# tarantula often on mesh top of enclosure?



## tincan1999 (Aug 11, 2018)

so, back when i started another thread, i had just put my first T into its enclosure (5.5 gallons with a mesh top). from the start, i had been concerned about the amount of substrate i added and get nervous every time it climbs to the top of the walls because i do not want it to fall. it just discovered the mesh top of the enclosure and walks on it constantly and it is making me concerned... is it likely that it will fall and hurt itself, and should i try to add more substrate to hopefully prevent injury?

short version: my first tarantula likes to hang upside down from the mesh top of its enclosure. is a fall likely?

other thought: is it possible that it spends so much time on the walls and ceiling because it doesn't like how damp the substrate is?

it is on the ceiling again and i just saw it lose its grip with a few legs and nearly fall. i am worried about it, as i've never kept a tarantula before and don't want anything to happen to it.


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## aphono (Aug 11, 2018)

If that's a smithi, then yes VERY wet in a bad way. you don't want to see condensation and there's so much of that.  Some more substrate would be good but that really needs to be dried out or changed- no moistening or spraying if you change it.

also looks the substrate may be too loose/fluffy.  They hate walking on that.   Always tamp substrate down so they are more firm.


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## Hardus nameous (Aug 11, 2018)

I use those mesh tops too, just put a drilled sheet of plexiglass or plastic under it.  As for falling, yes add more substrate.


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## InvertAddiction (Aug 11, 2018)

Firstly, what kind of tarantula is that.  2ndly screen tops are bad in general because they can get their claws caught and end up self amputating their limbs to free themselves.  3rdly, depending on the species of spider, the substrate may be too wet which is why it is hanging out on the sides and lid.

Reactions: Agree 4


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## SDCustom78 (Aug 11, 2018)

Your substrate looks damp/wet and you need MUCH MORE OF IT in there. Id suggest putting BONE dry substrate in there with a water dish and filling that enclosure up at least half way to prevent an injury or fall. Thats too far a distance from the top to the substrate level at its current state. That T is probably trying to avoid that damp substrate because it appears to show condensation on the glass.
You can modify the top by removing/cutting out the screen and swap it out for plexi glass with appropriate sized drilled holes to prevent it from walking on mesh.

Reactions: Helpful 1


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## tincan1999 (Aug 11, 2018)

aphono said:


> If that's a smithi, then yes VERY wet in a bad way. you don't want to see condensation and there's so much of that.  Some more substrate would be good but that really needs to be dried out or changed- no moistening or spraying if you change it.
> 
> also looks the substrate may be too loose/fluffy.  They hate walking on that.   Always tamp substrate down so they are more firm.


Yeah, in the first thread thing i posted i said that i have damp substrate at the top and was told it should be fine as it dries. There is somewhat wet topsoil at the bottom and damp coconut fiber at the top.



SDCustom78 said:


> Your substrate looks damp/wet and you need MUCH MORE OF IT in there. Id suggest putting BONE dry substrate in there with a water dish and filling that enclosure up at least half way to prevent an injury or fall. Thats too far a distance from the top to the substrate level at its current state. That T is probably trying to avoid that damp substrate because it appears to show condensation on the glass.
> You can modify the top by removing/cutting out the screen and swap it out for plexi glass with appropriate sized drilled holes to prevent it from walking on mesh.


I have some more coconut fiber drying outside currently but i have no dry substrate on hand at the moment  
How/where could i get plexiglass to switch it out with?


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## SDCustom78 (Aug 11, 2018)

Home Depot/Lowes, Menards, any home center, maybe even a hardware store.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Helpful 1


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## cold blood (Aug 11, 2018)

Hardus nameous said:


> I use those mesh tops too, just put a drilled sheet of plexiglass or plastic under it.  As for falling, yes add more substrate.


Curious...if you have the drilled plexi lid, why on earth would you still use the screen top over it...seems pointlessly redundant.



tincan1999 said:


> There is somewhat wet topsoil at the bottom and damp coconut fiber at the top.


No no no....this would be fine with *JUST* topsoil....adding the coco fiber to the top is absolutely counter productive to helping the sub dry.   Pull off the coco fiber, add more top soil and replace the screen top with a drilled acrylic or plexi (available _and_ cut by most hardware stores).

When in doubt....simplify.

