My GBB set up

[Catch Smiley]

I'm fairly new to the tarantula hobby (getting my first one back in March, so I encourage ANY advice and input). I recently bought a GBB, it's an adult female (at least I was told it was a female). It is my first adult, about a 5'' leg span, colorful, very pretty. I decided to put it on display in a 10 gal tank. I started with about 4-5" of substrate (Scot's topsoil). A small water dish (everything I read about these guys is that they prefer it dry), a hide, two logs that I stood up vertically (boiled to kill anything harmful that might be on them). I've read that GBBs are semi-arboreal so I put the vertical logs in there to try to encourage her to climb on those instead of the glass, it doesn't work, she still climbs all over the glass. She even climbs upside down on the screen lid, which makes me very nervous when I see that (anyway I can discourage her from doing that? I don't want her to fall).

She's been in there for a few days now, and still hasn't spent anytime on the ground. That's typical for Ts when they get moved into a new environment, right? To spend time on the sides for awhile until they get comfortable in the new place. When I first put her in there, she went "exploring" anytime she crawled down to the ground, she turned around and went back up. She spends most of the time either on top of the hide or on the logs. She's webbed the tank a little, but nearly as much as her previous container was.

She seems to be taking the new environment very well, she even ate a couple of crickets yesterday. Like I stated earlier, any input/advise/suggestions are welcome.

thanks for reading!

 

[Equinox]

I would possibly put some more 'floor logs' in. something in the centre of the tank closer to the ground for her to climb around. I would also have her in something slightly smaller with a lower roof. If she falls from the ceiling onto one of the harder objects in there it could cause trouble.
Once she settles down she should be ok in there.
To be honest my T's that size are usually in a vivarium around half the size of yours.

 

[Hobo]

Your enclosure is a little high for my liking, though it's not too big of a deal.

I would move those two logs away from the corner and closer to the middle and away from each other, to prevent prey from hiding behind them and to allow her to get behind and between them to web. I would also definitely add more broad web anchors since you have the space, to give her more surfaces to web on, and to lower the risk of longer falls to the ground. Add some thinner branches too, so she can make intricate webs around and through them, and pretty soon the height will be a non-issue. There is very little chance of her using that hide in the corner, by the way, so if I were you I'd just replace it with something more pleasing to the eye.

She is climbing because it's a new enclosure, yes. It'll take her a few weeks or more in an enclosure like that; They do best and settle down much quicker when they have a lot of things to web on instead of having just a big expanse of nothing with no hiding areas. No matter what you do, though, the whole enclosure will eventually become a big webbed area and she'll feel right at home.
That's why I like GBBs, and think they're great beginners. They're hardy, beautiful, and even if you set them up improperly or someplace where they won't feel comfortable, they'll eventually web it up enough to make it perfect for themselves.

Here's my setup:

 

[Catch Smiley]

Thanks, I will be on the look out to add more things for her to anchor her web to!

 

[Poec54]

She's been in there for a few days now, and still hasn't spent anytime on the ground. That's typical for Ts when they get moved into a new environment, right? To spend time on the sides for awhile until they get comfortable in the new place. When I first put her in there, she went "exploring" anytime she crawled down to the ground, she turned around and went back up. She spends most of the time either on top of the hide or on the logs.

In a new cage, spiders like to make sure theres not a better location nearby, so they may spend some time climbing. It could also be because the substrate is too moist. Chromatopelma prefer it fairly dry.

 

[fa341009]

I agree with the comments above, but would like to add something. Although I do not own a GBB, I do not think you should feed it 'multiple' crickets on 1 day. I think 1 per week would be better.

 

[Poec54]

I agree with the comments above, but would like to add something. Although I do not own a GBB, I do not think you should feed it 'multiple' crickets on 1 day. I think 1 per week would be better.

I strongly disagree. I feed all my adult spider several crickets at a time, 4 or 5 if it's a big spider or recently molted. There's no reason to ration food.

 

[fa341009]

Hmmm.. this goes into everything I ever read about tarantula feeding.. (unless you powerfeed all the time)..
But I'm no expert.. and I don't own a GBB (altough I would love one).
Never mind my advice than, Catch Smilez
Nice spider!

 

[vespers]

Hmmm.. this goes into everything I ever read about tarantula feeding.. (unless you powerfeed all the time)..
But I'm no expert.. and I don't own a GBB (altough I would love one).
Never mind my advice than, Catch Smilez
Nice spider!

Poec54 is right...many adult T species will eat a few crickets at one feeding. You don't do this everyday though, of course.

 

[Poec54]

Poec54 is right...many adult T species will eat a few crickets at one feeding. You don't do this everyday though, of course.

Right, a good-size meal once a week is ideal for adults. Slings and juveniles need to eat 2 or 3 times a week, all of which goes into growth at their next molt, so they don't stay fat for long.