Newbie here - help finding enclosure

[Martha B]

Between Hobby Lobby, The Container Store, and Kritter Keepers, It's likely you'll find something

I have a 1" C. versicolor in a small acrylic enclosure from The Container Store

I found a great item at the container store. it's a kids size acrylic shoe box, it even has holes on the sides. I think this item will work perfectly for what I want to do. Once I've cut my teeth on the C. Cyaneopubescens and the B. Albopilosum I plan on venturing to the C. Versicolor. I appreciate your input. (By the way, walmart has a great product too https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-3-Piece-Food-Storage-Container-Set/705172405) I haven't checked them out yet.

I just drop the prekill next to the burrow at night and every morning the prekill is gone (except during premolt). My 1/2" sling was in a 3" x 3" container. its a B Albopilosum. He has thrived. Now, true to what everyone has said, i barely if ever see him. Except for an ocassional molt and dirt being moved around, i would think he was dead. I am ok with that because I have 3 other T's to keep my attention on. I know in the end, I will have a beautiful Nicaraguan Curly Hair and eventually will stop burrowing.

I believe the original question to this thread was about ideas as to where to purchase enclosures with variuos sizes...and also which enclosures were better in comparison. Somehow, we evolved it into what each of us beleive is best for slings. My slings adapt to their enclosures, and I adapt to my slings character. I personally believe "any size container" is fine, just be prepared for the challenge it may bring. Some people want to display their containers in their home as nice decor and hold that as a higher priority than seeing their sling/T on display every day.

Bottom line, a sling can thrive in a 20 gal tank if the environment is condusive. They live just fine in the wild and the world is a much bigger place.

I like the suggestion TwiztedNinja gave for enclosures. I may look into those...thanks Ninia!!!

Thank you for your input. I anticipate the B. Albopilosum to be burrowed a lot and anticipate the C. Cyaneopubescens to burrow less. But I understand that isnt' always the case, sometimes they burrow too. We'll see what we see.

That solely depends on the definition of "small sling". I'm pretty sure Tom would never put a sling in a 7" container. He recommends 2oz deli cups for tiny slings. And most slings you get are less than 1", be prepared for that case. I'd get different sizes of deli cups and prepare them in advance or set them up when your slings arrive when you know exactly how big they are.

It's always advisable to put slings in smaller containers. That way they adapt the whole cup as their burrow and won't hide as much and eat/grow better. It's also easier to monitor them.
Back in the day, I put my first B. albo in a too bigger enclosure and he buried himself away for months on end. With my second B. albo I knew better and put her in a tiny deli cup and she never disappeared on me.
She grew from a tiny 2nd instar sling View attachment 321901 to this beauty View attachment 321902 in a year.

No offence, but if you don't want to rehouse them you should think about whether this is really the right pet for you.

None taken.

 

[Kitara]

it even has holes on the sides

Careful that the holes are not too big because I've seen a number of posts on here about escaped slings and the holes look very small.

C. Cyaneopubescens and the B. Albopilosum I plan on venturing to the C. Versicolor

You are following my pattern haha. I got a B. albopilosum first, then the C. cyaneopubescens, then a C. Versicolor (with a G. pulchra and B. smithi thrown in there too ) I got my first in March. Next is an A. geniculata!

 

[Thekla]

I found a great item at the container store. it's a kids size acrylic shoe box, it even has holes on the sides. I think this item will work perfectly for what I want to do.

No, it won't! Especially, if you're still planning not to rehouse them for a year.

Apart from the fact, that this box is still way too big for a sling (and please, keep in mind your slings could even be smaller than 1"), it has not enough height for larger slings and juveniles.
By the time they've grown up to 1,5"-2" (which will be within a few months if you indeed get 1" slings), you won't be able to put enough substrate in for the B. albo (they still need room to burrow) and the GBB will have webbed over everything (including the lid).

Here are some pictures of how I kept and keep my GBB. I rehoused her only twice and probably won't have to anymore.

 

[Martha B]

No, it won't! Especially, if you're still planning not to rehouse them for a year.

Apart from the fact, that this box is still way too big for a sling (and please, keep in mind your slings could even be smaller than 1"), it has not enough height for larger slings and juveniles.
By the time they've grown up to 1,5"-2" (which will be within a few months if you indeed get 1" slings), you won't be able to put enough substrate in for the B. albo (they still need room to burrow) and the GBB will have webbed over everything (including the lid).

Here are some pictures of how I kept and keep my GBB. I rehoused her only twice and probably won't have to anymore.

Thank you for your information. So, I'll move forward as I plan and I will have a back up plan - i.e. if it turns out the housing is too big, I'll downsize them. If they're, eating, burrowing and molting, I'm assuming they're happy. B. Albos are slow growers and quite docile, I understand; I have a feeling it will like this box for a while. Looking at the height of these boxes I have, I do see a lot of room to play with for the GBB. But you may be correct in that I will upsizing the GBB in probably 6 months or less. We'll see what we see. I'm not trying to put a man on the moon, here, just give a spider it's first good home.

 

[Thekla]

B. albos are not slow growers. They are probably the fastest-growing Brachypelmas there are (at least until they hit 3"-3 1/2"). Mine moulted 7 times within 12 months and grew from 1/3" to approx. 3 1/2".
Well, on the other hand, yours will probably grow considerably slower if you put it into an oversized enclosure. Maybe @cold blood will tell you everything about it, he made an interesting study regarding enclosure size vs. growth rate.

Meanwhile, I'm out. I feel like I'm talking to a wall, sorry.

 

[Martha B]

B. albos are not slow growers. They are probably the fastest-growing Brachypelmas there are (at least until they hit 3"-3 1/2"). Mine moulted 7 times within 12 months and grew from 1/3" to approx. 3 1/2".
Well, on the other hand, yours will probably grow considerably slower if you put it into an oversized enclosure. Maybe @cold blood will tell you everything about it, he made an interesting study regarding enclosure size vs. growth rate.

Meanwhile, I'm out. I feel like I'm talking to a wall, sorry.

No offense taken. I'm meeting a lot of really helpful, knowledgeable and deeply experienced people out there. So, I don't think I'm going to be that hindered if you decide not to communicate with me. I think what I like about them is that they keep it all in perspective. Like I said, we aren't trying to put a man on the moon, here. None of this is rocket science.

 

[arachnoBo]

I think your plan forward is great! Keep us posted!

 

[Martha B]

I think your plan forward is great! Keep us posted!

Thank you....will do.

 

[viper69]

B. Albos are slow growers

Relative to what species? To simply write they are slow growers, on its face is not accurate. They aren't fast, but they are not slow.