Reactions: Agree 3 | Funny 1


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## tincan1999 (Aug 11, 2018)

SDCustom78 said:


> Home Depot/Lowes, Menards, any home center, maybe even a hardware store.


and what should i do for the time being in regards to the substrate? i don't have enough dry substrate on-hand to refill the enclosure


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## Hardus nameous (Aug 11, 2018)

The metal lids allow me to use locking clips.  Rather than cut out metal and glue in plastic, I find it easier just to slip the plastic in the 1/4 inch recession below the tank rim.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## SDCustom78 (Aug 11, 2018)

Exactly what @cold blood said.  Remove the coco fiber. Make sure you have enough soil to AT LEAST fill that enclosure up to the level of being 1/2 to 2/3's full judging from your T's size. Thats a rather large enclosure for that size tarantula, especially the height, terrestrials just dont need that much height at all its just asking for trouble. Make sure you get regular topsoil with NOTHING added to it i.e. no MIRACLE GROW etc etc. Plain old topsoil.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## cold blood (Aug 11, 2018)

tincan1999 said:


> and what should i do for the time being in regards to the substrate? i don't have enough dry substrate on-hand to refill the enclosure


see my last post



Hardus nameous said:


> The metal lids allow me to use locking clips.  Rather than cut out metal and glue in plastic, I find it easier just to slip the plastic in the 1/4 inch recession below the tank rim.


ok, that makes sense.  I  have never had to do anything like that, the cut plexi just fits in nice and tight.

Reactions: Like 1


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## tincan1999 (Aug 11, 2018)

cold blood said:


> see my last post
> 
> 
> 
> ok, that makes sense.  I  have never had to do anything like that, the cut plexi just fits in nice and tight.


I am going to a hardware store right now to get plexiglass cut and drilled for me (i brought my terrarium and have put the T back in the deli cup i received it in). I want to limit mistakes here, so anything I should know, like size of the holes that should be drilled?


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## SDCustom78 (Aug 11, 2018)

Make sure the holes that are being drilled are SMALLER than the T's carapace diameter or it can escape. When in doubt, go smaller and add MORE holes, it wont hurt. Judging by pics, id say 3/16-1/4 inch holes would be sufficient, again, smaller than its carapace.


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## tincan1999 (Aug 11, 2018)

SDCustom78 said:


> Make sure the holes that are being drilled are SMALLER than the T's carapace diameter or it can escape. When in doubt, go smaller and add MORE holes, it wont hurt. Judging by pics, id say 3/16-1/4 inch holes would be sufficient, again, smaller than its carapace.


Geez, i’m Running into trouble. At my hardware store they cut me the plexiglass and everything was going well, but when i asked if holes could be drilled into it they said that plexiglass is difficult to drill into and cracks easily, so he could probably only do 4 max. Have you guys ever run into this problem, and when you drill it yourself is it not too difficult?


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## cold blood (Aug 11, 2018)

You have to make sure the plexi has a firm backing, I use a block of wood.     Drill firmly, its really not all that hard.


You can see I did have one crack, but its still solid.


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## tincan1999 (Aug 11, 2018)

Ok, how am i looking now? Plexiglass top that slides in with a handful of small holes in it (much smaller than the tarantula’s carapace) and filled higher up with topsoil, tightly packed, and a tiny bit of coconut husk just in the spot where the hide is going. The topsoil is still damp, which i know is not good or ideal, but i have nothing that is dry yet and i expect it will dry quickly in my house.


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## cold blood (Aug 11, 2018)

tincan1999 said:


> a tiny bit of coconut husk just in the spot where the hide is going.


Why?   Remove that coco husk, its not going to help things dry out, its pointless.


tincan1999 said:


> The topsoil is still damp, which i know is not good or ideal, but i have nothing that is dry yet and i expect it will dry quickly in my house.


The top layers of soil dry pretty quickly, the fact its damp is a NON-issue.


tincan1999 said:


> filled higher up with topsoil, tightly packed


oooooh...while its true that almost all subs need to be damped down, you *never* want to tamp down top soil...it will practically harden into concrete.   The density of soil means you can literally just pour it in.


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## tincan1999 (Aug 11, 2018)

cold blood said:


> Why?   Remove that coco husk, its not going to help things dry out, its pointless.
> 
> 
> The top layers of soil dry pretty quickly, the fact its damp is a NON-issue.
> ...


ok, i'll take out that bit of fiber. is it okay to leave it packed as is or should i change it?


