Green Bottle Blue - Naturalistic Enclosure

voterfraud

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 5, 2025
Messages
7
We have a (1” body, 2” leg span) GBB (Green Bottle Blue tarantula) named Sully, and we’re planning to rehouse him into a 12”x8”x6” acrylic enclosure. His current setup was designed for an arboreal species, so we think this change will suit him better. I know 12”x8”x6” might be a bit large, but since he’s already accustomed to a bigger space, I’d feel bad downsizing him too much. That said, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this sizing choice!

I’m struggling to find detailed info on GBB care beyond the usual bare-minimum setups. I’d like to recreate Sully’s natural habitat, which I understand is an arid environment where they typically live under shrubs or succulents. With that in mind, I have a few questions:

1. Substrate: What type of substrate or substrate mix would mimic his natural arid environment? What materials can I use to replicate it effectively?
2. Plants/Shrubs: What kinds of plants or shrubs are typical in a GBB’s natural habitat? Should I use real or fake plants to replicate this? I’m leaning toward fake plants to keep the enclosure drier, but I’m new to this and curious about what others recommend.
3. Additional Tips: Any other suggestions, concerns, or opinions on setting up this enclosure? I’m open to all feedback!

Thanks in advance for any advice you can share!
 
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Ratmosphere

Arachnoking
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12" x 8" x 6" is huge for a 1" sling...

Keep on dry coco fiber, put fake plants in, and a water dish.
 

Arachnophobphile

Arachnoprince
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Messages
1,147
We have a 1-inch GBB (Green Bottle Blue tarantula) named Sully, and we’re planning to rehouse him into a 12”x8”x6” acrylic enclosure. His current setup was designed for an arboreal species, so we think this change will suit him better. I know 12”x8”x6” might be a bit large, but since he’s already accustomed to a bigger space, I’d feel bad downsizing him too much. That said, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this sizing choice!

I’m struggling to find detailed info on GBB care beyond the usual bare-minimum setups. I’d like to recreate Sully’s natural habitat, which I understand is an arid environment where they typically live under shrubs or succulents. With that in mind, I have a few questions:

1. Substrate: What type of substrate or substrate mix would mimic his natural arid environment? What materials can I use to replicate it effectively?
2. Plants/Shrubs: What kinds of plants or shrubs are typical in a GBB’s natural habitat? Should I use real or fake plants to replicate this? I’m leaning toward fake plants to keep the enclosure drier, but I’m new to this and curious about what others recommend.
3. Additional Tips: Any other suggestions, concerns, or opinions on setting up this enclosure? I’m open to all feedback!

Thanks in advance for any advice you can share!
That size of enclosure is slightly too big for a 1 inch sling.

Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens are terrestrial not arboreal.

This is the only species in that genus discovered so far. They are unique as they have been discovered living in two types of climates, arid and humid. In one climate they utilize a tree to web up from the ground going 5 ft. up. and discovered living inside trees. In the other climate they live underground.

Their body structure is terrestrial not arboreally built. What is witnessed is adaptation not in body structure but survival technique.

For your 1 inch sling set the enclosure up for a terrestrial. That enclosure is too big for a 1 inch gbb. A small Kritter Keeper or slightly bigger will suffice. Slightly moisten a corner of the substrate. They do need some moisture at those sizes.

For mine I set it up like my other NW slings that were 1 inch. I did not use dry sub but let it dry out over time. I overflowed the water dish every once in a great while.

I've had mine since 11/11/2020 and is a 6 inch female.
 
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voterfraud

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 5, 2025
Messages
7
12" x 8" x 6" is huge for a 1" sling...

Keep on dry coco fiber, put fake plants in, and a water dish.
Just to be clear his leg span is about 2”, What size enclosure would you recommend? I would like something he can at least grow into and still have room to explore.
 

Arachnophobphile

Arachnoprince
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Dec 24, 2018
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Just to be clear his leg span is about 2”, What size enclosure would you recommend? I would like something he can at least grow into and still have room to explore.
You listed 1 inch but if it's 2 inches then a medium Kritter Keeper for size reference will work.
 

