# How large can my Pink toe enclosure be?



## Etiel (Nov 21, 2016)

Hi everyone! I'm new on here and have a question. I recently acquired a pink toe tarantula and it's about 2" in length. I'm housing it in a 5 gallon aquarium with a mesh lid. What I'd like to know is if I could use a larger terrarium that I have that was for a panther chameleon? It will be harder for me to see but I think the height would be ideal.. It's about 3ft tall with mesh sides and top. The one side is covered in cedar planks. Would this be adequate once my T has grown a little more?


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## KezyGLA (Nov 21, 2016)

@viper69 may help you here

Reactions: Like 1


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## Etiel (Nov 21, 2016)

KezyGLA said:


> @viper69 may help you here


Thanks!


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## G. pulchra (Nov 21, 2016)

Personally I would stick with your 5 gallon for now, it will make it easier for you to monitor it's health and ensure it's eating.


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## Etiel (Nov 21, 2016)

G. pulchra said:


> Personally I would stick with your 5 gallon for now, it will make it easier for you to monitor it's health and ensure it's eating.


Ok! So like I figured, wait till it gets larger then eventually upgrade to the larger enclosure?


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## YagerManJennsen (Nov 21, 2016)

Someone correct me If I'm wrong but I recall reading that cedar can be poisonous to Ts. So I would shy away from it if possible.

Reactions: Agree 3


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## cold blood (Nov 21, 2016)

What species of "pink toe" do you have?

Both enclosures are  too big for a 2" spider.  At 2" I'd have it in a 32oz deli cup with a leaned piece of wood surrounded by plants, with a bottle cap water dish.

Once the t reaches 3", something 10-12" tall and 5-6" wide is perfect.  Your 5 gal would be an option once its over 3", too.  As adults they will need a little more room, and how much room depends on the species.

Screen tops are bad news, replace it with drilled acrylic or plexi.

Reactions: Agree 3


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## Etiel (Nov 21, 2016)

YagerManJennsen said:


> Someone correct me If I'm wrong but I recall reading that cedar can be poisonous to Ts. So I would shy away from it if possible.


Thank you for that! I will remove the boards and replace them with plexiglass. Glad I didn't make that mistake!


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## Trenor (Nov 21, 2016)

Here is what I am using for my 2+ Avics.


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## Etiel (Nov 22, 2016)

Trenor said:


> Here is what I am using for my 2+ Avics.


Nice set up! I'm thinking that perhaps I can't maintain the required moister in the one I'm planning on using..


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## Trenor (Nov 22, 2016)

Etiel said:


> Nice set up! I'm thinking that perhaps I can't maintain the required moister in the one I'm planning on using..


When keeping Avics what has worked for me has been this:

Good ventilation on two sides with just one or two holes paced in the top to prevent moisture from building up in the top of the enclosure.
A cluttered enclosure to provide lots of good web anchor points.
Dry substrate in the bottom with a water dish that is kept full.
I don't spray or mist inside the enclosure.

I don't try to hit specific humidity numbers that you often see in care sheets. In my experience that causes the humidity to be too high and stuffy. Stuffy cages will kill Avics very quickly.

This is the box I used to make the above enclosure. 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001IJFKWA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you have anymore questions feel free to ask.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Venom1080 (Nov 22, 2016)

a common misconception of avis is that they need high humidity. they really dont. they do fine in most cages as long as theres lots of ventilation. also, tarantulas really dont require large enclosures, they prefer a smaller cage they can easily find food and water and their hide. at 2", a 32 oz deli is a great cage. just make sure to add lots of vent.


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## cold blood (Nov 22, 2016)

Etiel said:


> Nice set up! I'm thinking that perhaps I can't maintain the required moister in the one I'm planning on using..


Required moisture??

Like venom and trenor mentioned, its not about humidity numbers...people following care sheets and their number requirements kill so many avics its just plain sad...and these people can't figure out their mistake because they are set up according to the [poor] care sheets they made the mistake of relying on.

DO NOT FOCUS ON HUMIDITY NUMBERS!!!

Caring for ts is not that difficult, most of the poor advice you see, greatly over-complicates keeping to the detriment of the tarantula.


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## viper69 (Nov 22, 2016)

Etiel said:


> Hi everyone! I'm new on here and have a question. I recently acquired a pink toe tarantula and it's about 2" in length. I'm housing it in a 5 gallon aquarium with a mesh lid. What I'd like to know is if I could use a larger terrarium that I have that was for a panther chameleon? It will be harder for me to see but I think the height would be ideal.. It's about 3ft tall with mesh sides and top. The one side is covered in cedar planks. Would this be adequate once my T has grown a little more?


FYI: CEDAR is a NO NO for any insect or arachnid. It's a natural repellent.

I've owned chams. Those setups are too large. Now you might say "they live in the jungle, that's larger than a tank", TRUE, BUT BUT, the jungle is LOADED with insects and other critters to eat 24/7. It isn't that Ts or other exotics can't be kept in larger homes per se. The main reasons you keep them in smaller homes is:

1. Smaller homes increase the probability of prey/predator interactions!!
2. Smaller homes allow for owners to keep a better watch on the health of their pets!

At 2" in size I keep mine in containers that are 4"x4"x6" in size, AMAC boxes like you saw above.

A mesh lid, esp a screen top (that is a mesh pattern), is a good way to end up with a T that loses a leg or gets caught in the lid via its tarsal claws and suffers from exhaustion in trying to wrest itself free.

Reactions: Like 1


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