First T - a juvenile G. pulchra. Would love some pointers.

[Sauga Bound]

I am Sauga Bound, a lifetime lover of animals who decided to care for my first tarantula.



I just got my first T, quite late in life - an adorable juvenile female grammostola pulchra named Noche. She’s about a year old, quite small, bluish black and sexed via her last (fifth) molt by the breeder. When I first saw her, she looked so small and delicate that I couldn’t help but want to protect and care for her. It feels like such a privilege to have the opportunity to see her grow to an adult over the next 6-7 years.



Right now I have her in a medium-size Exoterra enclosure with plenty of substrate, some sphagnum, a large coconut shell hide, a small buffalo skull, as well as some leaves and other dried plant parts for aesthetics. I have her adult enclosure coming from Tarantula Cribs, but it will be at least a year before she’s big enough for it. I already have lots of cool stuff for it, and am going to make it as bioactive as possible, with real plants, grasses, moss, succulents, in a coco husk substrate laced with perlite and a good dose of worm castings to fertilize the plants.



I’d love to get some feedback on my setup. Noche hasn’t eaten since I brought her home and moved her to her new enclosure three days ago, but I’ve read enough to know not to worry too much about that. I offer her food every day ( I have meal worms and discoid roaches) but remove it if she’s not interested. I’ve had to dig up meal worms that had started to burrow twice, lol.



When I first set up the enclosure, I didn’t feel that I used enough substrate, so I added another inch or more, right up to the bottom of the ventilation holes. I have a Tarantula Crib coming in the mail, for her adult home, but for now this Exoterra fuanarium is doing nicely. The later pictures show the increase in substrate, which is important because today she’s climbing the walls, testing all the vent holes with her little legs reaching for freedom, haha.

The photo quality will improve. I have a Canon 80d and a 100mm macro lens. These are just some snaps with the phone.

 

[kingshockey]

ditch all that junk in its cage too many places for feeders to hide and escape your notice when they are refused. replace that coco nut shell with a cork wood flatand add enough dirt to reach the bottom of those vent slots then it can actually dig a burrow under the cork flat

 

[Gevo]

Beautiful Noche, and nice to meet you, Sauga!

The enclosure is a little bigger and busier than some keepers would use with a pulchra of this size, but I also have my 2-inch pulchra in a slightly larger enclosure with some cork bark, fake plants, and moss, and he's fine in there. I do have to take a bit more care to make sure he eats, which you may have to do with Noche. I occasionally feed hornworms or silkworms, which are easy because they don't travel much or burrow, and Luca usually takes them quickly, but if I'm feeding a cricket and Luca hides when I open the enclosure or he misses the cricket on first pounce, it can take a little longer for him to hunt it down because it can hide in the plants or moss for a while, so that's the caveat. You always want to know what happens to your feeders so you can remove them if needed.

Cork bark is a favourite because it's lightweight, easy to burrow under, and doesn't tend to mold, but you can see if Noche uses the coconut hide.

The skull can be a fall risk due to it being hard and having sharp edges, even with a small distance between it and the top, so that's a consideration.

This is a beautiful enclosure and a beautiful tarantula--just keep an eye out and do what's best for Noche and be prepared to reduce clutter if she has trouble getting her food or you have trouble seeing where the food goes, or to switch the hide if it seems like she'd prefer something else.

 

[fcat]

Pick the most dangerous spot in your enclosure and imagine your T molting there. I speak from experience. I would ditch that skull.

Sometimes I use moss to help retain humidity, sometimes I use it as padding or even just for looks....but most of the time I use it as a deterrent...because most of them don't like it. You can always let her decide....she will put stuff in her water dish for no good reason at all....but I bet it's moss.

She's so dang cute. 5 molts though? As in ever? She seems huge (but I've never raiseda G pulchra from an early instar)

 

[Sauga Bound]

Thanks for the feedback. I’ll consider removing the skull for now. Sometimes she hides in it, but if some think it will be a hazard to her…I obviously don’t want that. It’s be designed for reptile/tarantula enclosures, so it’s very light, but I don’t want it interfering with her chasing down prey or molting. I’ve raised the substrate to just below the ventilation holes, and most of the moss is behind the coconut shell, where there is very little space. I’ll remove some of the plant material that could get in her way or make it easier for prey to hide.

