New B. Smithi -- First Tarantula!

[cassraptor]

I've wanted a T since early to mid high school but could never get one living with my mom at the time. I moved out and subsequently that opened up. I was browsing Craigslist yesterday and found an add for someone looking for a home for their T. Free.

This woman interviewed the heck out of me on the phone to make sure i, "was a good home".
She detailed that it had been her sons and that he had lost interest in pets and moved over to sports, and so the parents were scraping by scared of this little bud trying to keep it alive.

The setup is pretty bad. This is not my setup pictured. Was given the T in this. On Friday I am completely revamping it. Would have done so today but I'll be at a huge music festival two hours from home for the day.

Now that I've rambled a bit -- I'm thinking that I'm going to get a bag of eco earth coco fiber? You can see now that it's half sand and half chunky woodchips in a thin lair. They've been using both a waterdish and a sponge and both are gross. Also cricket corpses laid around and what look like a dead mealworm beetle or two.

I've been informed by several people in a facebook group that this spider appears to be female... If that's the case she'll be called Dana Scully.

I honestly just want to provide a good home for it. I'm incredibly excited. This buddy is insanely docile too.

Small check list to do?:

1. Get Eco Earth and fill several inches thick. (would an 8 quart bag be enough for a ten gal??)
2. i was gonna switch out the big clunky hide with something possibly smaller. Would a hermit crab coconut half possibly be more effective?
3. Fake plants b/c I like pretty setups. :>

Any extra info or advice is so appreciated. Was told this T was in the 5 yr old range.

 

[KezyGLA]

Congratulations on the new spider.

Get that enclosure sorted then post up photos

 

[cassraptor]

Congratulations on the new spider.

Get that enclosure sorted then post up photos

Will do, will do! I'm totally a sucker for designing cages and aesthetic. <3

 

[Ungoliant]

Get Eco Earth and fill several inches thick. (would an 8 quart bag be enough for a ten gal??)

The most important thing if you're using a 10-gallon aquarium is to make sure you have enough substrate so that the vertical space (the distance between the top of the substrate and the lid) does not exceed 1.5 times the tarantula's diagonal leg span (DLS).

Tarantulas, particularly bulky terrestrials, are vulnerable to falls of more than a few inches, especially if they land on a hard surface. Any significant fall is likely to rupture the abdomen, which is nearly always fatal.

Deadly falls are one of the reasons we don't recommend handling. (If you do handle, try to limit the frequency, and always handle no more than a few inches above a soft surface.)

i was gonna switch out the big clunky hide with something possibly smaller. Would a hermit crab coconut half possibly be more effective?

Something without that hard, jagged surface would be best. Ideally, the hide should have no bottom and should be partially buried so that the tarantula can excavate only the space she wants. (Tarantulas like cozy spaces.)

Fake plants b/c I like pretty setups. :>

Fake plants are fine, but understand that they are purely for aesthetics, and your tarantula may have different ideas about how the cage should be decorated. Be sure to wash any fake plants before using them.

 

[cassraptor]

The most important thing if you're using a 10-gallon aquarium is to make sure you have enough substrate so that the vertical space (the distance between the top of the substrate and the lid) does not exceed 1.5 times the tarantula's diagonal leg span (DLS).

Tarantulas, particularly bulky terrestrials, are vulnerable to falls of more than a few inches, especially if they land on a hard surface. Any significant fall is likely to rupture the abdomen, which is nearly always fatal.

Deadly falls are one of the reasons we don't recommend handling. (If you do handle, try to limit the frequency, and always handle no more than a few inches above a soft surface.)




Something without that hard, jagged surface would be best. Ideally, the hide should have no bottom and should be partially buried so that the tarantula can excavate only the space she wants. (Tarantulas like cozy spaces.)




Fake plants are fine, but understand that they are purely for aesthetics, and your tarantula may have different ideas about how the cage should be decorated. Be sure to wash any fake plants before using them.

thank you so much! She's on my desk so any handling would be over the surface of that. So for vertical space then, I want it to be pretty high then? I'll definitely need more than the 8 quart bag. I'd get a block of eco earth to soak and break up but I dont want to wait so long to let it dry out some.

