I adopted!

[TDunn1221]

Agreed, it is a death trap. It would probably be more straightforward to just get a completely different enclosure rather than repurpose that one.

Can u tell me how its a death trap? I'm confused as to nothing moves at all in the cage? Again she's been in it for 10 years...

 

[sasker]

She ate a cricket out out our tongs I'm so excited and feel so much better!!!

Nice! You can also drop the cricket next to the tarantula without tong feeding. Some say it reduces the risk of the tarantula breaking its fangs when it accidently strikes the tongs.

Also, no need to feed very often. Once every three weeks/mounth a few crickets is more than enough. This is a very slow growing tarantula with a very low metabolism. Overfeeding could result in months fasting periods until the next moult.

 

[TDunn1221]

Nice! You can also drop the cricket next to the tarantula without tong feeding. Some say it reduces the risk of the tarantula breaking its fangs when it accidently strikes the tongs.

Also, no need to feed very often. Once every three weeks/mounth a few crickets is more than enough. This is a very slow growing tarantula with a very low metabolism. Overfeeding could result in months fasting periods until the next moult.

I just received her 3 days ago her last feeding was 4 weeks ago. We gave her 2 crickets and she rejected the third we assumed that was enough on all the reading we have done.

 

[Edan bandoot]

Can u tell me how its a death trap? I'm confused as to nothing moves at all in the cage? Again she's been in it for 10 years...

Substrate doesn't allow for burrowing, Substrate isn't tall enough (fall risk, your spider will splat), the rocks increase this fall risk and it seems low ventilation. (maybe has a screen top, which is another risk)

please read this

Fantastic Beginner Tarantulas and How to Keep Them

** I saw Ungoliant post in a thread where a beginner was asking questions and they posted a really good primer on basic T care. I thought it was very useful, and decided to make a post about it that could be referenced in the future by beginners asking typical starting questions. I condensed...

arachnoboards.com

 

[Smotzer]

Please keep in mind this is what she came in and what they have had her in for 10 years View attachment 388837

This is wrong in so many ways.

1. it is on the very large side and doesnt need to be, it can be but tarantulas like to feel secure and wont use larger spaces necessarily if you give them it. Having a smaller enclosure helps predator's prey interaction as they are ambush predators.

2. The sand-ish stuff is not appropriate. The most commonly used soils/substrates are Fine Coco-fiber (not coarse), 100% peat moss, and topsoil will zero additives, fertilizers or chemicals. What ever you use make double/triple sure there are no chemicals in it, or it could die. All three of these alone or in combinations are the hobby staples. It really comes down to preferance between these.

3. If you were to use this enclosure you would need to fill it up at least 75% full of soil/substrate. You want no more than 1.5x diagonal leg span (DLS) from substrate level to lid. At current it is a death trap from falling injury. Truly its a miracle that it has not died or injured itsself over 10yrs in that. Abdomens can rupture very easily for heavy bodied terrestrials.

4. This tarantula has no where to hide at all. Tarantula should have a place to burrow or hide in.

5. Do not tong feed, they have no need for help they are excellent hunters, and you rob yourself of the experience of seeing them hunt and their feeding responses.

6. Hard objects with long distances are super dangerous and should be avoided especially in a set up like this.

 

[aprilmayjunebugs]

Can u tell me how its a death trap? I'm confused as to nothing moves at all in the cage? Again she's been in it for 10 years...

Hi, did you skip my post? I and a few others have told you what can happen with that much fall distance. She may have been fine in there for this long, but the safest and most responsible thing to do would be to lessen those risks. Just by bringing her into a new home with different vibrations and other stimuli could cause her to wander and climb more, and when you replace the substrate, which you neeeeed to, and switch things up a bit in there, she will without a doubt be restless and spend some time exploring her new surroundings. If you leave it as is, sure she will be fine and then one day she might not be fine. Every day is a day you could wake up to a splatted dead tarantula, or worse, a splatted not dead but severely suffering tarantula. That's not something any of us want.

 

[TDunn1221]

I apologize i didn't even see it. I just went back through and read it. Thank you for the advice

 

[aprilmayjunebugs]

I apologize i didn't even see it. I just went back through and read it. Thank you for the advice

You're welcome, and I just realized I didn't specifically mention it, just the floor to ceiling ratio, apologies for that.
Have you read the linked threads or searched around this site at all yet?

 

[TDunn1221]

You're welcome, and I just realized I didn't specifically mention it, just the floor to ceiling ratio.
Have you read the linked threads or searched around this site at all yet?

