# Desert terrarium plants?



## Praxibetelix

I am looking for ideas for my arid sandy substrate terrarium. Currently it houses 4 a. verrucosus. Are there any live plants that would weather this environment?

If not we will be satisfied with the bark and other hides. I am preferring not to use artificial plants.

Thanks!!


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## lunarae

Succulants, just don't use anything with a milky/white sap as those are toxic. But I am using succulant plants for my G. porteri/rosea. They don't require a lot of water and you can use a food injector to get the water to the roots and leave the top dry if you really wanted when you do have to water them. I just wouldn't use anything that's very spiny or sharp edged when you choose what succulants you want to use. I'd also let the enclosure sit with just the plants in them for a couple of weeks to see how they do and let them get acclimated before adding the T so that they can establish their roots and you know how well they will do. You don't wanna put the T in there then a few days or a week later have to redo it all because the plants are failing for some reason. Also be aware that T's like to dig up live plants, so that's a possibility.

This is a set up I did almost a month ago, the picture is from right after I got it set up. I just housed our G. porteri/rosea sling in it last week. It's now hunkered down in the hide with it blocked off so it can molt I'm assuming. I also have a water dish and keep it dry. But this is my little desert esk set up. I used cocoa fiber though for substrate.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 2


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## Praxibetelix

That looks quite a bit wetter than I can have. The terrarium is for desert beetles, not a T. I do not think my husband is ready for spiders, although I am wanting to try!

I might try a succulent in a separate bug keeper and see how it does in the dry environment, I use the desert substrate from Peter at bugsincyberspace.

Thanks for your response!!


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## lunarae

It's wetter because I sprayed right after putting in the plants to help the soil set in. It's kept bone dry now. But yes you will want to test it out in the substrate you plan to use and such.


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## The Snark

It should be kept in mind, succulents and cacti often have small very shallow root systems. They propagate by falling over and rooting out along the stems. In a concentrated forced environment with animals that dig like Ts they probably won't get a chance to root as they would be constantly disturbed.

Conversely, desert shrubs grow massive root systems, sometimes nearly as large as the plant itself. Think moisture extraction units gathering all the moisture they can get.

Drainage and long time durations are the key to desert plants. Many are dormant for over 11 months a year - no sap flowing. They cannot tolerate the roots staying moist for extended periods of time.

Our 6 foot prickly pear cacti got knocked flat by careless tree trimmers. That was fine by me as it was in the way. I dragged it over to the driest secluded area of the yard and just left it lying on it's side on top of the ground. A year later and I have a prickly pear forest.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Praxibetelix

Thank you both for the great info! I will have to experiment. My beetles excavate the sand a little, but they do not burrow.


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## Eclipse

Air plants would be perfect since they don't need to root. I've used them in both semi-humid and arid vivariums. I had put them outside in the scorching Texas heat and they were able to prosper as long as they get dunked in water every few days. I also had some inside with AC sitting on my window sill and humid terrariums. Although enclosed, high humidity environments with no ventilation will cause them to rot.


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## Praxibetelix

Thank you Eclipse, I was hoping that air plants would work!


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## MetallicArachnid

I have good luck using succulents in my A. Chalcodes enclosure, they grow well with very little water. What I did was plant them in peat pots with a bit of compost mixed in to provide a bit of nutrition.


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## Dovey

best advice? get inexpensive succulents that can take medium light at lowes or home depot or even walmart, and invest in LED grow light fixtures that can be mounted to shine just on the planted areas. leave foreground and center unplanted for spider's use, and include interesting limbs, rocks, or other natural features to protect plant bases from T or dubias/cricket predation. I use a turkey baster or squirt bottle on "stream" to spot water at base of plants and have grow lights on timers to achieve a normal daylight pattern. just enough and not too much humidity or heat, lots f places for my rosey to hunt and hide-natural enrichment!


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## Dovey

Here's the busy side w/tin can hide I found under a cholla, rocks to scamper around on, and water dish beside ice plant in background. The grow light throws purple backlight, and I have an LED spot on so you can see chilean rose in her hide. The simpler side has a branch cave and bare soil to burrow in if she chooses, with varigated jade in the background. Beyond watering occasionally, I trim plants when they reach the top of my tank. That's it.


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## vespers

That can looks too dangerous for a tarantula enclosure, look at all of those jagged metal points around the opening! That's just asking for a punctured abdomen, especially with all of the height and fall possibilities in that enclosure design.


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## Dovey

looks worse than it is. the edges have all been dremelled down and laquered, and the total tank height is only 8 inches (its an old fluval edge 6 gal tank).

Reactions: Like 1


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## Evan J Armstrong

lunarae said:


> It's wetter because I sprayed right after putting in the plants to help the soil set in. It's kept bone dry now. But yes you will want to test it out in the substrate you plan to use and such.


I'm glad you keep it bone dry now.  
Please keep in mind G. Rosea is found primarily in the Atacama Desert, which is one of the driest non-polar deserts in the world.
This website gives great details on the environment of this species. This may also give some ideas for proper enclosure set ups.
http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html 

They also say: "Chilean rose tarantulas are desert creatures. They neither require nor appreciate an excessively high humidity. Do not keep them on damp substrate. Do not mist or spray them or any part of their cage. Do not intentionally maintain a damp spot of substrate under their water dish. *DO* always supply them with a water dish with clean water and the obligatory rock or slate chip."
However, I suppose pouring water directly at the root source would be best since misting would be a bother for them.

I apologize if I'm reiterating information you already know, but this is also for anybody passing by looking to set up G. Rosea enclosures. 
I agree with Dovey's advice on the use a turkey baster or squirt bottle to only water the base of the plants instead of the rest of the cage.


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## Dovey

Also, keep in mind that the desert habitats of much of the Chilean Rose's range are subject to occasional wet sea fogs, much like the pacific coast of the USA. Grass and shrubs are left dripping wet for about half a day. I find that a rare light plant misting with a spray bottle, just to rinse off any dust, doesn't put their noses out of joint. Of course, I also live in the Sonoran Desert, where even indoor humidity is often in single digits. Keep relative humidity in your spider's enclosure well in mind when planning the addition of moisture of any sort.


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