Newbie seeks enclosure advice/critique (pics)

[David John]

WOW, I'm really glad I posted this!! Thanks for all the great advice. I am adding a 6+ of substrate and pebbles in the water dishes.

Not sure if it matters, but there was a typo in my original post...the Golden Knee is 3.5 inches, not 2.5 inches.

To answer the question regarding humidity, the substrate is DRY. The Hygrometer is reading 15 (out of 100) with the foil on, but then again I haven't added water to the dishes yet. If I can lose the foil, all the better...its ugly!!

I only used these enclosures because they were available cheap. Can I simply split one down the middle with a Plexiglas divider...or do I need to go out and purchase two 5 gal enclosures?

 

[Wink]

yea im sure you could split the tank with plexi, just make sure there isnt any room for them to venture into each others half

 

[codykrr]

WOW, I'm really glad I posted this!! Thanks for all the great advice. I am adding a 6+ of substrate and pebbles in the water dishes.

Not sure if it matters, but there was a typo in my original post...the Golden Knee is 3.5 inches, not 2.5 inches.

To answer the question regarding humidity, the substrate is DRY. The Hygrometer is reading 15 (out of 100) with the foil on, but then again I haven't added water to the dishes yet. If I can lose the foil, all the better...its ugly!!

I only used these enclosures because they were available cheap. Can I simply split one down the middle with a Plexiglas divider...or do I need to go out and purchase two 5 gal enclosures?

I am willing to bet your hygrometer is WAY OFF! haha. as a cigar fanatic, I learned a while ago, you need to calibrate ALL hygro's. That being said, if you really want to monitor the humidity(which IMHO is overkill) then you can get a decent one from amazon.com. just stay away from analog, and get a digital.

you can calibrate them by getting a Tupperware with sealed lid. take a soda bottle cap and fill it with table salt. add a few drops of water so that the salt becomes moist. place the cap with moist salt into Tupperware dish along with your hygrometer and in about 24 hours it should read exactly 75%. if it doesnt its off. adjust it if possible(most digital ones are adjustable) analog models usually have a screw in the back.

That being said.

For a split tank...

personally I wouldnt recommend it to a novice. because the risk of loosing a T if done wrong, is basically absolute.

I like tubs, or kritter keepers. which can be had for cheap. if you must have them in a tank, Id say yeah, get two 5 gallons. but keep the 10 gals and put bigger spiders in them. like a L. parahybana.

 

[Chris_Skeleton]

yea im sure you could split the tank with plexi, just make sure there isnt any room for them to venture into each others half

Being new to this, do not attempt a split tank. I repeat DO NOT. There is more to it then simply putting a piece of plexiglass in the middle. There have been some major threads on here where people have attempted it without doing any research and they ended up losing a T.

I would highly advise against it.

 

[codykrr]

^ just because your "new" doesnt meant you cant make a split screen work.

You just need to research to find out the flaws and dangers in them and make sure you correct that in your design.

I say, with the proper research, go for it. though I dont personally recommend it to the novice, if they feel they can, more power to them. just make sure you do it right once. because thats the only chance you will get.

 

[Chris_Skeleton]

^ just because your "new" doesnt meant you cant make a split screen work.

You just need to research to find out the flaws and dangers in them and make sure you correct that in your design.

I say, with the proper research, go for it. though I dont personally recommend it to the novice, if they feel they can, more power to them. just make sure you do it right once. because thats the only chance you will get.

^I should've put "do not attempt without proper research"

 

[curiousme]

WOW, I'm really glad I posted this!! Thanks for all the great advice. I am adding a 6+ of substrate and pebbles in the water dishes.

Not sure if it matters, but there was a typo in my original post...the Golden Knee is 3.5 inches, not 2.5 inches.

To answer the question regarding humidity, the substrate is DRY. The Hygrometer is reading 15 (out of 100) with the foil on, but then again I haven't added water to the dishes yet. If I can lose the foil, all the better...its ugly!!

I only used these enclosures because they were available cheap. Can I simply split one down the middle with a Plexiglas divider...or do I need to go out and purchase two 5 gal enclosures?

At almost 4" I would go ahead and keep it in the 10 gal that you already have set up. At that size it shouldn't be hard to find, or feed just make sure it has that hide available. I wouldn't recommend trying to split a tank, because if you overlook something you usually end up with only one very fat tarantula. It can be done, but the enclosures you have are fine.

There is absolutely no need for the hygrometer with these species. Dry substrate means low humidity and there is no need to monitor that. There are a few genera of tarantulas that do/ could need to have humidity watched, but not yours.

 

[David John]

Update!!

OK, I tossed the idea for splitting the tank.

Here is the setup with 6" of added peat and foil removed.

I know the 10 gal is a bit large for a 3.5" spider, but I'm keeping it because I cannot return it. I left the lights on for now because the temp dropped to 58-degrees when I added the cold substrate (the bag was outside on the back porch). I will stop by Petco tonight and pick up some kind of pebbles to put in the water dishes.

However, this may all be a moot point since the goddamn postal service "missent" my overnight package and I have NO IDEA where my T's are at. http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=200463

BTW, thanks again to everyone who replied. I really appreciate the assistance.

 

[Chris_Skeleton]

Don't go to Petco. Just go to dollar tree and get a bag of marbles for a buck and fill both your water dishes.

 

[Great Basin Ben]

Now you see why everyone was saying that those are on the LARGE SIDE for enclosures. They look excellent now, but you had to add a LOT, to get it that level, I'm sure. Regardless of how many bags you had to buy, I think your T's will be at far less risk of injury if they fall. They will without question crawl around every surface, and possibly even ceiling of these enclosures.

Also, don't be surprised if they spend even a few days, up in a corner of the enclosure, looking as if they're hanging on for dear life. This behavior is perfectly normal. Chances are that the Peat you added has SOME moisture in it, and it usually takes most Tarantulas a while to become "used" to whatever new substrate they're being transferred to. If they don't immediately go into the hide you've provided, it isn't because they hate you, it just takes T's a while to settle in.

... and get used to the idea, that you'll be cleaning dirt out of the water dish A LOT! Obligate burrowers just like to move dirt....