# My first T - B. Hamorii. My enclosure (terrarium) check



## rocoloco64 (Oct 28, 2017)

Hey,

got my first T three days ago. She is around 7 years old and I got here in this terrarium from her previous owner.

She doesn't have a hide, just a bark to hide under, a little bit. :/
The second day I've topped it with coco husk and coco fiber and a little bit of green moss from Exo Terra just to cushion the falls, she tends to climb the glass quite often and make me nervous.

Also, one time I saw her got up on the bark and on the plastic part of the lid which has holes, and fell on the bark, rolling over and landed on her feet on the substrate. Clumsy. 

What do you think about her enclosure?

How can I make it safe so she doesn't fall on the bark? I was thinking of positioning it a little bit higher and cover it some more with substrate.

I am not sure when was the enclosure cleaned the last time so I am planing to clean it and also make a substrate a little bit higher. I plan to mix the old peat moss (if it is still ok) with a new coco fiber, and making her a starter hide under the bark.








Need to clean that poop in the corner!


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## darkness975 (Oct 28, 2017)

@rocoloco64 
1.  Get rid of the moss. They don't like walking on it.
2.  Replace the lid with pexi glass with air holes drilled into it.
3. Add more substrate so no more than 1.5 times the DLS distance from the substrate to the lid is the measurement.
4. Take the hide off the wall and bury it an an angle into the Substrate so it can excavate underneath it.














B. hamorii



__ darkness975
__ Oct 10, 2016
__ 4


















Irene 2



__ darkness975
__ Apr 27, 2017

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 5 | Informative 1


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## BoyFromLA (Oct 28, 2017)

Just what Darkness975said.

Hide seems a bit high, and this might end up hurting your precious Tarantula.


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## Spiderguy47 (Oct 28, 2017)

As stated above to make it safe just add more substrate, the general rule is that the distance from the substrate to the lid should not exceed 1.5 times the leg span of the T. Also I would recommend doing what Darkness975 said with the hide but try to find a more curved piece of cork bark because the T might not like that flat piece.


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## checkmate (Oct 28, 2017)

Is than a hygrometer on the glass? They're not necessary, a waste of money, and they're terribly inaccurate anyway. Just FYI in case you planned on purchasing them for future enclosures.

Reactions: Agree 4


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## campj (Oct 28, 2017)

BoyFromLA said:


> Just what Darkness975said.
> 
> Hide seems a bit high, and this might end up hurting your precious Tarantula.


Didn't you just get your first spider? Not wasting any time in handing out advice, huh?

Reactions: Like 1 | Dislike 3 | Agree 1


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## BoyFromLA (Oct 28, 2017)

campj said:


> Didn't you just get your first spider? Not wasting any time in handing out advice, huh?


I know!

Reactions: Winner 1


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## campj (Oct 28, 2017)

Alright


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## rocoloco64 (Oct 29, 2017)

Thanks for all the inputs, I really want to make a nice home for her.  

Moss is just temporary, to add substrate height, until my coco fiber dries out.

Although, she is moving green moss around every day and seems like she is making a little den under the bark with it. Does that mean that she likes moss? 




I will get around and fix her enclosure this week, I wanted to leave her alone for a few days, she is probably stressed out because of the transfer and all the vibrations in the car.


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## rocoloco64 (Oct 31, 2017)

Can anyone please help me with identifying this wood? Bark is a little bit soft, it has no scent.

I bought it at a pet shop but it doesn't say what type of wood it is. It was at the rodent section though.

Could be cedar? 

The last picture is from shops website.


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## Spiderguy47 (Nov 1, 2017)

Not sure what type but definitely looks like it would work for your T. When you moisten your T's substrate try to avoid the wood so that it doesn't mold. Next time look for cork bark, it doesn't mold or rot.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Trenor (Nov 1, 2017)

rocoloco64 said:


> Can anyone please help me with identifying this wood? Bark is a little bit soft, it has no scent.
> 
> I bought it at a pet shop but it doesn't say what type of wood it is. It was at the rodent section though.
> 
> ...


