Any tips or suggestions to make sure my new T is comfortable?

[Honeythechalco]

Hey everyone! My name's Madison and I just received my new Tarantula a few weeks ago.
Her name is Honey and she is an Aphonopelma Chalcodes (Desert Blonde/Mexican Blonde)
I love her so much she is a total sweetheart. Just wanted to see if anybody had any tips or improvements that
I could make for her to be more comfortable. I did quite a bit of research before she arrived, but did find a few
conflicting sourced on certain topics, plus there wasn't too much information out there on her specific species.
So, any A. Chalcodes owners or experienced desert T owners can chime in with tips !!
Right now I've got her in a glass terarium, probably 10 gallon I would think?
Got a mixture of coconut fibre and insect sand in there (mostly the fibre, just a light dusting of sand on the top of the substrate)
I've got a typical log hide for her, a small flower pot type hide and a fake plant and a water dish. I initially had the substrate much
Lower than it is now (in relation to the top of the enclosure) but I took her out and raised it quickly after she first got in there and
Started climbing (dangerous for a terrestrial, I understand). She likes to sit out in the open a lot, and I haven't noticed her burrowing
At all. I attempted feeding her a couple times and I think that she has eaten one cricket in the last few weeks. I am not sure if she is mature
Yet. She seems small to me. She's maybe three inches across from leg to leg. If anyone could take a guess at her age and/or maturity that would
be great (helpful in knowing how often I
should attempt feeding). If you have any additional questions for me feel free to ask! I'd just love to hear some tips or opinions on what I can do
better for her. And of course, I am attaching a picture or two of her

 

[Thistles]

Hey there, Madison! Congratulations on your pretty baby! Thanks for trying to make her home as suitable for her as possible and for doing research before she arrived. I have a few suggestions.

Firstly, I would do away with the sand. There is the potential for the small grains to irritate or clog her book lungs. Straight cocofiber is fine, as is peat or topsoil. Whatever you use, keep it dry and just offer her water in a dish like you already are. I love the multiple hides! It's very nice of you to offer her options. Your decorations sound good.

The 10 gallon glass tank is... not perfect. If you have access to something without screen lids, that would be best. Side ventilation is better than top ventilation and there have been instances of tarantulas chewing through screen. I myself had an AF Brachypelma boehmei get one of her tarsal claws stuck in a screen lid and I found her dangling by one leg. No harm done, fortunately, but it scared me (both of us?) and the risk was unnecessary. At 3" a 10 gallon is larger than you need. I use 9.75" delis for terrestrials around her size. You can get them here but there are 25 of them and the lids are separate. If you aren't looking to expand your collection quite so soon, maybe just get a little tupperware around that size and poke some holes in its sides. There are a lot of good ideas in the enclosure subforum. Good job raising the substrate level, by the way.

Don't worry about her not eating a lot. Tarantulas aren't like the pets most people are used to. They need very little to sustain them.

 

[EulersK]

This is one of my favorite species! Great choice for a beginner T, I love it.

What is that substrate you're using? Fish gravel? While it won't hurt the T, I would recommend coco fiber or plain potting soil (no fertilizer, no additives, no pesticide, no cedar).

Keep this species on bone dry substrate, which is seems you're doing. Being from the Mojave Desert, they're used to extremely dry climates.

What is that suction cup for? If it's a temperate gauge or humidity gauge, toss it - you need not worry about either one of those things with this species.

Don't worry about your T not eating. It's probably not eating because it's quite plump! It's a hump all new owners have to get past; a month without eating is nothing to a T that size. I have another species that has eaten once in the 1.5 years I've had her. It happens. I'd recommend offering one cricket per week, just remember to remove any uneaten crickets. If it truly is in premolt, then a cricket can kill it during the process. That being said, I don't believe yours is in premolt, but this species is hard to tell.

Perspective is difficult, but that cage still looks quite high for a terrestrial. In general, you shouldn't extend much past 2x the leg span in height. In your case, it shouldn't be any higher than 6 inches (although I'd recommend closer to 3-4 inches). This species has no reason to climb, so don't give it the opportunity.

