Is this enclosure and setup good enough for my B. Albopilosum

Soarific

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 9, 2019
Messages
13
Hi,

I am a soon to be new tarantula owner, never had one before. I had been reading online about an enclosure for an adult Brachypelma Albopilosum and there were split decisions, a lot of people including online care sheets said a 12x12x12 is more than enough, and after checking with an online company I decided to order the Exo Terra 12x12x12 along with some decor. But to me, in person it looks rather small, there isn't much floor space (the photo makes it look non existent as you can't see the front but there is some space.

My T should be arriving in the next day or two and I don't want to put it in a terrible home.

Can you guys advise if this is a bad setup? If it is a good enough size enclosure should I try and rejumble the decor about to try give more space?

All advice will be helpful, I just don't want my first ever T to suffer and I want to give it the best life possible.

Many thanks

thumbnail_Image.jpg
 

Spaceman

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jun 16, 2019
Messages
201
the enclosure looks fine.. if you want an inch or two of more space you can take out the styrofoam decoration sheet in the back.. and if you want more floor space you may need a new hide for that but besides that looks good
 

Soarific

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 9, 2019
Messages
13
the enclosure looks fine.. if you want an inch or two of more space you can take out the styrofoam decoration sheet in the back.. and if you want more floor space you may need a new hide for that but besides that looks good
Thanks mate, I ordered "cork tube thick" and it came the size of a blooming tree trunk lmao, I had to saw it into pieces. I was thinking I should maybe put the hide facing to one side so it gives more space towards the front but I kinda liked the idea of being able to see my T in its hide from the front. I also ordered a lava rock etc but there is no chance in hell its fitting in there. Will the T mind if I remove the foam background?
 

Spaceman

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jun 16, 2019
Messages
201
No, I had an exo terra for my avic and she didn’t care that the foam was removed.. I don’t even think she noticed
 

darkness975

Latrodectus
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Aug 31, 2012
Messages
5,610
Hi,

I am a soon to be new tarantula owner, never had one before. I had been reading online about an enclosure for an adult Brachypelma Albopilosum and there were split decisions, a lot of people including online care sheets said a 12x12x12 is more than enough, and after checking with an online company I decided to order the Exo Terra 12x12x12 along with some decor. But to me, in person it looks rather small, there isn't much floor space (the photo makes it look non existent as you can't see the front but there is some space.

My T should be arriving in the next day or two and I don't want to put it in a terrible home.

Can you guys advise if this is a bad setup? If it is a good enough size enclosure should I try and rejumble the decor about to try give more space?

All advice will be helpful, I just don't want my first ever T to suffer and I want to give it the best life possible.

Many thanks

View attachment 338928
That enclosure is a fall risk for a T. albo. You may still be able to use that enclosure but it would have to be modified to be more terrestrial friendly. You don't want more than 1.5 times the Diagonal Leg Span of the spider for distance from the substrate to the top.
 

The Grym Reaper

Arachnoreaper
Joined
Jul 19, 2016
Messages
4,835
Ditch the background to free up more floor space (it'll just encourage climbing which you don't want for a terrestrial) and cut the cork tube in half.

You'll also need to replace the mesh in the lid with drilled acrylic as tarantulas can get their tarsal claws stuck where the mesh overlaps.

Glass Exo Terra enclosures aren't really suitable for terrestrial tarantulas without modification (people in UK tarantula FB groups go so gooey for them that they consider you some kind of animal abuser if you use anything else lol), I keep my subadult female in a 13L hobby life tub (it's the same size as a large kritter keeper/faunarium).

13L hobby life tub.jpg
 

Soarific

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 9, 2019
Messages
13
Ditch the background to free up more floor space (it'll just encourage climbing which you don't want for a terrestrial) and cut the cork tube in half.

You'll also need to replace the mesh in the lid with drilled acrylic as tarantulas can get their tarsal claws stuck where the mesh overlaps.

Glass Exo Terra enclosures aren't really suitable for terrestrial tarantulas without modification (people in UK tarantula FB groups go so gooey for them that they consider you some kind of animal abuser if you use anything else lol), I keep my subadult female in a 13L hobby life tub (it's the same size as a large kritter keeper/faunarium).

