hello everyone - glad to be here

[sumatrano]

...this is Thoris, a female indian ornamental (peocilotheria regalis) rehomed from a keeper friend almost two weeks ago

...this is a temporary setup because i'm still looking for suitable materials to craft a split cylindrical hide for her that would eventually replace her 'throne' of aquascaping driftwood - might even have to diy from root and driftwood materials to be partly covered with live moss if i can't find one soon considering the smallish size of the enclosure (24x24x31cm) she came in with; dreaming of creating a 30x30x45cm for her in the next several months tho

...she moulted a few days ago and i got her to drink from her water dish, friend said to try feeding after a few more days

...those are three species of air plants (tillandsia), a spare reptile heating pad is loosely wrapped on the left side to the back which keeps a constant temp of the inner glass surface and part of the substrate at 26-27°C (room temp ave is 18-21°C), humidity gauge reads 60-70℅

...comments and suggestions are welcome, thanks

 

[chanda]

Given their tendencies to dig, move earth, and web over everything, I find that the best plants for archnids - particularly tarantulas - are the plastic kind. They can "survive" being repeatedly uprooted, filled with dirt, buried, and covered over with webbing. They also like dead plants like branches, cork bark, or cork tubes that they can climb, hidea in or under, or use as attachment points for webs.

 

[NYAN]

this is a temporary setup

How temporary? Those wood chips are one of worst types of substrate one can use. They can be potentially toxic, can poke holes in your spider and offer little to no burrowing.

...she moulted a few days ago and i got her to drink from her water dish, friend said to try feeding after a few more days

I would wait longer than that. Adults can take a few weeks to harden up.

...those are three species of air plants (tillandsia), a spare reptile heating pad is loosely wrapped on the left side to the back which keeps a constant temp of the inner glass surface and part of the substrate at 26-27°C (room temp ave is 18-21°C), humidity gauge reads 60-70℅

Honestly, you shouldn’t need to use a heat mat given that your home doesn’t drop to the point where you’re uncomfortable. If you need to provide heat, space heaters are better. Also, I would ignore the humidity gauge and even toss it. They are kind of useless.

...comments and suggestions are welcome, thanks

This species is very fast and has very potent venom. It is not really beginner friendly. Do you have experience with other fast arboreals or tarantulas in general?

 

[Liquifin]

Get rid of those nails (woodchips) those are way too dangerous for T.'s
Just a video to give an idea why woodchips are bad.

 

[sumatrano]

...thanks for the reminders; i've read about them first time almost a year ago when another friend asked me to rehome his chaco

...temporary as in less than a couple of weeks; i just need to rummage for the coco fibre and some other stuff through some of my still packed things coz i recently moved

...being originally from forests of tropical india, i suppose a little warmth on one side won't really hurt (and i wouldn't want a heated bedroom because of economic and personal reasons) - plus it can induce a slight flow of air (temp gradient) to help prevent excessive moisture in the enclosure

...(btw, most people also said the same re my reticulated python being an advanced level snake) but since it's a rehome, my (original owner who has bred the mother of this one) friend is always on standby and out other entomologist hobbymate requests at least a twice a week update on this one

...all risks taken into consideration, i thought i would never be ready for actual animal keeping if i only immersed my head in reading

 

[cold blood]

i suppose a little warmth on one side won't really hurt

It can though. Ts arent like reptiles...they dont need hot and cool areas or basking areas. In fact, ts are drawn to heat like moths are to flame....and like the moth, they can be drawn to it to their detriment.

One needs to be careful how one adds supplimental heat for ts. Hot spots need to be avioded at all costs.

Temps need to be basically between 67 and 92....and temps outside this range can be tolerated for short times. With such broad temp ranges, heating is rarely a serious concern for most keepers....especially in the summer months.....or in a tropical climate like the Phillipines.

 

[RezonantVoid]

Ferns.

[Edit] they are the plants Ive found work good in spider enclosures

 

[SteveIDDQD]

Hello and welcome by the way.
I think others have you covered for updates to the enclosure, but for now I would-

• Replace the wood chips for something else.
• Lean a cork bark against the corner, behind the "throne".
• Bin the humidity gauge.
• Add a water dish.
• IF you still want to use a heat mat (likely not necessary given where you live?), put it on the wall next to the enclosure and leave a good 2-3cm gap, and control it with a thermostat. This will provide a gentle heat with no hotspots.

I've not ventured into live plants myself, but the air plants seem ok to me.