# Chaco Golden Knee - Best Substrate to Use



## Nightfern (May 14, 2012)

Hello All, First time Tarantula owner here.  I have a chaco golden knee spiderling in a 5.5 Gallon Terrarium, i saw him climb and fall so i filled up the terrarium with eco-earth leaving about 6 inchest from the top to the bottom of the substrate.  I'am using Eco Earth and I see the tarantula  try to burrow alot he sticks his head into the substrate with his abdomen sticking up, he tries to dig down but can't seem too, he then gives up and moves on, then he will try again.  Is the eco-earth too loose for him to be able to burrow?  I have a water dish in it and the humidity is usually 70 to 80 percent.  Is the eco-earth not moist enough for him to burrow? Thanks


----------



## jayefbe (May 14, 2012)

G. pulchripes really don't need humidity levels that high. Dry substrate with a water dish is enough. If you didn't pack down the substrate then I would do that. If you did, then it should be suitable for burrowing. Peat moss is said to be better for maintaining burrow structures, but I've never had any problems with coco fibre (Eco earth).


----------



## abryan1992 (May 14, 2012)

If you have a spiderling a 5.5 tank is way too big.


----------



## SamuraiSid (May 14, 2012)

a 5.5 gallon is overkill for a sling. A deli container would make a more appropriate enclosure, and this way you could go buy a new T


----------



## jayefbe (May 14, 2012)

Oh, totally missed that it was a sling. Yeah, move it to a deli cup, or another small plastic container that you can poke some holes in for ventilation. You won't be needing a 5.5 gallon for it for quite a while.


----------



## grayzone (May 14, 2012)

just for reference i have a pulchripes that i got in march or may (cant remember) of 2011 that was about .5" and i housed it in those little plastic salsa cups. here it is may of 2012 and she is about 2.5 max  and still housed in a queso dip jar. Your sling WONT need an enclosure THAT BIG for like another 2+ years likely lol

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## JungleFritz (May 14, 2012)

Heh, my puchripes slings were intimidatingly small for this novice keeper - like, first or second instar. I bought them in tall, 1" diameter vials with about a half inch of substrate in the bottom. I could barely see the damn things at first, and the first time they molted, I thought what I was seeing was dead sling, not fresh molts. They're between an eighth and a quarter inch now, and I reckon I've still got some time before I have to scrounge up even a set of bigger vials - or maybe those take-out condiment cups, like Gray says. "Sling" and "5 gallon"  are probably two terms that don't go together.


----------



## Nightfern (May 14, 2012)

Thanks everyone i moved the sling to a deli cup. Now i guess i should buy a sub adult T for my 5 gallon. Where can you buy sub adult b.smithis? Thanks


----------



## grayzone (May 14, 2012)

the classified section here is a great place to start lookin... may even find somethin you like better:biggrin:


----------



## AReaHerps (May 14, 2012)

Turn it vertically and get a custom cover for your 5 gallon and get an arboreal T! 

Sent from my Android Tapatalk App!


----------



## Masurai (May 14, 2012)

AReaHerps said:


> Turn it vertically and get a custom cover for your 5 gallon and get an arboreal T!
> 
> Sent from my Android Tapatalk App!


I'll second that


----------



## Shay (May 14, 2012)

im gonna have to 3rd it


----------

