BioActive OBT Setup Ideas.

[JonoPulchra]

This weekend, Syd, my 1cm OBT sling, arrived!

Thinking ahead 18months into the future with adult re-housing, I would like to create a bioactive setup for Syd. My bioactive knowledge is very limited, but these are my proposed thoughts,

• A mix of vermiculite, sand, clay and top soil as substrate.
• Some springtail for dumpster duties.
• Mini succulent plants (excl. cacti for obvious reasons).
• Maybe one or two air plants.
• Rose of Jericho (1 or 2).
• Twig litter.
• Mini granite rocks/stones (abundant in Angola from where OBTs can live).
• Cork Bark.
• A statuette of Durga/Kali because how awesome would her image look beside OBT webbing!?

I'm hoping to make a bioactive enclosure without a pernament light fitting if I can help it, but I do not know yet whether or not this is possible for an arid setup.

If any of you have a bioactive OBT setup, I'd love to know what you've done to help give me some ideas. Maybe we can turn this thread into a creative mood board of ideas rather than right or wrong? It may help many lazy Googlers/Bingers/DuckDuckers in the long-run.

 

[viper69]

Have you checked what plants are located in its habitat?

 

[Stiverson]

A bio active setup thrives on a higher humidity, I think p murinus come from a dryer part of Africa as well.

 

[viper69]

A bio active setup thrives on a higher humidity, I think p murinus come from a dryer part of Africa as well.

True- and true for murinus- they have one of if not the widest distribution in Eastern Africa

 

[jbooth]

Mine wouldn't even touch moist substrate, dug to it as a sling, but no farther. Not the best candidate for bioactive. Then I think something was on the airplant I put in and it died. Be careful... I'm only using cuttings I propagate myself, or plants from an actual person I know, that doesn't use pesticides.

 

[Smotzer]

A bio active setup thrives on a higher humidity

It has actually nothing to do with high humidity, only implies biologically active set up which is a misnomer because all set ups are bio active. It’s a marketing ploy

 

[Stiverson]

It has actually nothing to do with high humidity, only implies biologically active set up which is a misnomer because all set ups are bio active. It’s a marketing ploy

Yeah but springtails will dry up and and so would regular cleaning crew of iscopods in that environment that a p murinus, dry climate iscopods would eat the tarantula

It has actually nothing to do with high humidity, only implies biologically active set up which is a misnomer because all set ups are bio active. It’s a marketing ploy

Your word salad makes no sense, and no everything is not bio active just cause you say so, it doesn't work like that, people want advice on here and knowledge.

You live in a dry climate and you are admitting these type of springtails and iscopods live in your state? I have bio active setups for my chilobrachys breeders, then yeah it is a marketing ploy for bio active setup for a dry climate sp of tarantula.

Your word salad makes no sense, and no everything is not bio active just cause you say so, it doesn't work like that, people want advice on here and knowledge.

Did you know it's myth that chromatopelma cyaneopubescens to keep them dry, and p murinus you actually keep dry ?

 

[Smotzer]

Your word salad makes no sense, and no everything is not bio active just cause you say so, it doesn't work like that, people want advice on here and knowledge.

What…….!? I am giving you advice and knowledge, if you don’t want to take it that’s on you friend.

 

[viper69]

chromatopelma cyaneopubescens to keep them dry

This is factually true. They live in extremely xeric conditions in the wild.

It has actually nothing to do with high humidity, only implies biologically active set up which is a misnomer because all set ups are bio active. It’s a marketing ploy

My coco sub and cork slab condos are not “biologically active” except for the Ts walking and the poop drying

Sure the coco fiber is decaying - in like a billion years

 

[8 legged]

Everyone can do whatever they want (unfortunately!), my Pterinochilus live in the driest terrariums I have, of course you can throw all sorts of creepy-crawlies in there... Springtails will use every crack to escape, anything that can't get through will survive or not. Personally, I don't see any point in having ground police work in a corresponding territory. There will be no mold or similar pests. You don't give an antibiotic to a piece of wood!?

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

This weekend, Syd, my 1cm OBT sling, arrived!

Thinking ahead 18months into the future with adult re-housing, I would like to create a bioactive setup for Syd. My bioactive knowledge is very limited, but these are my proposed thoughts,

• A mix of vermiculite, sand, clay and top soil as substrate.
• Some springtail for dumpster duties.
• Mini succulent plants (excl. cacti for obvious reasons).
• Maybe one or two air plants.
• Rose of Jericho (1 or 2).
• Twig litter.
• Mini granite rocks/stones (abundant in Angola from where OBTs can live).
• Cork Bark.
• A statuette of Durga/Kali because how awesome would her image look beside OBT webbing!?

I'm hoping to make a bioactive enclosure without a pernament light fitting if I can help it, but I do not know yet whether or not this is possible for an arid setup.