I also see you have what looks like a heat mat. Throw it away, literally right now. You're going to wake up to a roasted T. Tarantulas instinctively dig down when they begin to overheat... you see the issue here. Again, no need to worry about temperatures. Just keep it above 55-60F and you'll be fine.

Enjoy your new buddy! Again, this is one of my favorites, If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask on these forums. Decades of experience is lurking on here!

 

[Thistles]

What is that suction cup for? If it's a temperate gauge or humidity gauge, toss it - you need not worry about either one of those things with this species.

Yeah, looks like the probe for a gauge. Not needed but not hurting anything either. I didn't see the heat mat, but definitely second removing it if there is one present.

 

[TsunamiSpike]

I'd consider plastic for the viv, cheap, often stackable when your collection grows and allows for drilling better ventilation. Coco fibre/top soil for the substrate rather than that stand stuff. That aside as long as there's a water dish and a hide shell settle in time and be perfectly 'comfortable'.

 

[Honeythechalco]

Hey everyone thanks for the input and advice it is very appreciated
Some of the pictures I posted were before I raised the substrate level and
Made a couple changes. What I was going for was mimicking her natural
Environment with the sand. Wouldn't the sand of the desert hurt her lungs
Potentially as well? I can definitely do away with it if it's needed. Here are
Some more detailed pictures of the enclosure from different angles and
A picture of the enclosure's lid which is not screened
As far as temperature I thought that I was supposed to keep the enclosure
with a warm side and a cooler side which is why i opted for the heating pad which is about
3 inches below the substrate.. if this is dangerous i will definitely remove it but am then
wondering how to have one side cooler and one side warmer for her to self regulate?
Her enclosure is in my bedroom which is in the basement and the room itself to me is a little
colder than an average home's bedroom. so i worry about her being cold and that's another
reason for the heating pad... help me please haha!

 

[Ethan4791]

Heat pads are dangerous for tarantulas because they have a tendency to burn the spider. The best way to achieve proper temp for tarantulas is ambient temperature control. A small space heater is commonly used for this purpose. And if the room is cold to you then you could benifit from the heater as well!

 

[EulersK]

Heat pads are dangerous for tarantulas because they have a tendency to burn the spider. The best way to achieve proper temp for tarantulas is ambient temperature control. A small space heater is commonly used for this purpose. And if the room is cold to you then you could benifit from the heater as well!

Agreed. My rule of thumb is this: If I can live with the temperature, so can the spider! Concerning my comment about the head pad - on the second picture, you can see a power wire running down on the left hand side.

As for your question about the sand, keep in mind that their habitat doesn't really have sand. It's more like clay and fine dirt. You're picturing the Mojave Desert with sand dunes - not at all. It's all clay and dirt. I say this because I live there!

Overall, your enclosure looks fine. Your lid isn't mesh, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just ditch all of your gauges and the heat mat, and you'll be golden. Also lose the sponge in the water dish, that has been proven to be a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. Plain, distilled water will do. Just be sure to wash out the water dish when it starts getting dirty. Welcome to the forums!

 

[cold blood]

A picture of the enclosure's lid which is not screened
As far as temperature I thought that I was supposed to keep the enclosure
with a warm side and a cooler side which is why i opted for the heating pad which is about
3 inches below the substrate.. if this is dangerous i will definitely remove it but am then
wondering how to have one side cooler and one side warmer for her to self regulate?
Her enclosure is in my bedroom which is in the basement and the room itself to me is a little
colder than an average home's bedroom. so i worry about her being cold and that's another
reason for the heating pad... help me please haha!

I'm not sure where you heard this one side warmer and one side cooler thing, but don't go there for advice any more. This species, at this size and for the rest of its life, doesn't really have any temperature requirements and certainly not critical specific numbers....same for humidity....sounds like online care sheet advice. The temp/hygrometer gauges can be returned to the store if you kept the receipt, they are pointless....I have 100, all kinds of species from all over the world, I have no hygrometers, heating impliments (aside from the space heater), no sponges or misters....those are all things pet stores use to add to their bottom line. Things you need will be tweezers, or tongs or various sizes, catch cups, just in case, a flashlight for observation and I use a syringe for watering. The set up doesn't have to be elaborate to be good, I could set up an excellent habitat for under $10, which is nice for those of us with a few more ts.