I have been for about an hour now

 

[aprilmayjunebugs]

I have been for about an hour now

Great! If you have any other questions just ask, and if you want to post pics of the new digs before putting her in there we'd all be happy to give it a once over

 

[cold blood]

We gave her 2 crickets and she rejected the third we assumed that was enough

Please keep in mind 2 things about this species. The first is that they despise moisture....keep a water dish, but always keep the substrate bone dry.

Second, they have about the lowest food requirement in the t world. They need food very infrequently and if you offer too much, you could be in for a t that fasts for a year or more.

Literally, one sibgle large cricket a month or every 2 weeks at most is more than enough.

Substrate doesn't allow for burrowing,

I have never seen a rose hair burrow in captivity.

 

[Edan bandoot]

Please keep in mind 2 things about this species. The first is that they despise moisture....keep a water dish, but always keep the substrate bone dry.

Second, they have about the lowest food requirement in the t world. They need food very infrequently and if you offer too much, you could be in for a t that fasts for a year or more.

Literally, one sibgle large cricket a month or every 2 weeks at most is more than enough.

I have never seen a rose hair burrow in captivity.

I imagine set up like this they would, they live under rocks in the wild.

The Aphonopelma Tank

I finally got around to taking some quick pictures of how I house small to medium size tarantulas that are fossorial in nature, but may not exhibit a fossorial nature in captivity. I mainly use this type of housing for Aphonopelma species, but I found it works for Grammostola, Brachypelma, and...

arachnoboards.com

 

[IronMaiden]

Enjoy your spider. I think once you get her set up properly you will find she is very easy to care of.

 

[TDunn1221]

Please keep in mind 2 things about this species. The first is that they despise moisture....keep a water dish, but always keep the substrate bone dry.

Second, they have about the lowest food requirement in the t world. They need food very infrequently and if you offer too much, you could be in for a t that fasts for a year or more.

Literally, one sibgle large cricket a month or every 2 weeks at most is more than enough.

I have never seen a rose hair burrow in captivity.

So she goes into her cave often and she hides in her log often. I have yet to see her try to burrow in the sand, or what ever it is..

So she goes into her cave often and she hides in her log often. I have yet to see her try to burrow in the sand, or what ever it is..

 

[sasker]

That screen lid really has to go, too. If she decides to climb up all the way to the top, her nails (tarsal claws) may get stuck in it. She would dangle for a bit with her full weight on one leg (which might detach and she will fall, or her claws will get unstuck and she will fall). With this setup she is very likely to get injured very severely (on top of the amputated leg).

You may think we are exaggerating. After all, she has been okay for 10 years. The thing with tarantulas is that they can do okay for a long time under subpar conditions, until one day something goes wrong. The combined experience of this platform is amazing. All things that have gone wrong so far with other people's tarantulas can now be avoided by all other keepers

 

[Sambro]

I will keep that in mind thank you very much!

Another reason is if you move onto keep other faster bolty T's, it's never fun with them running up the tongs, up to your arm and on your back... And you'll quickly stop and just enjoy dropping a cricket in and watching it hunt down its prey, as it does in nature.

I do sometimes tong feed my NW T's to make test their feeding response, as it's easy just to offer close by, see a response and take it away if it refuses to eat as a few are still fasting or drop it in if it does respond to the movement of the cricket, if they don't eat, I'll try again in a months time. My G Pulchra has finally eaten after 4 months of fastings. So keep in mind, reports for rose hairs can fast for over a year or longer!

Also, tong feeding can also damage their fangs, so this is why many would suggest a new keeper just to drop in the cricket a observe from a distance and make sure its eating and then remove the prey 24 hours later.

Welcome to the hobby, unfortunately, you're now going to end up looking at buying more if you keep researching.

Have a look at the difference between Old worlds and New Worlds (Yours is a New world), which will give you a good start to understanding your T.

 

[Smotzer]

So she goes into her cave often and she hides in her log often. I have yet to see her try to burrow in the sand, or what ever it is..


View attachment 388862

Please make the changes that I replied to you in post in #25, i know it may not sounds like it is of urgent matter but it really is, you have adopted it from an owner you did not proper research over the course of 10yrs and you hhave thhe chance to change that poor husbandry and make the changes so it lives a better next 10-20yrs. Please for the sake of it, make thhe changes everyone hhas suggested

 

[CommanderBacon]

*clicks on first picture*

Me: Oooh!

*clicks on enclosure picture*

Me: ACK!

I think everyone has commented about the enclosure already. It's cute but it's unsuitable for this species. Sometimes they will climb up the wall and they have the possibility of falling. If they fall inside of this, they could die.

You could incorporate elements of it into a new enclosure for them, but we strongly suggest you give her setup an update.

 

[joossa]

Just because it hasn't happened doesn't mean it can't. Why risk it when the possible fixes are easy?