Thoughts on Bioactive Enclosure for Tarantulas?

[Denbert]

So for a time now I've been thinking on making my P. Regalis enclosure a bit more "natural". But I can't decide specially with the mixture of substrate and the plants appropriate for such enclosure. Also, if a drainage is advisable. Thank you for your suggestions!

 

[Hedge Witch]

I have drainage on all my bio-active vivs where possible, you have to be careful with digging species, but its really helpfull for maintaining high levels of humidity and keeping a small reservoir of water. You'll want to be able to see the water level in that layer so you can top up and make sure you're not over watering. I have a very low level in my spider viv, it's not intended to hold more that a day or two. I'd not intended on adding springtails, but they're everywhere in my flat.

 

[l4nsky]

Hmmm, thoughts... Yes, please lol. I recently went bioactive for my AF P. regalis. I used a false bottom made of light diffuser (commonly called eggcrate) and Exo Terra mesh, substrate is a rather robust mixture of 3 parts Reptisoil, 3 parts coco coir, 1 part sphagnum moss, 1 part orchid bark, and 1 part vermiculite, and finally the plants are pothos and some bromeliads, although one of the bromeliads is dieing back due to poor lighting conditions under some branches.

Thanks,
--Matt

 

[cold blood]

There is no easier way to over complicate the simple task of keeping ts than a boiactive enclosure.

Do you want healthy plants, or healthy ts? These two things dont have matching needs.

Humidity doesnt need to be maintained, its not even relevant to t keeping aside from too much being deadly.

Now with a something like a regalis, you are going to go in and prune and deal with plant issues? With a regalis in the enclosure....have fun.

 

[Venom1080]

It's alot of work for something that may or may not even help at all. It looks pretty, sure. But that's about it.

 

[Lasiodora]

You can skip the drainage layer. Those are used to keep plant roots from becoming too wet in overly saturated soil. That's only a concern if you're using a misting system with frequent misting. The plants depend on how strong your lighting is and humidity requirements. I like to use medium humidity/medium to low light plants. Some higher humidity plants can be acclimated to lower humidity. For soil I use peat with fir bark in it.

 

[l4nsky]

There is no easier way to over complicate the simple task of keeping ts than a boiactive enclosure.

For a collection numbering above 50 or so, absolutely. It definently adds to the time needed to maintain, but for a few display specimens it adds aesthetic value and is self cleaning for the most part.

Do you want healthy plants, or healthy ts? These two things dont have matching needs.

This is entirely dependent on the species of plants and tarantula and cant really be generalized. Pothos is practically bulletproof and I've never killed one in the years I've been keeping them. They do just fine in low light and and I only water them when I rehydrate part of the soil every 10 days or so. The bromeliads are more water dependant, but they are mostly in net pots fixed into the background, so I can water them without watering the substrate.

Now with a something like a regalis, you are going to go in and prune and deal with plant issues? With a regalis in the enclosure....have fun.

Aquarist aquascaping scissors can keep your hands out of the danger zone, but I haven't found a need for them yet. My regalis is pet cork and an appropriately sized Tupperware container placed over the unburied end of her cork tube allay any concerns.

It's not for everybody, it's not cost effective, and there is periodic maintenance that has to be done that you dont need to worry about with sterile enclosures, but every time I walk into the room and see it or I see her hiding in the pothos at night is rewarding enough to justify it for me.

Thanks,
--Matt

 

[Hedge Witch]

Tillandsias would be my starting point, id then explore options from there. At the end of the day any Bio-Active enclosures intention is to create a bio-tope. If they don't work together you'll end up losing parts of it. A fully enclosed ecosystem is very stable. Give it six months to settle before transferring the spider, they allways need allot of fettling to start. Important to understand all the inhabitants, get growing know the plants too. There must be synchronicity in the husbandry.

 

[cold blood]

self cleaning for the most part.

Because its difficult or time consuming to pick out a couple boli a month?

I mean, cleaning a t enclosure shouldnt require a clean up crew....ive never used any clean up crew and have never had an issue maintaining a room ful of clean enclosures.. I see clean up crews as over rated...who do they help? I will tell you, people who dont set things up properly and/or people who just cant be bothered to pick out a bolus or dead prey item. Ts are not filthy animals like turtles or even fish.

JMO y'all, im not trying to diss any one's bioactive enclosure, they look nice,, i just dont get it. Its not like its impossible or even hard to have a nice looking set up with fake plants.

