# GBB Exo Terra enclosure



## markowolf (Apr 15, 2014)

Hello!

I would like to show the enclosure that I started building for my GBB.

It is a 45x45x60cm enclosure.

I was very inspired by a member here on Arachnoboards with his enclosures built as root system hanging from the top mount on the enclosure!
It is the most original enclosure setup I have seen in a while...

I am using grape wood that was treated for use in terrarium and I will try to use live Tillandsia plants glued on the branches.

Coco substrate with drainage stones on the bottom.

I still haven't decided on the lighting system... custom LED or Exo Terra CFL...

Here are some pictures and I will post new ones as I progress...

This is my third instar sling




Preparing the wood...


trial mounted on a piece of board

Reactions: Like 1


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## vespers (Apr 15, 2014)

markowolf said:


> Hello!
> 
> I would like to show the enclosure that I started building for my GBB.
> 
> It is a 45x45x60cm enclosure.


That enclosure is very _huge_ for a GBB, and extremely tall for a terrestrial spider. That set-up seems like an arboreal enclosure, and on the large side even for the largest pokies and lampropelmas.



markowolf said:


> I was very inspired by a member here on Arachnoboards with his enclosures built as root system hanging from the top mount on the enclosure!
> It is the most original enclosure setup I have seen in a while....


Hydrophyte...he was selling similar ones here for a little while. 




markowolf said:


> Coco substrate with drainage stones on the bottom.


Why would you need a drainage layer? Chromatopelma are desert/scrubland creatures, they require a dry enclosure and dry substrate.


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## loganhopeless (Apr 15, 2014)

vespers said:


> That enclosure is very _huge_ for a GBB, and extremely tall for a terrestrial spider. That set-up seems like an arboreal enclosure, and on the large side even for the largest pokies and lampropelmas.
> 
> 
> Hydrophyte...he was selling similar ones here for a little while.
> ...


But image how cool it will look with the webbing up in those branches!' Woah!! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## markowolf (Apr 16, 2014)

vespers said:


> That enclosure is very _huge_ for a GBB, and extremely tall for a terrestrial spider. That set-up seems like an arboreal enclosure, and on the large side even for the largest pokies and lampropelmas.
> 
> 
> Hydrophyte...he was selling similar ones here for a little while.
> ...



I know that it is strange to keep spiders in big enclosures because of the food,stress,danger of fall,etc. issues BUT I have kept mine in very big enclosures all the time and never had problems!
As You can see from the picture the sling is really fat and it is actively hunting for grasshoppers,crickets and flies!I never had to drop the pray in front of him/her... 
He roams around all the time and almost never climbs on the tank sides.
He webbed up a big shelter in the corner of the tank and he uses it often... 
I don't see a reason to use small enclosure considering the natural "infinite terrarium" that they live in... 
The sling is in huge 60x30x30 aquarium at the moment and I have no problems with him that everyone talks about.

Yes that was the guy!! I couldn't find his posts last night!

The humidity in my house is really low,sometimes dropping under 30% so I have to keep one small part of the substrate wet all the time(I don't mist my tank because it makes the glass dirty) so during the night the humidity rises to 60-70% and during the day it is in the 45-60% range. 
The temps are in the 23-29 degC range.


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## markowolf (Apr 16, 2014)

Today I have modified the enclosure top and I have made a top mount for the roots out of a 12mm Perspex plexiglass...

The color and bark texture of the roots are amazing... I can't wait to finish the lighting and put some green in it 







I apologize for the glare...


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## Introvertebrate (Apr 16, 2014)

Clever idea, suspending the wood from the top of the enclosure.


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## markowolf (Apr 16, 2014)

Introvertebrate said:


> Clever idea, suspending the wood from the top of the enclosure.


Thanks! It isn't my idea but I really wanted to have a setup like the ones made by a member Hydrophyte.


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## just1moreT (Apr 16, 2014)

I think when that GBB grows up it will have always thought it was in the wild ,looks like a good set up to me, yeah big for a sling but he will find a patch of ground to call home in there


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## viper69 (Apr 17, 2014)

markowolf said:


> I don't see a reason to use small enclosure considering the natural "infinite terrarium" that they live in...



I think the pics are helpful- thanks!

Regarding infinite terrarium, I understand your reasoning as I think the same way on some level. However in the wild, scientific studies have shown in some NW terrestrial species that they really don't live too far from where they hatched from. At most maybe a few square meters, it's not a very large area at all. So all that natural space is not used up at all from any given group of hatchlings ESP by females.


