Potential Upgrades?

Tired Teacher Vibes

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Current tank for my Avicularia is a bioactive 5 gallon.
  • The Avic. was a gift, and I put it in a bioactive enclosure so it'd be more interesting to look at and care for (it's in a classroom and probably hides cause of all the movement. Has been out a bunch since summer started).
  • Plants are mostly in pots - to keep humidity down when watering. (Plants also get watered on different days/weeks to also keep humidity down.)
    • Orchid - growing fine, new bulbs are popping up, no die off.
    • Creeping fig - growing like crazy. A little leggy because it's not getting direct light, but doing well.
    • Bromeliads - still babies. Did well while heavily neglected, so I tossed it in. Not dying, but idk if it's growing.
  • Springtails.
  • Powdered Orange Isopods - molting and having babies.
I was thinking about changing out the bromeliads, any suggestions?

I also keep the feeder insects in bioactive setups (for less clean up). And I was thinking about getting a bigger tank with a good divider (running from top to bottom), so that I can keep the feeders on side and the Avic on the other. Anyone try this before? or have ideas/suggestions about how to do it?

Current Enclosure:
Tarantula enclosure.jpg
 

viper69

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What kind of wood??

All you need for wood is cork bark at a 45
Or a cork tube

arboreal animal- that’s a terrestrial setup- notice where your T is….
 

Tired Teacher Vibes

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What kind of wood??

arboreal animal- that’s a terrestrial setup- notice where your T is….
Idk, the type of wood. But the piece it's standing on is curved in the back and that's where it webbed.
I know it's arboreal, if I go bigger I'd probably focus on putting mostly wood on it's side and like 1 plant near the divider.
 

viper69

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Idk, the type of wood. But the piece it's standing on is curved in the back and that's where it webbed.
I know it's arboreal, if I go bigger I'd probably focus on putting mostly wood on it's side and like 1 plant near the divider.
Cork bark is best- good luck
 

Smotzer

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Well it looks like you have the plant cover down low which doesn’t really suit the arboreal needs of the Avicularia. They need a piece of wood the full length at around a 90° angle with the plant cover surrounding the top 25-30% for it to web in since they are arboreal!
 

Tired Teacher Vibes

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Well it looks like you have the plant cover down low which doesn’t really suit the arboreal needs of the Avicularia. They need a piece of wood the full length at around a 90° angle with the plant cover surrounding the top 25-30% for it to web in since they are arboreal!
Would larger/stiffer leafed plants be a better option?
I have a couple that I was thinking about swapping in once I find some good wood.
 

IntermittentSygnal

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You'll want a wood that isn't going to rot or mold, cork being excellent for that. Also, as Smotzer said there, leaves up top as that's where she'll make her home. Be aware, those leaves will be webbed over very well and may wither and die webbed into your T's home.
 

Ultum4Spiderz

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You'll want a wood that isn't going to rot or mold, cork being excellent for that. Also, as Smotzer said there, leaves up top as that's where she'll make her home. Be aware, those leaves will be webbed over very well and may wither and die webbed into your T's home.
I tried putting Pothos plants in t enclosures once , they all either died or were removed . Not a good spot for plants . Regular tree bark works fine if it’s cured and cleaned well enough to get all the pesticides off of it . But cork bark is king .
 

Tired Teacher Vibes

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You'll want a wood that isn't going to rot or mold, cork being excellent for that. Also, as Smotzer said there, leaves up top as that's where she'll make her home. Be aware, those leaves will be webbed over very well and may wither and die webbed into your T's home.
Mine webbed up between the back of the wood (it's curved on the back side) and the back wall. Is that normal?
I know they usually web up high (like on the lid).

I tried putting Pothos plants in t enclosures once , they all either died or were removed . Not a good spot for plants . Regular tree bark works fine if it’s cured and cleaned well enough to get all the pesticides off of it . But cork bark is king .
I've never had luck with pothos outside of aquaponics and even then it took some finesse.
I don't mind cork bark, but I wanted to create something that looked more like a fall log or tree roots coming out of the ground.
I figured/am hoping more wood (if it's sticking up) would create some more surface area and break up line of sight. So maybe it would roam some more. My T just climbs around the tank walls and biggest pieces of wood.

I'm for sure removing the creeping fig and bromeliads soon. The creeping fig grows too high up and someone said T's don't like small leaves, I might move in something that grows real low if I have space after adding more wood. The bromeliads aren't doing good enough for me to keep them. I wanna put something away from where it's going to web that it's willing to walk on.
 

