hight

[Jono_mad]

hi, i still havent got my rosea yet-should come tuesday now. i was just wondering how deep i should make the substrate. i know that roseas dont need to burrow but im not sure how high the top of the cage can be from the ground incase the spider falls. at the moment ive got 1 1/2 inches of peat in an 8 high container waiting for the t when it gets here. is this enough or should i make it more?
thanks, jono

 

[Tranz]

I've read that the distance between the substrate and the top should be the full length of the spider.

 

[Joy]

Originally posted by Jono_mad
hi, i still havent got my rosea yet-should come tuesday now. i was just wondering how deep i should make the substrate. i know that roseas dont need to burrow but im not sure how high the top of the cage can be from the ground incase the spider falls. at the moment ive got 1 1/2 inches of peat in an 8 high container waiting for the t when it gets here. is this enough or should i make it more?
thanks, jono

Tranz is right: the distance from top of substrate to top of tank shouldn't be more than the outstretched legspan of the spider. And though roseas don't need to burrow like C. crawshayi and H. gigas, some of them will build very ambitious burrows if given the proper materials to do it with.

Joy

 

[bness2]

I have had three adult/near-adult rosies, and 2 of the 3 dug ambitious burrows. My current one, Eleanor, has shown no inclination to dig. It seems they will do whatever thay want to do if you give them the depth to work with.

Bryan

 

[VI6SIX]

whether or not you let a T dig a burrow depends on whether you are more concerned with the T's happiness or your own .almost any terrestrial T will dig a burrow and I've seen a few arboreal do it as well .Most would agree however that a few inches of substrate is adaquit as long as you provide a hide and a waterdish .I personaly like to bury the hide on one end of the cage to form a dirt mound I think it helps with the humidity in the hide as welll as if the T falls on it its covered in substrate and reduces the likelyhood of injury

 

[Code Monkey]

I know I'll take flack for this, but I sort of find the "substrate within the spider's reach of the lid" rule to be sort of like "you shouldn't eat any of your halloween candy before an adult looks at it" bit when you're 11. It's nice in theory, but lousy in practice.

I discourage burrowing with any of my larger specimens so the idea of filling an extra 2-3" of substrate into my tanks is a no-go. I'd ballpark that for most of my Ts, my lids are actually somewhere around 1.5X - 2X the legspan of the Ts above the substrate. I suppose if I ever lose one I may decide it's not worth the risk, but for now I'd rather see my Ts then worry about long shot risks.

 

[MrT]

I also have a hard time with filling the enclosures with so much substrate.

I've never had a spider hurt by falling onto peet.

I'd say 1/4 to 1/3 subst. is plenty, at least it is for me and mine.

Ern

 

[jwb121377]

Im with Code and Mr t on this one. I keep my non burrowing Tarantulas on a two inch max substrate. Never had a problem yet. (knock on wood)

 

[conipto]

I have mixed feelings about this. I would say that the 'within the reach rule' is probably overrated as well. If you look at the pics of Schultz's T room in his guide, you'll see alot of 2.5 or 5 gallon aquariums With an inch or two of subsrate. So, he must be doing something right, or I'd imagine he'd have made note of it.

On the other hand, my Cyclosternum fasiciatum I watched fall probably 5 times in 5 minutes once, and did put the substrate slightly higher.. closer to 4 inches from the top (with a 2 inch LS T) however I am told this is a semi-aboreal T, and wanted to give it SOME room to climb. (I also think once it webs up to it's satisfaction there won't be much danger in falling)

Interestingly enough, my crazy rose hair calmed down quite a bit once I put her in subsrate that was more burrowable, and deeper. She made a very large cave to the floor of the tank, and then recently carved out a window, which she is almost always looking out of. She webbed up the walls and entrance of the burrow quite a lot, but hasn't touched that window yet. Whenever she feeds, she gets right up in front of it, and munches in front of me. I scanned a pic of this just the other day, below.

The one other thing I think I should add to this, is that if you are going to wind up with a fast T, consider that the distance it has to go to escape is much less with lower walls.

Bill

 

[Joy]

Originally posted by MrT
I also have a hard time with filling the enclosures with so much substrate.

I've never had a spider hurt by falling onto peet.

Ern

It isn't just the falling you have to worry about, unfortunately. There's also the possibility of the tarantula climbing the walls, and getting hung up in the lid, especially if it's a metal screen lid. I've had this happen even with the welded (as opposed to woven) lids. If the substrate is high enough for the tarantula to touch with even one leg, it can free itself; if not, not. The Schultzes describe how one of their tarantulas died in this position before they discovered what had happened. Fortunately none of mine have ever died from such a cause, but after I had had to use a table knife to pry loose the claws of an enraged 8" blondi who had gotten herself hung up on her screen lid, I came to see clearly the advantages of a deeper substrate!

Joy

 

[jwb121377]

Joy I could see how a ticked off T. blondi may change you point of view! I use plastic rubbermaid enclosers, so I dont have that to worry about. The only screen lids I have are on my arboreals, and I dont think they would like the deep substrate.

 

[Devildoll]

i only have 2 Ts in aquariums... and neither of those are permanent homes, so i don't worry bout them getting tangled up either...

as far as falling..... i really don't worry bout it..... most of my T's don't climb the glass anyway..


My rosie though... she's a big fat female....

She wont even hid if she's scared... i've actually taken her hide out for another enclosure because she refuses to be anywhere but on top of it showboating!

even when she molted, she did it at the highest point in the enclosure....

 

[Phillip]

not worth the risk...

I have certainly been guilty of not doing so for every spider I have but for any of the heavier bodied of larger specimens I'm with Joy. It just isn't worth the risk of having you adult goliath fall and bust. Now I have seen mine take a fall from higher than I thought they could but it's kind of like crossing the road with your eyes shut. You might make it but why take the risk? Especially with an adult of the more expensive species. Another advantage to the deeper substrate is on the burrowers that are also prone to be flighty and unpredictable such as Haplopelma and Selenocosmia species having a burrow makes them far less prone to try and exit the tank when you have it open for cleaning and when they do bolt it's usually down the burrow and not up the tank wall.
Phil