I am using meal worms as my main food because that’s what the breeder was using, but I’ve had to dig one up already when it started to burrow. I crushed its head the second time, and it kept wriggling for a while, but she still didn’t show interest. I also have discoid roaches, which I thought might stimulate her feeding response more, but didn’t. The thing is, she’s spending most of her time climbing the sides and inside of the lid, probing for a way out. Hopefully she’ll come down to the ground and start exploring there. I’d rather her use the coconut shell as a hide than have to get cork bark for the same purpose, but I will if necessary.

 

[Gevo]

Give her some time. They can take a while to settle in. They don’t see well, so they get a sense of place by slowly exploring and mapping their new territory by touch, so the climbing is common to see for a while after a rehouse. They can also fast for long periods of time, which can feel a bit freaky at first!

 

[kingshockey]

you will love watching it run all crazy to pounce on a cricket after its settled and got some webbing laid around

 

[viper69]

pointer- research on the forum here

 

[cold blood]

Don't worry about it not eating, fat ts do not need food, your t is fat.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

I am Sauga Bound, a lifetime lover of animals who decided to care for my first tarantula.



I just got my first T, quite late in life - an adorable juvenile female grammostola pulchra named Noche. She’s about a year old, quite small, bluish black and sexed via her last (fifth) molt by the breeder. When I first saw her, she looked so small and delicate that I couldn’t help but want to protect and care for her. It feels like such a privilege to have the opportunity to see her grow to an adult over the next 6-7 years.



Right now I have her in a medium-size Exoterra enclosure with plenty of substrate, some sphagnum, a large coconut shell hide, a small buffalo skull, as well as some leaves and other dried plant parts for aesthetics. I have her adult enclosure coming from Tarantula Cribs, but it will be at least a year before she’s big enough for it. I already have lots of cool stuff for it, and am going to make it as bioactive as possible, with real plants, grasses, moss, succulents, in a coco husk substrate laced with perlite and a good dose of worm castings to fertilize the plants.



I’d love to get some feedback on my setup. Noche hasn’t eaten since I brought her home and moved her to her new enclosure three days ago, but I’ve read enough to know not to worry too much about that. I offer her food every day ( I have meal worms and discoid roaches) but remove it if she’s not interested. I’ve had to dig up meal worms that had started to burrow twice, lol.



When I first set up the enclosure, I didn’t feel that I used enough substrate, so I added another inch or more, right up to the bottom of the ventilation holes. I have a Tarantula Crib coming in the mail, for her adult home, but for now this Exoterra fuanarium is doing nicely. The later pictures show the increase in substrate, which is important because today she’s climbing the walls, testing all the vent holes with her little legs reaching for freedom, haha.

The photo quality will improve. I have a Canon 80d and a 100mm macro lens. These are just some snaps with the phone.

Pointer #1

Tarantula Information for Beginners (and More)

Below are some helpful resources. (Rather than having half a dozen or more pinned threads, which clutter the top of the board, we are pinning this index.) While the focus is on beginners, there are other threads on health and more advanced species that may be useful to more experienced keepers...

arachnoboards.com

 

[Gevo]

How do I search the forum for a critique of my setup? Or should I just focus on the critiques of other peoples’ past setups? I could also read the sticky I was recommended, which I’ve been through more than once. Between searching the forum and using the stickies, I guess there’s no point posting anything since someone has surely posted about it before.

I asked a specific question about my enclosure, got good feedback, and adjusted. I will use the search function when I have general questions. Thanks for your help.

Your post was a good way to solicit feedback on your setup. You had a clear title, let us know what species it is, described what you've been doing, explained what your plans are, and provided pictures. Much, much better than a grainy photo, vague title, and "is it good?" as the whole post, or a post where there's clearly been no prior research done and a 1-inch terrestrial sling is in an 18-inch high arboreal setup or something, which we do get a lot around here!

I'm also a newer tarantula keeper, and I understand the excitement and anticipation of doing all the research you can but still wanting to know if your setup is good and get some personalized feedback in case there's something you missed.

One area of research in the forums I would suggest would be the planted enclosure you plan to create for the adult setup. You have more time than you think, though! G. pulchra are notoriously slow-growing (though some people will occasionally report that theirs has bucked the trend). My Luca is about the same size as Noche, and I've had him for a year. He molted around the summer solstice, and he hardly gained any size in that molt, maybe a quarter inch or so. I'm not expecting to have to rehouse him for probably 2 or 3 more years at least.