View attachment 338993
Thanks man, it's rather quite frustrating, had I have been told correctly first time around I would have went for a big plastic tub like yours, instead I've spent £60+ on a glass enclosure which looks to small and decor which is far too big. I also had 2 lots of substrate in my shopping basket and was told one would be sufficient. These modifications aren't something I'm going to be able to get my hands on quickly given our current situation, and I have no other places to put the T once it arrives in the post. Will it be ok with the setup meantime until I can get something sorted in the near future? I will saw the cork tube in half again, I just wasn't sure how big the T is going to be but looking at yours I wouldn't imagine its much bigger than that, can they squeeze themselves into small spaces if I cut the hide in half?
 

The Grym Reaper

Arachnoreaper
Joined
Jul 19, 2016
Messages
4,835
Thanks man, it's rather quite frustrating, had I have been told correctly first time around I would have went for a big plastic tub like yours, instead I've spent £60+ on a glass enclosure which looks to small and decor which is far too big. I also had 2 lots of substrate in my shopping basket and was told one would be sufficient. These modifications aren't something I'm going to be able to get my hands on quickly given our current situation, and I have no other places to put the T once it arrives in the post. Will it be ok with the setup meantime until I can get something sorted in the near future? I will saw the cork tube in half again, I just wasn't sure how big the T is going to be but looking at yours I wouldn't imagine its much bigger than that, can they squeeze themselves into small spaces if I cut the hide in half?
I know the feeling, there's so much garbage and conflicting info out there that it's a pain to figure out what's what. This place is an absolute goldmine for great info. She's about 4.25" so not far off adult size, they actually prefer tight spaces so I just saw those in half, part bury them, and make an opening just bigger than the spider, if it wants to use it then it will (but adults tend to stay out in the open more anyway).
 

darkness975

Latrodectus
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Aug 31, 2012
Messages
5,610
Thanks man, it's rather quite frustrating, had I have been told correctly first time around I would have went for a big plastic tub like yours, instead I've spent £60+ on a glass enclosure which looks to small and decor which is far too big. I also had 2 lots of substrate in my shopping basket and was told one would be sufficient. These modifications aren't something I'm going to be able to get my hands on quickly given our current situation, and I have no other places to put the T once it arrives in the post. Will it be ok with the setup meantime until I can get something sorted in the near future? I will saw the cork tube in half again, I just wasn't sure how big the T is going to be but looking at yours I wouldn't imagine its much bigger than that, can they squeeze themselves into small spaces if I cut the hide in half?
When you are able to get a better setup for the T. albo you can use the exo terra for an arboreal. Perfect reason to get more spiders.
 

KenD

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 18, 2019
Messages
105
I will saw the cork tube in half again, I just wasn't sure how big the T is going to be but looking at yours I wouldn't imagine its much bigger than that, can they squeeze themselves into small spaces if I cut the hide in half?
I believe The Grym Reaper meant cut the tube in half lengthwise, so you have a cork round rather than a full tube (I hope I'm expressing myself clearly enough).
 

Sgt7212

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 26, 2020
Messages
42
Hi,

I am a soon to be new tarantula owner, never had one before. I had been reading online about an enclosure for an adult Brachypelma Albopilosum and there were split decisions, a lot of people including online care sheets said a 12x12x12 is more than enough, and after checking with an online company I decided to order the Exo Terra 12x12x12 along with some decor. But to me, in person it looks rather small, there isn't much floor space (the photo makes it look non existent as you can't see the front but there is some space.

My T should be arriving in the next day or two and I don't want to put it in a terrible home.

Can you guys advise if this is a bad setup? If it is a good enough size enclosure should I try and rejumble the decor about to try give more space?

All advice will be helpful, I just don't want my first ever T to suffer and I want to give it the best life possible.

Many thanks

View attachment 338928

This may have been stated already and I missed it, but is the T. albo you're getting an adult already? If not what size is it?
 

Soarific

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 9, 2019
Messages
13
This may have been stated already and I missed it, but is the T. albo you're getting an adult already? If not what size is it?
It didn't say, the breeder had it advertised in leg span, 7cm+, I'm assuming that's adult?
 

Soarific

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 9, 2019
Messages
13
I've readjusted things and also cut the cork bark in half. Here is what I've came up with for now, it looks so much better in person, camera quality/photos don't do it justice.
dark1.jpg side on.jpg
 

Sgt7212

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 26, 2020
Messages
42
7cm is about 2.75 inches, so that sounds like a juvenile, if it actually is that size when it arrives. (I've purchased some from Fear Not and Jamie's that were sold as being a certain size and arrived smaller).

