E. Campestratus Sling Enclosure - Suitable?

[Spifdar]

Prepping for my first tarantula, and want to make sure this enclosure is suitable, so I'm coming to you guys for second opinions. Maybe you'll spot something wrong that I missed!

Spider - E. campestratus sling. 2nd or 3rd instar, I don't know yet--will hopefully be picking it up on the 12th, assuming there's any left at the local expo So I don't know the exact size but I'll try to select one neither too tiny nor too large for this enclosure. From what I know they are terrestrial but prefer to burrow deep & thoroughly as slings, so I'm trying to accomodate that.

Enclosure - acrylic storage container. 11cm x 11cm x 10cm deep, or about 4.3 inches per side + 3.9 inches deep. Relatively thick walls. 1mm holes hand-drilled, 8 per side. Additional latching mechanisms will be added probably later today; I'll be experimenting with methods. (Top is heavy and latches well regardless but I'd rather be prepped for potential acrylic warp over time.)

Substrate - about 4/5 coco fiber, 1/5 thoroughly rinsed gardening soil (shouldn't be any fert or pesticides but I rinsed & squeezed a few times just in case). 7-8cm deep, mixed and packed down damp, left to dry for about the last week. It's still quite moist, but not wet.

Other - plants are well-washed, trimmed grass, and live Sedum oreganum (Oregon stonecrop), I believe. Cork bark hide has a hollow underneath and a deeper hole dug by finger at the back as a "starter burrow." The back's entirely buried in substrate and extends down a couple cm. Seashell's well-washed and the water will go in the shallow bit if the sling is small; if the sling's larger, I'll clean out & fill the whole seashell. Prey will be likely mealworms or mealworm bits, pre-killed, so as not to worry about feeders getting loose and hiding in foliage or substrate. Any plants that die will be immediately removed before having the chance to rot. I have time to watch over this terrarium and I keep plants as my main hobby, so I'll be on top of that; these plants should be totally free of pesticides and have been rinsed several times just in case. Particles on the grass are just dirt, no mites or the like.

Let me know if the experts here see anything wrong with this thing. I think the main thing I'm worried about right now is airflow: are the 8 1mm holes per side enough? My main fear isn't actually the sling escaping, but one of the tiny Steatoda triangulosa babies around the apartment breaking -in- and killing the sling, so I'm worried about going to 2mm. I can add 1mm holes in the top if necessary, but the plastic's more rigid & thin so I am worried about cracking that, and would rather not attempt unless it's probably needed.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[viper69]

How big is T?

Looks nice- setup might be too large

cork cave also looks too big

For tiny slings I keep them in condiment cups

 

[Spifdar]

How big is T?

Looks nice- setup might be too large

cork cave also looks too big

For tiny slings I keep them in condiment cups

All right, thanks! I'll have stuff set up just in case for something smaller; as mentioned it's 2nd or 3rd instar "So I don't know the exact size but I'll try to select one neither too tiny nor too large for this enclosure" but we'll see what's available for sure. As long as only size is the issue it should be easy enough to adapt!

 

[cold blood]

- E. campestratus sling. 2nd or 3rd instar, I don't know yet--will hopefully be picking it up on the 12th, assuming there's any left at the local expo So I don't know the exact size but I'll try to select one neither too tiny nor too large for this enclosure

at 2 or 3i, its gonna be small

From what I know they are terrestrial but prefer to burrow deep & thoroughly as slings, so I'm trying to accomodate that

All terrestrial slings like to burrow.... accommodating that is a monumental mistake on your part.

Enclosure - acrylic storage container. 11cm x 11cm x 10cm deep, or about 4.3 inches per side + 3.9 inches deep

its a sling, prepare for a sling, not a juvie....you wont have one of those for years.

Substrate - about 4/5 coco fiber, 1/5 thoroughly rinsed gardening soil (shouldn't be any fert or pesticides but I rinsed & squeezed a few times just in case)

substrate is keepers choice.....you can use any acceptable sub and mix them in any manner......there isnt a "best" out there.

