Enclosure for an H. davidbowie Sling

[Poffypoffa]

For those who keep huntsman slings, wondering your thoughts on two enclosure ideas.

I am getting a 3/4" davidbowie sling this week. While I have experience with Psalmopoeus and Amazonius tarantulas, I have never kept a huntsman. I'm aware they're lighting fast and bolty. Some suggest they're more likely to bolt upward, and so I've seen some recommend upside-down amec boxes as a sling option, as it opens from below. Others use enclosures with feeding ports so they never have to open the entire top.

I have two enclosures that I thought might work for this sling. The acrylic enclosure has a slide top, but also the entire bottom tray slides out. The idea would be to put substrate in the tray, tightly shove a cork piece into the upper portion, and simply slide the tray out to water/feed the sling, without ever opening the lid. The hope would be if it bolts, it would be difficult for it to escape through the bottom.

The other option simply has a lid with a flip up feeding port. More traditional, but I would have to open a portion of the lid to feed/water.

If anyone thinks one or the other would be preferable based on your experience with huntsman slings, would love your thoughts!

 

[viper69]

Whatever you do, give it more room than you normally would.

 

[Poffypoffa]

Whatever you do, give it more room than you normally would.

Absolutely—these are 8 and 6.5 inches, respectively, which is a lot larger than I’d normally use for a 3/4” sling. Hoping that’s not too big.

 

[miranda0331]

My only concern is the ventilation holes. I don’t know what the rule of thumb for huntsman’s is as far as what they can fit through. Other than that as long as they’re able to find their food and have some good hiding spots I don’t see the issue with the actual size of the enclosure. Also assuming that they’re eating flightless fruit flies, those also may be able to escape out of the holes if the huntsman doesn’t find it in time.

I have a few 3/4” huntsman’s right now and they’re in small condiment containers for a few molts.

 

[viper69]

Absolutely—these are 8 and 6.5 inches, respectively, which is a lot larger than I’d normally use for a 3/4” sling. Hoping that’s not too big.

It might be too large - give it a go

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

For those who keep huntsman slings, wondering your thoughts on two enclosure ideas.

I am getting a 3/4" davidbowie sling this week. While I have experience with Psalmopoeus and Amazonius tarantulas, I have never kept a huntsman. I'm aware they're lighting fast and bolty. Some suggest they're more likely to bolt upward, and so I've seen some recommend upside-down amec boxes as a sling option, as it opens from below. Others use enclosures with feeding ports so they never have to open the entire top.

I have two enclosures that I thought might work for this sling. The acrylic enclosure has a slide top, but also the entire bottom tray slides out. The idea would be to put substrate in the tray, tightly shove a cork piece into the upper portion, and simply slide the tray out to water/feed the sling, without ever opening the lid. The hope would be if it bolts, it would be difficult for it to escape through the bottom.

The other option simply has a lid with a flip up feeding port. More traditional, but I would have to open a portion of the lid to feed/water.

If anyone thinks one or the other would be preferable based on your experience with huntsman slings, would love your thoughts!

View attachment 470939

Nice containers are they custom?
they should work if it’s too large you can Always rehouse but catching a lightning fast spider can’t be easy .

 

[Poffypoffa]

Nice containers are they custom?
they should work if it’s too large you can Always rehouse but catching a lightning fast spider can’t be easy .

No, both were off Amazon. The acrylic is Repti Zoo, the other is just a random import (one of the brands with the nonsensical names).

 

[Poffypoffa]

My only concern is the ventilation holes. I don’t know what the rule of thumb for huntsman’s is as far as what they can fit through. Other than that as long as they’re able to find their food and have some good hiding spots I don’t see the issue with the actual size of the enclosure. Also assuming that they’re eating flightless fruit flies, those also may be able to escape out of the holes if the huntsman doesn’t find it in time.

I have a few 3/4” huntsman’s right now and they’re in small condiment containers for a few molts.

I was hoping to use small crickets—fruit flies would definitely not work in the second one, which is a good point.

 

[miranda0331]

Check back in when you receive it. I’d be interested to see what you end up doing!

 

[fcat]

Congrats Puff, lots of updates please so I can live vicariously through you.

Chill your fruit flies before opening their container. They literally come pouring out otherwise, like they can detect freedom or something.

Panty hose. Seems to hold the fruit flies in (get plus size panty hose, if you stretch too much the fibers will stretch giving a walkway to freedom).

 

[Poffypoffa]

Congrats Puff, lots of updates please so I can live vicariously through you.

Chill your fruit flies before opening their container. They literally come pouring out otherwise, like they can detect freedom or something.

Panty hose. Seems to hold the fruit flies in (get plus size panty hose, if you stretch too much the fibers will stretch giving a walkway to freedom).

Thanks very much--I use a technique where I chill them, pour what I need into a ziploc, and then cut the very tip off one corner of the ziploc. They will all run for that opening, and I just deposit them into enclosures as needed. I use hydei for my Eresus and Latrodectus slings, but I'm slowly converting to pinhead crickets as they get bigger.

I've created colonies in condiment bottles before too, which works great--but it's super annoying to get the food and excelsior inside, and they crash really quickly.

As for the holes, I have in the past used micropore tape, and I haven't had an issue with a spider getting stuck--but pantyhose are safer, no question.

 

[Poffypoffa]

So I went with the enclosure with the bottom tray--here's what it looks like set up. The cork is not glued in, I chose a piece that is wedged with friction, so it can be removed for rehousing later on. After this photo, I also put a piece of micropore tape across the tiny, 1/2 mm gap on the front of the lid, and to make sure it can't slide open. Almost certainly not needed, but why not. The rehouse was super easy--it didn't bolt at all and I just nudged it in with my finger. It's still just chilling on a leaf on the bottom--it hasn't started exploring yet.