Enclosure size

[Martsinsects]

heyhey,

I have a few slings from different species. I have tarantulas for 7 months now so I never had a adult one. When they grow up I want to keep them all in terrariums of the same size. Whats the most common (or best) size used for tarantulas? I was thinking about 30x30x30 or 40x30x30. My biggest tarantula is a Grammostola pulchripes, is 30x30x30 enough for him/her or is 40x30x30 better or would you recommer even bigger?

 

[viper69]

heyhey,

I have a few slings from different species. I have tarantulas for 7 months now so I never had a adult one. When they grow up I want to keep them all in terrariums of the same size. Whats the most common (or best) size used for tarantulas? I was thinking about 30x30x30 or 40x30x30. My biggest tarantula is a Grammostola pulchripes, is 30x30x30 enough for him/her or is 40x30x30 better or would you recommer even bigger?

Units- I don’t assume. Species? Post lacks critical info

 

[Martsinsects]

Units- I don’t assume. Species? Post lacks critical info

Like I said the biggest one is the Grammostola pulchripes and the sizes are in cm (2,5cm = 1inch)

 

[viper69]

Like I said the biggest one is the Grammostola pulchripes and the sizes are in cm (2,5cm = 1inch)

No rule here, you could use something that is 2x the leg span in both width and length. With 1.5x DLS distance from sub to lid so there is NO risk of fall death.

I have an AF she’s fine in a ExoTerra Breeder Box Large. She uses all of it. You could go larger and deeper, just provide cage furniture.

I asked for species because there is no common size for all species. Good luck.

 

[Smotzer]

What are all the species like @viper69 said all species are different adult female and male sizes?

 

[Martsinsects]

What are all the species like @viper69 said all species are different adult female and male sizes?

Grammostola pulchripes, Tlitlocatl vagans, Tlitlocatl albopilosum, Davus pentaloris and Neoholothele incei

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

Keeping them all in the same size enclosure might be convenient or aesthetically pleasing for you, but it's not always what's best for your animals. Isn't Neoholothele incei a dwarf species?

 

[Smotzer]

Keeping them all in the same size enclosure might be convenient or aesthetically pleasing for you, but it's not always what's best for your animals. Isn't Neoholothele incei a dwarf species?

Yes it is and Davus pentaloris is smaller as well, the enclosure sizes mentioned would be too big for both of these species especially the Neoholothele incei

 

[Martsinsects]

Yes it is and Davus pentaloris is smaller as well, the enclosure sizes mentioned would be too big for both of these species especially the Neoholothele incei

Too big for what?

 

[Smotzer]

Too big for what?

The enclosure sizes you mentioned;

I was thinking about 30x30x30 or 40x30x30.

Are far too big for your Neoholothele incei and the Davus pentaloris. More like 15x15x10 would be better sizes for them. Are you aware that you have a dwarf and a smaller max size species that are unsuitable for something 4x their max size with a considerable fall risk? You want no more than 1.5x diagonal leg span (DLS) from substrate level to top of enclosure, which is not possible in those exo terra style enclosures. Do not use those enclosure for these species of any small or dwarf species for that matter.

When they grow up I want to keep them all in terrariums of the same size.

This is just not possible unless you want to ignore fall injury danger risks and house the inappropriately. Sorry if this sounds blunt, it’s just the direct truth.

 

[Martsinsects]

The enclosure sizes you mentioned;

Are far too big for your Neoholothele incei and the Davus pentaloris. More like 15x15x10 would be better sizes for them. Are you aware that you have a dwarf and a smaller max size species that are unsuitable for something 4x their max size with a considerable fall risk? You want no more than 1.5x diagonal leg span (DLS) from substrate level to top of enclosure, which is not possible in those exo terra style enclosures. Do not use those enclosure for these species of any small or dwarf species for that matter.

This is just not possible unless you want to ignore fall injury danger risks and house the inappropriately. Sorry if this sounds blunt, it’s just the direct truth.

I mean why would it be too big? In nature they have all space they want. as long as they cant fall or something

 

[Smotzer]

I mean why would it be too big? In nature they have all space they want. as long as they cant fall or something

Okay, it just is too big because it is just too big. tarantulas don’t use space if given it they stick to small spaces and hides and burrows and crevices in plant material, the scale and landscape of nature is not the same thing as an enclosure. For the species mentioned feeding will be much tougher due to lower predator prey reaction. If given too large of a space they will feel insecure, as they naturally do, and will be more reclusive. Smaller, appropriately sized enclosures will allow you too see it more, feed easier, and mange it’s life cycle as well as molt cycle much easier, and simply you’d be wasting your space on money on enclosures that are far too big for them, and There is an undeniable fall injury risk. You can dismiss that should you choose, but it will be better for all parties included if you just house them appropriately based on their max sizes, not a one size fits all, that’s bad husbandry. You are talking about housing a dwarf in a regular adult terrestrial sized dimension enclosure, that doesn’t make much sense.

 

[VaporRyder]

I keep my juvenile female incei in a 14 x 14 x 14 cm cube by Tarantula Room, and I honestly can’t see her needing anything much bigger. I *might* go to 20 x 20 x 20 in time, if I think she needs it.

As mentioned above, it can be unwise to give them too much space - I have rushed my young parahybana into an enclosure that’s too big and might put her (hopefully female) back into a smaller one, as her behaviour has changed. She will eventually need at least a 45 x 45 x 30 (I think).

Of course these two T’s are at extreme ends of the spectrum, and you could definitely keep similarly sized Ts with the same orientation (arboreal, terrestrial, fossorial) in a certain uniform size of enclosure as adults.

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

I mean why would it be too big? In nature they have all space they want. as long as they cant fall or something

In nature, they die from falls and other environmental hazards. In nature, they have random potential prey items wandering by regularly. In nature, they aren't in a box.

Is putting a dwarf in a too-big enclosure the worst thing you can possibly do? No. Is your animal likely to survive suboptimal conditions? Sure, plenty do. But here, where you've come for advice, there are many decades of collected experience in what *works best* for these animals. You can choose to ignore it, but it seems like a waste of a great resource.

 

[Stardust1986]

In nature, they die from falls and other environmental hazards. In nature, they have random potential prey items wandering by regularly. In nature, they aren't in a box.

Is putting a dwarf in a too-big enclosure the worst thing you can possibly do? No. Is your animal likely to survive suboptimal conditions? Sure, plenty do. But here, where you've come for advice, there are many decades of collected experience in what *works best* for these animals. You can choose to ignore it, but it seems like a waste of a great resource.

 

[Stardust1986]

I encountered a similar issue, I have a therophosa stirmi, basically one of the biggest Ts in the world, and they double in size with each molt, I required a bigger enclosure than she needed, to compensate for these big growth spurts. Normally, tarantulas dont need much space, they live their lives in a burrow, too big of an enclosure can make hunting more challenging and slow growth. I recommend only slightly more space than they need, and keep in mind species specific needs

 

[Dorifto]

The bigger the enclosure the hardest for them to find preys... and I raised my Ts since L5-6 in a 60x40x40 enclosure, so I know what I say.

Unless you have a vivarium like I did, with plenty of natural preys like isopods, earthworms... etc, it's not recommendable to have too big enclosures for your Ts, unless they were prepared to suit all the needs your Ts has, like plenty of food, hiding or darker places, water... etc. A bigger enclosure without such things will only stress or harm your T.