Ultum4Spiderz

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I've never had luck with pothos outside of aquaponics and even then it took some finesse.
I don't mind cork bark, but I wanted to create something that looked more like a fall log or tree roots coming out of the ground.
I figured/am hoping more wood (if it's sticking up) would create some more surface area and break up line of sight. So maybe it would roam some more. My T just climbs around the tank walls and biggest pieces of wood.

I'm for sure removing the creeping fig and bromeliads soon. The creeping fig grows too high up and someone said T's don't like small leaves, I might move in something that grows real low if I have space after adding more wood. The bromeliads aren't doing good enough for me to keep them. I wanna put something away from where it's going to web that it's willing to walk on.
yeah pothos need sunlight ehh .. they didn’t get enough in my t tanks .
Could you get an above picture of the full enclosure and then lid on also ? Curious what it looks like hehe . :D
 

IntermittentSygnal

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Mine webbed up between the back of the wood (it's curved on the back side) and the back wall. Is that normal?
I know they usually web up high (like on the lid).
(S)he likely webbed there because there were no leaves up high to make her canopy in. Not trying to be rude but genuinely asking here, which is more important, the terrarium scene you want to look a certain way, or the environment most beneficial to your T. They may be at odds.
 

Ultum4Spiderz

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(S)he likely webbed there because there were no leaves up high to make her canopy in. Not trying to be rude but genuinely asking here, which is more important, the terrarium scene you want to look a certain way, or the environment most beneficial to your T. They may be at odds.
I think frogs or something would be better suited for this environment? Hmm maybe? Spiders hate sunlight ..(except jumpers ?
 

Tired Teacher Vibes

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(S)he likely webbed there because there were no leaves up high to make her canopy in. Not trying to be rude but genuinely asking here, which is more important, the terrarium scene you want to look a certain way, or the environment most beneficial to your T. They may be at odds.
I'm not the one who bought the T, I definitely want it to look a certain way. But want some kind of balance, where it looks nice, but also works for the T.
If it webs the lid I won't have great access without tearing it constantly. It also seems like it'd be brighter if it webbed the lid???

I face the enclosure so where it webbed gets the least amount of light, so it's not too bright.

I think frogs or something would be better suited for this environment? Hmm maybe? Spiders hate sunlight ..(except jumpers ?
It's a fairly dry set up. I just want to find plants that work so it looks nicer.
Like low light, drought tolerant plants.

Just a little to grow near all the wood so there's something to look at when the T isn't out.

It comes out a lot everyday not that it's summer, but I hardly ever saw it during the school year in my classroom.

Also, as I mentioned earlier since everyone is so fixated on the T set up.

I'm thinking about upgrade to a much larger tank where the T is on one side and I use a divider (with ventilation holes) to house it's food on the other side.

I'm hoping for input on what to put in the tank in general. I fully understand and expect to put mostly just wood on the T side. But could use suggestions on like low light or drought tolerant plants to put on the other side. Potentially a plant or two on the T side so it matches.

The side of the tank with the feeders is the aesthetic side and I want the T to be happy on its side. Suggestions with this in mind would be great.

Especially since it'll require really modifying a tank so that I can access the T and the food separately, need good ventilation, and feel harmonious (mostly).
 

Ultum4Spiderz

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Also, as I mentioned earlier since everyone is so fixated on the T set up.

I'm thinking about upgrade to a much larger tank where the T is on one side and I use a divider (with ventilation holes) to house it's food on the other side.

I'm hoping for input on what to put in the tank in general. I fully understand and expect to put mostly just wood on the T side. But could use suggestions on like low light or drought tolerant plants to put on the other side. Potentially a plant or two on the T side so it matches.

The side of the tank with the feeders is the aesthetic side and I want the T to be happy on its side. Suggestions with this in mind would be great.

Especially since it'll require really modifying a tank so that I can access the T and the food separately, need good ventilation, and feel harmonious (mostly).
Sounds like a challenge of a tank to build , but far better than your current tank for a t . Sounds like you already got the idea of what to do . :D Go for it!
 

aprilmayjunebugs

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I'm thinking about upgrade to a much larger tank where the T is on one side and I use a divider (with ventilation holes) to house it's food on the other side.
If I had to live staring at my fried chicken through a glass wall, I think I wouldn't want to live anymore.
 
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