If any of you have a bioactive OBT setup, I'd love to know what you've done to help give me some ideas. Maybe we can turn this thread into a creative mood board of ideas rather than right or wrong? It may help many lazy Googlers/Bingers/DuckDuckers in the long-run.

Find plants that handle dry conditions.

 

[Dorifto]

This is factually true. They live in extremely xeric conditions in the wild.

I believe he means their climate, which in fact it's very humid. Their soil is very dry (xeric) simply because the amount of moisture that the air draws from it surpases the amount of moisture that that it receives from the rain, dew etc.

A xeric environment doesn't necessarily mean that it has a dry climate, paradoxically their habitat it's considered an humid desert.

Same can be applied to some regions were obts are found.

Make sure you use the right plants and critters to make the soil as close as possible to the one found in their habitat. The enclosure it's for the T, not the other way around.

I'd personally go for a substrate with high amounts of clay on it. Some dry branches an a good crevice on the soil/rock.

Plants wise, get someting hard, with low water requeriments, or simply ditch them for some branches and dry grass.

 

[viper69]

I believe he means their climate, which in fact it's very humid. Their soil is very dry (xeric) simply because the amount of moisture that the air draws from it surpases the amount of moisture that that it receives from the rain, dew etc.

A xeric environment doesn't necessarily mean that it has a dry climate, paradoxically their habitat it's considered an humid desert.

Same can be applied to some regions were obts are found.

Thought he meant the soil.

 

[Smotzer]

My coco sub and cork slab condos are not “biologically active” except for the Ts walking and the poop drying

You think you have absolutely no microfauna, microbes and bacterias in dry set up,....eh?

 

[viper69]

You think you have absolutely no microfauna, microbes and bacterias in dry set up,....eh?

You know people are NOT including in their idea of bioactive. No one has written “which bacteria can I add…..”

Mine live in an autoclave

Might have to send you to management training with your new title before you go off the rails

I knew once god was in your title you were going to push everyone around with such details- elitist!

 

[Stiverson]

What…….!? I am giving you advice and knowledge, if you don’t want to take it that’s on you friend.

I forgot your the biologists and narcissistic.

You think you have absolutely no microfauna, microbes and bacterias in dry set up,....eh?

man you just like to mass debate and argue.

 

[catboyeuthanasia]

This thread might be interesting:

Live Plants for OBT Enclosure

Is it possible? Taking the wellbeing of the tarantula into consideration first. I wonder is it possible to place a plant such as a succulent into an enclosure for an OBT, the succulent would likely need supplemental light would this upset the tarantula? The light wouldn't be on 24/7, I would...

arachnoboards.com

The long and short of it is that plants are great for keeping humidity stable and high while small critters are good for keeping mold/decaying food down. An OBT enclosure usually is too dry for mold, and does not need constant high humidities. The thread does talk about keeping plants with deep root systems though. Maybe a few really dry-loving succulents or a very deep drainage layer with some deep rooting plants could work? I'm no expert on desert plant care.

 

[Kada]

I see peoples small enclosures and OBTs massive webbing to be the first and foremost issue about adding plants into their tanks. Perhaps after that major detail is worked out, moisture and humidity could be discussed and righted haha.

There are loads of suitable plants for their habitat type, however the issue will always remain: Most of us keep them in tiny enclosures and there simply is no space to have an open grassland available allowing the plants to get light and whatnot. I can see it working in a 90 gallon, but not a 2 gallon

 

[Thekobokid]

So many opinions, so many claiming to be correct.
Surely this means that the OBT is an extremely adaptable spider!
Maybe we should be singing the praises of this beautiful creature and focussing on how it thrives in so many different environments.
I guess there are so many success stories and so few failures because of the hardiness of the OBT and NOT the claimed "expertise" of the owner.
Just saying..

I see peoples small enclosures and OBTs massive webbing to be the first and foremost issue about adding plants into their tanks. Perhaps after that major detail is worked out, moisture and humidity could be discussed and righted haha.

There are loads of suitable plants for their habitat type, however the issue will always remain: Most of us keep them in tiny enclosures and there simply is no space to have an open grassland available allowing the plants to get light and whatnot. I can see it working in a 90 gallon, but not a 2 gallon

 

[Tbone192]

So many opinions, so many claiming to be correct.
Surely this means that the OBT is an extremely adaptable spider!
Maybe we should be singing the praises of this beautiful creature and focussing on how it thrives in so many different environments.
I guess there are so many success stories and so few failures because of the hardiness of the OBT and NOT the claimed "expertise" of the owner.
Just saying..

True OBTs are a very hardy species. Enclosure set up and keeper experience/knowledge is still incredibly important. My DCF Mikumi sling was kept in a deli cup with lots of webbing points but fairly shallow sub. She was fairly defensive even as a tiny sling. Once she got bigger she was moved to a proper enclosure with deep substrate and lots of web anchor points. Now she is one of my calmest and most predictable T's.