Beginner Looking for the "Perfect" Tarantula

[ob1page]

Hello all. I am very new to keeping spiders and I had several questions. I have kept lots of other animals and I know that their needs are the top priority. I am looking for a tarantula for a specific type of enclosure I want to build. I want to stress that it is not built yet, and I will make all the accommodations necessary for their happiness and well-being. I am trying to figure out which type best fits the enclosure I want to build so the modifications necessary are minimal, yet the animal is well cared for. I want to build a forest type enclosure with live plants and moss. I will utilize cork bark for the background and also use it to build climbing structures, hides, etc. I also plan on utilizing wood branches for a more natural look. I will also add springtails but I will not add isopods. For substrate I will be using either ABG or Terra Aranea and I will utilize leaf litter. I am looking at several enclosures and I can go as big as a 5.5 gallon tank but the 2 I would like to use have dimensions of either 12 x 8 x 10 inches or 10.5 x 10 x 14.5 inches. All of the enclosures will be vented however there will be high humidity present. I am looking for suggestions on what I can keep in the above enclosure setup and yet that also aligns with the following:

Small- ideally less than 2"
I do not want one that webs a lot. I know that their care contributes to more or less webbing (temperature, humidity, etc.) but are there species that are known to not web up the enclosure?
Based on research so far it is looking like an arboreal type is not ideal as I read that they like to web up their enclosures a lot but if there is a species that does not web a lot I would be interested
Mild venom for just in case I get bitten. I do not plan on handling unless absolutely necessary but the plants will require occasional trimming so I will need to get in the enclosure
I do not expect it to be outside its burrow all the time, but I do not want a pet hole
Beginner friendly
Ideally it can housed at room temperature but a heating pad or ceramic heater can be utilized if necessary

Are there any tarantulas that fit the above criteria? I am also looking at wolf spiders, primarily the Honga family. Any suggestions you can give are greatly appreciated.

 

[DuneElliot]

I'd suggest the T. albo or G. pulchra...fits pretty much all your criteria...although not sure about how well they would do in a bio-active enclosure so hopefully someone else will chime in on that.

 

[DonLouchese]

Hello there ,

Honestly never tried to build a terrestrial bioactive enclosure , but my guesses for the species that can go in that kind of enclosure would be Theraphosa species maybe a Brachypelma.
Most of the tarantulas I've managed to have with real plants were biting them , so never really progressed on that .

On the other hand there are arboreal species that were successful with plant enclosures especially Poecilotheria species. Avicularias should be fine aswell.

But yeah , IMO never thought bioactive would do any good for terrestrial tarantulas so I wouldn't even try it again.

 

[NMTs]

I would not suggest a tarantula for this type of set up. I think you're on the right track with something from the Lycosidae family.

 

[moricollins]

There's no perfect tarantula for your plan. Trying to do a "bioactive" tarantula set up just complicates their care which, as a beginner, is what you should be doing everything you can to avoid. Keep it simple.

The amount of humidity needed to keep moss growing happily will not be beneficial for tarantulas.

 

[tarantulas118]

I think one of the only terrestrial tarantulas that would Be good for bio enclosures would be a Theraphosa species(the 3 true Goliath bird-eaters) but it’s not typically a beginner species since one there absolute size with some reaching 11 inches! There notoriously wicked hairs that are among the worst out of any tarantula and there tendency to run surprisingly quickly I mean when I got mine( a stirmi) I made a terrible mistake the i opened the tarantula and ias soon as the tarantula touched the top of the enclosure it bolted so quickly and then fell 3 feet on its back (on carpet fortunately) and started running around the room like crazy hissing at me and everything that moved. Luckily she/he is okay and I’ve since learned my lesson about keeping unpredictable giant tarantulas 3 feet off the ground so I’m thinking ditching the whole bioactive with live plants and everything and keeping it simple since you are just a beginne. Try setting up an enclosure for a brachypelma or Aphonapelma or even a beginner gramastola species. I don’t really know about other tarantulas especially terrestrial ones that will fully benefit from bio active enclosures other than Theraphosa.

 

[Stylopidae]

Hello there ,

Honestly never tried to build a terrestrial bioactive enclosure , but my guesses for the species that can go in that kind of enclosure would be Theraphosa species maybe a Brachypelma.
Most of the tarantulas I've managed to have with real plants were biting them , so never really progressed on that .

