# Avicularia avicularia enclosure advice please



## BladeGypsy (Aug 22, 2018)

I just acquired this T last Friday (along with several NW Terrestrials) . When I aquired it, it was in this enclosure, but with nothing in the enclosure except a water dish and shallow coco fiber substrate. 

It had webbed a hammock at the top of the acrylic enclosure. 







I changed out the substrate, added a clean water dish, as well as a vertically angled cork bark and some misting. 

On a side note; The T has recently (approx. Monday 8/13/18) molted, but it did seem lethargic when I moved it (moved spider on 8/20). To my knowledge, it is approx. 3-4 years old. I thought the lethargy could be due to dehydration, which is why I added a bit more moisture (or maybe it needs more moisture). or perhaps due to age?...
Spider is now sticking to the sides of its current, pictured, enclosure but has not webbed. 


*Is this set-up appropriate for this spider? *
This is my first arboreal.
*If not, please let me know what I should do differently. 

Thank you!










*


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## Darktiger432 (Aug 22, 2018)

You need a bigger taller enclosure with more anchor points so it could web across.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 3


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## BladeGypsy (Aug 22, 2018)

^Are there some readily available enclosures you recommend?


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## Krystal Anne (Aug 22, 2018)

It's actually a decent set up for an arboreal tarantula, you just need a lot more plants for anchor points around the top. However, the enclosure itself is a bit too small for your tarantula's size. I think something double that size would work better. Congrats on your new T 



BladeGypsy said:


> ^Are there some readily available enclosures you recommend?


I love Exo Terra Nano Tall enclosures for avics. With a bit of modification, they're perfect imo! 

 *They're pricier than, say, DIY plastic enclosures though, and those work fine too!

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## BladeGypsy (Aug 22, 2018)

^Thank you for the reply. I have some Zoo Med "Naturalistic Flora" made of plastic (Item #BU-10) - is this acceptable for some plant/anchor points?

Reactions: Like 1


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## Venom1080 (Aug 22, 2018)

Exo tera fake plants are fine. I use them often. 

Cage just needs to be bigger. Everything else looks fine.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## BladeGypsy (Aug 22, 2018)

^Just looked up that enclosure. I noticed that it has a screen lid. I had read quite a lot about stories of T's pulling the strands out of the mesh wire and thus being able to escape (and also about being caught in the mesh) - Has this happened in your experience with A. Avics? Or, did you modify the lid? Or is this not common with his type of t? Or....


If you did modify the mesh/screen top, please give me details. 

Thanks much again.


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## Krystal Anne (Aug 22, 2018)

BladeGypsy said:


> ^Just looked up that enclosure. I noticed that it has a screen lid. I had read quite a lot about stories of T's pulling the strands out of the mesh wire and thus being able to escape (and also about being caught in the mesh) - Has this happened in your experience with A. Avics? Or, did you modify the lid? Or is this not common with his type of t? Or....
> 
> 
> If you did modify the mesh/screen top, please give me details.
> ...


Yes, that's the modification I was talking about!

Check out this thread: http://arachnoboards.com/threads/exo-terra-for-aviculara-aviculara.309919/
Look at post #8 and #17


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## Venom1080 (Aug 22, 2018)

@basin79  has a nice way of modifying the lids on those exo tera. Basically just poking a ton of holes in a acrylic piece and gluing it in underneath the mesh. Tarantula can't get to it. And you don't need to cut out the mesh. 

I doubt any tarantula can gnaw through that screen. Ive raised alot of spiders through them. Currently have a 8" rufilata in a very large one.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Ungoliant (Aug 23, 2018)

BladeGypsy said:


> I had read quite a lot about stories of T's pulling the strands out of the mesh wire and thus being able to escape (and also about being caught in the mesh) - Has this happened in your experience with A. Avics? Or, did you modify the lid?


My _Avicularia_ never chewed through screen, but she did seem to have trouble walking across the screen. Sometimes, she would pull her foot free and keep moving, but once she fell in the attempt. Fortunately, she landed in the water dish and was unharmed, but I took that for a warning and implemented a temporary fix.

I cut a square of very thin cotton from a worn-out bedsheet. I removed the screen lid, placed the sheet of cotton over it so that it covers the mesh, and then replaced the lid. The result is a sheet that is loosely draped below the mesh inside the cage.



