First Tarantula Setup Questions

[comraderob]

This is my first tarantula and I am looking for feedback on my setup. I have had it for a week now. The store said it is an Avic but did not specify the species.

 

[viper69]

Too large, use a 32 oz deli cup, save that box for later. Leaves are a great place for crix to hide too, I'd get ride of those. I use the KISS method

Look around the AB forums here for what people do. And before you design it, ask, or drop the t in a new setup, and post in the proper forum.

 

[cold blood]

Looks ok for a first time....live plants arent the best choice.......they require too much moisture; they grow too slowly to give the cover needed and they get webbed up and often destroyed by ts.

It might be a little large, but of you add enough elevated plants covering the top of the wood, you should be ok, its not like you have a sling or anything.

I agree on the ground clutter, remove that, you really want the ground clean and clear of things that give feeders a place to hide indefinitely.

There should really also be a row of vent holes along the bottom at or just above the substrate.....this will help promote air movement....if your venting is just at the top, it can cause the bottom to stagnate a bit....which wont be good.

 

[comraderob]

Too large, use a 32 oz deli cup, save that box for later. Leaves are a great place for crix to hide too, I'd get ride of those. I use the KISS method

Look around the AB forums here for what people do. And before you design it, ask, or drop the t in a new setup, and post in the proper forum.

I would really like to make something that is pretty to look at (one of the conditions my girlfriend gave me because she’s scared of them in the first place), do you think a 6x6x9 arboreal enclosure would be too big? I can get a deli cup quicker, but do you think it’s absolutely necessary to move it into something smaller in the week between now and payday or do you think it would be fine for a second week in there? Also noted on the leaves I’ve already removed them.

 

[viper69]

I would really like to make something that is pretty to look at (one of the conditions my girlfriend gave me because she’s scared of them in the first place), do you think a 6x6x9 arboreal enclosure would be too big? I can get a deli cup quicker, but do you think it’s absolutely necessary to move it into something smaller in the week between now and payday or do you think it would be fine for a second week in there? Also noted on the leaves I’ve already removed them.

1. Trade in your gf for model 2.0- case solved. I head that "pretty to look" at crap too, tell her to shut it. That your cherished pet's LIFE is dependent upon YOU doing the RIGHT thing, not what is convenient for her eyeballs.. If you do change to smaller setup, that she doesn't like (TOO BAD), and remind her of what I said, and that as it gets larger it will go into a nicer looking setup.

2. There's a variety of reasons people recommend smaller setups. The primary one for me (there are others) is larger setups decrease prey/predator interactions. Ts in large boxes don't find prey as well as small container, the same is true for large Ts in very large boxes, that's just geometry. Avics don't always search down below either. So if your crix are all on the sub crawling around, your small Avic may or may not notice them. Which means it's up to YOU to make sure it eats!! Most people aren't that patient or observant "oh I think he ate/I'm not sure", that's what I see here. You could keep a T in your 3,0000 sq foot home, running wild, and it will die because you cannot provide it enough insects that will randomly bump into your T for it to eat before it dies.

Can't tell you what it is too big w/out knowing its DLS. Measure it.

You can wait. Read my Avic link, come back with specific questions.

Also, live plants are a waste, they look great, but a waste in the end, less so for Avics, more so for chronic heavy webbers. I tried live plants decades ago and ended up with a plant covered in webbing. Don't get me wrong, many Avics use live plant's leaves in the wild as they mature.

 

[TheraMygale]

1. Trade in your gf for model 2.0- case solved. I head that "pretty to look" at crap too, tell her to shut it. That your cherished pet's LIFE is dependent upon YOU doing the RIGHT thing, not what is convenient for her eyeballs.. If you do change to smaller setup, that she doesn't like (TOO BAD), and remind her of what I said, and that as it gets larger it will go into a nicer looking setup.

2. There's a variety of reasons people recommend smaller setups. The primary one for me (there are others) is larger setups decrease prey/predator interactions. Ts in large boxes don't find prey as well as small container, the same is true for large Ts in very large boxes, that's just geometry. Avics don't always search down below either. So if your crix are all on the sub crawling around, your small Avic may or may not notice them. Which means it's up to YOU to make sure it eats!! Most people aren't that patient or observant "oh I think he ate/I'm not sure", that's what I see here. You could keep a T in your 3,0000 sq foot home, running wild, and it will die because you cannot provide it enough insects that will randomly bump into your T for it to eat before it dies.

Can't tell you what it is too big w/out knowing its DLS. Measure it.

You can wait. Read my Avic link, come back with specific questions.