 

[mconnachan]

The enclosure is a great size, as you already know it's all wrong, make sure when you place the eco-earth that it is deep enough so you leave a gap of 1.5 times the leg span of the spider, provide a wide water dish, a coconut half would be fine for a hide, but if you can get a small piece of cork bark and submerge it into the sub at an angle so it's like a round hollowed out cave would be better, fake plants etc. are not needed but if you want to use them then go ahead, post some pictures once you've done the enclosure, it'll be a hundred times better than the way it is now, enjoy your new 8 legged wonder, they're fantastic to care for. (please don't handle her/him)

 

[cassraptor]

The enclosure is a great size, as you already know it's all wrong, make sure when you place the eco-earth that it is deep enough so you leave a gap of 1.5 times the leg span of the spider, provide a wide water dish, a coconut half would be fine for a hide, but if you can get a small piece of cork bark and submerge it into the sub at an angle so it's like a round hollowed out cave would be better, fake plants etc. are not needed but if you want to use them then go ahead, post some pictures once you've done the enclosure, it'll be a hundred times better than the way it is now, enjoy your new 8 legged wonder, they're fantastic to care for. (please don't handle her/him)

I'll see what petsmart/petco has for cork bark. I have both stores in the same area so I can scope everything out. Maybe check online. She'll burrow pretty deep then?

 

[The Grym Reaper]

thank you so much! She's on my desk so any handling would be over the surface of that. So for vertical space then, I want it to be pretty high then? I'll definitely need more than the 8 quart bag. I'd get a block of eco earth to soak and break up but I dont want to wait so long to let it dry out some.

A great trick with the blocks is to break them apart into small chunks with a chisel/flathead screwdriver and then add just enough water for them to soak up (make sure all the chunks get at least partially wet but don't drown them) and leave them for 10 mins, any chunks usually just crumble apart after that and it isn't so soaking wet that you need to dry it out for years in order to use it.

 

[cassraptor]

A great trick with the blocks is to break them apart into small chunks with a chisel/flathead screwdriver and then add just enough water for them to soak up (make sure all the chunks get at least partially wet but don't drown them) and leave them for 10 mins, any chunks usually just crumble apart after that and it isn't so soaking wet that you need to dry it out for years in order to use it.

oh ok cool! I'm going to assume that the blocks are cheaper and give you more bang for your $$$?? How dry should it be to go in with her? Thank you guys for all the help.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

oh ok cool! I'm going to assume that the blocks are cheaper and give you more bang for your $$$?? How dry should it be to go in with her? Thank you guys for all the help.

I think a block is about a bag's worth compressed. You want it as dry as possible (this species doesn't like wet substrate) but don't worry if it's still slightly damp, it'll dry out quickly enough.

What you could also do is get a block and then a bag of the dry stuff, use the slightly damp stuff you make up from the block to fill most of it and then top it off with a couple of inches of the dry stuff from the bag.

She'll burrow pretty deep then?

My girl hasn't burrowed since after her first moult in my care, once they get over 3" they tend to stay out in the open a lot more.

 

[mconnachan]

I'll see what petsmart/petco has for cork bark. I have both stores in the same area so I can scope everything out. Maybe check online. She'll burrow pretty deep then?

She'll burrow until she feels comfortable, with larger specimens they like to be quite tight but with enough space to turn etc. So no not too deep, just what she feels comfortable with, let her do her thing and you'll see what I was meaning she might use the hide she might not, best to provide one anyway. You should pick up a piece of bark from one of these stores, good luck with your search and enjoy.

 

[Ellenantula]

Congratulations -- gorgeous new T!

If you're going to pet store anyway -- just buy bagged dry coco fibre substrate instead of a brick. Tamp down substrate well and tight - they don't enjoy walking on loose fluffy flooring! As others mentioned, make it deep enough so T doesn't have dangerous fall.

Looking forward to seeing new enclosure set-up!

 

[CyclingSam]

What a great deal you got!

 

[nicodimus22]

You'll want to ditch that screen lid ASAP, as their tarsal claws can easily get caught in screen. Replace it with a piece of acrylic with air holes drilled into it. (note: not in the photo, but I have attached 1 piece of gaffer tape onto each end of the lid. It's strong enough to prevent a large tarantula from pushing the lid up, but weak enough that it's not a nuisance for me to unfasten one end and flip it up. The reason I use gaffer tape is that it leaves zero residue and can be re-fastened over and over again.)