This effectively discourages my arboreals from climbing on the ceiling, as they seem to realize that they aren't getting secure footing. (I've seen them take a tentative step or two onto the cloth and then turn back.)

It worked so well that I never ended up replacing the screen lid. I now use this on both of my Exo Terra arboreal enclosures. (So far, it's been successful with two _Avicularia avicularia_ and a _Psalmopoeus cambridgei_.)

Reactions: Like 2


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## viper69 (Aug 25, 2018)

So the the sheet hangs below the screen itself. Thus, it's not firm, and when they look to step, their feet sink, correct?



BladeGypsy said:


> On a side note; The T has recently (approx. Monday 8/13/18) molted, but it did seem lethargic when I moved it (moved spider on 8/20). To my knowledge, it is approx. 3-4 years old. I thought the lethargy could be due to dehydration, which is why I added a bit more moisture (or maybe it needs more moisture). or perhaps due to age?...


Tank too small.

Not sure why you moved it. One shouldn't move a T after it has molted and is done doing its 'stretching'. They will "sit" w/their legs all the way out, often rotating which legs are out. A T should be allowed to harden its exoskeleton.

They are all tired after a molt. I suggest you read up on T husbandry and biology, your Ts live may depend upon it. They often do need a drink of water after molting- don't mist them! Use a dropper or syringe to add water to webbing.

Not due to age!


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## BladeGypsy (Aug 26, 2018)

Viper69 - I am aware that the tank is too small, several other members have made me aware of this fact already. I am working on getting her/him a proper setup but at this specific moment in time I have to work with what I have until the new enclosure arrives. Your suggestion that I “read up on T husbandry and biology” - well, isn’t that what I’m attempting to do here? Also, I’m trying to educate myself through more sources than just this thread and forum. I moved the spider because I wanted to add a cork bark for it, because it had nothing in it’s enclosue when it came into my possession, which was not physically possible without taking the spider out. I waited a week to do this, perhaps that is not enough time and I made a newbie mistake, but what’s done is done now. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my thread. Though, less negatively charged criticism and more information delivered in a positive manner would have been appreciated from you.

Reactions: Like 2


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## viper69 (Aug 26, 2018)

BladeGypsy said:


> well, isn’t that what I’m attempting to do here?


In point of fact I honestly don't know if you read on the forum or not, I don't assume that you are reading here, and I don't assume you aren't. Many people that are here read their own posts only, or post to ask questions but don't actually go out of their way to read more information be it on this forum, or other reliable sources.

I'm not sure why you felt what I wrote was "negative charged". I provided factual information, and reasonable suggestions. Please feel free to specifically point out what negative information I provided you. Perhaps you felt an exclamation point was negatively charged????? If so, such a punctuation point is used to emphasize something, which does not at all equal something negative.



BladeGypsy said:


> I wanted to add a cork bark for it


SMART esp for Avics.


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## BladeGypsy (Aug 30, 2018)

I have the new enclosure on order (Exo Terra Nano Tall), as well as a silk plant to accompany the cork bark. For substrate in the new enclosure I was thinking of putting a bottom layer of Zoo Med Hydro Balls, with mesh on top of those and then coco fiber on top. Is this a good plan for substrate? Should I avoid the clay balls and mesh and just go with coco fiber? There will be no live plants in this enclosure. My reason for considering adding the clay balls is to aid in preventing mold/to get added ventilation at the substrate layer...


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## Ungoliant (Aug 31, 2018)

BladeGypsy said:


> For substrate in the new enclosure I was thinking of putting a bottom layer of Zoo Med Hydro Balls, with mesh on top of those and then coco fiber on top. Is this a good plan for substrate? Should I avoid the clay balls and mesh and just go with coco fiber? There will be no live plants in this enclosure. My reason for considering adding the clay balls is to aid in preventing mold/to get added ventilation at the substrate layer...


I would just use plain substrate with no "HydroBalls." The substrate should be kept dry anyway, so there is no need to have a wet layer at the bottom. (Mold is a non-issue with dry substrate.)

The substrate is mostly for aesthetics in this case, as Avics spend almost no time on the ground when healthy. An inch or two is plenty.




viper69 said:


> So the the sheet hangs below the screen itself. Thus, it's not firm, and when they look to step, their feet sink, correct?


Yeah, they try to grab onto the fabric, and they don't seem to like the loose drape.

I've only seen the Avics try to climb onto the cloth ceiling a few times, and they soon return to the walls. No stuck tarsal claws or falls (unlike the original mesh).

