Mexican red knee enclosure

[Emmacampbell57]

So I’m getting the beautiful smithi for my birthday in February and want to know how many fake plants/ moss is gonna be to many.
I’ve noticed many enclosures are pretty barren, which is fine if it isn’t good or overwhelms the T, that’s what I’m here to figure out. I have my eye on some larger females so she’ll be in a 10 gallon (that’s 2/3 full of substrate to minimize fall damage) If she is on the smaller side then a sterilite tub/shoe box is gonna do the job. Any tips or recommendations are incredibly appreciated, this will be my first T! I’ve been researching for years so I’m theory everything should be fine, I was just want to triple check everything.

 

[kingshockey]

more junk/clutter(plants/moss)= more places for its prey to hide along with making picking out the remains of its food harder to pick out

 

[Emmacampbell57]

more junk/clutter(plants/moss)= more places for its prey to hide along with making picking out the remains of its food harder to pick out

Didn’t think about that one, thanks

 

[kingshockey]

your welcome good luck and have a safe birthday

 

[viper69]

Researching for years- great good luck

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Sounds fine if I use moss I don’t make it too much so prey can hide. Acrylic lids are the best but I still have a few mesh ones.
You could do some research and look around for ideas.

 

[Woody72]

I agree with kingshockey. Don't go overboard with decorations and plants etc. They'll need some free space to have a wander and to flip over and moult occasionally.

 

[darkness975]

So I’m getting the beautiful smithi for my birthday in February and want to know how many fake plants/ moss is gonna be to many.
I’ve noticed many enclosures are pretty barren, which is fine if it isn’t good or overwhelms the T, that’s what I’m here to figure out. I have my eye on some larger females so she’ll be in a 10 gallon (that’s 2/3 full of substrate to minimize fall damage) If she is on the smaller side then a sterilite tub/shoe box is gonna do the job. Any tips or recommendations are incredibly appreciated, this will be my first T! I’ve been researching for years so I’m theory everything should be fine, I was just want to triple check everything.

The more simple, the better. Hide, substrate, water dish. That's basically it. Very low maintenance.

 

[Gevo]

A little decor is fine, but it’s entirely for you, not the tarantula. Tom’s Big Spiders and Dave’s Little Beasties have YouTube channels with husbandry videos, and I’m sure you’ll find this species there or very similar ones (B. hamorii maybe) with advice about enclosure setup.

My B. hamorii bulldozes its enclosure, so complex decor isn’t worth it. Many brachypelmas are like that, but you won’t know until you get yours.

If you want to try making things pretty for you, just do one or a couple of lightweight fake plants of the plastic variety (silk plants can leak dyes). Place them in out-of-the way areas where they won’t obstruct the tarantula’s movement and access to the water dish. For moss, stick to a small amount of sphagnum moss or reptile-safe moss. Moss holds onto water like a sponge if it gets wet, and this is an arid species, so be mindful of that. Don’t use “preserved moss” that comes in bright green or other unnatural colours that’s often sold in plant or craft stores. That stuff is dyed and may be unsafe to use with live animals.

edit: Leaf litter is another option to add a more naturalistic look. I have a bit of that in my enclosures, and it’s easy to find at stores that sell reptile supplies.

 

[Rigor Mortis]

more junk/clutter(plants/moss)= more places for its prey to hide along with making picking out the remains of its food harder to pick out

Completely agree. I put a ton of fake succulents in my G. iheringi's enclosure and feeding her is a nightmare. Crickets like to hide in it and it can take her hours to find the things. I could take them out but honestly it's been fun to see how she redecorates it. But my other Ts have minimal decorations and it works a lot better.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Oops