# Is this setup ok?



## SPIDERBYTE (Jul 19, 2005)

I just got a G.rosea a few days ago, right now I have fir bark in there as a substrate, no misting, and a small water dish.

The bark is not splintery at all, rather spongey, nearly cork-like. The T is hiding under the half-log at the moment (all I can see is a few legs now).
It does come out later in the night.

I also have that "eco-earth' stuff, but not really shure about using it.
My biggest concern is when the T goes to moult, the stuff doesn't look pokey/sharp/splintery, but I would like some advice on this.

Pic of setup:


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## becca81 (Jul 19, 2005)

Change to the eco-earth and you might want to raise the level of the substrate some.  

Other than that, you're fine.


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## cryptly (Jul 19, 2005)

becca81 said:
			
		

> Change to the eco-earth and you might want to raise the level of the substrate some.
> 
> Other than that, you're fine.


What becca81 said.      I use Eco-Earth with all of my Ts, and have never had any problems.


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## ink_scorpion (Jul 19, 2005)

For Sure! Lose the bark. Otherwise you have the necessities all taken care of. Good luck and welcome to the board!


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## ScorpZion (Jul 19, 2005)

*i concurr*

eco earth is great you can get four bricks that expand to like a 4 gallon bucket for like 5 bucks, looks good other than the substrate


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## jbrd (Jul 19, 2005)

i agree witgh everyone else on this one. Just to add one thing though, once you use the eco earth your T might climb for awhile until it dries out or he gets use to it. So do'nt worry if he starts doing this and good luck with your T.


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## Jekka25 (Jul 19, 2005)

*looking good!*

I think your set-up is great. The bark comes to be a bigger pain in the rear than anything, but a question to ask is "does my spider like it"? I read that tarantulas have a way of letting you know if they're comfy, well, a few ways. One thing you can count on in the beginning of a new enclosure is some wall-climbing until he/she gets used to the new surroundings. I've noticed some lay a lot of web on the ground if they don't like the substrate you chose. I have a few large and elder T's who still do this nomatter what, so it may be a matter of utmost preference altogether. I have had a few rosies and they seem to enjoy a good climb from time to time regardless (especially when I am seen moving the lid!!! they're smart!). I use the bricks of substrate as well, from peat moss to jungle-stuff made for terrrariums. Be savvy when shopping, I've seen the same bricks of special dirt at nursery's for a third the cost at a pet store. Happy Spidering!
Jessica


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## SPIDERBYTE (Jul 19, 2005)

Ok, so I've got the eco-earth, but now I face another problem...
My town is under a "boil water" situation from all the runoff and a broken sewer pipe!. Do I have to boil a few gallons of water now? Or will it be ok once all the moisture evaporates?

The spider actually seems to like the substrate, it only climbed the cage when I had a flashlight bulb on the screen top, (it was trying to "sun" itself even though it was already quite warm in my room).Was actually putting it's legs out towards the bulb!

I had thought of mixing eco-earth with the bark to make a softer surface or putting the eco-earth on top of the bark (but if it begins to dig? then what)
Again, the main concern is not so much the daily crawling over the bark, but the possible risk of moulting over it, I know they are supposed to lay down webbing before a moult, or if the substrate is bothering them. So far not a trace of web!

--here she is in her "cave"


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## jbrd (Jul 19, 2005)

SPIDERBYTE My town is under a "boil water" situation from all the runoff and a broken sewer pipe!. Do I have to boil a few gallons of water now? Or will it be ok once all the moisture evaporates?

(but if it begins to dig? then what)
[/QUOTE said:
			
		

> I would boil the water just to make sure there is not any nasties in there and G.rosea's are not known for burrowing as far as i know.


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## SPIDERBYTE (Jul 22, 2005)

I just replaced the substrate with the eco-earth stuff, and while it seems almost completely dry, my rosea is hanging from the walls! I'm worried about her!

She seemed to like the reptile bark I had in there before, but I was afraid of molting problems, and falling onto the bark (she slips on the glass walls,especially after being fed)

Should I give it a few days and see what she does?
this is what she's doing:


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## becca81 (Jul 22, 2005)

She'll eventually calm down.