Squirt, my cam, tried it once, and she "noped" away immediately.

Reactions: Like 1


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## BladeGypsy (Aug 31, 2018)

New setup, as of this evening, apologies for the poor pic...
Look good?


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## Ungoliant (Sep 1, 2018)

BladeGypsy said:


> New setup, as of this evening, apologies for the poor pic...
> Look good?


A definite improvement!

I try to keep the ground clutter-free in an Avic enclosure, as they don't spend much time down there, and ground cover just gives feeders a place to hide.

I'd also move some of the leaves closer to the cork bark.

Reactions: Like 1


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## BladeGypsy (Sep 1, 2018)

^Thank you very much for the info. The leaves are all one bunch  (Exo Terra Small Silk Abutilon Jungle Plant) with one suction cup at the top of the bunch. I placed the suction cup as high up as possible on one side of the side enclosure, while still being able to reasonably close the lid with your recommended sheet - the bunch of leaves drop down the one side of the wall that they are attached to and do not seem to take up much of the substrate. The whole back panel on this enclosure is styrofoam that mimics a natural wall of sorts so I can not attach leaves to that without further modifications. Only 1-2” of substrate used. I will take better pics and share tomorrow as well -  I know that would help a lot in this thread.  Thank you all again.


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## BladeGypsy (Sep 1, 2018)

Better pics.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Venom1080 (Sep 1, 2018)

Ugh, won't catch me using cloth like that.. ruins whatever slight natural feel the cage might have had. Useless too IME. 

Looks fine. I'd get rid of that clunky butterfly thing and out the dish on the ground. Complete waste of time and in this case space to put it up high.


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## BladeGypsy (Sep 1, 2018)

The butterfly thing holds the deli cup water dish off the ground. It was my understanding that Avics did best with an elevated water dish?


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## Ungoliant (Sep 3, 2018)

BladeGypsy said:


> The butterfly thing holds the deli cup water dish off the ground. It was my understanding that Avics did best with an elevated water dish?


Some do.

I had an elderly female that seemed to forget about the water dish on the ground. For a while, I just thought she was going downhill due to old age, but then I realized she had not been going down to her water dish.

I lifted the dish up to her, and she drank from it until I could no longer hold it in that awkward position. Then I added an elevated dish, and she immediately drank from that for several minutes too.

From then on, I saw her use the elevated dish several times but never the one on the ground (unless pooping in it counts).


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## spidey123 (Feb 9, 2020)

BladeGypsy said:


> Better pics.


i wish these pics were still here haha looking to redo my Ts enclosure


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## BladeGypsy (Feb 9, 2020)

I will work on getting something up


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## BladeGypsy (Feb 11, 2020)

Here is my Avicularia avicularia enclosure all up to date. I added a larger piece of cork bark, which she has webbed up quite beautifully. I also switched out the elevated butterfly themed water dish holder with a more subtle as well as durable elevated acrylic holder I found online. And, more importantly, I got rid of that ugly sheet (which prevented her from making contact with the mesh top). I bought a piece of thick Lexan and then proceeded to drill holes in it and then fit to the internal curves of the initial screen top using a Dremel tool and then finishing with fine sandpaper and then a lighter to smooth the cut edges even more. 

	
	
		
		
	


	




 For me, this was an afternoon project, but worth the extra effort. So now, I have the Lexan lid separating the space between the original screen lid, I do not have to worry about her making contact with the mesh top. I attached a piece of picture hanging wire through a couple of the center Lexan ventilation holes and then secured it together with some medical tape (which I may eventually replace with some paracord or the like). The initial screen lid can no longer be "locked" into place with the half moon shaped plastic tabs, as the Lexan makes it too thick to do so. But, it is relatively flush and I am not concerned with her escaping as she has never in my observations even been inclined to hang on top of her enclosure/attempt an escape, plus there is quite a bit of weight (in relation to her size) and two lids she would have to lift and then simultaneously squeeze out of to make an escape. Worst case - I put a couple of pieces of medical tape on the top to be 110% certain of a jail-break not occurring. LOL. Not to mention, she is getting quite a large booty and seems content.
If you look closely in a couple of pics, you will see her enjoying her Dubia meal awhile back.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thanks 1


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## spidey123 (Feb 12, 2020)

thank you! this is awesome... looks oddly similar to my new setup  glad i’m on the right track!


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