 

[Lasiodora]

I agree that it’s not practical for a big collection and yes, none of these things are required to keep healthy tarantulas. I love keeping plants, in addition to keeping t’s so for me it’s cool to combine the two. In the past I did set up some natural vivs for a couple of my t’s. They weren’t any harder to keep than non viv set ups (of course I had past experience with vivariums). I’d like to set one up again in the future. I like little slices of rainforest to look at. Definitely do your research. There’s not a lot about tarantula vivarium set ups out there so use your knowledge of tarantulas to figure out what would work best for them. Set up the viv and make necessary adjustments over weeks time before adding spider.

 

[l4nsky]

Because its difficult or time consuming to pick out a couple boli a month?

I mean, cleaning a t enclosure shouldnt require a clean up crew....ive never used any clean up crew and have never had an issue maintaining a room ful of clean enclosures.. I see clean up crews as over rated...who do they help? I will tell you, people who dont set things ip properly and/or people who just cant be bothered to pick out a bolus or dead prey item. Ts are not filthy animals like turtles or even fish.

Oh God, if I went through the time and expense to setup a bioactive enclosure because I didnt want to deal with boli, then I'm a definite runner up for the laziest person in the world title. When I said self cleaning, I meant fungi and mold. The beneficial microorganisms create a balance so no one organism is dominant (like white mold) and if they do become so due to growth factors skewed in their favor, springtails and isopods will keep the bloom in check. A properly setup bioactive enclosure will never need a substrate change, maybe just a refresher every few years.

Thanks,
--Matt

 

[Nonnack]

Some ppl keep Ts in plastic shoe boxes with just substrate and hide made from plastic pot. It is fine, T will be doing ok. But some want make more advanced projects, things that will grace their rooms.

Do you want healthy plants, or healthy ts? These two things dont have matching needs.

Like there are no plants where T are living in nature...

I mean, cleaning a t enclosure shouldnt require a clean up crew....ive never used any clean up crew and have never had an issue maintaining a room ful of clean enclosures.. I see clean up crews as over rated

Cleaning crews are for ppl who use something more for decoration than plastic plants.

Not all my enclosures have plants, yes some species are hard to keep together with live plants. But all my enclosures have natural setup, zero plastic, and I try to mimic their habitat. It is harder, but more rewarding, and looks great in my living room. And I recommend it for all ppl who are advanced in T keeping.

 

[cold blood]

Oh God, if I went through the time and expense to setup a bioactive enclosure because I didnt want to deal with boli, then I'm a definite runner up for the laziest person in the world title. When I said self cleaning, I meant fungi and mold. The beneficial microorganisms create a balance so no one organism is dominant (like white mold) and if they do become so due to growth factors skewed in their favor, springtails and isopods will keep the bloom in check. A properly setup bioactive enclosure will never need a substrate change, maybe just a refresher every few years.

Thanks,
--Matt

I gotcha....but heres the thing...a properly set up enclosure wont have to deal with molds and fungi. I cant recall a single instance in the last 5 years where mold or fungus presented any issue.

I definitely didnt mean to imply laziness on your part, although reading my post, i can see where that could be percieved.

 

[Vanisher]

I have used real plants in terrarium before. Epipremnum sp and other that require almost no lighting, i have also used clean up crew, if polli rollies, twintails, and cuban woodlice counts as that! It was ok, it was a nice change from my normal set ups, i dont have much to say about it though! I can say one thing. Dont use plants that requires much lighting! Dont think the tarantula is feeling well with that!

 

[l4nsky]

I gotcha....but heres the thing...a properly set up enclosure wont have to deal with molds and fungi. I cant recall a single instance in the last 5 years where mold or fungus presented any issue.

I definitely didnt mean to imply laziness on your part, although reading my post, i can see where that could be percieved.

No offense taken or perceived sir. I respectfully disagree with the notion that a sterile enclosure will remain sterile though, even with proper husbandry. Eventually, on a long enough time scale, nutrients from waste will build up and all fungi will need is moisture and they'll take off. Usually, people will change their substrate out before it's noticeable, but from time to time the conditions are perfect for fungal growth before a regular substrate change (as the frequent threads on the subject attest to). I'm not saying a little mold is even an issue though. Most people, myself included, will just scoop the inoculated substrate out when it gets noticeable. After all, tarantulas dont live in sterile environments in the wild and a little fungi wont hurt (unless its Cordyceps, and where in the world did you get a species that targets tarantulas lol). As far as bioactive goes, I'm saying the need to not worry about it is just a benefit, not the only reason.

Thanks,
--Matt

 

[ErinM31]

...Ts are not filthy animals like turtles or even fish.

JMO y'all, im not trying to diss anyones bioactive enclosure, they look nice,, i just dont get it. Its not like its impossible or even hard to have a nice looking set up with fake plants.