 

[Ellenantula]

What a great deal you got!

Yeah, I'm totally jealous of this find -- I would love to find a (free - wow) B smithi near me on Craig's List. This one looks healthy and so gorgeous.

 

[Nightstalker47]

Free female B.smithi? That's a very lucky find, it's almost certainly a B.hamorri unless the previous uneducated owners somehow knew about the name change.

A great trick with the blocks is to break them apart into small chunks with a chisel/flathead screwdriver and then add just enough water for them to soak up (make sure all the chunks get at least partially wet but don't drown them) and leave them for 10 mins, any chunks usually just crumble apart after that and it isn't so soaking wet that you need to dry it out for years in order to use it.

Another good trick that I've used is to heat up your water before adding it. This allows for you to completely expand the brick of eco earth with far less water, resulting in dryer sub.

I think they recommend three liters of water for each brick on the packaging? Well using my kettle I pour about 1.5 liters of water at 80° and it works wonders. Just be sure to wait until the mixture cools down before adding any new substrate.

 

[cassraptor]

You'll want to ditch that screen lid ASAP, as their tarsal claws can easily get caught in screen. Replace it with a piece of acrylic with air holes drilled into it. (note: not in the photo, but I have attached 1 piece of gaffer tape onto each end of the lid. It's strong enough to prevent a large tarantula from pushing the lid up, but weak enough that it's not a nuisance for me to unfasten one end and flip it up. The reason I use gaffer tape is that it leaves zero residue and can be re-fastened over and over again.)

what size piece of acrylic do you use for the ten gal? and will home depot cut/drill the holes for me?

 

[nicodimus22]

what size piece of acrylic do you use for the ten gal? and will home depot cut/drill the holes for me?

That's a 5.5 gallon tank. I ordered a piece of 1/4 inch acrylic from Amazon and cut it to fit with my dremel after holding it against the tank and drawing lines on it with a sharpie. I suspect that people at Lowe's and Home Depot will cut a piece of acrylic for you if you buy it there and know the dimensions you need. I doubt they will drill holes in it for you.

 

[darkness975]

I've wanted a T since early to mid high school but could never get one living with my mom at the time. I moved out and subsequently that opened up. I was browsing Craigslist yesterday and found an add for someone looking for a home for their T. Free.

This woman interviewed the heck out of me on the phone to make sure i, "was a good home".
She detailed that it had been her sons and that he had lost interest in pets and moved over to sports, and so the parents were scraping by scared of this little bud trying to keep it alive.

The setup is pretty bad. This is not my setup pictured. Was given the T in this. On Friday I am completely revamping it. Would have done so today but I'll be at a huge music festival two hours from home for the day.

Now that I've rambled a bit -- I'm thinking that I'm going to get a bag of eco earth coco fiber? You can see now that it's half sand and half chunky woodchips in a thin lair. They've been using both a waterdish and a sponge and both are gross. Also cricket corpses laid around and what look like a dead mealworm beetle or two.

I've been informed by several people in a facebook group that this spider appears to be female... If that's the case she'll be called Dana Scully.

I honestly just want to provide a good home for it. I'm incredibly excited. This buddy is insanely docile too.

Small check list to do?:

1. Get Eco Earth and fill several inches thick. (would an 8 quart bag be enough for a ten gal??)
2. i was gonna switch out the big clunky hide with something possibly smaller. Would a hermit crab coconut half possibly be more effective?
3. Fake plants b/c I like pretty setups. :>

Any extra info or advice is so appreciated. Was told this T was in the 5 yr old range.

You got a species that at that size would run a pretty penny.

Nice find.

 

[viper69]

Any extra info or advice is so appreciated

Post up new pics

I'm totally a sucker for designing cages and aesthetic.

Remember, your T isn't

I'm going to assume that the blocks are cheaper and give you more bang for your $$$?? How dry should it be to go in with her?

Yes, dry as sand. It's a scrub land species. If you get coco fiber, make it wet and bake it in the oven to dry it faster, temps at about 375F.

Gorgeous T, and worth quite a bit if female.