Question on Substrate Depth

[sweetmisery]

I know that when you got a T sling, you should put your substrate high enough that he will not be able to climb up and fall down dangerously. My question is, how old(or how big) can a T be so I can lower the substrate as any normal terrarium setup.

I got a Rosea, and now its like an inch and a half long. Is it ok to already lower the substrate?

THANKS!

 

[JMoran1097]

i'm somewhat confused, sorry. are you asking for a ratio of depth in relation to T size?

 

[sweetmisery]

Somewhat. Cuz a sling shouldnt be more than half an inch space between ceiling and floor, cuz it might climb and fall down. But since my Rosea is an inch and a half, can I have more space between floor and ceiling? Or should I keep it close still?

Cuz I see others with 2" Ts having a bigger space already, from ceiling to floor.

 

[kitty_b]

for big Ts, people tend to keep substrate no more than 1.5 times the legspan of the T from the top of the cage. so a 4" spider shouldn't have more then 6" to fall. for really big mamas (like my t. blondi), i try to keep it at their legspan (since her legspan is nearly 9"... why give her any more height than that to begin with?).

i don't worry as much about slings. they're much lighter and don't seem as prone to ruptures/injuries from falls. i've given 1/2" slings 2" on height in their vials and they're fine.

even at 1.5", i wouldn't worry about falls. just make sure that at whatever height you give your Ts, they can still walk around and molt without a lot of hindering space. Ts can molt in the smallest spaces, but why risk it?

 

[sweetmisery]

^^ OK big thanks. Anyway, anyone knows if the Rosea is known to climb up its enclosure?

 

[JMoran1097]

^^ OK big thanks. Anyway, anyone knows if the Rosea is known to climb up its enclosure?

they can if the moisture on the ground is too much to handle. they will crawl onto the sides and cling there until it's a bit drier.

 

[sweetmisery]

^^ But more often than not, they can balance themselves right?

 

[Moltar]

they can if the moisture on the ground is too much to handle. they will crawl onto the sides and cling there until it's a bit drier.

Also, most t's will do a fair bit of climbing any time you put them in a new enclosure due to them stressing cuz they don't know where they are and later on just acclimating and exploring. I just build the substrate up pretty high as a matter of course for all my terrestrial t's. If your new to this it may seem strange to fill the tank more than halfway full with dirt but do it anyway; falls can be pretty hazardous to juvie and adult t's. Also, take care not to have any hard or jagged objects in the way of a fall. I use rocks in some of my tanks but they are usually the highest object in the enclosure. I've given up trying to prevent my t's climbing because sometimes some of them are just going to climb no matter what you do. (Especially the B smithi, dunno why) Even with perfect tank conditions sometimes they just want to go walkabout so prepare for it.

 

[sweetmisery]

Ok Big Thanks!

 

[cacoseraph]

for big Ts, people tend to keep substrate no more than 1.5 times the legspan of the T from the top of the cage. so a 4" spider shouldn't have more then 6" to fall. for really big mamas (like my t. blondi), i try to keep it at their legspan (since her legspan is nearly 9"... why give her any more height than that to begin with?).

i don't worry as much about slings. they're much lighter and don't seem as prone to ruptures/injuries from falls. i've given 1/2" slings 2" on height in their vials and they're fine.

even at 1.5", i wouldn't worry about falls. just make sure that at whatever height you give your Ts, they can still walk around and molt without a lot of hindering space. Ts can molt in the smallest spaces, but why risk it?

good answer

slings are WAY more resistant to fall damage than adults. little arboreal slings take flying leaps off of me all the time... never seen one get hurt that way.

 

[harrypei]

i donno if you are using vails or deli cups for your sling, but it'll be good to fill it to about 1/3 capacity and leave your sling be. at that size, i don think it'll bother them falling even 6'' onto the substrate, and i have arboreal slings jumping off of me 2 feet to the carpet and they are always fine.

 

[JMoran1097]

i donno if you are using vails or deli cups for your sling, but it'll be good to fill it to about 1/3 capacity and leave your sling be. at that size, i don think it'll bother them falling even 6'' onto the substrate, and i have arboreal slings jumping off of me 2 feet to the carpet and they are always fine.

i agree. i'm a risk taker with my T's and have never had a problem. i'm not going to fill the enclosure almost to the max with substrate. if they fall, the substrate is soft enough to cushion them i figure. never had an issue.

 

[sweetmisery]

Im using a delicup, but bought a small "critter keeper" which is 4" high. What do you suggest would be the depth for this then?

 

[WARPIG]

Im using a delicup, but bought a small "critter keeper" which is 4" high. What do you suggest would be the depth for this then?

IME w/ slings it doesn't matter, I don't think that I have ever read of a sling rupturing its abdomen from a fall from the inside of a deli cup or pill vial. You should worry if your teresstrial has significant weight and bulk, then ruptures can be of major concern.