The reason for me asking is if you were getting a sling, you'd never be able to find it in an enclosure that size. When your T. albo arrives, check the ventilation holes and any other gaps in the enclosure and compare to the size of your T's carapace (head). If the tarantula's carapace can fit through it, then your T can escape.

Also, as some others have mentioned, for terrestrials, the space between the substrate and the top of the enclosure should be no more than 1-1.5 times the leg span of your tarantula. This is to prevent injury in the event of a fall. That may be difficult to do in an enclosure like you have, with front opening doors.
 

Soarific

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 9, 2019
Messages
13
7cm is about 2.75 inches, so that sounds like a juvenile, if it actually is that size when it arrives. (I've purchased some from Fear Not and Jamie's that were sold as being a certain size and arrived smaller).

The reason for me asking is if you were getting a sling, you'd never be able to find it in an enclosure that size. When your T. albo arrives, check the ventilation holes and any other gaps in the enclosure and compare to the size of your T's carapace (head). If the tarantula's carapace can fit through it, then your T can escape.

Also, as some others have mentioned, for terrestrials, the space between the substrate and the top of the enclosure should be no more than 1-1.5 times the leg span of your tarantula. This is to prevent injury in the event of a fall. That may be difficult to do in an enclosure like you have, with front opening doors.
To be honest the BugzUK website where I got it from isn't easy to navigate. I just noticed they have an adult curly hair and for £24, and then you scroll further down to the one I purchased and it didn't say adult, it had different leg span sizes and I opted for the biggest which said "7cm+" and that was £40. So would you pay more for a juvenile than an adult? Is the enclosure ok if it is a juvenile?
 

The Grym Reaper

Arachnoreaper
Joined
Jul 19, 2016
Messages
4,835
To be honest the BugzUK website where I got it from isn't easy to navigate. I just noticed they have an adult curly hair and for £24, and then you scroll further down to the one I purchased and it didn't say adult, it had different leg span sizes and I opted for the biggest which said "7cm+" and that was £40. So would you pay more for a juvenile than an adult? Is the enclosure ok if it is a juvenile?
The sizing on their site is weird tbh, one of the reasons I've never purchased from them (although others have without issue), at £40 quid you should be getting an adult (although that is a little on the expensive side, adult females generally go for around 30 quid or so).
 

Soarific

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 9, 2019
Messages
13
The sizing on their site is weird tbh, one of the reasons I've never purchased from them (although others have without issue), at £40 quid you should be getting an adult (although that is a little on the expensive side, adult females generally go for around 30 quid or so).
I'm a beginner so pricing wise I have/had no clue. I assumed at £40 it would be an adult but the little fella came today and I assume it is a juvenile. Can any of you guys clarify if it's a juvenile based on these pics? Pictures make it seem bigger than in person, it looks so cute and it's eaten a morio worm already that I gave it!

Edit: Second picture is with flash on, the hide is deeper in person and completely dark for the T.

Edit 2: @The Grym Reaper - in terms of pricing, I opted for the true form curly hair (Nicaragua), they were more expensive than the hobby form.

CURLY.jpg curly2.jpg
 

ColeopteraC

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 8, 2020
Messages
425
To be honest the BugzUK website where I got it from isn't easy to navigate. I just noticed they have an adult curly hair and for £24, and then you scroll further down to the one I purchased and it didn't say adult, it had different leg span sizes and I opted for the biggest which said "7cm+" and that was £40. So would you pay more for a juvenile than an adult? Is the enclosure ok if it is a juvenile?
Agreed, I also find they’re prices are rather steep in comparison to other suppliers. But they seem to be the only ones still operating in semi-lockdown...
 

The Grym Reaper

Arachnoreaper
Joined
Jul 19, 2016
Messages
4,835
Can any of you guys clarify if it's a juvenile based on these pics?
Hard to tell from pics, what's it's leg span roughly?

Edit 2: @The Grym Reaper - in terms of pricing, I opted for the true form curly hair (Nicaragua), they were more expensive than the hobby form.
Both the Honduran and Nicaraguan variants are sold at around the same price by the majority of sellers as far as I'm aware, the Nicaraguan form aren't as in-demand as they were in 2016/17 (because the UK market ended up flooded with them).

But they seem to be the only ones still operating in semi-lockdown.
So Many Legs and Spider Planet are taking orders/posting again now
 
Top