Also, live plants are a waste, they look great, but a waste in the end, less so for Avics, more so for chronic heavy webbers. I tried live plants decades ago and ended up with a plant covered in webbing. Don't get me wrong, many Avics use live plant's leaves in the wild as they mature.

At first, i thought, maybe they dont have a gf and maybe dont play that card. Then i realized they do have a gf! Its even better then i thought.

but i think the gf would definitely like a small enclosure.

that would benifit both. Thats my comment. Smaller is better. And cuter.

if it survives, get your gf to choose decor.

it only needs a really nice expensive piece of cork and plastic plants. Your gf can choose it at michaels.
Doesnt matter the plant. As long as it provided a hide. It can be magnolias or tulips, in plastic.

i see a win win here.

for now, your tarantula will not thrive in bigger. Keep the enclosure. But for now, put it in smaller.

add flowers later, when its big. It will look amazing. Fake plants for the win.

for the record, you did your research. But your sling is too small for all that space. Feeding will problematic, and yeah no. Smaller. Just do it. And read our boards, you will understand.

 

[viper69]

if it survives, get your gf to choose decor.

bad idea based on his post. her input is not required.

 

[TheraMygale]

bad idea based on his post. her input is not required.

its not. But they mentionned her. Which led me to think it mattered to them. Which is why i tried to turn it around.

this op can make a good enclosure with the tarantulas need.

i do get your point and i think i get where you are coming from.Tarantula comes first.

but when it comes down to plastic plants, they can choose flowers.

and its a win win.

in my home, i am the tarantula carekeeper. I am female. And i care not for aesthetics. This concept is foreign to me. Its dirt, bark and crickets. The end.

i dont have avics yet. Maybe one day. But i like tiny tarantulas in dirt!

i like flowers in my offerings to Gods. They care more.

to @comraderob, your gf will never handle the tarantulas and neither will you. Get yourself a gf who loves tarantulas. Its less maintenance. Oups?

drop the live plants when its big. Put fake flowers. Your gf will marry you.

 

[viper69]

its not. But they mentionned her. Which led me to think it mattered to them. Which is why i tried to turn it around.

this op can make a good enclosure with the tarantulas need.

i do get your point and i think i get where you are coming from.Tarantula comes first.

but when it comes down to plastic plants, they can choose fowers.

and its a win win.

in my home, i am the tarantula carekeeper. I am female. And i care not for aesthetics. This concept is foreign to me. Its dirt, bark and crickets. The end.

i dont have avics yet. Maybe one day. But i like tiny tarantulas in dirt!

i like flowers in my offerings to Gods. They care more.

to @comraderob, your gf will never handle the tarantulas and neither will you. Get yourself a gf who loves tarantulas. Its less maintenance. Oups?

drop the live plants when its big. Put fake flowers. Your gf will marry you.

Pets first, all else is second including human animals and their emotions

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Pets first, all else is second including human animals and their emotions

plus if she goes crazy with decorating the prey items can hide pretty well.
I’ll add basic enclosures work fine for me , I haven’t bothered going and buying fake plants. Now for arboreals I would add some in but that’s different.
For terrestrials I put small amounts of moss in my enclosure not enough for stuff to hide Under.

 

[TheraMygale]

plus if she goes crazy with decorating the prey items can hide pretty well.
I’ll add basic enclosures work fine for me , I haven’t bothered going and buying fake plants. Now for arboreals I would add some in but that’s different.
For terrestrials I put small amounts of moss in my enclosure not enough for stuff to hide Under.

We can say what we have learned or experienced. After that, we cant chose for the keeper, thats up to them.

i hate hiding places. I cant always put prey in front of my tarantula. Sometimes they are meditating or something and just not there in their body. Thats my preference: low maintenance.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

2” inverted Amac Box for sling:

4” inverted Amac Box for juvie:

I have my subadult in a 6” enclosure.

 

[spydermatt01]

View attachment 484348
This is my first tarantula and I am looking for feedback on my setup. I have had it for a week now. The store said it is an Avic but did not specify the species.

Setup looks nice one thing with arboreals is they do like to hunt so i know alot of people say the enclosure is too big but look at them in the wild the space is unlimited and they survive if the prey items die in the enclosure then you can just pluck them out and you can also add some spring tails or isopods to clean up the mould growth and will also benefit the plant in there

 

[TheraMygale]

2” inverted Amac Box for sling:
View attachment 484604
4” inverted Amac Box for juvie:
View attachment 484605
I have my subadult in a 6” enclosure.

how you did the water bowl is awesome. I dont watch many videos etc. I have just seen ppl “glueing” and thought it was really bad idea.

this is GREAT idea.

when i get my first avic, i am doing thing for the water bowl.

and your avic is looking like a healthy avic!

