- Joined
- Aug 23, 2015
- Messages
- 2,545
Before I start, I need to say that this is the method that works best for me when keeping half inch slings. I see so many new people on this forum ask "How do I set up an enclosure for a my Avicularia/Caribena sling?" Hopefully this will help.
What you will need: A drill, a 1/16" drill bit, clear AMAC box, small wire nail, fake plant, piece of cork bark, substrate, and a deep bottle cap. You could get the AMAC boxes on www.amac1960.com or www.tapplastics.com
The AMAC box model used here is the 100C model which is 2-5/16" x 2-5/16" x 4-3/16".
When the tarantula get bigger, you can use the 105C model which is 4" x 4" x 7-1/4". This will last them until the juvenile stage.
AMAC only sells them in cases, which can add up. TAP Plastics site sells single AMAC boxes for those who want just a few or even one.
It looks like TAP uses the letter "M" in front of their model numbers instead of the "C" that appears on the AMAC site.
So an AMAC 100C is an M100 on the TAP Plastics site according to their dimensions.
When you get your AMAC box, it will need air holes. Make sure that the longer side is facing up when assembled. Then, put small air holes all around the enclosure with your drill. Cross ventilation is very important for this species. I do 12 holes on each side, some people say it's overkill but I haven't had one sling death yet.
After it starts to look like the picture above, you need to drill a small hole on the top. The reason for this will be explained later.
At this point you will need to get your cork bark piece and drill a small hole on the top of it.
This is where the wire nail, fake plant, and cork bark come into play. The hole that you drilled on top of the enclosure will be filled with the wire nail. Add the wire nail more than half way, then drop a fake plant in there. You do not need to secure the plant.
Now, match the hole in the cork bark to the wire nail. Press the bark in all of the way and apply pressure to the top of the wire nail. This will secure the plant to the top of the enclosure while setting the cork bark into position. Once the sling webs the enclosure, the plant will be even more secure.
Grab the bottom of the enclosure and add enough substrate so it's not touching the cork bark. When you add the full, deep water bottle cap, make sure it does not touch the cork bark.
This is the finished product. It looks amazing but one may ask: "Ratmosphere, my sling got bigger I need to rehouse it. How can I go about doing so?"
To rehouse, safely transport the sling into a temporary container. Then, open the enclosure and pull the cork bark from the wire nail. Once that is done, you could peel the webbing off, change the substrate, and even wash the plant or the whole enclosure for your next addition. The substrate is wet in the later pictures because the water dish spilled. I usually always keep the substrate dry while keeping the water dish full.
Once that is done, you could easily assemble everything together again and use it for a different sling. Larger slings and juveniles will need the 105C (AMAC site) or the M105 (TAP site) style box. The setup for this size is the same as above, just with a bigger cork bark piece. Once they hit adult sizes, the best option would be the Exo Terra Nano Tall 8" x 8" x 12" or the Tarantula Cribs Treehouse Switch 2.0 Large. I hope this helped and I wish you all the best of luck!
What you will need: A drill, a 1/16" drill bit, clear AMAC box, small wire nail, fake plant, piece of cork bark, substrate, and a deep bottle cap. You could get the AMAC boxes on www.amac1960.com or www.tapplastics.com
The AMAC box model used here is the 100C model which is 2-5/16" x 2-5/16" x 4-3/16".
When the tarantula get bigger, you can use the 105C model which is 4" x 4" x 7-1/4". This will last them until the juvenile stage.
AMAC only sells them in cases, which can add up. TAP Plastics site sells single AMAC boxes for those who want just a few or even one.
It looks like TAP uses the letter "M" in front of their model numbers instead of the "C" that appears on the AMAC site.
So an AMAC 100C is an M100 on the TAP Plastics site according to their dimensions.
When you get your AMAC box, it will need air holes. Make sure that the longer side is facing up when assembled. Then, put small air holes all around the enclosure with your drill. Cross ventilation is very important for this species. I do 12 holes on each side, some people say it's overkill but I haven't had one sling death yet.
After it starts to look like the picture above, you need to drill a small hole on the top. The reason for this will be explained later.
At this point you will need to get your cork bark piece and drill a small hole on the top of it.
This is where the wire nail, fake plant, and cork bark come into play. The hole that you drilled on top of the enclosure will be filled with the wire nail. Add the wire nail more than half way, then drop a fake plant in there. You do not need to secure the plant.
Now, match the hole in the cork bark to the wire nail. Press the bark in all of the way and apply pressure to the top of the wire nail. This will secure the plant to the top of the enclosure while setting the cork bark into position. Once the sling webs the enclosure, the plant will be even more secure.
Grab the bottom of the enclosure and add enough substrate so it's not touching the cork bark. When you add the full, deep water bottle cap, make sure it does not touch the cork bark.
This is the finished product. It looks amazing but one may ask: "Ratmosphere, my sling got bigger I need to rehouse it. How can I go about doing so?"
To rehouse, safely transport the sling into a temporary container. Then, open the enclosure and pull the cork bark from the wire nail. Once that is done, you could peel the webbing off, change the substrate, and even wash the plant or the whole enclosure for your next addition. The substrate is wet in the later pictures because the water dish spilled. I usually always keep the substrate dry while keeping the water dish full.
Once that is done, you could easily assemble everything together again and use it for a different sling. Larger slings and juveniles will need the 105C (AMAC site) or the M105 (TAP site) style box. The setup for this size is the same as above, just with a bigger cork bark piece. Once they hit adult sizes, the best option would be the Exo Terra Nano Tall 8" x 8" x 12" or the Tarantula Cribs Treehouse Switch 2.0 Large. I hope this helped and I wish you all the best of luck!
Last edited by a moderator:
