big tank small T

[chuck]

what are the disadvantages of having a smaller T in a large tank. my 3" OBT is going to be in the 10gallon soon, is that such a bad idea? i know itll be harder to hunt prey but i usually toss the crix directly into the pipe for her. plus im kinda affraid of my PMS OBT so a larger tank will make it easier for me to clean. good idea or bad?

 

[MrFeexit]

Nah it's not a problem. I have the same deal. Everybodies in a 10 or larger once they hit 2 1/2" The crickets will find them cuz they are stoooopid and they walk around alot.

 

[GeorgeC]

You don't want it too big, smaller the better really. Will be alot harder to hunt food, and they can get stressed in large tanks. (or so i've heard)

 

[FelixA9]

Uhm. . .not to sound harsh or anything but how big is it outdoors? T's in the wild live in a much larger environment than a ten gallon tank and seem to do okay and not get stressed. I've had mine in a ten gallon tank since it was just a little guy and it seems to love it. Lots of places to dig and hide or just "hang out". He went through a phase of just a hanging out in about a quarter of the tank but overall it seems to be doing great. I'd think it would LIKE the bigger tank.

 

[MrFeexit]

Yeah....I even in a recent discussion about this had talke about the bigger the area the more territory blah blah blah.....bottom line if the T is healthy size is not important, (insert joke here)

 

[rosehaired1979]

I don't see anything wrong with it our Usambra is 5" and in a 10 gallon tank even our G.Rosea that is 4" is in a 10 gal. If you want to put it in the 10 gal go for it won't hurt anything It will just take time to adjust to its new tank but other than that it should be fine

 

[chuck]

thanks for settling my worries. ill be moving her in a day or 2, once my mite trap gets most of them and hopefully there are none on her.

 

[Telson]

Personally I've never understood the reasoning behind that... I don't see how larger tanks and cause your T to stress. I mean if you toss a 2" T in a 10 gallon tank with no hide on a substrate that she can't burrow in, sure, but if it's set up right for the kind of T you're keeping....:?



edit: Anyone know who started that claim originally?

 

[Longbord1]

to tell u the truth a ten gallon tank is very small i wouldn't even think of keeping a blondi in one i kept my rosie in a ten gallon now its in a 2.5 though but a 10 gallon i think is great for all Ts except those with legspans bigger than 7 or 8 inches

 

[MrFeexit]

Yeah for the bigger ones a 20 gal on its side is a nice set up

 

[chuck]

so youre telling me that the 10 gallon my L.parahybana is in now will be too small for her in a year?
and what are the dimensions of a 20 gallon tank?

 

[Telson]

20gal = 1'x2'x about 15 or 16 inches high.

 

[vulpina]

Other than the difference in hunting prey in an area that size it should not be a problem. It is a 3" T so it will not need to be moved for the rest of it's life.

Andy

 

[Longbord1]

im just saying that i wouldn't keep a large t in a ten gallon tank thats my opinion im sure they wouldbe fine in a tne gallon tank also a T shouldn't have trouble finding food:
1. food finds them

2.they have an incredable sense of touch which combined with he webbing they put across the substrate of the whole cage will allow them to find prey even easier.
my rosie was in a ten gallon and she was on one side of the tank and the cricket was on the other side of the cage my spider picked up the vibrations of the cricket and easily caught and ate it.

 

[atavuss]

I have three 10 gallon "display" reptile style enclosures with sliding screen tops for a b. bohmei, a. chalcodes, g. rosea. all are adult females and all are set up with foamariums. all do very well and thrive in those setups. I also have a 20 "long" enclosure with two foamariums in it for a small adult female red phase g. rosea, she does well in it and has no problems finding food nor does she seem stressed in it. the 20 long is about 30" long, 12" deep and 13" tall. all my other t's are in kritter keepers of various sizes.
Ed

 

[Lopez]

I always use small tanks. Without exception, I've found that in smaller tanks my tarantulas eat better, web more, and "huddle" less.

 

[Immortal_sin]

I only have 3 ten gallon tanks. My A urticans is in one, and it's a total waste of space. She uses approx 20% of it.
The other two are for the large L parahybana that I'm breeding.
They both utilize the entire enclosure, but then they are 8" or so.
The rest of mine are all fine in the equivalent of 2-5 - 5 gallons.

 

[Code Monkey]

I've used 10 gallons for Brachypelma species in the past and found it to be a waste of several gallons. Moved them into the 2.5 gallon petpal type container after I moved and they never blinked at the decrease in their space.

I don't think it's bad to use bigger enclosures if there's sufficient hiding or burrowing available, but there's absolutely nothing positive about it either.

 

[Vys]

Perhaps only in the eye of the beholder.

 

[MrT]

Thats true.
T's live within a foot of their burrow, their whole life. And then they keep a strand of web hooked to their butt, so they can find their way back home.
Males live the same way, until leaving the burrow to find a mate.

So, IMO and others, as long as the spider has enough room to move around, has room for a water dish, and a place to crap, a smaller enclosure is closer to nature than a 10 gal. tank, and I think it causes less stress.