B. smithi questions

[Kaissos5]

Hey i am going to buy a b. smithi, and already have a 20 gallon tank, i'm thinking of having a wide shallow water dish and a hiding log, as well as mixing a little sand into potting soil. Would this be enough for their humidity? or should i place a covering over the top of it. any other help or suggestions would be great

Thanks a lot,
David

 

[sunnymarcie]

If you are using a screen top you could use plastic wrap.
Just cover the outside of the screen on one side.
Are you getting a large B. smithi? If you are the tank size is ok.
If you are getting a small one it would be better to have a smaller
set up.
With the substrate you can use vermiculite, it will hold the
needed moisture better. I use a peat and vermiculite mix for
all of my T's.

 

[MrT]

David,
IMO, I think a 20 gal, tank is way, way to big.
My largest T is in a large kritter keeper and its perfect.
I do have a 5 1/2" T in a 10 gal tank, and its more than it ever needs. I had to put in alot of substrate to keep it from killing itself if it ever fell.

How big is your T?


Ernie

 

[SkyeSpider]

I have to agree. The 20 gallon seems like overkill. I only have one spider in an enclosure that large, and that's my T. blondi.

My smithi is in a medium petpal, and seems VERY happy

-Bryan

 

[Kaissos5]

oops

sorry, it's a 10 gal container for a full grown T, could i finde vermiculate at flower shops? and how much of the wire screen should i cover with seran wrap?

Thanks
David

 

[Professor T]

Re: oops

Originally posted by Kaissos5
sorry, it's a 10 gal container for a full grown T, could i finde vermiculate at flower shops? and how much of the wire screen should i cover with seran wrap?

Thanks
David

You could find vermiculite at a garden center, but you don't need vermiculite. Straight sphagnum peat moss would be fine, and its dirt cheap. B. smithi will do OK with a full water dish as far as humidity goes, unless you live in the desert.

I don't wrap the wire screen on my 5.5 gallon B. smithi tank. You don't have to either. If you want to increase humidity, wrap half the top, and leave half with just the screen.

 

[sunnymarcie]

Start out by covering half of the screen. If you block too
much air flow, mold could grow in the setup. This is something
you might need to adjust a few times. How much you cover
depends on your conditions.
If the plastic does not work, you can make a cover that is
part plexi-glass and part screen.

 

[NorthwestInverts]

for the record, keep it on the dryer side as far as T's go. I was toured where B. smithi is native to and it was a scrubland type of habitat for the most part and was on the dryer side. (yes we did locate some, and they were abundant in my opinion and this was not one of the smithi hotspots) If you do end up covering some of the top, dont cover any more than half for b. smithi. It does depend somewhat on the relative humidity in your area. yeah, peat moss, vermiculite will both work or a combo of the two. i would stay away from sand and if you do mix some in, use it sparingly. there are several ways to go with B. smithi and substrate, not really one way to do it, just stay away from any substrate that has additives like fertilizers, etc..... of course. A log or something to hide under is a must, they need that security, as they are oportunistic terrestrials, hiding under whatever is available to them.

Dean