I've been interested in planted enclosures myself because I'm also an avid plant-keeper, but there's a wide range of opinions out there, and it would be good to delve into that as much as possible before you settle on your next setup. There's a "Housing" section of the forum that has lots and lots of discussion on vivariums and terrariums and on live plants. It's a balancing act, where sometimes the plants and spider need different things, so it can be challenging to keep the plants alive for long (plus, G. pulchra is a species that likes to excavate and move dirt around sometimes and may uproot live plants). Also, keeping plants in an open-air environment is very different than keeping them in a terrarium environment, the latter of which is more challenging to maintain arid conditions in if the plants and soil aren't selected carefully. So, that's an area of research the forums could help out with.

 

[Sauga Bound]

Your post was a good way to solicit feedback on your setup. You had a clear title, let us know what species it is, described what you've been doing, explained what your plans are, and provided pictures. Much, much better than a grainy photo, vague title, and "is it good?" as the whole post, or a post where there's clearly been no prior research done and a 1-inch terrestrial sling is in an 18-inch high arboreal setup or something, which we do get a lot around here!

I'm also a newer tarantula keeper, and I understand the excitement and anticipation of doing all the research you can but still wanting to know if your setup is good and get some personalized feedback in case there's something you missed.

One area of research in the forums I would suggest would be the planted enclosure you plan to create for the adult setup. You have more time than you think, though! G. pulchra are notoriously slow-growing (though some people will occasionally report that theirs has bucked the trend). My Luca is about the same size as Noche, and I've had him for a year. He molted around the summer solstice, and he hardly gained any size in that molt, maybe a quarter inch or so. I'm not expecting to have to rehouse him for probably 2 or 3 more years at least.

I've been interested in planted enclosures myself because I'm also an avid plant-keeper, but there's a wide range of opinions out there, and it would be good to delve into that as much as possible before you settle on your next setup. There's a "Housing" section of the forum that has lots and lots of discussion on vivariums and terrariums and on live plants. It's a balancing act, where sometimes the plants and spider need different things, so it can be challenging to keep the plants alive for long (plus, G. pulchra is a species that likes to excavate and move dirt around sometimes and may uproot live plants). Also, keeping plants in an open-air environment is very different than keeping them in a terrarium environment, the latter of which is more challenging to maintain arid conditions in if the plants and soil aren't selected carefully. So, that's an area of research the forums could help out with.

I appreciate the advice and for sharing your experience. Thank-you to everyone who has taken the time to make meaningful comments and criticism of my setup.

You’re absolutely right that my Tarantula Crib probably won’t be a crib for a couple years, which gives me lots of time to research the kind of setup I’m thinking of. I will absolutely do that.

Update: Since yesterday, I removed everything but the water dish and coconut shell hide, and put even more substrate so that it never dips more than 1/2 cm below the vent holes. With her size, even if she fell from the very top, it would be a little less than twice her leg span to the ground. As for the wee buffalo skull, I‘ve seen so many enclosures with skulls it’s basically cliché, and also a cool decorative touch. But I removed it. I’ll save it for her adult enclosure, where there is more space.

Besides that, I made a stupid mistake last night, offered her a tiny discoid roach and promptly lost track of it. She didn’t eat it, but it managed to camouflage itself and burrow. Hopefully it reappears so she can grab it or I can remove it. She last molted a month ago, so I’m not too worried about her molting imminently.

Update #2: I checked on her this evening, and who did I find chilling near her hide but that sneaky discoid roach. I grabbed the tongs, opened the door, snagged it in one go, crushed its head and put it back, she wasn’t interested, so I removed it after a couple hours. Still, happy I got it out and I know it’s just her in there again.