Arachnophobphile

Arachnoprince
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Yes, I just edited to clarify his size, his body is about 1”- sorry for the confusion
So diagonal leg span is 2 inches? DLS is the standard way of measuring a tarantula especially in determining appropriately sized enclosures. An enclosure should be 1.5 to 2 times the DLS for terrestrials.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
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Dec 8, 2006
Messages
19,053
We have a (1” body, 2” leg span) GBB (Green Bottle Blue tarantula) named Sully, and we’re planning to rehouse him into a 12”x8”x6” acrylic enclosure. His current setup was designed for an arboreal species, so we think this change will suit him better. I know 12”x8”x6” might be a bit large, but since he’s already accustomed to a bigger space, I’d feel bad downsizing him too much. That said, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this sizing choice!

I’m struggling to find detailed info on GBB care beyond the usual bare-minimum setups. I’d like to recreate Sully’s natural habitat, which I understand is an arid environment where they typically live under shrubs or succulents. With that in mind, I have a few questions:

1. Substrate: What type of substrate or substrate mix would mimic his natural arid environment? What materials can I use to replicate it effectively?
2. Plants/Shrubs: What kinds of plants or shrubs are typical in a GBB’s natural habitat? Should I use real or fake plants to replicate this? I’m leaning toward fake plants to keep the enclosure drier, but I’m new to this and curious about what others recommend.
3. Additional Tips: Any other suggestions, concerns, or opinions on setting up this enclosure? I’m open to all feedback!

Thanks in advance for any advice you can share!
Check out Rick West’s video on YouTube
 

BoyFromLA

Spoon feeder
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Joined
Oct 26, 2017
Messages
2,596
I’d like to recreate Sully’s natural habitat, which I understand is an arid environment where they typically live under shrubs or succulents.
Any other suggestions, concerns, or opinions on setting up this enclosure? I’m open to all feedback!
While it would be a nice attempt to recreate if not close to its natural living environment for it, but it won’t change the fact that it is in captivity.

That being said, the ones in captivity need to be kept distinctively from the ones in the wild.
 

Introvertebrate

Arachnoprince
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Dec 18, 2010
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I'm not sure I'd spend much time decorating for a spider that does it's own decorating. GBBs are prolific webbers aren't they?
 

Stemmy101

Arachnosquire
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Apr 12, 2020
Messages
96
I'm not sure I'd spend much time decorating for a spider that does it's own decorating. GBBs are prolific webbers aren't they?
I agree with @Introvertebrate , GBBs are very heavy webbers and may kill any live plants you decide to add. While I think live plants can be a nice touch, for this species I don't think it would be worth the effort. The T will likely just use the plants as anchor points for webbing
 

cold blood

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Your assessment of fake plants being best is a good one, no need to complicate things, especially for a species being kept dry. A kritter keeper is a better choice for the time being, I would go to the large one till it's at least 3".

As for substrate, any will work equally well....they web more than they burrow....but if natural is your goal, topsoil is your choice....after all, this is what is out in nature....no t lives on any of the other substrates we use in the hobby.
 

Brewser

RebAraneae
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Welcome Aboards,
Congratulations on Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens
Classic New World Goodness. :)
Gotta Like GBB, usually IAM ... ' In Attack Mode' ,
Enjoy,
 
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TheraMygale

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Mar 20, 2024
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1,305
GBBs can live in trees. If thats what they needed at the time. Not in the same sense arboreal as C versicolor, who needs this.

I have watched the videos where they were found in the wild in a tree hollows. Envirnoment was very dry. I think the tree hollow provided the ideal hide.

They are kept terrestrial in general.

People keep them dry because they are a species that are the rare few that can live in xeric envirnment.

This rule tarantula hobby has, is 3x diagonal leg span. When young, a tarantula kept in the small enclosures that fulfills needs, promotes growth.

To much space, and they focus on shielding themselves, vs feeding.
 

Moakmeister

Arachnodemon
Active Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2016
Messages
770
GBB enclosures are so fun to set up and plan for. I just redid my AF's enclosure this weekend. I need to post pictures.

Basically what you need to make sure of is to provide lots of little things for them to anchor their webs to - this will inspire them to web a lot more than if those weren't there. For your own enjoyment, try and place them so the spider will shape complex structures with their webs. I love when they have lots of tunnels. Something I do is hot glue the cork bark and fake plants to the walls and floor of the enclosure to make sure they stay where they are, because otherwise, they'll get knocked down or fall over. I made sure to do that this time - Elsa's previous enclosure wasn't glued at all, and the fake plants fell over and she just made a boring web floor on top of everything.

12x8x6 is indeed way too big for a 2 inch sling. That's almost as big as my AF G. pulchripes's enclosure. Both you and the spider will get much more fulfillment out of an enclosure that's probably 6x4x4. Have fun!
 
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