Question about enclosure size

Syngyne

Arachnoknight
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I am looking into picking up my first little bug-bug soon (a G.aureostriata) and I have a question. For a 3" terrestrial, would a 5-gallon aquarium be way too big? I'd be filling it with enough substrate so it couldn't fall and splat itself.

If that's a bit too roomy, what would work better? I was looking at some of the Kritter Keepers online, and wasn't sure if I should be getting a small or a medium.
 

ballpython2

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not at all... because a 5 gallon tank will be fine because you will only have to change the tank (because your spider molts) probably once in his whole life time.


any smaller than a 5 gallon you'll be changing a few times...

You can also use the biggest critter keeper you can find but the tall ones not the circular ones.
 

Syngyne

Arachnoknight
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Will it have any problems finding food in an enclosure that size?
 

ballpython2

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When T's are hungry they will find food when needed..I think we always think about T's not being able to find food because we always assum they use their eyes and since their eyes are small they wouldn't find anything in a good size tank. i could be wrong about this but some Tarantulas have good eye sight and some have bad eye sight.

but tarantulas work off of vibrations and the hairs on their legs.

your guy will be just fine... if you want you can even put it in a 10 gallon and you won't have to change enclosures at all...

I have a three inch H gigas in a good size exo terra tank and he does just fine with finding food
 

Cirith Ungol

Ministry of Fluffy Bunnies
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When T's are hungry they will find food when needed..I think we always think about T's not being able to find food because we always assum they use their eyes and since their eyes are small they wouldn't find anything in a good size tank. i could be wrong about this but some Tarantulas have good eye sight and some have bad eye sight.

but tarantulas work off of vibrations and the hairs on their legs.
Let's say that arboreals seem to have better eyesight than ground dwellers or diggers, but to say that arboreals have good eyesight just sounds a bit to general. Compared to let's say vertabrates their eyesight is still non-noteworthy to say the least.

But you're ofcourse right about the vibration thing, that works excellent for them and they'll know something is crawling arround even if the prey is pretty far away. They might still not react to it though, maybe because it's too far away to be pinpointed. T's don't seem to go on a long walk when they only have a hunch of where the prey is. Instead they like to just sit and look bored until the prey comes into range or can be more successfully aquired by the sensores.

Some tank advice for big tanks: Put lots of "stuff" into the tank, furniture if you wanna call it that. T's can cope with a plain, large tank, but they seem more at ease when there are objects on the ground which the T can orientate itself by. I've for example seen many of my T's sit between two objects, sitting like in a bottleneck. Often insects will follow egdes on their walks and T's seem to instinctively know that, so by sitting in a bottleneck they have two egdes leading to them. Since T's also like narrow spaces I can imagine sitting in a bottleneck makes them feel more comfortable than sitting in the open.
 

Hedorah99

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Just also be sure you put in enough substrate so you won't have to worry about it injuring itself in a fall.
 

Syngyne

Arachnoknight
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Some tank advice for big tanks: Put lots of "stuff" into the tank, furniture if you wanna call it that. T's can cope with a plain, large tank, but they seem more at ease when there are objects on the ground which the T can orientate itself by.
I wanted to decorate a bit so I wouldn't have an enclosure that's just dirt and a hide. I've noticed some people put mossy looking stuff in their enclosure. Is that actual moss, or is it artificial?

I was thinking about making a small cardboard homestead the tarantula could rampage across if she so desired. :)
 

Midnightrdr456

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after dirt and a hide the rest is up to you (branches if they are arboreal). I personally like to try and make my enclosures look a little natural when I make them, but its not always possible.
 
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