Its great to see you going to lengths to make sure its kept in a proper manner:clap:, it can be tough for beginners as there is a lot of poor and conflicting info available and for the inexperienced, it can be tough telling who you should and shouldn't be listening to.

Thistles and Eulers gave spot on advice. I also like the idea of multiple hide options, but I'd bury them halfway to make the hide a tighter place and let the t excavate the substrate should it desire. Yet another reason sand is a poor choice, its not really conducive to burrowing, especially when dry as it will be with you. The other thing I'd to is to cover part of the top, maybe put a towel over the middle and leave just the sides open. Sides being open will help a little with flow and help to develop a bit of a micro-climate.

Best of luck with your new t (which isn't full grown)

 

[EulersK]

I also like the idea of multiple hide options, but I'd bury them halfway to make the hide a tighter place and let the t excavate the substrate should it desire.

+100
Every single one of my terrestrial T's get this treatment, from the smallest slings to the largest bird eaters. Keep this in mind about tarantulas (and animals in general) as your collection grows - if you have somewhere for them to scurry, your chance of an escape reduce dramatically. There are users who don't offer hides to their slings or heavy webbers, and this is something I starkly disagree with. Escape is almost always preferable to them rather than standing their ground with a threat posture. If they can "escape" to a hide, then that's exactly what you want. As for half-burying the hides, it allows them a tight corner to scrunch into, which you'll find is their preferred method of hiding in a corner! My A. calchodes began excavating that buried hide almost a year after I got it, so just give your T some time to settle in. With a T that fat, I'd make the modifications we suggested, and then leave it alone for two or more weeks. No feeding, no pictures, no taking off the lid when possible. Just keep it watered and allow it to acclimate itself.

Here's some fun you may experience if you follow our advice:
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?275262-Prime-example-of-T-s-doing-what-they-want&

 

[Chris11]

Great acquisition!!! Keep it simple: hide, water dish, comfortable temp, enough substrate. End result: happy spider and happy you!

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

I find that lid interesting. While not too good for a humidity-reliant species, it looks ideal for a low-humidity species like yours, and seems that the danger of a hang up should be minimal.

 

[jiacovazzi]

And you got a species with great longevity. Definitely a great T to own.

 

[viper69]

You won't need a humidity gauge, they live in arid areas. Also those types of humidity gauges are not reliable at all. In the future, I would stay away from stones/sand/pebbles etc etc that is coated in dye, paint etc. This species does not live on sand either.

I'd remove the heat pad from the tank too. Unsure what your ambient room temp, that would be good to know. In short, if you are comfortable, so will they. Though this is not necessarily case all people and all Ts, ie if you are comfy at 60, your T won't be HAH, certain tropical species come to mind.

Curious, if not mentioned, who is the vendor of that lid on your tank, and product name ??

 

[TsunamiSpike]

I'm not sure where you heard this one side warmer and one side cooler thing, but don't go there for advice any more.

Probably a crazy generic caresheet adapted from scorpions...or reptiles. I've seen them out there...gave me nightmares to think people put info out there like that.

 

[Honeythechalco]

Alright thank you so much everyone for the advice!!
I made quite a few changes to her enclosure as suggested.
Took the heating pad right out, took the sponge out of the water dish,
took the sand out entirely and replaced all substrate with just the organic
coconut fibre, semi-buried her hides and covered a small part of the lid of the enclosure with a towel.
I will post the new pictures in a few weeks as obviously had to move her and have her sit
in a tupperware while I was making the changes so definitely want to give her a little while
with no taking pictures or taking off the lid or anything. She seems to be right back to doing
her favourite thing, which is using zero out of the two hides provided and sitting at the base
of her fake plant, haha. I guess she chose her own unconventional hiding place..

Anyways thank you everyone again so much for the tips and suggestions and for replying so quickly
I'm happy to be a member of AB