A. geniculata display tank ideas.

[TalonAWD]

I made a display tank for my GBB and I feel it was a complete success. It started out with a thread exactly like this one.
(http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=101657 )
(My creation on page 3 post #37 and page 4 post #48)

I am going to use an exo-terra 12x12x12 tank. I'm going to make the entire tank decoration/landscape using triple expanding foam. Since this is going to be a permanent type of enclosure where once done it won't be changed, I wanted to try and duplicate its natural environment and hope that many here can give me some ideas and tips on the creation.
So far I want to use spaghum peat moss as its main substrate. I plan on using Moss and maybe some fake plants for decoration. The hide I would create with the foam. Most likely 2 floors for more floor space.
Any ideas would be appreciated. Any advice as well.
Right now its only 2" but since this project would take about a month to complete I have plenty of time for some ideas.
Also let me know what is the normal type of behavior of this tarantula...like does it walk alot or does it sit around alot. This would help me design the enclosure. This enclosure is planned for ONLY this species of tarantula, so if it turns out to be a male, I will get another one to replace him and use this enclosure. (Just like the GBB)
Thank you.

 

[citizen_smithi]

Funny - I have just done exactly that yesterday - rehoused my red knee and so was left with this one empty - then found the greatest shop I've ever entered on saturday that stocked over forty great species, including a lovely sub adult A genic - it WILL BE MINE! Went home and did this..

the hide is a granite style soap dish from a home supplies store, supported by rocks from the car park (cleaned them with a light bleach solution and rinsed them then let them dry out for an hour) - the substrate is just T-rex forest bedding, moist but not dripping, still dark however, and the plants are silk, some I trimmed then "planted" to give it a natural look, I'm pretty happy with it, I based it on the enclosure I saw at London Zoo for their White Knee.

I sloped it for the extra floorspace as you mentioned doing with yours, the upper level is a great aesthetic, can't wait to get the big bugger in there!

Put your pics up when you've done it!

 

[lewisskinner]

Are those cheap exo terra thermo/hydro-meters any good? I have a digital one in with my Singer blue, but I can't afford the expense if my T collection grows!

 

[citizen_smithi]

Are those cheap exo terra thermo/hydro-meters any good? I have a digital one in with my Singer blue, but I can't afford the expense if my T collection grows!

Honest answer - no, they are crap. I bopught them as a newbie, but noticed it was reading 100% when there wasn't a hint of mist to be seen, so I got a digital one and the readings were about 30% lower, but they're stuck really tight so I didn't wanna yank 'em off in case they left a mark, and the thermometer is ok, it's probably a much easier measurement to guage I guess so cheap thermometers are more accurate than the hygrometers, but they do kinda look quite nice, so if you're stuck with 'em it aint so bad.

But anyway - to answer your question, don't bother with 'em. They are way off and as long as you don't live in either Egypt or Alaska, the ambience in your room and the correct substrate along with water dishes will be fine. I just have the one digital hygro in my smithi's enclosure, and I judge the other T's on that reading - if it says 65% it's fine - if it says 80% I know I need to say open the vents in my A avics home a little as she has more moiost conditions - it works well for me.

 

[Kris-wIth-a-K]

My A. Genic tank.

I have about 4" of peat in a 5 gallon tank. A nice bowl with a piece of slate under the bowl within the peat. Pake plants in the back as well as a little bit of sphag moss for decoration as well as a cork bark hide. My 6" A. Genic has started to dig under her bown and probably will go under the slate too. Nothing too fancy but still looks good. The humidity things on the tanks are crap. You dont really need them for an A. genic. They like it a little dryer but you can spray the tank once or twice a week depending on where you live. Here in FL its really dry and hot now. Gotta love FL weather. I fill up all the bowls and literally in 3 or 4 the water is completely gone.

 

[citizen_smithi]

Yeah believe it or not it's like that in London right now! I've put some little dishes of water around where I keep my little ones to add some ambient humidity, seems to do the trick.

But yeah I only use the hygro because I have it, and it's handy if things go way high or low, but in general it's just there to be honest with ya.

 

[Kris-wIth-a-K]

To control the humidity I ususally just overflow the waterdish sometimes to get the substrate wet or just spray. The water in the substrate evaportates slowly sooo there is a little bit of humidity in there at all times.

My P. Irminia is the one I have trouble with. She is about 3.5" and beautiful as beautiful can be. Not agressive at all just sits in her web waiting for the next unlicky bug that walks her way.

 

[Kris-wIth-a-K]

To control the humidity I ususally just overflow the waterdish sometimes to get the substrate wet or just spray. The water in the substrate evaportates slowly sooo there is a little bit of humidity in there at all times.

My P. Irminia is the one I have trouble with. She is about 3.5" and beautiful as beautiful can be. Not agressive at all just sits in her web waiting for the next unlicky bug that walks her way.:}

 

[citizen_smithi]

Yeah I do that also, but this weekend it wasn't enough so I out out the water dishes this morning while i'm out at work just in case, especially as my rcf rosie has buried her water dish completely (can't even see it a little bit!) so I dampened around where it's burried and the ambient humidity should sort out any other excessive dryness.

 

[Kris-wIth-a-K]

yea

My 2" nhandu chromatus, 1.5" C. Brachycephalus, 1.5" B. angustum all do that. Its funny. I love it when it rains because that is an automatic 2 free days of humidity. I just open the window and stick the Irminia on the ledge. The humidity builds in her home and she comes out to walk around and everything.

 

[TalonAWD]

Does anyone have pics of their natural habitat? Or can someone tell me if they are active or the type that just lounges?

And I use Flukers digital thermo/Hygrometer. Pretty accurate.

