Enclosure advice (UK)

[eamonsheep]

Hi all

I’m looking at getting my first T and I’m struggling to find a suitable enclosure in the UK.

Has anyone any experience with ‘HerpXotics’? They are the only site I can find that do enclosures that run to 30cm, which seems to be the minimum I’d need given a 6-7 inch adult leg span terrestrial. I’m super confused why every site I’ve been on (all tarantula focussed retailers) seems to go to no more than 20cm long/wide. The HerpXotics ones are 30x15 or 30x20, I appreciate I’d have to put a good chunk of substrate in to minimise fall risks in the latter.

Or am I missing something and going too big? People have suggested G Pulchra and A Chalcodes (for example) as starters, which seem to need more than a 20x20 cube, but im feeling if it’s this hard to find a bigger enclosure there’s a reason.

My alternative is to ask Nclosures to give me a quote.

Many thanks for any help and advice!

 

[A guy]

Hi all

I’m looking at getting my first T and I’m struggling to find a suitable enclosure in the UK.

Has anyone any experience with ‘HerpXotics’? They are the only site I can find that do enclosures that run to 30cm, which seems to be the minimum I’d need given a 6-7 inch adult leg span terrestrial. I’m super confused why every site I’ve been on (all tarantula focussed retailers) seems to go to no more than 20cm long/wide. The HerpXotics ones are 30x15 or 30x20, I appreciate I’d have to put a good chunk of substrate in to minimise fall risks in the latter.

Or am I missing something and going too big? People have suggested G Pulchra and A Chalcodes (for example) as starters, which seem to need more than a 20x20 cube, but im feeling if it’s this hard to find a bigger enclosure there’s a reason.

My alternative is to ask Nclosures to give me a quote.

Many thanks for any help and advice!

Just use a clear plastic storage bin.

Who are these people suggesting massive enclosures?

 

[fcat]

The reason it's hard to find anything larger in plastic is because the material does not hold up at larger sizes, it tends to warp and fast if there is moisture involved.

It would require thicker material and I can't image the cost when most of those are already so heavily marked up.

Finding clear boxes and drilling your own holes is way cheaper, and allows you to spend more money on Ts!

You will see a wide range of preferences when it comes to size. A minimum of 2x the leg span is echoed everywhere though.

I recently acquired a G rosea that came with her enclosure where she spent 16-20 years. It's 12"x20" and I'll show you how much she used:


Literally every square inch (do you see all the poop along the perimeter?) Decades of poop when you consider she only eats a few times a year!

If course I have other Ts that poop in one spot, but this one of the oldest tarantulas in my collection.

My Aphonopelma live in 10"x15"x8" and they have wandered the entire enclosure....one of them webbed hers as if it were the inside of her burrow.

You could be a slum lord if you want...there are reasons for "keeping them small," like breeding...you want the females to think the enclosure is their burrow where they are safe to make an egg sac. I learned that from Cold Blood and I got a sac out of it.

My X immanis females are in giant plastic enclosures giving them about 4200 cubic inches, which is proportionate to the minimums I give most everyone else...2x on the short side, 3x on the long side and as much depth as possible (as close to 2x in at least one corner for my non dinner plate sized Ts ). I'm intentionally obscuring the dimensions on my mega enclosures so people don't find my secret stash

But I would be willing to DM you since you are in another country

 

[WolfieKate]

Hi all

I’m looking at getting my first T and I’m struggling to find a suitable enclosure in the UK.

Has anyone any experience with ‘HerpXotics’? They are the only site I can find that do enclosures that run to 30cm, which seems to be the minimum I’d need given a 6-7 inch adult leg span terrestrial. I’m super confused why every site I’ve been on (all tarantula focussed retailers) seems to go to no more than 20cm long/wide. The HerpXotics ones are 30x15 or 30x20, I appreciate I’d have to put a good chunk of substrate in to minimise fall risks in the latter.

Or am I missing something and going too big? People have suggested G Pulchra and A Chalcodes (for example) as starters, which seem to need more than a 20x20 cube, but im feeling if it’s this hard to find a bigger enclosure there’s a reason.

My alternative is to ask Nclosures to give me a quote.

Many thanks for any help and advice!

I’m in the UK. I think I have tried a lot of enclosures. But in general my go to for medium sized Sub adult to adult Ts is Kakooti on amazon uk. Slide magnetic lid, all acrylic, ventilation, watertight. They don’t need it as big as you think as far as I can tell. Some folk drill holes in 9 litre simply useful boxes and use those for bigger specimens. I also have used 20x20 exoterra and a 30cm round top opening enclosure from the Spider Shop which is perfectly adequate and less than £15. I just got a 15 x 15 neorep off eBay for my juvenile Vietnam silver and she’s digging away. I just avoid the larger sized ones with rubber bands as they warp.