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## cold blood (Aug 11, 2018)

tincan1999 said:


> is it okay to leave it packed


I wouldn't.   Just go in and break it up so its not packed down as tight.


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## tincan1999 (Aug 11, 2018)

cold blood said:


> I wouldn't.   Just go in and break it up so its not packed down as tight.


ok. thank you so much!

I moved it back into the terrarium, and it immediately went to climb a wall, fell once, and is choosing to stay on a wall. Is this any reason to be concerned still or should it be fine where it is and eventually find itself more comfortable on the ground?


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## Mpmackenna (Aug 11, 2018)

What species? How old? More pics of T please.


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## tincan1999 (Aug 11, 2018)

Mpmackenna said:


> What species? How old? More pics of T please.


Mexican Red knee (is the Latin still b. Smithi??), i am not sure how old. I got her today at a reptile show & she’s my first tarantula.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Greasylake (Aug 11, 2018)

tincan1999 said:


> Mexican Red knee (is the Latin still b. Smithi??), i am not sure how old. I got her today at a reptile show & she’s my first tarantula.


Latin name is now B. hamorii, and these guys will often climb if their substrate isn't dry, so that could be why. Give it some time to dry out and your T will be acting more normal again.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Nikki92 (Aug 12, 2018)

tincan1999 said:


> I moved it back into the terrarium, and it immediately went to climb a wall, fell once, and is choosing to stay on a wall. Is this any reason to be concerned still or should it be fine where it is and eventually find itself more comfortable on the ground?


I'm still a newbie, but my seemanni climbed constantly for the first month before staying on the ground, now about 3-4 months later she's started burrowing like crazy. I was told mine was likely adjusting, could be what yours is doing. Again, I'm no expert and still new to the hobby, but that was my experience. Just make sure there's enough substrate so if it does fall it won't get hurt/die.


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## arachnidgill (Aug 12, 2018)

cold blood said:


> View attachment 283562
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm curious how your lid locks? Or do you find the weight of the lid is good enough?


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## cold blood (Aug 12, 2018)

Brian Gilbert said:


> I'm curious how your lid locks? Or do you find the weight of the lid is good enough?


They just fit _really_ tightly.  To open them I use a large tweezers and put it in one of the vent holes and pry the top out.

Reactions: Like 1


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## tincan1999 (Aug 12, 2018)

Nikki92 said:


> I'm still a newbie, but my seemanni climbed constantly for the first month before staying on the ground, now about 3-4 months later she's started burrowing like crazy. I was told mine was likely adjusting, could be what yours is doing. Again, I'm no expert and still new to the hobby, but that was my experience. Just make sure there's enough substrate so if it does fall it won't get hurt/die.


I figured that was the case as well, as she’s had a long day of me putting her under a lot of stress. I _could _put more substrate in but I believe the height is fine for the rest of the night. My only problem with this is that, like i’ve Mentioned before, my substrate is all slightly damp which is making the enclosure steam up which is concerning to me, but i have no other options at the moment..


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## cold blood (Aug 12, 2018)

steam up?  Are you heating the enclosure?   If you are, dont.


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## tincan1999 (Aug 12, 2018)

cold blood said:


> steam up?  Are you heating the enclosure?   If you are, dont.


I’m not, I’m not sure why it’s looking that way. In an attempt to get air flowing in and out and possibly fix this I put a fan on it’s lowest setting about 4 feet away from her enclosure, facing upwards. I only think it’s almost “steamed up” like this because of the damp substrate and having a little too few holes drilled in the plexiglass (i can go get a new piece cut and drilled tomorrow but that’s not an option for the next 8 hours or so)


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## Nikki92 (Aug 12, 2018)

tincan1999 said:


> I figured that was the case as well, as she’s had a long day of me putting her under a lot of stress. I _could _put more substrate in but I believe the height is fine for the rest of the night. My only problem with this is that, like i’ve Mentioned before, my substrate is all slightly damp which is making the enclosure steam up which is concerning to me, but i have no other options at the moment..


That's how my substrate was, I just left it alone (no misting or overflowing the water dish) and it gradually dried up on its own. I use coconut fiber which seems to take longer to dry up for my G porteri, was still slightly damp when I put her in the enclosure after hours of trying to dry it and she didn't appreciate it, but a couple days later and its now dry as a bone and she's not climbing the glass. Unless the substrate is absolutely soaked, I'd personally leave it be, it'll dry out on its own.


