# 10 Gallon T. Stirmi enclosure



## SCTarantula (Sep 13, 2013)

10 Gallon with a DIY acrylic top with 2 inch vents. Eco Earth substrate with real moss and plant from Lowes. 8 inch hide. 5 inch water dish up top. On one side a medium Zoo Med heating pad that runs 24/7. On the other end a day lamp. Humidity stays high with real plants and regular watering. 75-78 degrees at night and 80-83 degrees with lamp on during the day.


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## xTimx (Sep 13, 2013)

get rid of the heat lamp and the heat pad!  get yourself a space heater for your room.  do not put direct heat onto the enclosure! they can burn your T!


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## SCTarantula (Sep 13, 2013)

Neither energy source is hot enough to burn my T. These T's come from environments of 90 plus. I monitor my temps so I don't think I will burn my T.


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## JZC (Sep 13, 2013)

Actually, your wrong. While it may be hot where they come from, they don't perceive it. They're warm blooded. Heat pads do much more harm than good. Also, the T will burrow to get cooler, but due to the pad will kill itself


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## MarkmD (Sep 13, 2013)

Ok I do like your 10 gall for an enclosure for T,stirmi, but you dont need that heat lamp, mainly cause YES thay do like a bit extra humidity (not as much as T,blondi) all round, the lamp (WILL) dry that out quicker than 1+1 lol, what I mean is use a ceramic/fan/space heater to build the room temperature up, now with the lamp gone will keep more humidity/air temperature, she will be fine.


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## vespers (Sep 13, 2013)

SCTarantula said:


> Neither energy source is hot enough to burn my T. These T's come from environments of 90 plus. I monitor my temps so I don't think I will burn my T.


Depends on the heat mat. Zoo med ones can get real hot and be troublesome, especially without a thermostat. I would heed the other's suggestions...though if you absolutely feel you have to use a heat mat, use a one of those weak exo terra rainforest ones or an adjustable Catalina pad on its lowest setting. And the "day" light? As a T. stirmi owner myself, I can tell you the spider isn't going to appreciate that too much. The environment they come from, while seemingly hot, is not as much so on the forest floor nor in a burrow. The micro-habitat they inhabit is shielded from direct sun even during the day by the rainforest canopy and foliage, let alone within a burrow.


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## korg (Sep 13, 2013)

I feel like you're not getting enough positive feedback here so I am going to say:

Looks great! Nice work... and I especially like the moss.

That said, most keepers tend to avoid heat pads and lights for all the reasons/potential complications already mentioned by other posters. Your stirmi will do fine (and quite possibly even better) without all that stuff, so why take the greater risk of something going wrong?

Also... 



JZCtarantulafan said:


> Actually, your wrong. While it may be hot where they come from, they don't perceive it. They're warm blooded.


Your general point stands, but actually tarantulas are cold blooooooded... what else can I say, baby?

Reactions: Like 1


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## SCTarantula (Sep 19, 2013)

Hey guys thanks for your feedback and opinions. I just wanted to follow up with you guys. The T got here yesterday and I intermediately got her in the enclosure. More on that in a minute.

I did make some to tweaks to the enclosure. I lost the lamp. I also moved the heating pad from the bottom of one of the sides to the back top where the Stirmi really can't get close to over heat. I checked and put a thermostat directly in front of the heating pad and it was in the low 90's. For those of you who are wondering why I am keeping the pad it is because I really can't control the temperature in the room the enclosure is in. I am a school teacher and my room stays pretty chilly. Around 70-74. With the pad it brings the enclosure up to the low 80's. I am keeping the humidity up between 85 and 100%.

I also am trying something out. With my plant on the right side I am keeping it in the small container it came in and put coco fiber all around it. Hopefully it will make it.

Back to the T. It turned out to be 8 inches and she is mean as crap! I got the tongs and pulled on the paper napkins to encourage her out into the enclosure and she bite the paper towels for like a minute! Then she raised up into a threat posture and slapped the paper towels. I tried to measure her threat posture since she left it up for a while. Her posture was about 4 inches and her fangs looked to be around half of an inch. I left her alone and this morning I threw in a large dubia and she took it down quick with ease! Good sign!

Anyway just wanted to give everyone an update...

And yes the enclosure is locked and my high schoolers know to look and not tap or touch! Half of them won't get near my tarantulas. I have added 1 kid to the hobby since I put them in my room! pretty cool!

Here is a pic of her in the enclosure.

As a point of reference the pebbles are 1.5 to 2 inches a piece!

Reactions: Like 1


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## sw18x (Oct 9, 2013)

I'm in the same boat as a school teacher with a cold room I can't control - more like the 60s in the winter though!

So I know all the criticisms of a heating pad, but what about a bottom pad for an arboreal species? They wouldn't be burrowing so it would be very unlikely to come in contact with the pad, and the heat would rise straight up to warm the air in the enclosure. What's your opinion?

Nice looking enclosure!


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## BioTeach (Oct 9, 2013)

I wouldn't bother with supplemental heating unless the room was below sixty.  I've had no problems with keeping mine at school where the temperature can drop into the low to mid sixties during winter and not get above the low seventies until late spring.  They still eat, molt, and move about.


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