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## markowolf (Apr 17, 2014)

viper69 said:


> I think the pics are helpful- thanks!
> 
> Regarding infinite terrarium, I understand your reasoning as I think the same way on some level. However in the wild, scientific studies have shown in some NW terrestrial species that they really don't live too far from where they hatched from. At most maybe a few square meters, it's not a very large area at all. So all that natural space is not used up at all from any given group of hatchlings ESP by females.


I know what You mean... I read every possible text about T's that I could find online and I know all the reasons why most keep them in small enclosures...
I just like the idea and also a great challenge to simulate T's natural environment successfully!I never had problems...
I enjoy naturalistic display enclosures...


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## markowolf (May 1, 2014)

This is my current setup for a GBB.
I just wanted to show the plants that I am planing to use.

The lighting will be CFL 2 bulbs 14w 6500K CRI 81 and 2 bulbs 14w 2700K CRI 81 . I am working on a high tech light hood with integrated fan,reflectors and a plastic grid for light spill control so I don't light the whole room but just the terrarium...

LED is at this moment too complicated to work with because there is no data of spectrum or CRI of the bulbs...

Reactions: Like 2


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## viper69 (May 1, 2014)

markowolf said:


> LED is at this moment too complicated to work with because there is no data of spectrum or CRI of the bulbs...


As of only 2 yrs ago the LED industry has no manufacturing standards regarding what makes a white LED, white. So while they look white, their exact spectra is unknown because there is no standard!

Nice looking setup! Be curious to see where the GBB takes up residence.


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## vespers (May 2, 2014)

There are LED lights appropriate for vivs and aquariums. 'Jungle Dawn' LED "bulbs" have been in use for a few years now. The dart frog guys have been using them with good results. Current-USA has some capable systems out too...mostly directed at aquarium keepers. There are others too.



markowolf said:


> The humidity in my house is really low,sometimes dropping under 30% so I have to keep one small part of the substrate wet all the time(I don't mist my tank because it makes the glass dirty) so during the night the humidity rises to 60-70% and during the day it is in the 45-60% range.
> The temps are in the 23-29 degC range.


 Under 30%/really low is fine and desired...Rick West apparently noted a daytime humidity of 29% in their natural habitat while he was there.  I'd be trying to keep humidity _down_ more if I were you, at least once its out of the sling stage.

Reactions: Like 1


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## fuzzyavics72 (May 2, 2014)

Hanging the wood is a cleaver ideab but what if the gbb falls? They arent aboreals and they wont be able to take a fall from that height..


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## markowolf (May 4, 2014)

viper69 said:


> As of only 2 yrs ago the LED industry has no manufacturing standards regarding what makes a white LED, white. So while they look white, their exact spectra is unknown because there is no standard!
> 
> Nice looking setup! Be curious to see where the GBB takes up residence.


Thanks! I read a lot about lighting these days and there are solutions with LED lighting but it is too expensive...

GBB has made her web/substrate burrow in the right corner under the hygro/thermo meter! I am curious to see where will she web in her new enclosure!!

---------- Post added 05-04-2014 at 04:23 PM ----------




vespers said:


> There are LED lights appropriate for vivs and aquariums. 'Jungle Dawn' LED "bulbs" have been in use for a few years now. The dart frog guys have been using them with good results. Current-USA has some capable systems out too...mostly directed at aquarium keepers. There are others too.
> 
> Under 30%/really low is fine and desired...Rick West apparently noted a daytime humidity of 29% in their natural habitat while he was there.  I'd be trying to keep humidity _down_ more if I were you, at least once its out of the sling stage.


I found a lot of LED lights that are suitable for use in terrarium but the price is still to big for me... CFL is much simpler to work with...
Those cheaper LED's don't have any tech data about them available...

I have to say that I am surprised to hear that under 30% RH is fine for a GBB... I know everyone says they like it bone dry but no one mentioned any numbers... 
My GBB has molted few days ago into 4th instar so when she gets her adult colors I'll lower the humidity to under 40%...

---------- Post added 05-04-2014 at 04:27 PM ----------




scorpionbreeder said:


> Hanging the wood is a cleaver ideab but what if the gbb falls? They arent aboreals and they wont be able to take a fall from that height..


I am worried about that too but I've seen a lot of arboreal setups in Germany for a GBB.I'll keep a 4" substrate on the bottom...
Also I have seen her climb the walls only the first day when I got her and never again!!


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## Bipolar Spider (May 4, 2014)

scorpionbreeder said:


> Hanging the wood is a cleaver ideab but what if the gbb falls? They arent aboreals and they wont be able to take a fall from that height..


Can you please post the thread where that happened? A terrestrial died from falling in an exo, still trying to find that thread and just keep running into opinions instead of actual proof

Reactions: Like 1


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## markowolf (May 4, 2014)

Today I have made a trial honeycomb grid from A LOT of black plastic straws! I will use it to control light spill out of the terrarium all over my room...