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## tincan1999 (Aug 12, 2018)

Greasylake said:


> Latin name is now B. hamorii, and these guys will often climb if their substrate isn't dry, so that could be why. Give it some time to dry out and your T will be acting more normal again.


Will she be fine in the time it takes to dry as is or should i try to move her again? All i have to alternatively house her is the plastic cup thing she was in at the reptile show, and all of the substrate i have on-hand and can find at my local stores is still a little damp.



Greasylake said:


> Latin name is now B. hamorii, and these guys will often climb if their substrate isn't dry, so that could be why. Give it some time to dry out and your T will be acting more normal again.


Will she be fine in the time it takes to dry as is or should i try to move her again? All i have to alternatively house her is the plastic cup thing she was in at the reptile show, and all of the substrate i have on-hand and can find at my local stores is still a little damp.



Nikki92 said:


> That's how my substrate was, I just left it alone (no misting or overflowing the water dish) and it gradually dried up on its own. I use coconut fiber which seems to take longer to dry up for my G porteri, was still slightly damp when I put her in the enclosure after hours of trying to dry it and she didn't appreciate it, but a couple days later and its now dry as a bone and she's not climbing the glass. Unless the substrate is absolutely soaked, I'd personally leave it be, it'll dry out on its own.


Okay, thank you so much! I already bothered her so much yesterday that I felt it would be best to leave her alone as much as possible anyways. My only problem now is trying to get her enclosure more properly ventilated.


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## Nikki92 (Aug 12, 2018)

tincan1999 said:


> Okay, thank you so much! I already bothered her so much yesterday that I felt it would be best to leave her alone as much as possible anyways. My only problem now is trying to get her enclosure more properly ventilated.


 You're welcome  Believe me, I went into "new mom mode" when I got my seemanni months ago and probably put the poor thing through a lot of stress trying get everything perfect when it was unnecessary. Still stressed out over my new porteri but not nearly as much. If you haven't already, watch some YouTube videos from the channel Dark Den, he's got a lot of tarantulas in various enclosures he's made (also really entertaining lol). I actually find it relaxing when stressing out about mine haha


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## tincan1999 (Aug 12, 2018)

Nikki92 said:


> You're welcome  Believe me, I went into "new mom mode" when I got my seemanni months ago and probably put the poor thing through a lot of stress trying get everything perfect when it was unnecessary. Still stressed out over my new porteri but not nearly as much. If you haven't already, watch some YouTube videos from the channel Dark Den, he's got a lot of tarantulas in various enclosures he's made (also really entertaining lol). I actually find it relaxing when stressing out about mine haha


That is such a good idea, actually. I remember seeing a few of his videos before. I’m definitely in that ‘new mom mode’ and am very worried about her and want to make everything right, but putting her under more stress and still being unable to solve the issue definitely is a less desirable option than to just leave her alone as much as possible for the time being. Thanks so much again, you definitely eased my mind a ton!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Natasha1992 (Aug 12, 2018)

When I first moved my Hamorii, Ruby, into her tank, the substrate, called Spiderlife, was damp. I didn't realise until she was in there and the next morning, the glass had condensation on the inside. It took about a month but it dried out fine, and Ruby loves her tank now. She spends all day mooching about moving soil, plants, redecorating.


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## tincan1999 (Aug 12, 2018)

Natasha1992 said:


> When I first moved my Hamorii, Ruby, into her tank, the substrate, called Spiderlife, was damp. I didn't realise until she was in there and the next morning, the glass had condensation on the inside. It took about a month but it dried out fine, and Ruby loves her tank now. She spends all day mooching about moving soil, plants, redecorating.


Thank you, this also eases my mind quite a bit!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Ultum4Spiderz (Aug 13, 2018)

Hardus nameous said:


> I use those mesh tops too, just put a drilled sheet of plexiglass or plastic under it.  As for falling, yes add more substrate.


You super glue it or replace the whole lid?


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## Hardus nameous (Aug 13, 2018)

Ultum4Spiderz said:


> You super glue it or replace the whole lid?


Neither, I just slip a drilled plastic sheet into the 1/4 inch recessed area inside the top rim of the tank (on glass aquaria).  Mine aren't cut to fit tightly, I just use them to keep the spiders off of the expanded metal.


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