Help ASAP please

[Unregistered]

Hi everyone, ive just recieved my new spider, a giant white knee (A.Geniculata). She is only 2 inches or so big and as i thought she was larger i purchased a 10 gallon aquarium and an appropriate sized flower pot to hide in for a 4 inch++ spider. Also my water dish is about 4 inches across which is much to large. Will my little tarantula be okay in a 10 gallon aquarium with high walls? or is she light enough so that if she fell she would be okay. Also the flowerpot is probabaly too large for her to feel secure. Let me know if she'll be okay in the 10 gallon setup i have made for her(temp 80, humidity 78-80% which is good for her species) or if i need to downsize to a 5 gallon. She is still in the deli cup i got her in, she'll be okay in there for a while right?

Perhaps im just a paranoid owner of a new and exciting pet

Thanks in advance

Mark

 

[MrDeranged]

Hey Mark,

Congrats on your new addition. A 10 Gallon tank is much too large for a spider of that size. IMO, I would say a 5 gallon tank might be too much at that size. You may want to downsize to a 2 1/2 gallon tank for now. One thing with A. geniculata (Giant White Knees) they are terrestrial. As such, for the safety of your T, you should have the substrate high enough that the T can touch the top of the enclosure from the substrate if it stretched out. This will reduce the likelyhood of it injuring itself in a fall if it decides to climb or getting itself hung up on the top of the cage. Your T should be fine in the deli cup until you can get the appropriate enclosure set up for it.

 

[Unregistered]

Thanks alot, I will definately downsize to a 5 gallon or smaller for the time being. Unfortunately my proud-of natural habatat like 10 gallon setup must come down for the time being =)

Thanks for the quick reply i will go and buy the cage this afternoon.

Mark

 

[skinheaddave]

It may not be a factor since you only have one spider, but I wouldn't bother buying anything for spiders that aren't even close to full-size. There are plenty of free enclosures just lying around disguised as deli cups, olive jars etc. Alternately, you can go to a dollar store and get an appropriately sized tupperware container for one dollar. All you have to do to these enclosures are wash them, provide air holes and furnish them. You can go through a succesion of these until your spider is large enough to fit in your full-sized enclosure. At this point, it might make sense to get a really nice-looking enclosure.

Cheers,
Dave

P.S. Your improvised enclosures don't even have to look shabby. Olive jars can be dressed up nicely and furnished beautifuly and can be quite attractive enclosures.

 

[Gail]

I have to agree with Dave here - and once you start to really get into T's you will too - get the cheaper enclosures. Spend less money on the houses and you'll have more money for spiders =D
As Dave said, cheap doesn't have to mean ugly. I use a lot of the Sterlite Show Offs - found in your local Walmart or similar store. They have tightly latching lids yet the lids come off much easier than petpal lids when you want to get into them. All manner of rubbermaid and dollar store plastic containers are fantastic too - I use the tall 5" dia. crystal clear plastic containers that are sold for storing spagetti as lovely homes for juvi size aboreals. Good luck with your new pet. I have a giant white knee who has grown like a weed and dispite her sassy temper I just love her.

Gail

 

[Unregistered]

Thanks guys, ive got her in a 2.25 gallon petpal with a smaller flower pot and smaller water dish and i made it as realistic as possible. The first thing she did was go take a drink, but she hadn't drank for a while because she was shipped from ottowa to here in Calgary, Alberta. She is a great little spider, now ive got her (2.5-3 inches A. Geniculata) and a 4 inch adult female Mexican redknee (B.smithi) and so far i havent stoped watching my redknee since i bought her a year ago and now ive got my new spider and i am very excited to have aquired my second tarantula, and especially one that will grow large. Thanks for all your guys' help, any more tips would be appreciated for care.

Mark