You need to make the substrate higher so that if she does fall it won't be such an issue.


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## smokejuan (Jul 22, 2005)

I have moved almost completely away from peat and soil. I use almost exlusively eco earth, bed a beast or in other words ground up coconut husks. I still can have mites with this but at a minimum. Usually they show up around the water dish only. When I discover this I usually remove the substrate and microwave it until pretty warm enough to kill pretty much any living thing. Should not take long and put it in something that the steam cannot escape from or you will have some unhappy people that live in your house. Stinks bad and stays a while. I am also looking into testing the groung up walnut hulls that is used for reptiles and a pic of tarantulas on the front. I know that does not mean they will like it or positively good for them so I will start with a small number first. I am considering it for the dessert or dry tarantulas. It is some what fine in size and very smooth. I use it in my bearded dragons tanks.


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## arachnojunkie (Jul 23, 2005)

becca81 said:
			
		

> She'll eventually calm down.
> 
> You need to make the substrate higher so that if she does fall it won't be such an issue.


I don't think that with those cages the substrate can go much higher because of the doors, though I may be wrong.


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## Imegnixs_Cinder (Jul 23, 2005)

I use Vermiculite in all my T's tanks, never had any problem with it, you can keep it dry or damp, its actually designed for holding water in plant pots so will hold a LOT of water for a long time if you have a species that requires more humidity. When its damp its also great for burrowing, you can also mix it with peat soil if you prefer. Its really cheap too. Both my Smithi and my new Lasiodora parahybana are on it and while the smithi does climb the sides of the tank he only seems to do this when he is hungry as tho looking for food, rest of the time he is quiet happy to sit around on the ground. Ive never had mites with it either or any other nastys and its really easy to clean if I need to.


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## Gesticulator (Jul 23, 2005)

Spiderbyte, with your level of concern you will have a great set up. The T will come down off the sides, when it is settled. My Rosie dislikes any sign of dampness and will react the same way. I would opt for the eco earth stuff or peat rather than the bark, as well. But if you see the the t is comfortable on the bark chips, then why not leave a bit on top of the other substrate in a small portion of the tank and see what happens? My rosie hasn't molted with me yet, but wouldn't it make a "web/bed" of some sort before it molts?


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## SPIDERBYTE (Jul 23, 2005)

The doors do pose a bit of an issue with how far I can pile the substrate. I did add some more substrate, and banked it at the sides, so she'll have a much softer landing if she slips down the glass sides. This morning at least she was on the substrate, but I notice that she's "cleaning" herself a few times.
I wonder if she is having issues with the fine particles sticking to her hair?
She's also standing high (like she does when eating crickets)

In the pet shop she sat on the same type of bark chips, but she was in a HUGE tank, and there was no hide, she was in a corner with her legs in a "you can't see me" pose. She looked healthy, if just slightly skinny though.

Where in the T's cage should I put some of the bark chips? I'm almost wondering if I should put a thin layer of them over the eco-earth for the whole cage, or just try one spot. She really likes to hide during the day, and come out in the evening, It might take a while for the eco-earth to dry out to her liking under the "half-log" (that was her favorite spot when I had all bark chips in there)

Maybe I should wait, if it's only the slight dampness that's bothering her, since last night she was up the walls and hanging from the screen, now she's just beginning to "relax"  from the high standing pose. I just noticed that she's been leaving a few bits of web here and there, if she does that a lot then that means she doesn't like it?
--this is how I have it now:


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## ink_scorpion (Jul 23, 2005)

You've come a long way! Setup looks GREAT!!! Congrats!    :clap:


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## Tzitzimitl (Jul 23, 2005)

I've had a G. rosea for a year now. She lays down a lot of webbing over the substrate (the entire floor of the enclosure is covered in it), and I had read somewhere that the webbing is what they do when they've gotten comfortable. If I'm horribly wrong, someone please let me know.

Anyway, I keep the substrate dry (esp. after some mold issues last month) and she doesn't seem to have any problems. Wanders around a lot, but hasn't climbed the walls since things dried out. I wouldn't worry too much about it, so long as you keep the cage relatively dry. Your enclosure looks like the same setup I have.


