question about enclosure size

[tartaglia]

i've been looking into getting a tarantula for a couple months now, and have a question about what size tank would be appropriate.

i'm aware it really depends on what breed i get and how big they'll grow, but would a 20 gallon tank be too
big?

i have a spare 20gal in storage and i'd love to use it. but since most tarantulas do well in 10-15gallon tanks at their biggest (from what i've read at least..), i don't want to end up with an enclosure thatd cause stress or be overly spacious.

thank you in advance! more likely than not, i'll be purchasing a terrarium specifically for my future T, but i'd still like to know.

 

[Neonblizzard]

20 gallon would be far far too big. It just makes it harder for you to care for the T.

It's always better to find the T first, then look for an enclosure, not the other way around

 

[Dorifto]

You have answered yourself imo.

An the name of the species you are looking is...? Because it's not the same a T. stirmi or a T. seladonia.

Imo too big, and if your plans are to go bioactive, I wouldn't use that type of enclosures, due to ventilation issues. Also if you set the enclosure poorly, your T would be in a big trouble.

 

[LucN]

If you're looking into getting a T, odds are that you've looked at beginner species such as Tliltocatl albopilosus, Grammostola pulchripes, Brachypelma hamorii or Aphonopelma chalcodes. All of these won't require more than a 5 gal and even that is kinda spacious. Mine are kept in 2.5 Gal tanks and they have more than enough room to roam about. The smaller spaces makes it much, much easier for them to come across their food. In a 20 gallon tank, a feeder may stick in a corner and the spider, which stick at the opposite side, may never actually find it. For giants such as Theraphosa, Xenesthis and Lasiodora, yes a 20 Gal might work, but it's still a biiiiiiiiiig cage. For the average sized tarantula, feel free to follow my advice. They do not require much space, in the wild, an established spider rarely ventures from several inches from its burrow.

 

[viper69]

There’s no such thing as breeds for tarantulas.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

i'm aware it really depends on what breed i get and how big they'll grow,

Species, not breed.

A Jack Russell Terrier and a Great Dane are both Canis lupus familiaris, they've just been bred for different attributes, hence "breed" of dog.

Different tarantulas are different species.

but would a 20 gallon tank be too
big?

Literally no tarantula on this Earth needs an enclosure that big.

since most tarantulas do well in 10-15gallon tanks at their biggest

Actually, the vast majority of species are fine in a 5 gallon or smaller as adults, there are very few species that get big enough to warrant using a 10 gallon enclosure. Bear in mind that tarantulas are sedentary ambush predators that rarely sit at full stretch so they don't require a lot of space. The pic below shows a 7" A. geniculata in a 5 gallon tub, she has more than enough space.

 

[BoyFromLA]

In fact, there is nothing wrong with large enclosure itself. Though the reasons why many tarantula keepers prefer / recommend / want smaller enclosures are:

1. To easily monitor how tarantulas are doing.
   1. When feeding
   2. When molting
   3. When spot cleaning
   4. When anytime
2. Unless it is matured male, tarantulas usually are not so active, and tend to enjoy staying at one spot (in hides, on cork barks, etc) for hours, and hours.

 

[Timc]

One of my parents friends once took an interest in my Ts and was shocked my room wasn’t lined with 10 & 20 gallon aquariums. Some people just don’t get it…

 

[Smotzer]

Simply safe the space they don’t need an enclosure that big. If you save the space you could have two separate in place of that one large tank and they’d be perfectly fine if you got adults. But the majority of tarantula’s sold are slings so you’ll need to house them smaller sizing up every so often incrementally until final size

 

[USNGunner]

The pic below shows a 7" A. geniculata in a 5 gallon tub, she has more than enough space.

I like those plants, what kind are they and where do you get them if you don't mind my asking?

 

[Dorifto]

I like those plants, what kind are they and where do you get them if you don't mind my asking?

Chinese store? Here at least every chinese store has a lot of fake plants.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I like those plants, what kind are they and where do you get them if you don't mind my asking?

Bottom left corner are off one of those Exo Terra hanging plants, the rest are off some fake potted plants that I got from B&M (variety retailer in the UK, it's also where I get my topsoil from).

 

[tartaglia]

thank you for all the responses!
i always underestimate how big a 20 gallon tank is. i'll keep my eye on enclosures made for tarantulas, or d.i.y one when that time comes.

as for now, i will keep up my research and looking at different species that are beginner friendly.