 

[Wolfram1]

personally i much prefer less clutter in my enclosures, if you see burrows in the wild, they usually clear the space around their entrance. They also burrow beneath rocks, logs etc. so unlike the coconut, which is hollow and dome shaped inside, i would try to provide something large enough it can burrow under

as is, it will use the stuff you have to hide from bright light etc. but none of it replaces a real burrow. A large cork flat could do that for her.

that said, it will do fine even if it doesn't get the chance to create one, they are very adaptable and will make use of anything you provide.



additionally, if you do decide to give her a cork-flat she may need some more dirt to be able to properly expand her starter burrow

i would dich the moss and non structural clutter, as it neither provides shelter, nor is there a necessity for additional moisture, the soil will hold all the water you need

in terms of plants, coco-coir is not the best media to grow them in and i would advise against it unless you have years of experience caring for a house plant collection as well, its too easy to mess up and not worth the risk or added complexity

good luck

PS. i see you already did most of what the others suggested, good job

 

[Brewser]

Welcome to A Boards,
Congratulations on Noche, Beautiful & Healthy looking G. pulchra.
Great Advice as previously stated above.
All the Best,

 

[Dorifto]

I am Sauga Bound, a lifetime lover of animals who decided to care for my first tarantula.



I just got my first T, quite late in life - an adorable juvenile female grammostola pulchra named Noche. She’s about a year old, quite small, bluish black and sexed via her last (fifth) molt by the breeder. When I first saw her, she looked so small and delicate that I couldn’t help but want to protect and care for her. It feels like such a privilege to have the opportunity to see her grow to an adult over the next 6-7 years.



Right now I have her in a medium-size Exoterra enclosure with plenty of substrate, some sphagnum, a large coconut shell hide, a small buffalo skull, as well as some leaves and other dried plant parts for aesthetics. I have her adult enclosure coming from Tarantula Cribs, but it will be at least a year before she’s big enough for it. I already have lots of cool stuff for it, and am going to make it as bioactive as possible, with real plants, grasses, moss, succulents, in a coco husk substrate laced with perlite and a good dose of worm castings to fertilize the plants.



I’d love to get some feedback on my setup. Noche hasn’t eaten since I brought her home and moved her to her new enclosure three days ago, but I’ve read enough to know not to worry too much about that. I offer her food every day ( I have meal worms and discoid roaches) but remove it if she’s not interested. I’ve had to dig up meal worms that had started to burrow twice, lol.



When I first set up the enclosure, I didn’t feel that I used enough substrate, so I added another inch or more, right up to the bottom of the ventilation holes. I have a Tarantula Crib coming in the mail, for her adult home, but for now this Exoterra fuanarium is doing nicely. The later pictures show the increase in substrate, which is important because today she’s climbing the walls, testing all the vent holes with her little legs reaching for freedom, haha.

The photo quality will improve. I have a Canon 80d and a 100mm macro lens. These are just some snaps with the phone.

The best thing you can do, and it´s something that will change your puchra´s behaviour to the better it´s to provide a good substrate. With a good substrate I usually mean plain topsoil (peat and clay based ones). They thend to constantly rearrange loose substrate, probably to avoid collapses etc, so giving them a good compact soil it´s a very good point to start from.

Ditch the surface moss, better to use some crunched leafs... etc. you can use that moss around the water dish to provide an additional moist spot. They tend to keep their entrances and wandering areas quite clean of loose stuff, so if you remove it from the start, less work for them.

You mentioned bioactive, plants... and then tarantula cribs, well I´m sorry, but acrylic and planted usually ends badly, since acrylic tends to warp under moisture (moisture gradients), and warping equals to gaps, and gaps equal to escaping points...so if your goal is to build a fully planted setup, I´d personally opt for a glass enclosure, something like a european style one or a modded fish tank, something with plenty of ventilation.

Space wise, don´t worry, you can raise it in a even bigger enclosure, always that it has is basic needs fullfilled, that means proper conditions and plenty access to food and moisture to hydrate from. Also it will help you to mitigate any unwanted mistakes related to the enclosure´s maintenance, any excess of moisture (too much humidity) etc.

As you mentioned if your goal is to go planted, I´d start getting a bag of topsoil, and I´d start monitoring (visually or not) how it behaves, how it spreads the moisture, how long it retains it, how fast the top layer starts to dry compared to bottom one etc... all of this to addjust your husbandry to keep it perfect. After some time, then start adding some plants, they like plants that provide hides, not plants that are a hindrance, something that offers some coverage, shades etc. useless plants will be surely removed.

but please, do not use clay balls....


Feel free asking any questions, but first, take a good look to the forum, there is plenty of information available, and reading it will help you much more than you think

 

[Sauga Bound]

Noche finally got a cricket! She wasn’t eating mealworms or discoid roaches, so I went and bought twenty small crickets, and the stupid thing went hopping right on by her and she nailed him So fast I barely saw it!

