What Material Should I Use to Cover Holes in My Tarantula's Enclosure?

[MES]

Hello!
I recently purchased a couple new inverts, all needing humid enclosures. Because the enclosures I use have many holes in the lid, I have to mist them alot to get the humidity they need. My question is, what material do you guys use to keep humidity up and some heat in? I have heard plastic wrap works, and I used it in one enclosure, but it looks really tacky (it could be the way I put it on though). What is the most effective and least distracting material to use? In case it matters, I have a large-ish plastic "critter keeper"/travel container housing 2 millies, a smaller container of the same type housing an A. chalcodes t, and a 10 gallon aquarium housing an H. spinifer scorpion.
Thanks!

 

[cold blood]

recently purchased a couple new inverts, all needing humid enclosures.

These ts need damp sub, not humidity.

Because the enclosures I use have many holes in the lid, I have to mist them alot to get the humidity they need.

Misting is not the right way to go about adding moisture...its fine for offering a drink, but aside from that, you shouldn't be misting.

My question is, what material do you guys use to keep humidity up and some heat in?

Its really as easy as adding water to the sub once it dries or starts to dry. Drier conditions or more ventilation mean you need to add more water, a little more often.

This is the tarantula part of the forum, so I am speaking about ts.....a post on the myriapod section or scorp section can help with those critters.

 

[MES]

These ts need damp sub, not humidity.
Misting is not the right way to go about adding moisture...its fine for offering a drink, but aside from that, you shouldn't be misting.



Its really as easy as adding water to the sub once it dries or starts to dry. Drier conditions or more ventilation mean you need to add more water, a little more often.

This is the tarantula part of the forum, so I am speaking about ts.....a post on the myriapod section or scorp section can help with those critters.

Thanks so much! I will start adding water to the subtrate and hopefully it will work!

 

[Krystal Anne]

Everything @cold blood said!

Also, I just wanted to add that if you were talking about your A. chalcodes needing "humidity" / moist substrate - it doesn't. This is an arid species that needs completely dry substrate + waterdish.

 

[MES]

Everything @cold blood said!

Also, I just wanted to add that if you were talking about your A. chalcodes needing "humidity" / moist substrate - it doesn't. This is an arid species that needs completely dry substrate + waterdish.

Ok, thanks so much! It's interesting, I was told to mist her enclosure, and I thought it was weird because she's an arid species, so thanks for letting me know!

 

[Nightstalker47]

Post some pics of your setups, sounds like you were offered poor advice.

 

[MES]

Post some pics of your setups, sounds like you were offered poor advice.

Here's some pics of my A. chalcodes setup. She's got a temporary hide (untill I can get a nicer one haha), a water dish, and a heat mat on one side. Let me know if you want any more pics!

 

[Quetzalcoatl Nyarlathotep]

I would use freshly harvested sheets of moss from your local forest. I also used big abalone shells for the tops of burrows. Hope this helps!

 

[Nightstalker47]

Here's some pics of my A. chalcodes setup. She's got a temporary hide (untill I can get a nicer one haha), a water dish, and a heat mat on one side. Let me know if you want any more pics! View attachment 289171

Lose the heat mat, not necessary and can slowly fry your tarantula. Otherwise, the setup has the essentials, but I would bury down that hide significantly and add much more sub depth into the enclosure...chalcodes do burrow IME.

 

[MES]

Thank you guys so much for the advice! About the heat mat though, it gets pretty cold in the room where she's kept (sometimes below 65°F), and so far, she stays as close to the mat as possible, as it doesn't get very hot. Is it still ok then, or no?

 

[cold blood]

Thank you guys so much for the advice! About the heat mat though, it gets pretty cold in the room where she's kept (sometimes below 65°F), and so far, she stays as close to the mat as possible, as it doesn't get very hot. Is it still ok then, or no?

The fact that she stays by the heat mat exemplifies why direct heating (like mats) are potentially dangerous. Ts are drawn to heat, much like a moth to a flame, and much like that moth, they are drawn to their detriment, not because the flame (or heat source) is necessary.

If you really need heat (you likely do not), the best way is to heat the room with a space heater....however, I do understand that its not practical for just one or a couple ts....in this case, a mat can be used, but not in the conventional fashion. get a large enclosure, heat that by putting the mat on the side, and then put your enclosure(s) inside that heated enclosure. This takes a direct heat and turns it into a safer, secondary heat.

 

[MES]

Okay, thank you! I will definitely move her away from the mat.

 

[Venom1080]

Plastic wrap is what I use.. tacky or not.

Hot glue works great too. But you'll need alot to cover kritter keeper vents. I use it mostly for plugging oversized ventilation holes.

 

[cold blood]

Okay, thank you! I will definitely move her away from the mat.

Lol, better to move the mat away from her.

 

[MES]

Lol, better to move the mat away from her.

That's really what it meant, haha!

 

[Krystal Anne]

I agree with everyone - and yup, mine definitely loves to burrow. As mentioned, I would add much more substrate than that and pack it down. Once you get a better hide (something that isn't closed off like a cup), make sure that you partially bury it diagonally deep into the substrate. Mine started digging into it right away. Some really bad photos but look at those pedipalps full of dirt

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I've kept (and still do keep) moisture dependent species in kritter keepers without covering any vents and not had an issue with things drying out too fast but I don't do misting, pouring water into the sub and letting it soak into the bottom layers is so much more efficient.

 

[EulersK]

Since when does A. chalcodes need any supplimental humidity?

Sure, I make it 'rain' in the enclosure from time to time, but this is one of the few species I actually use the term "bone dry" with.