I typically use cocofiber, and they only get an inch, they are arboreal as I assume you know.

Your container should be vertically oriented, but again, depends on the size of the T. Meaning if you have a 1" Avic there are containers that aren't as tall it would be fine, but not if it was 4-6" in size.
 
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Leonardo the Mage

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If you are keeping her in an aquarium and don't have any other enclosures, turning the aquarium on-end will give her much more vertical room. Corkbark or other materials can provide a background she can climb. Depending on the design and size, your faux log could be glued to the back to provide a hide.
 

mistertim

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Agree with @viper69...definitely need pics of the enclosure and more info about the spider. An issue you may have with using an aquarium (I'm assuming that's what you meant by "tank") is that it lacks cross ventilation which is one of the most, if not the most, important things for an Avic.
 

cooperevans001

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Okay, I measured her, she is about 9cm long, and 5cm wide. Her tank is 10.5(h)x15 (l)x 8 (w). Sorry for low-res pic.
 

cooperevans001

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I am also thinking of getting another T. I have narrowed it down to a Salmon Pink Birdeater or an Ornamental of some kind. Which of the two would you guys recommend?
 

Chris LXXIX

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Okay, I measured her, she is about 9cm long, and 5cm wide. Her tank is 10.5(h)x15 (l)x 8 (w).
You need an arboreal enclosure my man, height is important, they are arboreals at the end as you know. Also I'm not able to see well now but I wouldn't use that kind of (bark chip?) substrate. Use dry coco fiber, or Irish peat moss.
 

cooperevans001

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What coco fiber and peat moss would you recommend and where could I get it? Also, what cage would you think would be best? I got her on a whim, went to the local PetCo to get crickets and they were clearing out alot of their reptiles, gave me a great discount, and her log was included. Another thing. Where are good places to buy T's online? I am thinking Jamie's Tarantulas. Any input would be great. I am thinking of a spiderling. Any comprehensive guides on raising them to maturity?
 
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mistertim

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What coco fiber and peat moss would you recommend and where could I get it? Also, what cage would you think would be best? I got her on a whim, went to the local PetCo to get crickets and they were clearing out alot of their reptiles, gave me a great discount, and her log was included. Another thing. Where are good places to buy T's online? I am thinking Jamie's Tarantulas. Any input would be great. I am thinking of a spiderling. Any comprehensive guides on raising them to maturity?
Before you worry about buying another T you really need to get this one's enclosure right. That is not a good setup for an Avic. They need more height than length, dry sub (coco fiber, topsoil, peat moss, etc...NOT wood chips as that can be deadly if it has cedar), a water dish, and plenty of cross ventilation. That setup doesn't have any of that besides the water dish. Take a look at some of the other members' Avic enclosures for some ideas. Lack of cross ventilation can be a death trap to that genus. And you don't have to spend a ton on it either. How large is your Avic?
 

mistertim

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The measurements are above. Any specific terrariums though? The zoo med tall ones look promising.
Sorry, totally missed the measurements. Ok so its probably close to 4 inches DLS meaning you're looking for its adult enclosure. The Zoo Med and Exo Terra are nice enclosures, however they aren't ideal for Avics as they're somewhat lacking in cross ventilation and they're glass so its really difficult to add your own. That isn't to say your Avic will die if you put it in one...its just not ideal. If you're ok with spending that amount of money for an enclosure, instead of the Zoo Med or Exo Terra I would get one of Jamie's acrylic adult enclosures...that is what I use for my subt-adult A. versicolor and it works great.
 

Chris LXXIX

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What coco fiber and peat moss would you recommend and where could I get it? Also, what cage would you think would be best?
I don't know, man. I can mention more than one, but from what I know the glass arboreal enclosure that we use in Europe aren't available so easily in the U.S, but anyway you can use: jars, Exo Terra arboreal enclosures (I don't particularly like those that much, and IMO overpriced but they work) or acrylic arboreal ones.

As far as the substrate IMO the brand it's not that much important, I buy directly (KG) of bags of coco fiber and Irish peat moss ready to use. I don't like bricks, they are quite annoying and take forever to dry.
 

cooperevans001

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Can someone enlighten me on what cross ventilation is? And, if I could afford a Jamies enclosure I would. They are so expensive though. Any other suggestions?
 

Venom1080

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Can someone enlighten me on what cross ventilation is? And, if I could afford a Jamies enclosure I would. They are so expensive though. Any other suggestions?
holes in the side of the cage. a plastic sterlite tub from walmart. get one thats tall and add your own vent. a soldering iron makes this very easy.

i very highly do not recommend any Poecilotheria for a beginner. the Lasiodora is the better option for sure. also, before you get any Poecilotheria, i highly recommend getting a Psalmopoeus first, as they are pretty much pokies except they dont have bad venom.
 

cooperevans001

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If I got a Baboon, it is for sure I wouldn't handle it. They are just too agressive. I am thinking a Salmon Pink and an Indian ornamental. Any thoughts? Also, thanks for all the info guys. It will really help, and it will possibly imrove my T's quality of life. I will try and get a new cage online, or modify one, and will get some new substrate and a few plants. Where I live there arent any pet stores other than PetCo and Pet Smart though.
 

viper69

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You seem to be quite new to Ts, I don't recommend an Old Word T at all.

The cage you have is not the right one for an arboreal, esp an Avic. You can put them in an ExoTerra provided you use a piece of acrylic w/drilled holes in it and don't use the screen top. Tarantulas get their tarsal claws stuck in screen, and can lose a leg or suffer other injury, it's not a nice situation. You can use sterilite as well. In short, you need to provide a good amount of air exchange, usually done via cross ventilation. The Europeans conduct air exchange as an ExoTerra does. ExoTerra's are modeled after the European glass "cubes" they use.

I got her on a whim,
Bad idea, esp for an Avic. Read the link I posted earlier if you haven't done so, and more importantly READ a lot through the forums here on Avic. There are plenty of threads where people "Help my Avic", these are the ones I'd research as they have the most suggestions.

I wouldn't get another sling, at least an Avic sling until you have managed to setup this one and successfully keep it. Avic slings are very easy to kill when you don't have enough knowledge. The larger the Avic the better off you and the T will be.

Moist/stuffy/ stagnant air filled containers kill Avics.
 

Venom1080

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If I got a Baboon, it is for sure I wouldn't handle it. They are just too agressive. I am thinking a Salmon Pink and an Indian ornamental.
you will not find one person on this forum that will recommend you getting a Poecilotheria (ornamental). the Lasiodora parahybana (salmon pink) is a much better option. handling any tarantula is not a good idea and handling any old world species is just plain dumb.
 

viper69

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The Zoo Med and Exo Terra are nice enclosures, however they aren't ideal for Avics as they're somewhat lacking in cross ventilation and they're glass so its really difficult to add your own.
But Tim, how do you reconcile the above statement with the fact that Europeans have been successfully keeping and breeding Avic in glass containers, which the ExoTerra is modeled off of? @Chris LXXIX @louise f @Storm76 do just fine w/the glass cubes as I call them. There's quite a few people in the USA, on the board, keeping Avics in ExoTerras.


ExoTerra's are fine. I don't believe Avics need cross ventilation per se, what they need is a reasonable amount of air exchange. Don't you think?
 
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