I will loose some light but I would loose it anyway trough the glass... without the filter it is uncomfortably bright all around the terrarium...


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## markowolf (Aug 20, 2014)

A little update... It is really hard to take quality photos with a phone...









---------- Post added 08-20-2014 at 07:22 PM ----------

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## pyro fiend (Aug 25, 2014)

to me this just doesnt look comfortable for a T. maybe im basing it off of my fish tanks. but you have single lights beaming in specific places.. if you was to use a led strip like from a hardwear store and filter it i think its be more apeasing to you and the T. as 4 bright spots instead of one nice light bar would make me think a T more willing to come out and display... also iv got to agree with it just being way to big for an adult gbb. and based off your pics it looks like even your current enclosures way to big based off the hole you can kinda see looks maybe 2-3in? and in a 10g? which also could use alot more sub..

i mean this is a great idea. even the current settup is nice. heck i even thought of doing similar with a 30x30x45 but on its side for a gbb once its adult. but id never do it with a 45x45x60 thats just way too tall on its side filled 1/2 way on the sides with a dipping middle so it can burrow under the roots.. that would be great. kinda how mine was planned. but i think this would be better for another species just my $0.02 tho..

imo seasonal lighting [the christmas style lights in the plastic/ruber hose] are pretty nice for brightness. or even something ment for under cabnet lighting would work but just feel like that light is like a 8500K bulb and thats a little bright for any nocturnal animal especially to be turned on for many hours at a time


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## markowolf (Aug 25, 2014)

Well... I measured the light with a PAR meter and compared it with the full sun at noon here where I live and it has a lower intensity then the sun.
There is plenty of sun in Venezuela,GBB natural habitat and in my terrarium there is also a lot of shade and dark spots(where she spun her burrow) so it is very close natural habitat.
If I used any other lighting I wouldn't get the result that I wanted!!I tried Fluo,CFL,LED and LED stripes.This turned out to be the best.

The light cycle is 8h.

The size of the terrarium is in MY opinion far too small compared to natural terrarium and I never really had ANY problems with feeding,falls or anything else with wolfs and a GBB.

I don't handle my spiders or disturb them in any way except when feeding and plant watering at the same time.

In fact!! I have a really,really bad opinion about keepers that keep their animals in a yogurt cup(sized) terrariums!!!
Many should learn from my examples that not all that everybody says online is the truth!!

In MY opinion,my terrariums are as close as it can get to natural habitat for wolf spiders and a GBB.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## vespers (Aug 25, 2014)

pyro fiend said:


> but just feel like that light is like a 8500K bulb and thats a little bright for any nocturnal animal especially to be turned on for many hours at a time


K (kelvins) is not a measure of brightness (lumens), but of the color temperature.



markowolf said:


> In fact!! I have a really,really bad opinion about keepers that keep their animals in a yogurt cup(sized) terrariums!!!
> Many should learn from my examples that not all that everybody says online is the truth!!
> 
> In MY opinion,my terrariums are as close as it can get to natural habitat for wolf spiders and a GBB.


Alright, now you're getting a little too big for your britches, so to speak. You might want to tone down that attitude just a little. Spending ridiculous amounts of money on your toy fantasy utopia doesn't automatically make your way of doing things the right way. Talking down about other (often more experienced) hobbyists in an attempt to justify your expenditures isn't necessary either. That said, your claim of your enclosure being "as close as it can get to a natural habitat" for your GBB just isn't true...unless you consider "pet store" to be a natural habitat.

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## markowolf (Aug 25, 2014)

I'm sorry if I offended anyone but I thought that all this is about ANIMALS and not experienced keepers that have spent all their life torturing animals in small boxes thinking that they do it the right way...
Just look at nature and replicate!!
Take a small slice of nature to your terrarium and it can't be wrong...
Sometimes I have a feeling that I am looking at a Greyhounds kept in a apartment.It's not wrong but it is far from right...

I have a right to have an opinion and mine isn't nice about that part of this beautiful hobby.And many will agree!

My setup is actually so cheap that many wouldn't believe the amount of money it was assembled with!!The water dish is the only artificial thing in the whole(inside) setup... I tried nut shells for water dishes but they deteriorate to quick. 
LED torches are cheap ebay Q5($4) items powered by cheap PC power supply.

Anyway... I didn't come here to argue... I just wanted to show a little out of the box thinking that really works in reality! 

I invested many hours thinking,reading and trying a lot of things and this setup is the result that can not be seen often on arachno forums...

Reactions: Funny 1


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## pyro fiend (Aug 25, 2014)

vespers said:


> K (kelvins) is not a measure of brightness (lumens), but of the color temperature.