To Wolfram and Dorifto, thanks for your advice, but if you read my post from last Wednesday, I had already made the necessary changes, removing everything but the hide and water dish, and added a lot more substrate. I also moved the water dish to a spot where it’s much easier to change. The enclosure looks quite empty compared to others I see for terrestrial species, but I’ll see how things go and maybe add a few elements back when I change her substrate in the spring.

As for the type of substrate, I’m going to continue with coco bark for now and consult with the breeder when I change her substrate in the spring.

This is how it looks now:

 

[Gevo]

Glad to hear it! I’ve never tried discoid roaches, but crickets are always a favourite around my house and are never refused unless someone’s fasting.

 

[Sauga Bound]

Noche‘s behavior is confusing me. She is obviously stressed, but I don’t know why. I’ve had her for two weeks, but it seems like my efforts are in vain.

She was finally settling a bit, eating crickets and spending her time on the ground. She’s never used the coconut hide, but made herself comfortable next to it for the whole week. Meanwhile, I bought a piece of cork that would make a great burrow and carried on. I didn’t plan to add the cork right away and wanted to give her time to start using the coconut as a hide. She never did, but everything seemed fine until this morning.

When I woke up and checked on Noche this morning, she had climbed up the to the top of the enclosure and was desperately trying to get out, flailing her little legs. Besides that, she had started eating crickets last weekend, and took them down like a pro, but is now terrified of her food, scurrying all over her enclosure to get away from the tiny cricket. It was just sad.

I decided to bite the bullet and removed the coconut shell to give her a proper hide. I feel like I have everything dialed in, but por Noche is still unhappy, climbing the sides and top of her enclosure. She’s standing on the wet corner right now. Anyhow, I’m going to post photos of my current setup. I think I have everything dialed in, but please let me know if you see any problems. I really appreciate it.

 

[kingshockey]

Noche‘s behavior is confusing me. She is obviously stressed, but I don’t know why. I’ve had her for two weeks, but it seems like my efforts are in vain.

She was finally settling a bit, eating crickets and spending her time on the ground. She’s never used the coconut hide, but made herself comfortable next to it for the whole week. Meanwhile, I bought a create piece of cork that would make a great burrow and carried on. I didn’t plan to add the cork right away and wanted to give her time to start using the coconut as a hide. She never did, but everything seemed fine until this morning.

When I woke up and checked on Noche this morning, she had climbed up the to the top of the enclosure and was desperately trying to get out, flailing her little legs. Besides that, she had started eating crickets last weekend, and took them down like a pro, but is now terrified of her food, scurrying all over her enclosure to get away from the tiny cricket. It was just sad.

I decided to bite the bullet and removed the coconut shell to give her a proper hide. I feel like I have everything dialed in, but por Noche is still unhappy. She’s standing on the wet corner right now. Anyhow, I’m going to post photos of my current setup. I think I have everything dialed in, but please let me know if you see any problems. I really appreciate it.

1st off your t doesnt look stressed out if it was it would be all scrunched in a corner of the cage its legs all drawn up tight to protect its head . in the picture it looks to me like its just resting in the funny way they do at times.2 your t looks chubby already so its probably full not hungry or in pre molt now. so you just try offering food again in a week or 2. 3 the hide you have now is like a cavern it doesnt look like the cage you have it in offers enough depth to bury that hide partially so it can dig under it. not a big deal just allow it to do its exploring and it will settle down on its own it might still use that hide as it is perching ontop or hiding under it as is or under it.so just be patient no need to change things again to begin its settling into its cage cycle all over again. also all ts try to escape so stop over thinking things like worrying about if its happy cause when you get right down to it nothing human or animal is happy locked up in a cage. suggest you read up and learn the premolt signs. good luck

 

[Sauga Bound]

She last molted six weeks ago, before she was in my care. It was her fifth molt in a year (and the one she was sexed with), but I’m not sure if she’s already due another.
regardless, I’m not overly concerned about her molt and pre-molt stages. I leave her alone except to change her water dish and occasionally toss in a cricket.

The photo I posted of her was from the day before she started behaving strangely. Now she’s huddled in the top corner of the enclosure, with only her abdomen visible.