7-8cm deep, mixed and packed down damp, left to dry for about the last week

its a sling, you are making a big mistake.....that t is gonna disappear and you wont be able to monitor it, nor will it emerge to feed all that often....this will lead directly to very slow growth....and its already a slow enough growing species.

plants are well-washed, trimmed grass, and live Sedum oreganum

youre over thinking things.....use none of this...keep it simple.

ork bark hide has a hollow underneath and a deeper hole dug by finger at the back as a "starter burrow." The back's entirely buried in substrate and extends down a couple cm. Seashell's well-washed and the water will go in the shallow bit if the sling is small

dont go this route at all...prepare for a sling, not a juvie you arent getting.

Prey will be likely mealworms or mealworm bits, pre-killed, so as not to worry about feeders getting loose and hiding in foliage or substrate.

good stradegy.

nom nom (Nhandu chromatus)

• cold blood
• Jun 8, 2018
• 1
• brazilian red and white tarantula chromatus feeding nhandu nhandu chromatus sling

Any plants that die will be immediately removed before having the chance to rot

dont use live plants....heck, dont use any kind of plants...keep it simple

Let me know if the experts here see anything wrong with this thing. I think the main thing I'm worried about right now is airflow

it will require very little ventilation....it doesnt need to be treated like an avic.

IMG_0472

• cold blood
• Feb 7, 2017

Keep your small terrestrial slings like this.

 

[Spifdar]

All terrestrial slings like to burrow.... accommodating that is a monumental mistake on your part.

Thanks; is this just because you think it will get lost in there? I thought it'd be about an inch legspan-wise but I'll have to see when I get there, I may be WILDLY misinformed then!

 

[cold blood]

Thanks; is this just because you think it will get lost in there? I thought it'd be about an inch legspan-wise but I'll have to see when I get there, I may be WILDLY misinformed then!

when terrestrial slings are allowed to burrow away, they do so excessively.....to the detriment of everything....they become terrible eaters, they are impossible to monitor, so if something goes wrong, you will never know about it........and this high drive for hiding and low drive for food will lead directly to a sling that grows 4-5 (yes, you read that right) times slower......which is exactly what you dont want.....the best situation for a sling is to get them growing and out of that vulnerable sling stage as quickly as possible (it will never be "quick" though).

 

[Spifdar]

Yeeeeah and I know this species in particularly is a very, very slow grower as it is. I'll look into having something smaller available in case the little dude (or dudette) is a teensy one. Thanks!

 

[The Spider House]

All of what was said above is very sound advice. Nothing to add as all been said expertly.

 

[viper69]

Yeeeeah and I know this species in particularly is a very, very slow grower as it is. I'll look into having something smaller available in case the little dude (or dudette) is a teensy one. Thanks!

If you are getting one THAT small, having a home for it isn’t hard, only hard thing for me was getting prey small enough. Some scavenge feed though.

 

[Spifdar]

I see myself cutting a lot of mealworms into bits, yeah!

 

[The Spider House]

I see myself cutting a lot of mealworms into bits, yeah!

Or some small crickets. This is what I always say to people your food bill is the same whether you have 1 or 100 Ts
If you have one and buy a box of crickets, 99% wasted. If you have 100 and and buy a box of crickets, none are wasted. That's my excuse for more Ts and I am sticking to it

 

[Spifdar]

Or some small crickets. This is what I always say to people your food bill is the same whether you have 1 or 100 Ts
If you have one and buy a box of crickets, 99% wasted. If you have 100 and and buy a box of crickets, none are wasted. That's my excuse for more Ts and I am sticking to it

100% valid reasoning, checks out completely

 

[cold blood]

the beauty of mealworms is that theyre really fatty, so they plump slings quickly....a high fat diet isnt a bad thing for growing baby anything.

