B Hamorii enclosure question

[Iamthenight]

Hello. I recently got a B. Hamorii. The breeder I got her from said that it’s about 4 year old female. I did a decent amount of research prior to getting it and setting up her enclosure, but now that I actually have the T I want to make sure the enclosure is properly set up. The enclosure is 22cmHx30cmLx18cmW. The T is about 8cm in size. I have about 10cm of substrate mix made out of coco fiber and organic topsoil and I have also added some crushed up leaves on top of the substrate. I put a bunch of fake plants in the enclosure and it actually seems like the tarantula likes to hang out on the fake plants quite a bit. The burrow is made out of a clay flower pot. The area I live in is actually part of the B Hamorii native habitat so the humidity is pretty high year round. I do overfill the watering dish once in a while to moisten the substrate in the corner but that’s about it. Any recommendations on if anything needs to be changed or improved?

 

[samuraiscorpion]

IMO Looked great. No need for any change. Maybe some springtails though.

 

[TheraMygale]

organic topsoil

Organic topsoil? Thats what it said on the bag? That usualy means theirs manure or compost added. Or is it some kind of high end organic certified topsoil?

if it gets moist often, be prepared to possibly see some mold and fungi. Not that it would be super bad, depends on the kind of mold… since this brachypelma can be kept dry, it shouldnt be that much of an issue. Keep an eye around the water bowl.

since you have local specs that can match the tarantulas habitat, you should not have to do much adjusting. A small moist area is good.

overall apperance looks ok.

for the hide, if the bottom was actualy open, it would allow tarantula to burrow. But some don’t mind it that way. Personaly i keep my hides open when possible, and on a tighter fit.

you can easily break off the bottom and sand it. Then angle it in the earth. Gives extra room to add substrate on top of pot.

as for height, especialy if its climbing, soil might be low. But then again, opinions vary here.

i have a similar enclosure of that brand. Its drying right now. Waiting to be used.

keep on eye on your feeding too. With all those hiding places, you could lose some feeders if you just drop em and don’t wait for tarantula to feed. Its not that much an issue if tarantula is not in a molting phase. But you never know…

i have two b hamoriis. I love them. It will take them years to get as big as yours

welcome to the board.

i think enclosure looks a bit big. Its 8cm dsl?

it doesnt mean its bad. You just need to watch the feedings.

 

[Iamthenight]

Organic topsoil? Thats what it said on the bag? That usualy means theirs manure or compost added. Or is it some kind of high end organic certified topsoil?

if it gets moist often, be prepared to possibly see some mold and fungi. Not that it would be super bad, depends on the kind of mold… since this brachypelma can be kept dry, it shouldnt be that much of an issue. Keep an eye around the water bowl.

since you have local specs that can match the tarantulas habitat, you should not have to do much adjusting. A small moist area is good.

overall apperance looks ok.

for the hide, if the bottom was actualy open, it would allow tarantula to burrow. But some don’t mind it that way. Personaly i keep my hides open when possible, and on a tighter fit.

you can easily break off the bottom and sand it. Then angle it in the earth. Gives extra room to add substrate on top of pot.

as for height, especialy if its climbing, soil might be low. But then again, opinions vary here.

i have a similar enclosure of that brand. Its drying right now. Waiting to be used.

keep on eye on your feeding too. With all those hiding places, you could lose some feeders if you just drop em and don’t wait for tarantula to feed. Its not that much an issue if tarantula is not in a molting phase. But you never know…

i have two b hamoriis. I love them. It will take them years to get as big as yours

welcome to the board.

i think enclosure looks a bit big. Its 8cm dsl?

it doesnt mean its bad. You just need to watch the feedings.

Thank you so much for your detailed response.

It’s organic potting mix consisting of spaghnum moss, perlite and coco fiber, I mixed that with peat moss and more coco fiber. It doesn’t get moist much, whatever moisture it gets is from the humidity in the air and then when I fill up the water dish whatever the overspill is.

Next time I clean the enclosure I will break off the bottom of the pot, I was thinking about breaking off the bottom when I was setting it up but I wasn’t sure if it was necessary since there is still a few cm of digging before she hits the bottom of the pot. I can also add more substrate.

I was a bit worried about feeding, especially when feeding crickets. I try to inspect the enclosure several hours after feeding and if the feeder is still there I take it out. Will breaking off the leg of the cricket be better so I don’t lose them when they are not eaten

I haven’t actually measured it, but the breeder said it was 8cm diagonal leg span, it’s amazing to look at it though!

 

[TheraMygale]

Thank you so much for your detailed response.

It’s organic potting mix consisting of spaghnum moss, perlite and coco fiber, I mixed that with peat moss and more coco fiber. It doesn’t get moist much, whatever moisture it gets is from the humidity in the air and then when I fill up the water dish whatever the overspill is.

