# Enclosure For OBT



## Venom0296 (May 26, 2016)

Hey! I got my first 1" OBT! Can I ask proper enclosure for it? I browse net some say it is semi arborial so they put barks for it to climb and plain coco fiber substrate without hide, some put coco fibers like a hill with a little hide without barks to climb. I'm a little confuse which should I follow.

Right now this is what I made for it.


But she is up on the KK's cover.


Any suggestions from experienced OBT keepers? Thanks!


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## jiacovazzi (May 26, 2016)

Lots of substrate for it to burrow, they're burrowing, defensive, potent, terrestrial spiders who can be a speed demon when they want to. Dry substrate, full water dish, and a hide and you should have a thriving OBT.

Reactions: Like 3


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## jiacovazzi (May 26, 2016)

The enclosure is a little large for my preference for that size OBT, but if you leave it be to acclimate it should create a burrow in a week or two.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Chris LXXIX (May 26, 2016)

Hello there.

On a personal opinion, that enclosure it's way too *big *for a sling. But oh well. Just me that follows, always, the rule of 'slings in little enclosures', then cage upgrades.

I have a female, almost adult, she's in her final enclosure, a medium sized KK. As jiacovazzi said, lots of inches of *dry* substrate, a water dish, a hide (i use cork bark, the best for me, but the one you offered could work) some anchor points/fake leaves for the web... then, and only then, your 'OBT' (probably the most hardy & adaptable _Theraphosidae _ever IMO) will choose what's better.

I continue to say that, if given the opportunity, to burrow remains their first choice. They aren't technically arboreals or semi-arboreal <-- what's that, btw?
They can adapt to various, even "wrong" set up, but that's different... unlike a _P.muticus _that, without substrate for burrow him/herself down under, will die for stress with time.

They are ridiculously easy to care for, don't worry for that. Not so easy to keep-"handle" (re-house, maintenance etc) but that's another story.

Give him/her time to setlle... i would offer him/her some fake leaves and such, btw. Yeah, IMO the enclosure is big but they grow like weed so that's not a particular issue.

Reactions: Like 2 | Award 1


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## Venom0296 (May 26, 2016)

jiacovazzi said:


> Lots of substrate for it to burrow, they're burrowing, defensive, potent, terrestrial spiders who can be a speed demon when they want to. Dry substrate, full water dish, and a hide and you should have a thriving OBT.


Sorry for the flash of my phone. I gave it 2" of substrate.


Yeah I believe you in speed of  demon, It nearly escaped when I rehouse it. It runs like 1 km/sec when I first touched it. So do you think my setup would be fine?


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## jiacovazzi (May 26, 2016)

yes, as Chris said, they grow like weeds. Just go by what we said in this thread.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Venom0296 (May 26, 2016)

Chris LXXIX said:


> Hello there.
> 
> On a personal opinion, that enclosure it's way too *big *for a sling. But oh well. Just me that follows, always, the rule of 'slings in little enclosures', then cage upgrades.
> 
> ...


Thanks for very informative tips! Later i'll put some plants for it to web.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Chris LXXIX (May 26, 2016)

Venom0296 said:


> Sorry for the flash of my phone. I gave it 2" of substrate.
> View attachment 211623
> 
> Yeah I believe you in speed of  demon, It nearly escaped when I rehouse it. It runs like 1 km/sec when I first touched it. So do you think my setup would be fine?


Your set up is fine, man (aside for the size, IMO too big, but just me) if you can, *paying attention*, i would add a couple of fake leaves and anchor points for help your sling's "web & settle" ;-)

Reactions: Like 2


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## Poec54 (May 26, 2016)

Venom0296 said:


> I got my first 1" OBT! Can I ask proper enclosure for it? I browse net some say it is semi arborial so they put barks for it to climb


 
To me, it's a bad idea to set up an OBT cage for a semi-arboreal, as that just puts the spider that much closer to the top of the cage, and makes it easier for it to run out.  They are very fast and can panic and run blindly sometimes, any direction.  When they do, they may bite anything in their path.  You *never* want a loose OBT.  Try to keep it at or below substrate level, and the substrate shouldn't be too deep.  If it runs, you don't want it running upwards.

Reactions: Agree 3


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## 14pokies (May 26, 2016)

I agree with what poec said.. If the spider establishes a burrow it is more likely to run down into it...  An obt webbed up in the corner like that is the stuff of nightmare's.. Lol...  I wouldn't advise doing anything like laying in vertical cork slabs to reinforce that behaviour...

I like the size of that enclosure for that T... It will be a long time before you have to rehouse it...

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1 | Creative 1


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## mistertim (May 26, 2016)

Setup seems fine, but did you really have to kill Sia just to make a home for your tarantula?

Reactions: Funny 11 | Helpful 1


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## darkness975 (May 26, 2016)

I am not a fan of that "hide"  It seems way too big and open for it. Also, while seeming unlikely, I would personally be uncomfortable with housing it in that because the vent holes could pose an escape risk ...

Reactions: Award 1


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## Venom0296 (May 26, 2016)

darkness975 said:


> I am not a fan of that "hide"  It seems way too big and open for it. Also, while seeming unlikely, I would personally be uncomfortable with housing it in that because the vent holes could pose an escape risk ...


In this picture, Everything looks big. But only the tip of her leg fits in the ventholes, So it is not a problem of ecaping some "Biting Machine".


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## Methal (May 27, 2016)

I wouldn't worry about it. A lot of times when you first get a Tarantula they are either in premolt or will molt very soon. I have had 22 tarantula's and out of those around 10 of them have molted within a week of getting them. Especially the baby ones.
Once He/She settles in you'll be just fine. It will web that hide to fit what it wants.
Also I disagree with most people on hide size.
Ain't no tarantula saying "earth is too big, I need something smaller"
In fact I say the opposite. Rehousing is stressful, and dangerous to you and the tarantula.
Give it a bigger hide, and let it settle in longer before needing a sinky pink giant molesting it out of its house into a strange smelling empty hold.
I have had 3 OBTs now. I have rehoused twice. I will rehouse my less than 1 inch sling  here in the next week or so.
I will be putting it into a 2.5 gallon enclosure. It wont need me harrassing it again for several months to a year or more.
As long as it has a dark corner to web up, it will be just fine.
We are the fragile species. Not the Tarantulas.

Reactions: Agree 2


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