 

[TheraMygale]

Prepping for my first tarantula, and want to make sure this enclosure is suitable, so I'm coming to you guys for second opinions. Maybe you'll spot something wrong that I missed!

Spider - E. campestratus sling. 2nd or 3rd instar, I don't know yet--will hopefully be picking it up on the 12th, assuming there's any left at the local expo So I don't know the exact size but I'll try to select one neither too tiny nor too large for this enclosure. From what I know they are terrestrial but prefer to burrow deep & thoroughly as slings, so I'm trying to accomodate that.

Enclosure - acrylic storage container. 11cm x 11cm x 10cm deep, or about 4.3 inches per side + 3.9 inches deep. Relatively thick walls. 1mm holes hand-drilled, 8 per side. Additional latching mechanisms will be added probably later today; I'll be experimenting with methods. (Top is heavy and latches well regardless but I'd rather be prepped for potential acrylic warp over time.)

Substrate - about 4/5 coco fiber, 1/5 thoroughly rinsed gardening soil (shouldn't be any fert or pesticides but I rinsed & squeezed a few times just in case). 7-8cm deep, mixed and packed down damp, left to dry for about the last week. It's still quite moist, but not wet.

Other - plants are well-washed, trimmed grass, and live Sedum oreganum (Oregon stonecrop), I believe. Cork bark hide has a hollow underneath and a deeper hole dug by finger at the back as a "starter burrow." The back's entirely buried in substrate and extends down a couple cm. Seashell's well-washed and the water will go in the shallow bit if the sling is small; if the sling's larger, I'll clean out & fill the whole seashell. Prey will be likely mealworms or mealworm bits, pre-killed, so as not to worry about feeders getting loose and hiding in foliage or substrate. Any plants that die will be immediately removed before having the chance to rot. I have time to watch over this terrarium and I keep plants as my main hobby, so I'll be on top of that; these plants should be totally free of pesticides and have been rinsed several times just in case. Particles on the grass are just dirt, no mites or the like.

Let me know if the experts here see anything wrong with this thing. I think the main thing I'm worried about right now is airflow: are the 8 1mm holes per side enough? My main fear isn't actually the sling escaping, but one of the tiny Steatoda triangulosa babies around the apartment breaking -in- and killing the sling, so I'm worried about going to 2mm. I can add 1mm holes in the top if necessary, but the plastic's more rigid & thin so I am worried about cracking that, and would rather not attempt unless it's probably needed.

Thanks for any advice!

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this is a good post for tarantula questions discussion forum.

it looks like a good enclosure. Just need to see the tarantula.

Prepping for my first tarantula, and want to make sure this enclosure is suitable, so I'm coming to you guys for second opinions. Maybe you'll spot something wrong that I missed!

Spider - E. campestratus sling. 2nd or 3rd instar, I don't know yet--will hopefully be picking it up on the 12th, assuming there's any left at the local expo So I don't know the exact size but I'll try to select one neither too tiny nor too large for this enclosure. From what I know they are terrestrial but prefer to burrow deep & thoroughly as slings, so I'm trying to accomodate that.

Enclosure - acrylic storage container. 11cm x 11cm x 10cm deep, or about 4.3 inches per side + 3.9 inches deep. Relatively thick walls. 1mm holes hand-drilled, 8 per side. Additional latching mechanisms will be added probably later today; I'll be experimenting with methods. (Top is heavy and latches well regardless but I'd rather be prepped for potential acrylic warp over time.)

Substrate - about 4/5 coco fiber, 1/5 thoroughly rinsed gardening soil (shouldn't be any fert or pesticides but I rinsed & squeezed a few times just in case). 7-8cm deep, mixed and packed down damp, left to dry for about the last week. It's still quite moist, but not wet.