Next time I clean the enclosure I will break off the bottom of the pot, I was thinking about breaking off the bottom when I was setting it up but I wasn’t sure if it was necessary since there is still a few cm of digging before she hits the bottom of the pot. I can also add more substrate.

I was a bit worried about feeding, especially when feeding crickets. I try to inspect the enclosure several hours after feeding and if the feeder is still there I take it out. Will breaking off the leg of the cricket be better so I don’t lose them when they are not eaten

I haven’t actually measured it, but the breeder said it was 8cm diagonal leg span, it’s amazing to look at it though!

Ok the potting mix sounds fine.

it sounds like you did the right research and have a good grasp of feeding risks.

you can also give prekill sometimes. Thats what i do with mealworms and superworms.

when i give crickets i watch. I leave enclosure alone if its long, feed my other tarantulas and get back to it. If my tarantula hasnt taken the cricket after 15 minutes in my situation, its usualy because they don’t want it. I kill the cricket and leave it there. If its still there the next day, i remove it.

most people leave live prey in for 24 hours. Everyone does their own thing. What works for me, is really working. You do your thing.

you’ll get to know your tarantula. And since this breed likes to fast, it can be a challenge. At the size it is, you don’t need to be feeding it often. You will have better hunting successes if its actualy not super full.

the perlite is annoying though. It will keep coming to the top with time. You can always try and seive it in the futur.

with your geographic location, i look forward to learning about your experience with your B hamorii. Best of luck to you.

the hide really isnt that much an issue: it can indeed dig under if it wants.

 

[viper69]

View attachment 492659 View attachment 492660 View attachment 492658 Hello. I recently got a B. Hamorii. The breeder I got her from said that it’s about 4 year old female. I did a decent amount of research prior to getting it and setting up her enclosure, but now that I actually have the T I want to make sure the enclosure is properly set up. The enclosure is 22cmHx30cmLx18cmW. The T is about 8cm in size. I have about 10cm of substrate mix made out of coco fiber and organic topsoil and I have also added some crushed up leaves on top of the substrate. I put a bunch of fake plants in the enclosure and it actually seems like the tarantula likes to hang out on the fake plants quite a bit. The burrow is made out of a clay flower pot. The area I live in is actually part of the B Hamorii native habitat so the humidity is pretty high year round. I do overfill the watering dish once in a while to moisten the substrate in the corner but that’s about it. Any recommendations on if anything needs to be changed or improved?

I'd get rid of the plastic plants, they only allow crix to hide, and take up space where your T could move instead.

Distance from sub to lid should be 1.5x DLS for heavy bodies species like yours, or they fall and die.

 

[Brewser]

Reccommend an Open-Ended Hide to allow for Tunnelling.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Not bad.

 

[Iamthenight]

I'd get rid of the plastic plants, they only allow crix to hide, and take up space where your T could move instead.

Distance from sub to lid should be 1.5x DLS for heavy bodies species like yours, or they fall and die.

Thank you, I will remove the plastic plants.

So your saying I should leave only around 12cm between the top of the enclosure and the substrate?

 

[viper69]

Thank you, I will remove the plastic plants.

So your saying I should leave only around 12cm between the top of the enclosure and the substrate?

Whatever the diagonal legs span of the T * 1.5

 

[Gevo]

I'll echo the suggestion to break the plant pot and sand the sharp edges. The other reason you would want to is because of that hole in the back of it. It's hard to tell from the picture if this would be an issue, but I've read on the forums that tarantulas can get stuck in those holes. Also, even if it doesn't seem like she wants to burrow now, that could change with her next molt, so it's always good to provide them with the option.

You can see how the plastic plants work for you. Lots of people keep them in, but they can provide places for food (especially crickets) to hide. I just have one fake succulent in my B. hamorii's enclosure, so there's really no issue with that, but in another enclosure, I have a couple of bushier fake plants like yours, and that tarantula always finds his cricket even if it's hiding.

You'll learn to tell when your spider has simply missed her meal and needs to hunt it down or when she's fasting, but always remove the prey item if it's still not been eaten after a day or so. Always crush or remove the heads of superworms or mealworms. There's no need to maim crickets unless you're worried your T might molt within the next couple of days (in which case, you usually wouldn't be trying to feed it at all). If my B. hamorii lunges for her cricket and simply misses, the cricket usually hides in a corner, and then she slowly starts moving around the enclosure, laying fine webbing and feeling around ever-so-slowly until the cricket moves and she can pounce again. When she's fasting and doesn't want to eat, she slaps the prey away or quickly bites it defensively and then moves away from it. That's how I can tell the difference between her needing some time to catch it and her not wanting it at all, but you'll learn your own tarantula's behaviours as you get to observe and know her.

Let me know what you think of that enclosure. That's the brand I'm considering when I need to rehouse my B. hamorii, which might be after her next molt, depending on how much size she gains.