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

how you did the water bowl is awesome. I dont watch many videos etc. I have just seen ppl “glueing” and thought it was really bad idea.

this is GREAT idea.

when i get my first avic, i am doing thing for the water bowl.

and your avic is looking like a healthy avic!

Thanks! It takes a special kind of crazy to sand that piece of cork down super thin and shaped, lol. I didn’t like that glued in idea either. Word from experience though, one of my heavy webbing Avics has hers encased, so no getting it out to change the dish easily.
Unfortunately my lovely diversepes there is the one with the sucking stomach issue. She keeps trying to drink. :.-(
Wanted to show OP can you can make nice looking enclosures on the cheap.

 

[TheraMygale]

Thanks! It takes a special kind of crazy to sand that piece of cork down super thin and shaped, lol. I didn’t like that glued in idea either. Word from experience though, one of my heavy webbing Avics has hers encased, so no getting it out to change the dish easily.
Unfortunately my lovely diversepes there is the one with the sucking stomach issue. She keeps trying to drink. :.-(
Wanted to show OP can you can make nice looking enclosures on the cheap.

Its sound solid advice. Bad things happen to the best of keepers. Your cork water bowl idea tops EVERY thing i could have seen from tom moran so far. And beyond.

i have seen “affirned top keepers” glueing stuff. How can you keep that clean? Just means either you dont need to, or what? Its a bad word really. I rinse my stuff. But just pouring water over feces in the long term will be problem.

you obviously got that and others do to. Estheticaly, or whatever this new term aestheticaly… whats it worth?

a human keeps same glass: pours milkshakes, meat, alcohol in it. Never cleaning it. You mean to tell me that thing never gets gross? Or a festering pool for the bad mold? Tss. We are not fools.

Glue the cork bark holder is the smart way. Adapt your enclosure is the smart way.

these are tarantulas. Not hamsters. There is no one size fits all.

i might have gotten a litte passionate there. But logic is logic.

its not some kind of crazy, although it is validating. I love crazy. I am Crazy.

You sanded that cork because you are intelligent. And passionate. Thats a possibility too. And i dont know you, so i have no care or use to praise you.

its just common sense.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

Its sound solid advice. Bad things happen to the best of keepers. Your cork water bowl idea tops EVERY thing i could have seen from tom moran so far. And beyond.

i have seen “affirned top keepers” glueing stuff. How can you keep that clean? Just means either you dont need to, or what? Its a bad word really. I rinse my stuff. But just pouring water over feces in the long term will be problem.

you obviously got that and others do to. Estheticaly, or whatever this new term aestheticaly… whats it worth?

a human keeps same glass: pours milkshakes, meat, alcohol in it. Never cleaning it. You mean to tell me that thing never gets gross? Or a festering pool for the bad mold? Tss. We are not fools.

Glue the cork bark holder is the smart way. Adapt your enclosure is the smart way.

these are tarantulas. Not hamsters. There is no one size fits all.

i might have gotten a litte passionate there. But logic is logic.

its not some kind of crazy, although it is validating. I love crazy. I am Crazy.

You sanded that cork because you are intelligent. And passionate. Thats a possibility too. And i dont know you, so i have no care or use to praise you.

its just common sense.

Why thank you very much for your kind words. I’ve thought the same thing about gluing them in. Gross! BUT, I did glue a gallon jug top on the top of my AF irminia’s “tree”….and then stuck a .5oz condiment cup in it. This is where the idea started. I can change the cup, and the glued in top keeps it up there. And yes, I’ve seen her use it. She has a bigger water dish on the ground that she loves to traipse through, too. I’ll likely wrap a fake leaf around that blue at some point to blend in better.
The cork bark water dish holders aren’t glued in there though. There are super strong tiny magnets in them. I pull the holder down by the outside magnet to easily replace the cup.
I like to make things.

 

[Matt Man]

I like to use this analogy in regards to large cages and small Ts. I'm gonna give you $25 and drop you in Central Park. I'm gonna tell you there's a hot dog vendor somewhere. A) You have the means to get food. B) there is food available. But you 2 may never meet.
Proper humidity for the plant can be fatal for the T.

2” inverted Amac Box for sling:
View attachment 484604
4” inverted Amac Box for juvie:
View attachment 484605
I have my subadult in a 6” enclosure.

nicely done. Water dish appears to be a tattoo cup, yes?
5 stars on concept to delivery

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

nicely done. Water dish appears to be a tattoo cup, yes?
5 stars on concept to delivery

Thank you! It is a medium sized tattoo cup on the smaller one, but I’m using the large ones on the juvie sized boxes now. There’s also a porthole on the left side there you can almost make out. All of mine are in my living room, so creating something with both functionality and form is my focus.