Opportunistic burrowers + Exo-Terra = true?

[Windchaser]

I use 45x45x45 cm Exo-Terra terrariums, and haven't had many problems. If you fill them with substrate right to the level of the doors, they have 30 cm of climbing space.

The two problems I've had are:

1) The mesh roof. My seemanni got stuck in them from one of her legs and I have had to disentangle her from it a couple of times. Seems she has learned her lesson now, though. My rosea hasn't got stuck in them even once. The couple of times when my seemanni dropped to the 15cm of peat moss under her, she was and still is completely ok.

2) The feeder roaches get between the background and the mesh roof. The tarantulas don't seem to be able to reach them from there.

Otherwise they've been beautiful terrariums and I like that they have access from both the front doors and the removable roof.

Regards,
Rosa

All I can say is that you were lucky so far. You have illustrated my earlier post quite well. Even when filled to the bottom of the doors there is too much height. In addition, if your tarantula decides to do some rearranging of the substrate, the side doors will quite possibly become useless. With these limitations it doesn't make sense to spend the extra money for these enclosures. BTW, I love them for arboreal tarantulas. It is far less expense to get a basic enclosure that will not have these same issues with respect to terrestrial tarantulas.

 

[elyanalyous]

but demode already said that he had already bought them. just move the styrofoam around like i said and then block the space so nothing can get in there (behind it)...i used yogert container cut to size and it works good with my arboreal.

 

[Drachenjager]

I use the 12X12X12 i believe that is 30X30X30 cm I have a G. rosea in one and an A. seemani in the other. the height is probably a bit too high for them if they climed. never seen either of these climb tho so i dont worry about it. my seemani is about 5.5 " and the space from the substrate to the mesh top is about 7 inches. 5 inches would be better tho i am sure. BUT i am going to make a plexiglass plate to go in front of the doors that will allow substrate depth half way up the doors if needed. this will make them A-OK for terrestrials. Of course there are other ways lol I just got too good a deal on the 12Xs lol

 

[elyanalyous]

by putting the styrophone the way i said you could but more dirt in, thus decreasing the fall lenth from the top....but keep in mind that this will make the doors UnUsAbLe

 

[demode]

Thanks for the replies, I was going to get normal "homemade" ones but i got a nice deal on exo's. I'll try to move the background as suggested and we'll see how it goes!

 

[JdC]

I have my C. cyaneopubescens (12x12x12) and my P. regalis (12x12x18) in exo-terra enclosures. My P. Regalis gnawed on the styrofoam climbing wall (behind the leaves where she hides) and almost got all the way through it. She only did that in one spot, and I haven't seen her do it since last year. I don't think she was trying to eat it or anything, but its still funny behaviour.

Oh yeah, and the only problem I've had is the crickets/roaches getting behind the climbing wall. So I closed the gap at the top and the bottom and everything is great now.

 

[Ungweliante]

All I can say is that you were lucky so far. You have illustrated my earlier post quite well. Even when filled to the bottom of the doors there is too much height.

There is 30 cm of height, the maximum safe amount according to The Taratula Keeper's Guide. I'm sure you have a lot of experience regarding tarantulas - much more than me - but if you consider that the tarantula is climbing on the glass wall and drops from there to the soft peat moss, and it's body length is about 10 cm, it will drop just 20 cm. Also often they just slowly slide down along the glass wall.

Does a 20 cm drop to a soft substrate really threaten the safety of a tarantula? The difference of course grows if the T is hanging on the roof and drops from there to a hard part of the terrarium, like the water dish or the ceramic nest.

In the beginning the two of my big tarantulas did climb quite a bit on the walls, but now as they seem "settled in", they don't climb nearly as much anymore. Even the Houdini-natured seemanni has calmed down. Would it be a possible view to think that because I keep them in naturalistic terrariums with live plants and such in a quiet, shadowy room with only me sleeping there and people only rarely coming to look at them, their will to escape such a place isn't nearly as well expressed?

Regards,
Rosa

 

[demode]

There is 30 cm of height, the maximum safe amount according to The Taratula Keeper's Guide. I'm sure you have a lot of experience regarding tarantulas - much more than me - but if you consider that the tarantula is climbing on the glass wall and drops from there to the soft peat moss, and it's body length is about 10 cm, it will drop just 20 cm. Also often they just slowly slide down along the glass wall.

Does a 20 cm drop to a soft substrate really threaten the safety of a tarantula? The difference of course grows if the T is hanging on the roof and drops from there to a hard part of the terrarium, like the water dish or the ceramic nest.

In the beginning the two of my big tarantulas did climb quite a bit on the walls, but now as they seem "settled in", they don't climb nearly as much anymore. Even the Houdini-natured seemanni has calmed down. Would it be a possible view to think that because I keep them in naturalistic terrariums with live plants and such in a quiet, shadowy room with only me sleeping there and people only rarely coming to look at them, their will to escape such a place isn't nearly as well expressed?

Regards,
Rosa

I think they've just settled in, made a territory and a den

 

[Windchaser]

There is 30 cm of height, the maximum safe amount according to The Taratula Keeper's Guide. I'm sure you have a lot of experience regarding tarantulas - much more than me - but if you consider that the tarantula is climbing on the glass wall and drops from there to the soft peat moss, and it's body length is about 10 cm, it will drop just 20 cm. Also often they just slowly slide down along the glass wall.

Does a 20 cm drop to a soft substrate really threaten the safety of a tarantula? The difference of course grows if the T is hanging on the roof and drops from there to a hard part of the terrarium, like the water dish or the ceramic nest.

In the beginning the two of my big tarantulas did climb quite a bit on the walls, but now as they seem "settled in", they don't climb nearly as much anymore. Even the Houdini-natured seemanni has calmed down. Would it be a possible view to think that because I keep them in naturalistic terrariums with live plants and such in a quiet, shadowy room with only me sleeping there and people only rarely coming to look at them, their will to escape such a place isn't nearly as well expressed?

Regards,
Rosa

Yes, a fall from as little as two inches (5 cm) can result in an injury. The abdomens (opisthosoma) of a tarantula are not very strong. The risk is especially high with tarantulas that are overfed. The abdomen is very fragile for fat tarantulas. The argument that they don't have any limitations on how high they can move in the wild does not apply since they are not likely to be climbing on slick surfaces like glass and plastic. In addition, if they get stuck on a screen lid and are able to free themselves, they will most likely fall. If they can at least reach the substrate from the lid they will have some control over the fall. Whereas if they are dangling they will have no control.

In general, terrestrial tarantulas will tend to stay on the ground once they have settled in. However, they can and will occasionally climb. It is the owner's responsibility to provide a safe environment. Limiting the height of the cage is a simple and easy thing to do.