 

[eamonsheep]

Thanks all, and I’ll give Kakooti a look.

For the record I wasn’t looking for a giant enclosure, just perhaps a bit bigger than the 20cm cubes I kept seeing, which seemed limiting given Ts seem to pass 10cm commonly.

Anyway, thanks again, I will no doubt be back.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Hi all

I’m looking at getting my first T and I’m struggling to find a suitable enclosure in the UK.

Has anyone any experience with ‘HerpXotics’? They are the only site I can find that do enclosures that run to 30cm, which seems to be the minimum I’d need given a 6-7 inch adult leg span terrestrial. I’m super confused why every site I’ve been on (all tarantula focussed retailers) seems to go to no more than 20cm long/wide. The HerpXotics ones are 30x15 or 30x20, I appreciate I’d have to put a good chunk of substrate in to minimise fall risks in the latter.

Or am I missing something and going too big? People have suggested G Pulchra and A Chalcodes (for example) as starters, which seem to need more than a 20x20 cube, but im feeling if it’s this hard to find a bigger enclosure there’s a reason.

My alternative is to ask Nclosures to give me a quote.

Many thanks for any help and advice!

What size will the tarantula be when you acquire it? You mentioned for adult size but not if you are getting a sling or not first.

Do not put a small sling in too big of an enclosure.

 

[eamonsheep]

Heya

Just for illustration let's say I'm getting a Aphonopelma chalcodes. The juvenile on the site I'm looking at lists it as having a span of 9cm and a full grown of up to 19cm.

So using the 2.5x and 2.0x ratios I keep seeing, that would mean an enclosure of at least... 22.5cm x 18cm as a juvenile (which is already more than the mainstream sites I have been on seem to sell) but 47.5cm x 36cm when full grown.

I've just noticed that T is described as 'chunky' so... what about the 'classic' Chilean Rose, which seems to get to 15cm, so again a tank of 37.5x30 is apparently needed. In fact while looking for data to reply I keep seeing 3x not 2.5x... so apparently some would say that was cramped.

I still feel like I'm missing something, as I know Ts are often kept in tubs much much smaller than that, presumably including adults.

I must say, part of me wanting to go bigger is that I'd like a little leeway for my first T so the entire enclosure isn't the tarantula (and so I can do things like move water bowls or spot clean as far from the T as i can) , but I do appreciate it can be too big.

 

[eamonsheep]

Me again

OK so let's say I went for a Grammostola Pulchripes. The juvenile is listed at 6cm and the adult at 17cm.

If you were getting that T, what size would you start and end with enclosure wise and I suppose how many interim enclosures would you expect in between? Basically what size would I need to buy now so they were snug but not cramped and wouldn't need rehousing straight after (so a bit of room for growth)?

Many many thanks again all.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

9cm = slightly over 3.5 inches

Something dimension wise as a large Kritter Keeper 14.5L x 8.75W x 9.75H
or 36.83cm x 22cm x 24.7cm

Something like that. I used the inches to centimeter converter online.

Doesn't need to be exact just an example of the sizes that will work just fine.

If you wind up with a sling then a 1oz deli cup for under .5 inches or 1.27cm

 

[eamonsheep]

9cm = slightly over 3.5 inches

Something dimension wise as a large Kritter Keeper 14.5L x 8.75W x 9.75H
or 36.83cm x 22cm x 24.7cm

Something like that. I used the inches to centimeter converter online.

Doesn't need to be exact just an example of the sizes that will work just fine.

If you wind up with a sling then a 1oz deli cup for under .5 inches or 1.27cm

Thanks, so would that be appropriate even when full grown? When would you say I’d need to look to rehome from a 14.5 x 8.75 x 9.75?

Many thanks!

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Depends

It can work for a T up to 6 inches. G. pulchra has the potential to reach 9 inches. An extra large Kritter Keeper will work fine. I had my 9 inch mature male A. geniculata in one and it worked fine.

I'm not saying it has to be a Kritter Keeper. I'm using it as an example for size dimensions to give you an idea.

 

[eamonsheep]

Depends

It can work for a T up to 6 inches. G. pulchra has the potential to reach 9 inches. An extra large Kritter Keeper will work fine. I had my 9 inch mature male A. geniculata in one and it worked fine.

Thanks thanks!