It looks like a type of Spruce Pine to me. It should be fine for you T.

Cedar has a red tone to the wood and this doesn't.


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## rocoloco64 (Nov 1, 2017)

I think I'm gonna go with a cork bark that came with enclosure. Although it's flat, I will somehow make a good hide for the T by putting it on a small glass water bowl on one side and cover it with substrate.

This half log is made in China and I am not sure what can I expect from it.


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## Trenor (Nov 1, 2017)

rocoloco64 said:


> I think I'm gonna go with a cork bark that came with enclosure. Although it's flat, I will somehow make a good hide for the T by putting it on a small glass water bowl on one side and cover it with substrate.
> 
> This half log is made in China and I am not sure what can I expect from it.


Cork bark hides are easy, even with flat cork. Fill your substrate to the level it needs to be. Cut the cork bark to the size you need for the hide. Make a angle hole with your hand and work the cork under it. That makes a small burrow while supporting the cork. The tarantula will dig it out as it needs to.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 3


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## rocoloco64 (Nov 4, 2017)

Her home is remodelled. On one side I really went high with the substrate though... she can't even climb on the glass.

I made her a starter hide but she hasn't visited yet.

She is really a chicken, when I moved her back she was in a "can't see me posture" for almost 2 hours.

Reactions: Like 3


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## rocoloco64 (Jun 4, 2018)

It seems like Lucille just can't get comfortable in her enclosure. She is moving substrate around, she is making it very loose and she leaves small piles. Ok,  I know moving dirt around is normal but she is still climbing and staying on the glass, climbing the lid and falling off (and often climbing it again immediately, and falling...). And the most annoying thing, she is constantly putting substrate in the water bowl, I have to clean it all the time + the substrate under the bowl is getting too damp and small white dots (mites?) appear. She is really keeping me busy.

I am not sure what to do. Rehouse, try firmer substrate ... I don't want to stress her, I did enclosure renovation just 7 months ago.

Any thoughts?


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## boina (Jun 4, 2018)

rocoloco64 said:


> And the most annoying thing, she is constantly putting substrate in the water bowl,


Absolutely every tarantula does that , it's how they do things. Actually everything she does sounds like normal tarantula stuff. And mites aren't a problem, so just relax and enjoy her antics.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## JBarbaresi (Jun 5, 2018)

Yes normal behavior. And you don’t need to keep the enclosure neat or spotlessly clean.  The more you clean and rearrange things to how you want them, the more you will stress her out. Just let her do what she wants, it’s her house. I would recommend just clean the water bowl and add fresh water weekly, and remove any bolus you find with a set of tongs.

Reactions: Like 1


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## rocoloco64 (Jun 5, 2018)

Cool, thanks  I wasn't concerned in the beginning since I knew about the settling in period, by now I thought she will start preferring the ground. Oh, well, maybe after next molt.


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## JBarbaresi (Jun 5, 2018)

rocoloco64 said:


> Cool, thanks  I wasn't concerned in the beginning since I knew about the settling in period, by now I thought she will start preferring the ground. Oh, well, maybe after next molt.


Out of curiousity, are you misting the substrate at all?  This species typically doesn’t like wet or moist substrate and will climb the glass to get off of it.


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## rocoloco64 (Jun 5, 2018)

Never misted. I don't even spill the water bowl. But the water bowl is always full.


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## JBarbaresi (Jun 5, 2018)

rocoloco64 said:


> Never misted. I don't even spill the water bowl. But the water bowl is always full.


Any chance "she" is a mature male?  Mature males will be restless and will want to get out to find a mate.  It's hard to tell looking at the pictures you posted, but if you haven't already you might want to try to sex it ventrally or by looking at the pedipalps.


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## rocoloco64 (Jun 5, 2018)

I am 100 % she is a female. Pedipalps look like rest of the feet. And she has a nice belly. I took a quick photo.


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