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## Gesticulator (Jul 23, 2005)

Your rosie looks fine with the set up...it looks perfect to me!!!


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## arachnoguy (Jul 23, 2005)

i just recently purchased one of these type of cages and if you want to have the substrate a bit higher you can build it up in the back so it slopes toward the doors.


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## SPIDERBYTE (Jul 23, 2005)

I do have it piled higher in the back, I may add more, but I'm waiting for this stuff to totally dry out.If I add just a bit of moist stuff, up the wall she goes!
She stayed in one spot untill the afternoon, then went crawling all over the walls again, but this time she eventually came to rest under her half-log.
She webbed some under there, then settled down.
Hope she gets used to it once the moisture has evaporated.


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## wolfpak (Jul 23, 2005)

is it made out of plastic or glass


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## SPIDERBYTE (Jul 23, 2005)

It's a glass terrarium.


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## Vanisher (Jul 24, 2005)

I have never been very keen of using pure barkchips, i think it is too unstable for groundliving T:s Mostly i use a mixture of peat and barkchips, or just peat. But i very much like the apperence of a mix of peat and barkchips! I think it looks nice and i think it gives a bit of structure for digging. But as i mentioned, i never use only barkchips.  CHEERS!!!///Johan


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## SPIDERBYTE (Jul 24, 2005)

Well, I just put a little bit of the bark chips around the water dish, to try and keep her from tracking eco-earth into the water. She seems to have calmed down now, and is even back to using her hide spot again. Only 25% of the floor area has the bark chips, so if she has to molt, she at least has a choice.

I think the eco-earth must be totally dry by now, since she will now crawl all the way under the hiding log, before she would just sit halfway in.


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## ChrisNCT (Jul 24, 2005)

I would worry about a potential fall that would seriously injure or kill one of them.


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## Cirith Ungol (Jul 25, 2005)

ChrisNCT said:
			
		

> Secondly..that you only have one T!


Normally ther is onely *1* T in *1* enclosure  ;P


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## skreem61 (Aug 24, 2005)

I'm the one to go against the grain. I'm using bark in my Lasiodora parahybana's tank and he seems to love it. He's molting right now and hasn't had any problems. Hardly ever climbs the walls. I use the eco earth, with some aqaurium gravel (for weight mostly), in my Rose Hair's cage, and he's put quite a bit of web down and climbs the wall once in a while. I think either substrate would be suitable, but I think it depends on the spider that you have. They're all individuals and like different textures.


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## SPIDERBYTE (Aug 24, 2005)

She came from a cage that had 100% bark chips, so that's what I put in there first. She was ok with it. Then I was worried about fall damage, and moult injuries, so I removed most of the bark chips, covered the rest with "eco-earth" and banked it up against the cage sides. Few days later she stopped climbing the walls when it was finally dry enough for her.

Now that she's well settled in and being a "pet rock in the hole". (BTW: her new nickname is "Heidi Rose")    I don't worry about her falling (well I still do-but not as much). I tried to keep the substrate against the sides, but she like to do her own "landscaping" and has dug a rather deep crater behind her hiding log. I think it's her attempt at a partial burrow. If I fill some of it in, she will often have dug it up again by the next day. ;P


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## wolfpak (Aug 25, 2005)

use can also put in some fake plants for decoration


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## Pandora®©™ (Aug 25, 2005)

I've had my Rosa for about a year or so now, I have the bed-a-beast for her floor as well as the other two I have, she don't seem to be bothered by it. She didn't like it when I first put her in there since it was still damp, once it was dry she made herself right at home.  I've never had any probs with mites or bugs of any kind except once I had some pin heads hatch in there it didn't take long to get rid of them though.  It's also easy to clean, I just scrape the top layer off every few months or so when it looks like it's needs it, this does not make her very happy though and she will have the whole place webbed back over in a couple days other then that I guess she is a happy T as are my other two, Avic Avic (just got a new house) and a A. seemani (pet hole) 
I have found the best for everyone is to leave them alone, I'm sure they don't like to be bothered very much and I have found the more I try and make them 'comfy' the worse I make it.


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## jeffh_x (Aug 25, 2005)

it looks perfectly fine to me i dont see why u should worry... ...congrats!!


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