Other - plants are well-washed, trimmed grass, and live Sedum oreganum (Oregon stonecrop), I believe. Cork bark hide has a hollow underneath and a deeper hole dug by finger at the back as a "starter burrow." The back's entirely buried in substrate and extends down a couple cm. Seashell's well-washed and the water will go in the shallow bit if the sling is small; if the sling's larger, I'll clean out & fill the whole seashell. Prey will be likely mealworms or mealworm bits, pre-killed, so as not to worry about feeders getting loose and hiding in foliage or substrate. Any plants that die will be immediately removed before having the chance to rot. I have time to watch over this terrarium and I keep plants as my main hobby, so I'll be on top of that; these plants should be totally free of pesticides and have been rinsed several times just in case. Particles on the grass are just dirt, no mites or the like.

Let me know if the experts here see anything wrong with this thing. I think the main thing I'm worried about right now is airflow: are the 8 1mm holes per side enough? My main fear isn't actually the sling escaping, but one of the tiny Steatoda triangulosa babies around the apartment breaking -in- and killing the sling, so I'm worried about going to 2mm. I can add 1mm holes in the top if necessary, but the plastic's more rigid & thin so I am worried about cracking that, and would rather not attempt unless it's probably needed.

Thanks for any advice!

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You are really giving us all the details. In your europe world of 1-2nd instars, i dont think we all understand that. We speak in length. But i come to understand its maybe less then 0.5”.

you totaly have a higher level being in europe. Youre accessibility to info and knowledge.

but small instar… is still very small. Its less then a big sling.

your enclosure might be adequate, but could still be too big yet.

 

[Spifdar]

You are really giving us all the details. In your europe world of 1-2nd instars, i dont think we all understand that. We speak in length. But i come to understand its maybe less then 0.5”.

you totaly have a higher level being in europe. Youre accessibility to info and knowledge.

but small instar… is still very small. Its less then a big sling.

your enclosure might be adequate, but could still be too big yet.

Ha, I didn't know that was a European thing!

They offered the age, NOT size, and I've yet to see the spiders in person but your comment agrees with the others that this will be too big. I AM surprised given this one's only about four inches per side, but when I'm out this week I'm going to pick up a couple smaller containers of different sizes so I have variants ready to set up AFTER I have the sling and have seen its size. If it were to turn out to be an inch or so I'd use what I have*; if it's any less I'll prep a smaller container and keep the other for later.

I think "a deli cup is enough" threw me off because honestly, we don't do "deli cups" here and I must've thought they were far larger than they are!

(* Sidenote--in regards to using what I have--I know some have recommended or recommend, in general, not to use plants. But from what I can tell that's more a "keep it simple, you don't NEED that" whereas I WANT the plants in there. The spider may not care, and if it... renovates everything, it's fine But -I- like them!)

 

[TheraMygale]

i hope the plants work out for you. Maybe the tarantula will be bigger then we think. You’ll be prepared thats what matters.

we do condiment cups, dram vials, anything really. If the size and fit works, and holes can be drilled

sometimes we dont have a choice to do with what we have.

i sure like the supplies they have in europe. Id like to be able to order everywhere without shipping rates, duty and exchange rates.

some people do use the term instar here. But with size it gives a good idea of what to except. For me, a 1st instar is stage right after the egg with leg stage. Size will depend on species, but its still real small.

 

[viper69]

the beauty of mealworms is that theyre really fatty, so they plump slings quickly....a high fat diet isnt a bad thing for growing baby anything.

I wish more people would understand this.

 

[Spifdar]

Yeah when researching feeders mealworms swayed me for a number of reasons. Aside from nutrition and safety, less stinky and less noisy were main ones

 

[cold blood]

Yeah when researching feeders mealworms swayed me for a number of reasons. Aside from nutrition and safety, less stinky and less noisy were main ones

and you can store them in the fridge for up to 6 months

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Mealworms and tiny dubia are my go to feeders for slings. I have a colony of both. Op ask the seller for Instar.