On the other hand there are arboreal species that were successful with plant enclosures especially Poecilotheria species. Avicularias should be fine aswell.

But yeah , IMO never thought bioactive would do any good for terrestrial tarantulas so I wouldn't even try it again.

If you're a beginner, do NOT consider a Theraphosa OR Poecilotheria species. The former has some intensive husbandry requirements, while the latter is fast and has potent venom.

There are plenty of tarantulas which top out at 2-3", mainly the dwarf New World species. However, these enclosures are a bit too big for those.

Others have suggested Tilocatl, Grammostola, and Brachypelma species. While these are a bit bigger than what you'd like, they're the go-to beginner species for very good reasons. However, they like it drier than what you're thinking.

I would suggest Grammostola pulchripes. While they're a bit (well, a lot) bigger than what you're looking for, they're very slow growing. If you start out at 2", it will be years before it actually fills out the tank. Same thing for Brachypelma species. This will give you gradual experience dealing with a larger spider, assuming that's what you're looking for. Again, drier conditions, though.

I'm not familiar enough with the dwarf species to really make suggestions there, but hopefully others will chime in. I feel like they're all very similar in temperament and husbandry requirements, but I could easily be wrong on that.

Another suggestion would be Neoholothele incei (I think that's the name...it used to be Holothele, but I've been out of the hobby awhile and am still getting used to the taxonomic updates). A little smaller than most Grammostola and Brachypelma, but they're communal and a group of them would easily fill up the tank.

Yet another option would be Lasiodora parahybana. It's a very fast grower, and gets far larger than the size you specified, but they're relatively docile. Although they're typically kept dry, they would do fine in a humid enclosure because they're a larger spider and are adaptable.

 

[viper69]

0.1 Thrixopelma cyaneolum

• viper69
• Apr 7, 2018
• 3
• cobalt red rump tarantula cyaneolum thrixopelma thrixopelma cyaneolum

E. sp. Red, Adult Female- Recent Molt

• viper69
• Aug 29, 2016
• 1
• chilensis euathlus sp. "red" female homoeomma homoeomma chilensis

 

[DonLouchese]

If you're a beginner, do NOT consider a Theraphosa OR Poecilotheria species. The former has some intensive husbandry requirements, while the latter is fast and has potent venom.

I would suggest Grammostola pulchripes. While they're a bit (well, a lot) bigger than what you're looking for, they're very slow growing. If you start out at 2", it will be years before it actually fills out the tank. Same thing for Brachypelma species. This will give you gradual experience dealing with a larger spider, assuming that's what you're looking for. Again, drier conditions, though.

Another suggestion would be Neoholothele incei (I think that's the name...it used to be Holothele, but I've been out of the hobby awhile and am still getting used to the taxonomic updates). A little smaller than most Grammostola and Brachypelma, but they're communal and a group of them would easily fill up the tank.

I'd like to point out that I wanted to give an idea how little of tarantulas actually can work in bioactive enclosures or I've had success with. I think we should give a clear image that "bioactive" isn't as perfect idea as it seems. Both of the species Grammostola and Neoholothele species have something that he didn't want aswell and that's heavy webbing by N. incei and awful lot of enclosure destroying by G. Pulchripes. Ofcourse those are one of the best species to start with , but it doesn't fit the criteria he's given.

As we all know , the criteria above that he's given isn't leaning towards any tarantula. Bioactive won't work. So maybe if someone has a better idea and starts putting answere's like " Lycosidae" which has been mentioned that would be a help to him , else it wont. Since this thread isn't about Best begginer or best bioactive tarantula , but combined , which can't be answered.

 

[Chris73G]

Seriously i´d cut back on all the detailed criteria on how exactly the enclosure should be like and instead of finding a animal that fits the enclosure, build the enclosure for the animal. I understand wanting a pretty enclosure with real plants, being "bioactive" and stuff, but it just makes things more complicated than they need to be. Plus you can build pretty enclosures without real plants and "bioactive" as well.

And as for " I do not expect it to be outside its burrow all the time, but I do not want a pet hole.": While some species are more often said to hang out in the open quite often once they reach a certain size, this is still just a higher probability and not a guarantee so the individual specimen bought may still be hiding for most of the time although ~90% of their brothers and sisters would hang out in the open. And "Small- ideally less than 2" " just increases the probability for the spider hiding a lot.

