Work in progress desert terrarium

[JohnDapiaoen]

I wanted to redo my desert terrarium since the "plainess" bothered me until it started eating away at my psyche... anyway it's another rare day off and I'll be taking apart the enclosure to add more to it.

Before pic:

First on the list is the backdrops:
A few rocks here and there and maybe some twigs. Placed on wax paper that I've measured to fit each division (a new technique I thought up )

And now the fun part XD. Great stuff is a vivarium builders best friend and I had this black pond and stone version delivered on time, sucks it's an online only item.


My hands were a bit messy for a bit so I only have pics of the above and the finishing touch, where I silicone substrate onto the foam.

I chose to use zoomeds excavator for the backdrop substrate. The actual substrate will be a mix of stuff including excavator.

-JohnD.

 

[JohnDapiaoen]

Just need to place some dried grass and it'll be done!

-JohnD.

 

[bryverine]

What's going in this here desert enclosure?

Edit: Well I just saw the two spiders on the walls. what kind are they? Look almost like M. balfouri to me...

 

[ErinM31]

Just need to place some dried grass and it'll be done! View attachment 207921

-JohnD.

Looks good, but isn't it dangerous/stressful for the tarantulas to have more than one in a divided terrarium? Unless they're a male and female of the same species -- I would think that could work.

 

[JohnDapiaoen]

Looks good, but isn't it dangerous/stressful for the tarantulas to have more than one in a divided terrarium? Unless they're a male and female of the same species -- I would think that could work.

I have other divided units and the T's are doing just fine. Yes I'm sure the t's sense each other and I'm sure they sense their keepers in the room as well, however this is no different than people having different enclosures next to one another. They may be on high alert if say they touch webbing from another T that would tell them there really is another tarantula nearby but as far as just small vibrations its fine.

-JohnD.

 

[JohnDapiaoen]

What's going in this here desert enclosure?

Edit: Well I just saw the two spiders on the walls. what kind are they? Look almost like M. balfouri to me...

Yep balfouri the last section is still empty. Reserving it for another baboon.

-JohnD.

 

[ErinM31]

I have other divided units and the T's are doing just fine. Yes I'm sure the t's sense each other and I'm sure they sense their keepers in the room as well, however this is no different than people having different enclosures next to one another. They may be on high alert if say they touch webbing from another T that would tell them there really is another tarantula nearby but as far as just small vibrations its fine.

-JohnD.

Okay, just going by what I had read, but maybe those terraria were less well constructed and so the T's eventually got into the same area and that is the real concern. Otherwise, it seems to me that you are right -- in fact I have the enclosures of my male and female Euathlus sp. red right against one another in the hope that they can sense one another.

Anyway, it looks good and that sounds like a creative use of the Excavator substrate, to use it in molding the backdrop. What mix do you use for the substrate itself in your desert terraria?

 

[viper69]

SO GS comes in black too?? That's news to me, and much appreciated.

 

[Cedar]

This look awesome! Nice work! I would also like to know what your substrate mix is.

 

[JohnDapiaoen]

Done!


As for the substrate it'll be kept a secret because I'm actually still testing it out

-JohnD.

 

[JohnDapiaoen]

Different angle...

-JohnD.

 

[ErinM31]

That looks fantastic!!! Is the grass live or dried or artificial?

As for the substrate, I'll accept that for now, but in the name of science, you must eventually tell us what you tried and how it turned out!

 

[Cedar]

Yeah! You'll have to tell us someday what that substrate is!! Haha but really, this is seriously cool. Please post a picture of it with the inhabitants too!

 

[Belegnole]

Looks good! It reminds me of when I lived in the southwest.

 

[viper69]

SO GS comes in black too?? That's news to me, and much appreciated.

The GS is black in color? I don't recall seeing GS in black.

 

[JohnDapiaoen]

The GS is black in color? I don't recall seeing GS in black.

It's mainly an online only item for some reason. It's called great stuff pond and stone as shown in my first post. It's supposed to be used for koi ponds and the like.

-JohnD.

 

[viper69]

It's mainly an online only item for some reason. It's called great stuff pond and stone as shown in my first post. It's supposed to be used for koi ponds and the like.

-JohnD.

Right I knew that, but I don't know if it's black in color.

 

[JohnDapiaoen]

Right I knew that, but I don't know if it's black in color.

It's black, or rather a VERY dark grey.

-JohnD.

 

[Venom1080]

Done!
View attachment 208151

As for the substrate it'll be kept a secret because I'm actually still testing it out

-JohnD.

am not jealous at all. nope! absolutely not. just kidding i need this. cool set up!

 

[TarantulasWorld]

lookin really good John, keep it up