Need Chilean Rose Hair Help! :)

[Chris_Skeleton]

The enclosure is a big deal. Only one person said that and frankly they dont know what they're talking about.

Wait a second does my post not count :?

Your enclosure is far from fine.

First, you need a different enclosure. The risk of your tarantula falling is too great in that setup. Get a 10 gallon, put your spider in that, and save the one its in now for a climbing species. Second, do I see wood chips? These are a strict no-no. They are very abrasive and can have sharp edges and injure your tarantula. If your tarantula climbed and fell then it can be injured or even killed, plus with wood chips in there, that makes the chances even greater. You need a soft substrate such as peat or coconut fiber. Also I can't see in your water dish, but if you have a sponge, get it out, they are breeding ground for bacteria.

So in summary, rehouse your spider immediately. Put it in a 10 gallon (5.5g would be fine also or a sterilite container) about half full with peat moss or coconut fiber. Your tarantulas safety should be your first priority. The scientific name is Grammostola rosea and they are a terrestrial species. Not only is this setup hazardous to your spider, it is also a waste of space for this spider.

Feeding is very simple: 2-3 crickets once a week or spread out if you want.

Room temperature is fine for a tarantula. If you are comfortable, so are they. So unless it gets ridiculously cold at night, then you don't need a heater.

Welcome and good luck.

Glad you are here and enjoying the hobby.

P.S. And believe me, you will get more. So just save that enclosure for a future resident.

To OP, please reread my post again and follow Dougs advice and mine. Your tank is too much a risk to your tarantula.

 

[Moltar]

Wow, misinformation abounds in this thread. :wall:

It's unfortunate that the pet store sold you on the expensive exo-terra rig when you really didn't need it. I'd reccomend a 5 gallon tank with a standard screen lid. (10 gallons is unnecessarily large) You don't absolutely have to change the enclosure but you should make some changes if you want to keep this one. The substrate should be piled as high as possible in there. The rule of thumb is that a dangerous fall can occur when the distance between substrate and ceiling is more than 1.5x the diaganol legspan of the tarantula. That means that a 4" tarantula can suffer a dangerous fall from a height of 6". In a 12"x12" exo-terra it's basically impossible to pile the dirt 6" deep and still open the door. That's why people generally say exo-terras are not adequate for terrestrial T's.

 

[Londoner]

Wait a second does my post not count :?

I think he might have been responding to the post above him that said most of the objections to the enclosure were based on too much space, as opposed to too much height.

Wow, misinformation abounds in this thread. :wall:

It's unfortunate that the pet store sold you on the expensive exo-terra rig when you really didn't need it. I'd reccomend a 5 gallon tank with a standard screen lid. (10 gallons is unnecessarily large) You don't absolutely have to change the enclosure but you should make some changes if you want to keep this one. The substrate should be piled as high as possible in there. The rule of thumb is that a dangerous fall can occur when the distance between substrate and ceiling is more than 1.5x the diaganol legspan of the tarantula. That means that a 4" tarantula can suffer a dangerous fall from a height of 6". In a 12"x12" exo-terra it's basically impossible to pile the dirt 6" deep and still open the door. That's why people generally say exo-terras are not adequate for terrestrial T's.

OP: The above is good, sound advice to take. I like the look of those Exo-Terra enclosures but I only keep arboreals in them. Many others do seem to keep terrestrials in them without any issues, but the risks are still there .

 

[Hobo]

+1 On the enclosure not being that huge a deal. You just have to tweak a few things first, which has been covered by Moltar already. I currently house two terrestrials in the 12x12x12 ones no problem.

Just to add on, it helps to add some "soft" furnishings to "reduce" the height even more. Things such as fake plants, dirt mounds, cork, etc. can be positioned in such a way that they can go higher up than the level of substrate without being dangerous, and cushion possible falls or discourage climbing altogether. Look up TalonAWD's enclosures; he does some great work with these particular enclosures.

You might also want to look at replacing the mesh they use with something safer if it bothers you, as they don't use "dipped" mesh. This is probably my biggest problem with these enclosures... Everything is high quality and professional looking, but they skimp on the mesh!

That said, if you are unprepared or unwilling to make all these adjusments, or your spider is simply too small (I personally wouldn't house anything smaller than 5" in one, adjustments or not) I would find a nice Kritter keeper/plastic shoebox at the next convenient opportunity, and maybe find a nice avic to live in your exo terra, or start working on it for her future home a la TalonAWD. They make great display enclosures!

 

[KnightinGale]

True, Hobo. I didn't mention that. My terrestrial that I keep in the exoterra is about a 6" so I don't worry about her so much. She never climbs anymore anyway, but nowhere in the tank setup I have gives her more than a span and a half to the top. +1 to that rule as well.