That is very true. mixed em up for a second. But in my deffence a 10,000kbulb is brighter then an 8500k and a 8500k is brighter then a 3600k because of the color temperature x3 was just thinking aquariums for a second xD

---------- Post added 08-25-2014 at 09:12 PM ----------




markowolf said:


> I'm sorry if I offended anyone but I thought that all this is about ANIMALS and not experienced keepers that have spent all their life torturing animals in small boxes thinking that they do it the right way...
> Just look at nature and replicate!!
> Take a small slice of nature to your terrarium and it can't be wrong...
> Sometimes I have a feeling that I am looking at a Greyhounds kept in a apartment.It's not wrong but it is far from right...
> ...


I see where your coming from but also you gota think even if given the opertunity most animals will not use a giant enclosure because in nature they stay within so many feet from home.. i know a keeper with a gbb kept in a 375g tank on its side so it has tons of room.. it sets up shop in a 7"*7" area and never goes any farther... its a nice setup and looks good. But its overkill..


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## vespers (Aug 25, 2014)

pyro fiend said:


> That is very true. mixed em up for a second. But in my deffence a 10,000kbulb is brighter then an 8500k and a 8500k is brighter then a 3600k because of the color temperature x3 was just thinking aquariums for a second xD


They won't actually be any brighter than each other. 3600K will appear as a slightly yellowed "warmer white", 8500K will appear as a bluish "cool white", and 10000K will appear as a nearly pale blue light. The 8500K light may _appear_ brighter than the other two due to the amount of white in the light...but aren't truly brighter unless the lumens increase.


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## pyro fiend (Aug 25, 2014)

vespers said:


> They won't actually be any brighter than each other. 3600K will appear as a slightly yellowed "warmer white", 8500K will appear as a bluish "cool white", and 10000K will appear as a nearly pale blue light. The 8500K light may _appear_ brighter than the other two due to the amount of white in the light...but aren't truly brighter unless the lumens increase.


Verry true. As said i was basing it off my tanks tho and switched around K and L x3 otherwize were on the same page bud x3

Reactions: Optimistic 1


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## vespers (Aug 25, 2014)

markowolf said:


> I'm sorry if I offended anyone but I thought that all this is about ANIMALS and not experienced keepers that have spent all their life torturing animals in small boxes thinking that they do it the right way...
> Just look at nature and replicate!!
> Take a small slice of nature to your terrarium and it can't be wrong...
> Sometimes I have a feeling that I am looking at a Greyhounds kept in a apartment.It's not wrong but it is far from right...
> ...


 Nobody is "torturing" anything that I've usually seen around here, and I haven't seen anyone keeping Ts in deli cups or tiny boxes accept for slings. There are also plenty of keepers here who favor naturalistic enclosures, including ones that surpass yours. A natural tarantula vivarium isn't a particularly new or unique idea, many here have been doing this for some time. They did "many hours of thinking reading, trying a lot of things" long before you have. But those that don't keep live plants in their enclosures aren't "inferior" to your "chosen way" of doing things.


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## LauraMI (Sep 2, 2014)

How is your GBB doing?  I have an enclosure set up for mine which is now 14" high w/ the substrate added in & need an honest answer as to how your T is doing before I put my own in.


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## markowolf (Jan 31, 2015)

LauraMI said:


> How is your GBB doing?  I have an enclosure set up for mine which is now 14" high w/ the substrate added in & need an honest answer as to how your T is doing before I put my own in.


Hello!

I'm sorry for my late reply,I moved to UK in so I didn't have time for my hobbies last year...

The spider is still alive and is doing great!

It webs more and more with every molt and I didn't have any problems with it.

I don't touch her and I open the door only to feed her.


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## los3r (Jan 31, 2015)

Pictures?


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## markowolf (Mar 5, 2015)

Latest pictures with Asparagus fern. You can notice some webbing high in the roots.

Reactions: Like 1


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## archaeosite (Mar 7, 2015)

That is a stunning setup! It's zoo-quality. What fantastic work. I hope someday to have enough skill to make something like this.


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## horanjp (Mar 7, 2015)

Small enclosure sizes are mainly for protection from falls, IMO. If fall potential was considered with this enclosure, then one might consider waiting until the spider was big enough to safely inhabit it. 
All things aside, the enclosure is beautiful. De-ghetto the lights and it would be a great home for a monster pokie.


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## markowolf (Mar 10, 2015)

Thank You for your kind words! I searched for inspiration for a long time for this build....

The light in reality is really not that shiny!! I have a bad phone camera... 

I tried to foul the camera here and it is a little better but that is far from the real picture.


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