 

[Dorifto]

IMG_20221015_202434.jpg

• Dorifto
• Nov 5, 2022

IMG_20221015_202500.jpg

• Dorifto
• Nov 5, 2022
• 1

IMG_20220929_205844.jpg

• Dorifto
• Nov 5, 2022
• 9

Acanthoscurria geniculata.

Decent size
Striking colors
Great apetite
Even greater feeding response
Always visible

 

[Frogdaddy]

The "perfect" tarantula is the one that you can afford, the one that you can maintain successfully, and the one that holds your interest in the long term. The perfect tarantula is different for everyone. This is one of the reasons research is so important.

 

[Westicles]

The "perfect" tarantula is the one that you can afford, the one that you can maintain successfully, and the one that holds your interest in the long term. The perfect tarantula is different for everyone. This is one of the reasons research is so important.

Gold medal for that response!

Is bioactive an absolute must?

 

[Gilligan]

Could always have a bioactive without a tarantula inside, just a plant terrarium with spring tails and isopods as occupants. Snails or slugs even.
Or aquascaping, seems like that may be what your looking for.

 

[Olan]

I think Bumba horrida is what you want. Small-ish, hardy, likes moisture.

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

I know you're asking about spiders but do you have any interest in amblypygids? They generally love humid conditions, I've kept a P. marginemaculatus in a setup with live moss. A Phrynus species like P. whitei or P. marginemaculatus would probably do great in the type of setup you're describing as long as you make sure there's proper molting platforms. Only issue is that they may be more shy than you'd prefer and not super visible during the day, but they're quite fascinating to watch when you do see them.

 

[Olan]

I know you're asking about spiders but do you have any interest in amblypygids? They generally love humid conditions, I've kept a P. marginemaculatus in a setup with live moss. A Phrynus species like P. whitei or P. marginemaculatus would probably do great in the type of setup you're describing as long as you make sure there's proper molting platforms. Only issue is that they may be more shy than you'd prefer and not super visible during the day, but they're quite fascinating to watch when you do see them.

This is a great suggestion

 

[ob1page]

I want to thank everyone for all of your suggestions and help. It sounds like keeping a tarantula at this point might not be the way to go but I am happy I asked. I did not want to jeopardize the animals care to fit into a terrarium I wanted to build. As Gilligan suggested I am just going to build a closed terrarium with only springtails. I have however decided to do a blue death feigning beetle terrarium with succulents. I stopped by a reptile store over the weekend and they had some and they were very interesting. I also spent some time on here researching them and they seem to fit my needs perfectly. I will be doing a 5.5 gallon and I only plan on getting 2-3 to start. Everyone here has been very nice and accommodating especially since I am new to this hobby. I will post some pictures once the cage is set up.

 

[CutThroat Kid]

I am just going to build a closed terrarium with only springtails. I have however decided to do a blue death feigning beetle terrarium with succulents.

You won't need springtails in an enclosure that is going to be dry enough for Asbolus Verrucosus beetles. I'm not even sure a springtail species exists that can be kept completely dry. You'll for sure have to post pics because I've been wanting to do succulents in my BDFBs enclosure for a while. I just haven't come up with a substrate yet that fits the needs of both the plants and the beetles to a degree of satisfaction.

 

[ob1page]

You won't need springtails in an enclosure that is going to be dry enough for Asbolus Verrucosus beetles. I'm not even sure a springtail species exists that can be kept completely dry. You'll for sure have to post pics because I've been wanting to do succulents in my BDFBs enclosure for a while. I just haven't come up with a substrate yet that fits the needs of both the plants and the beetles to a degree of satisfaction.

I am sorry, I should have been clearer. I am building a closed terrarium with tropical plants and to this I will add springtails. This will be separate from the beetle tank. From the research I have done for the beetle tank, I plan on doing a 2" false bottom with leca balls, a substrate barrier, 3-4" of succulent soil (the one I am leaning towards is 1/4 Hard Japanese Akadama - 1/4 USA Pumice - 1/4 New Zealand Pine Bark and 1/4 Haydite and it is used for succulents and bonsai) and then a topping of coarse grit sand. The sand will be just deep enough to cover the succulent soil and I have read that a coarse grind is needed as the finer grit sand will suffocate the succulents. I will also utilize large rocks for the hardscape and mopani wood for lots of hides and climbing surfaces. I also plan on adding a full spectrum grow light on a timer to cover the plants needs and to add some lighting for the beetles. Hopefully this will work and I am not replacing succulents every 6 months.