Enclosure size strangeness

[DanielAcorn]

I've been doing a tonne of research into appropriate enclosure sizes. Most people on this website suggest that an enclosure 3 x DLS for length and 2 x DLS for width, and some people stick average T's in a 5 gallon and anything larger in a 10 gallon.

Ok... Fine... Nothing wrong so far!

However, when trying to purchase enclosures online the enclosures are often awkward sizes and they're often recommended for spiders that seem too large for them.

I know I should follow the advice of people on this website - experienced keepers. There's no issue there. I am just confused by the awkward enclosure sizes available online and the limited number of appropriately sized enclosures even for average sized T's.

Any insight would be really cool!

Thanks,

 

[Mustafa67]

I've been doing a tonne of research into appropriate enclosure sizes. Most people on this website suggest that an enclosure 3 x DLS for length and 2 x DLS for width, and some people stick average T's in a 5 gallon and anything larger in a 10 gallon.

Ok... Fine... Nothing wrong so far!

However, when trying to purchase enclosures online the enclosures are often awkward sizes and they're often recommended for spiders that seem too large for them.

I know I should follow the advice of people on this website - experienced keepers. There's no issue there. I am just confused by the awkward enclosure sizes available online and the limited number of appropriately sized enclosures even for average sized T's.

Any insight would be really cool!

Thanks,

Get plastic tubs and make your own enclosures, it’s a LOT cheaper and can be made to sizes to suit the T

 

[Ratmosphere]

Tarantula Cribs has some nice options.

 

[viper69]

I've been doing a tonne of research into appropriate enclosure sizes. Most people on this website suggest that an enclosure 3 x DLS for length and 2 x DLS for width, and some people stick average T's in a 5 gallon and anything larger in a 10 gallon.

Ok... Fine... Nothing wrong so far!

However, when trying to purchase enclosures online the enclosures are often awkward sizes and they're often recommended for spiders that seem too large for them.

I know I should follow the advice of people on this website - experienced keepers. There's no issue there. I am just confused by the awkward enclosure sizes available online and the limited number of appropriately sized enclosures even for average sized T's.

Any insight would be really cool!

Thanks,

1. those are made up numbers not based on science, nor did anyone check box size in the market to correlate

2 large boxes are fine but inherently cause issues for owners, esp NEW owners

3 this is why peeps are always looking at boxes out there going “hmmm that might work”

 

[DanielAcorn]

I know there's no 'science' involved in the numbers or advice in general, but it's advice derived from experience, and experience is all I have to go on when making a decision.

And yeah, I guess I'm just struggling to find an enclosure online when everything is so awkwardly sized. 3.4 gallons... Great!

I know I'm being a bit anal about this... But I'm terrible at DIY (can't change my halogen light bulbs) and I just want to get things right... But yeah, I guess I should just buy a tub and stick a T in it if it looks about right, ha!

 

[viper69]

I know there's no 'science' involved in the numbers or advice in general, but it's advice derived from experience, and experience is all I have to go on when making a decision.

And yeah, I guess I'm just struggling to find an enclosure online when everything is so awkwardly sized. 3.4 gallons... Great!

I know I'm being a bit anal about this... But I'm terrible at DIY (can't change my halogen light bulbs) and I just want to get things right... But yeah, I guess I should just buy a tub and stick a T in it if it looks about right, ha!

Plenty of peeps with no experience who decide on some aspect of husbandry because it works for them seemingly when really it isn’t good at all

point is, be judicious on how you judge something is based on experience vs “works for me”

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Get plastic tubs and make your own enclosures, it’s a LOT cheaper and can be made to sizes to suit the T

Target discontinued my favorite ones. But good plan.

I know there's no 'science' involved in the numbers or advice in general, but it's advice derived from experience, and experience is all I have to go on when making a decision.

And yeah, I guess I'm just struggling to find an enclosure online when everything is so awkwardly sized. 3.4 gallons... Great!

I know I'm being a bit anal about this... But I'm terrible at DIY (can't change my halogen light bulbs) and I just want to get things right... But yeah, I guess I should just buy a tub and stick a T in it if it looks about right, ha!

I don’t know my 15 gal is too heavy for me to carry with topsoil in it. And a few of-my 10 gallons are rather heavy so plan ahead if you gotta move things around. Get lighter sub maybe.

 

[Gevo]

Going too large is more of a risk with slings. They tend to get lost so the keeper can’t track their health and development, they fail to find food, or they burrow themselves away and disappear for eons and leave you to wonder if they’re dead or not.

Going too large with adults gives you more space to track to see if they ate whatever you last gave them, and it takes up space that could be used to get more spiders, but it’s not a catastrophically bad husbandry move or anything.

The legspan estimate is a good rule of thumb to figure out what will be comfortable for the tarantula but manageable for you and efficient for your collection. There really is no shortage of enclosure sizing options if you look at it that way and go the “close enough” route without being too stringent with it.

 

[kingshockey]

sterilite containers or any other plastic ones you see at stores. you just pop off the lids to get an pretty good idea of space/size once you place your hand inside palm down/flat etc on the bottom provided you know the adult max size of the t you want and size of your hand