 

[Rochelle]

1.) This is not the right tank for this sp. It's too great a fall risk and cannot be corrected for, in an Exoterra.
2.) This is not a good tank for a fully grown and potentially 8-10" T.

 

[TalonAWD]

1.) This is not the right tank for this sp. It's too great a fall risk and cannot be corrected for, in an Exoterra.
2.) This is not a good tank for a fully grown and potentially 8-10" T.

1. What do you mean "Fall risk"? Unlike the normal decoration that most put in these tanks, I will make the decorations therefore I can make the ground to be different heights, slopes and angles. I will be using triple expanding foam which can be made to do anything. Imagination galore. The ground that is created would also have a layer of substrate so that its customizable for the tarantula.
2. I never knew that they can reach that size. I have never seen anyone state that it can be that big. From various pictures I have seen with the A. geniculata in enclosures, I have never seen enclosures bigger than an average 10 gallon tank. Unless this tarantula is very active, I thought that this enclosure, with the thought of design in the interior, would be sufficient. My impression is that it will most likely stay still.
The tarantula would grow in this enclosure so no exploration would be necessary later on.

 

[Kris-wIth-a-K]

hmm

sometimes t's like to climb the tanks. Sometimes t's fall. The less substrate the greater fall the t will get.

 

[TalonAWD]

With the way I would design it, theres no worries about an injury from a fall. How about ideas on its natural environment and activity

 

[Ricki123]

TalonAWD, what does your GBB tank look like now? i'd love to see the further implementations that ur GBB has added .

Btw did u certify that it definately was male? im guess it will be quite a good size now won't it?

 

[citizen_smithi]

With regard to the "correct set up" queries of an 8-10" White Knee,

The substrate is sloped from front to back, the greatest height from ground to lid of tank is 8-10 inches, leaving no more than it's leg span for a possible fall, and smallest amount of headroom at the back I have allowed is even lesser at about 4 inches, no dangers there, and on top of that I have ditched the exoterra woven mesh screen top lid for my own self constructed steel screen lid, with much larger holes to kill the risk of leg traumas when exploring.

The other point I would like to make is that I intend to purchase a sub-adult specimen, at a size of approx 5-6 inches - it will have plenty of room, and if and when it outgrows this enclosure then of course it will be rehoused to a larger home.

I am aware of the annoyances of these exo-terras, I purchased it as a newbie for my Red Knee, and she had some issues getting her claws stuck, not in the screen itself but in the lip of the lid at the top of the glass, which is why I rehoused her. Now I have this one empty I have made sure it is a safer unit before I house anything else inside it.

It now has no dangerous height issues, no dangerous screen top issues, plenty of substrate, two levels to allow more floor space and still plenty of ventilation - these factors together amount to a perfectly adequate and safe home for the majority of Terrestrial and opportunistic burrowing species of Tarantula.

I would not even consider putting an animal in a home that prompted any risk, I love my T's too much!

I do understand the controversy that surrounds the exoterra's as far as T's go, which is why I have taken the precautions and made the changes accordingly.

 

[hairmetalspider]

With the way I would design it, theres no worries about an injury from a fall. How about ideas on its natural environment and activity

I don't see how, with an exo terra, you're going to design it so you can either A) Have the proper amount of substrate to break a fall (Shouldn't be less than 1.5X the T's leg span between them and the substrate)
and B) Still be able to open the doors without the substrate falling out. (With it only being around that size.)

I think, given the size of the T, going with a 'normal', non arboreal tank would be better and you can still pimp it out.

 

[citizen_smithi]

I don't see how, with an exo terra, you're going to design it so you can either A) Have the proper amount of substrate to break a fall (Shouldn't be less than 1.5X the T's leg span between them and the substrate)
and B) Still be able to open the doors without the substrate falling out. (With it only being around that size.)

I think, given the size of the T, going with a 'normal', non arboreal tank would be better and you can still pimp it out.

that's what I just explained though, the height between substrate and floor is fine and no higher than 1.5 of the T's legspan at 8-10 inches form top to bottom, and it doesn't get in the way of the doors. And also if you wanna have it higher you can, just do everything like maintenance and feeding/filling water from the lid if you so wish. Trust me I measure everything, paying special attention to height-legspan ratio and it is what is required. I have an A seemani in not an exoterra but the same dimensions, a 30cm cube, and the substrate is not much higher, she is clumsy and falls regularly, she is just under 6 inches and she has never had a high or troublesome fall, if she was in danger she wouldn't be in there and I wouldn't be even close to using a similar set up for another T.

 

[TalonAWD]

TalonAWD, what does your GBB tank look like now? i'd love to see the further implementations that ur GBB has added .

Btw did u certify that it definately was male? im guess it will be quite a good size now won't it?

She made an elaborate tunnel on one side of the tank behind the corner that leads to the bridge. Yesterday I decided to clean out the tank so I destroyed the webs. There was alot of dead crickets and dead cricket parts back in there and the amazing thing is that what it does is cover it up with webs, making a new floor. I also found a shedding molt fully intact in there. She is a bit bigger than 3" legspan now.
So since I had the molt I decided to put it in a tupperware full of water and sealed the lid. Waited an hour and took it out. Studied it for a long time and took about 15 pictures. Thinking it was a male as I originally had stated in that thread (GBB tank ideas) I looked again and to my amazment I say a flap!
Its a FEMALE!!!! So now I'm even more happy!
So she is now buillding a new web in the same exact location. She loves that spot.
The original webs were so thick. It was a true Tunnel with an exit and an entrance. She even took moss pieces to make a door. She is very calm and never flicks hairs.

A picture of HER now.