Cleaning out terrarium

[BobaT]

Are you meant to do a deep clean on tarantula terrariums ever? Or is it pure spot cleaning? I’ve heard ever 5 months-7 months

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Are you meant to do a deep clean on tarantula terrariums ever? Or is it pure spot cleaning? I’ve heard ever 5 months-7 months

Depends how dirty the cage gets some I rarely clean, my new curly hair leaves roach wings and body parts everywhere too lazy to makes a bolas so I cleaned it just after 2 months! Usually I wait a year to clean. I spot clean with tongs and I remove the t if it doesn’t simply sit in the opposite side of the cage I’m cleaning. I almost never have to remove them . Enjoy your Ts ! Can’t wait to see pics of them. Sometimes I spot clean when I see a bolus too.

 

[Rigor Mortis]

I've never done a full clean out of my enclosures. Just spot clean if you can remove poop and boluses, as well as always removing uneaten prey items. You don't need to change the substrate unless you have a severe mold outbreak or something like that.

 

[kingshockey]

never had to deep clean any t cage its always just toss out water dish lids replace with new as needed pick out the corpses of the feeders skim poop off the sub and wet cotton ball to clean sides or lids of cages for the ts that like pooping in odd spots

 

[BobaT]

My T has a bolus webbed in her web- how should I go about this?

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

My T has a bolus webbed in her web- how should I go about this?

Do you have a pair of giant tweezers?

 

[BobaT]

Do you have a pair of giant tweezers?

Not really, tiny ones. But I can find some

 

[viper69]

Are you meant to do a deep clean on tarantula terrariums ever? Or is it pure spot cleaning? I’ve heard ever 5 months-7 months

Well if the tank is deep, sure deep cleaning …

 

[Hardus nameous]

My T has a bolus webbed in her web- how should I go about this?

You can either remove it with tongs or leave it; either way is just fine.
As far as changing the substrate every few months, how often is it changed in nature?

 

[Smotzer]

I’ve heard ever 5 months-7 months

No there’s no point to that. Just spot clean when needed.

I've never done a full clean out of my enclosures

Yup same!

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Are you meant to do a deep clean on tarantula terrariums ever? Or is it pure spot cleaning? I’ve heard ever 5 months-7 months

It's all relative, keeping substrate like a swamp or just over moisten then eventually a rehouse will be in order. It's also dependent on what you use as sub.

Straight coco fiber will develop a greenish fungus when kept too damp.

Eco Earth will develop the same fungus plus mushrooms if kept too moist.

Now, what's more effective if you have a large collection vs a small one? Naturally rehousing constantly will not be the answer especially with coco fiber due to it's price.

If you have a rather small collection then I would rehouse your T with fresh sub after a year or two if you never removed boluses, (due to can't find them) or removed . Or if you've kept it too moist and developed fungus. Letting it dry out at the first sign of a little fungus is recommended. If you waited too long and you have an infestation of fungus then rehouse.

I believe it takes longer at mastering substrates than tarantula husbandry. Husbandry as in just the T not the sub.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Eco earth mold

It's all relative, keeping substrate like a swamp or just over moisten then eventually a rehouse will be in order. It's also dependent on what you use as sub.

Straight coco fiber will develop a greenish fungus when kept too damp.

Eco Earth will develop the same fungus plus mushrooms if kept too moist.

Now, what's more effective if you have a large collection vs a small one? Naturally rehousing constantly will not be the answer especially with coco fiber due to it's price.

If you have a rather small collection then I would rehouse your T with fresh sub after a year or two if you never removed boluses, (due to can't find them) or removed . Or if you've kept it too moist and developed fungus. Letting it dry out at the first sign of a little fungus is recommended. If you waited too long and you have an infestation of fungus then rehouse.

I believe it takes longer at mastering substrates than tarantula husbandry. Husbandry as in just the T not the sub.