I do love that about T’s how they take out their “trash”, usually putting the bonus far from their hide, often in the water dish, where it’s easy for their servants to notice and remove them!

Do you have recommendations regarding brands/types of fake plants? So many of the plastic ones look too fake and/or are poorly made. I’ve found nice ones on occasion but it’s often hard to tell what it will really look like browsing online. I want to get some nice ones for my larger pokie enclosures.

On the subject of bio active enclosures, the most I do is put in a few decaying leaves, etc., to help springtails establish in any enclosures in which I try to maintain some level of moisture (i.e., millipedes, most cockroaches, Ephebopus murinus and a few other T’s). In my millipede enclosures I have found them helpful in keeping mold levels down, out-competing mites and hopefully giving some competition to fungus gnats (which are harmless to my knowledge but oh so annoying).

View attachment 301130

Tillandsias would be my starting point, id then explore options from there. At the end of the day any Bio-Active enclosures intention is to create a bio-tope. If they don't work together you'll end up losing parts of it. A fully enclosed ecosystem is very stable. Give it six months to settle before transferring the spider, they allways need allot of fettling to start. Important to understand all the inhabitants, get growing know the plants too. There must be synchronicity in the husbandry.

That is a really beautiful set-up! I am always inspired by these photos but have always had difficulties maintaining plants long term. Someday when I have more space and funds I will try again with a tropical dart frog enclosure... I agree with all you said. I think the failings of my last attempt were that 1) I did not allow time for springtails and isopods to establish before introducing the frogs and 2) despite a great deal of effort to achieve adequate drainage and circulation, I was not able to achieve this with the waterfall set-up I had my heart set on.

 

[Vanisher]

I have a suggestion for you! Epipremnum sp! Its a real plant but doesnt need light, more than the normal light in a house! It survives in almost darkness! Its almost impossible to kill! I have used itva lot in moist terrariums!

 

[cold blood]

sterile enclosure will remain sterile though, even

Huge misunderstanding here....i never used or implied the term sterile....not close...sterilized things dont work....just because plants arent alive within the enclosure does not in any way shape or form mean its sterile.

I use wood from outside, which isnt sterilized, and i use dirt straight from the bag.....all enclosures that arent sterilized will have a bioactive component to them...this is good and specifically why we often tell people not to sterilize.

Usually, people will change their substrate out before it's noticeable,

But sub never needs changing, it doesnt go bad, bio active enclosure or not....i have enclosures with 15 year old substrate, im never gonna change it out.

ut from time to time the conditions are perfect for fungal growth before a regular substrate change (

And this is what i mean by a properly set up enclosure....a properly set up should never become perfect for fungal growth.

Do you have recommendations regarding brands/types of fake plants? So many of the plastic ones look too fake and/or are poorly made. I’ve found nice ones on occasion but it’s often hard to tell what it will really look like browsing online. I want to get some nice ones for my larger pokie enclosures.

Its a matter of looking around...most look better in a set up than on the shelf. I use either plastic plants from zoo med for aquariums, or the ones made of...geez, im not even sure, but not plastic...but like this

juronesis morphotype #2

• cold blood
• Feb 20, 2019
• avicularia avicularia juruensis avicularia urticans juruensis peruvian pinktoe tarantula sling yellowbanded tarantula

sling #1

 

[Vanisher]

This terrarium contains epipremnum sp and some bromeliad. I have had it set up for 4 years without lightning. It doesnt grow like weed in relative darkness, but i still have to trim it from time to time! No spider in though

The first picture is light, by the flash from the camera. The second is the normal ligh it gets! Pretty dark! But still, both the epipremnum and bromeliad survives! But the bromeliad has lost its "redness" But they dont die. But especially Epipremnum is great in dark tarantula terrariums!

 

[StampFan]

Just a general thought for the discussion, not to discourage the original poster:

People sometimes call things "bioactive", add a plant or two, some dirt, a light, and some springtails or isopods, leaf cover, etc. But this may *not* prevent mold, fungus gnats, fruit flies, grain mites, etc. ; it may even create these issues.

There many products there are out there to get rid of pests and issues with houseplants. Springtails and isopods are not the be-all and end-all. They do not eat and dispose everything that folks think they will.....

The issues with many of these typical tarantula problems is moisture. And a bioactive set-up requires moisture. So you're not necessarily ridding oneself of these problems.

All of these things have their place, but the bioactive enclosure is not a maintenance-free or problem-free enclosure. If you like plants it may be a nice challenge.

If one wants a truly problem free enclosure keep dry T species with a water dish, proper substrate, and spot-clean.