M. Balfouri

[Dustynn89]

Not sure if anyone has tried this, but I came up with a kinda cool way to see my m. Balfouri since it is always hiding. I took a clear glass canter, and took the base pressing it firmly against the side of my tank. This glass was placed on top of a few inches of ecoearth, and I placed another few inches on top of the canter and around it. This helped make the canter dark enough to encourage my M. Balfouri to accept the glass as a hide. This has been successful for a few months now. When I want to get a look I simply shine a light on either end of the canter allowing me to see the tarantula. This has worked with a few of my tarantulas that burrow.

 

[Trenor]

Sounds cool, put up some photos if you can so we can see what you did.

 

[Venom1080]

sounds neat but i would be worried if the spider dug beneath the glass and the burrow and glass fell on top of the T. with my burrowers i just start a few burrows around the sides of the tank and when the T accepts one of them, i can see it on the side anytime i want.

 

[EulersK]

sounds neat but i would be worried if the spider dug beneath the glass and the burrow and glass fell on top of the T. with my burrowers i just start a few burrows around the sides of the tank and when the T accepts one of them, i can see it on the side anytime i want.

This, absolutely. I've seen keepers put a small enclosure inside of a larger one in order to force the spider to burrow along the sides, and it was even suggested in the TKG. It's a terrible idea. Every one of my obligate burrowers have dug to the bottom, and in the case of my C. darlingi, she has made tunnels all along the very bottom. I doubt it would be able to support an enclosure above her.

 

[crlovel]

I'm not sure I follow? What's the danger in placing, say, a 5 gallon enclosure upside down inside of a 10 gallon enclosure? Then fill in with dirt and cover the 5 gallon, creating the desired ant-farm-like result.

 

[Trenor]

I think there was a misunderstanding about the placement of the smaller glass container. I was thinking of a much smaller square container turned on its side placed on the bottom of the larger enclosure. The bottom of the smaller container is pushed tightly to the outside glass wall of the larger enclosure. All of that buried with a pre-tunnel leading to the "glass cave". Nothing to fall and a easy way to see into the cave from the outside.

But I can't be sure I'm right, without photos I'm just guessing.

 

[Trenor]

After reading it again it looks like they put it on top of some eco-earth so it could fall. I'd have placed it on the bottom of the large enclosure to prevent that.

 

[crlovel]

@Trenor if it's placed directly on the bottom, I can't see any harm in it.

 

[Dustynn89]

I will post photos when I get home today.

 

[Trenor]

I will post photos when I get home today.

Cool, I want to see exactly how you did it.

 

[Dustynn89]

Cool, I want to see exactly how you did it.

Will do brother!

 

[viper69]

I'm not sure I follow? What's the danger in placing, say, a 5 gallon enclosure upside down inside of a 10 gallon enclosure? Then fill in with dirt and cover the 5 gallon, creating the desired ant-farm-like result.

Absolutely nothing wrong with forcing the T to direct its digging to the sides, I saw this in a tarantula article, or maybe TKG, don't remember.

 

[Venom1080]

Absolutely nothing wrong with forcing the T to direct its digging to the sides, I saw this in a tarantula article, or maybe TKG, don't remember.

its in the TKG.