Rehousing adult tarantulas

[CommanderBacon]

I have rehoused some when I learn more about how they live and want to provide them with a more ideal environment, or their substrate has settled too much and I want to refresh it, but otherwise there's no point.

 

[Kitara]

When they outgrow.

 

[Liquifin]

I've only rehoused adult tarantulas when I have something better. But if we are excluding mold and those situational things, then I'll probably never need to do a rehouse for an adult.

 

[liquidfluidity]

I have rehoused adults 4x. 2 were from a group purchase and the enclosures were filthy. 1 ended up being a male and was pulled and sent for duty shortly after the initial rehouse. This was a very large P. metallica The last was because I just didn't feel like it was happy. Completely cleaned everything again and did a very different setup. Settled right in. Otherwise, once that juvenile hits it's adult enclosure, that's it.

 

[spideyspinneret78]

Very rarely, if ever. If I need to do some major maintenance and decide to get them something bigger and better eventually, then maybe once in a blue moon.

 

[Postmalone35]

Hi
If there is no particular reason I need to rehouse I don't disturb them.I never change the setup or rehouse unless spider is outgoing the enclosure or there is an issue that needs correction.Some tarantulas take months to settle in a new(or changed) setup.There is just no need for it.
Regards Konstantin

How often do you guys re-home your adult Ts? Aside from mold/mite infestations, are there other triggers that always make you kick off a rehouse project?

For adults I don't rehouse unless absolutely necessary.

 

[Ungoliant]

How often do you guys re-home your adult Ts? Aside from mold/mite infestations, are there other triggers that always make you kick off a rehouse project?

I don't do it unless:

1. Something is wrong with the existing enclosure or setup, and ordinary spot-cleaning won't fix it.
2. I want to change the setup.
3. I want to upgrade to a nicer enclosure.

 

[LucN]

The only time I rehoused my adults is when I redid their enclosures last year. Other than the occasional spot cleaning and water dish change, there is no need to mess further with their enclosures.

 

[thedragonslapper]

The only time I've ever rehoused any fully grown Ts was my old but still going strong G. porteri, my first ever T obtained more than a decade ago, because I didn't particularly like the enclosure the pet store provided me with to house her in. It was a large circular Kritter Keeper of sorts that didn't offer much floor space. Would've been suitable for a medium maybe even large arboreal but not so much a beefy terrestrial. I replaced it with a large rectangular KK where she has happily lived ever since.

 

[Smotzer]

Dont need to rehouse an adult that is in its final size enclsoure unless upgrading, and then if you do upgrade it you dont need to ever rehouse, as long as you are spot cleaning and removing uneaten prey there will be no need to ever change the substrate with an adult, little mold isnt even a reason to replace it either.

 

[Steaminpies]

This is the perfect thread for a question I’ve been wondering lately. Petko posted a video about a month ago revealing how his second tarantula he’d ever gotten passed away, a Chilobrachys huahini. In the intro he said if he were to guess she was probably around eight cm upon receiving her and at most three years old. Although, in the earlier clips he’s talking over she looks to be not much more than six cm to my eye. Either way, she wasn’t a three year old spider I’d say. Petko received her on November 20, 2014, meaning under his care she lived happily for a little over six years. He figured she lived nine years in total and was surprised, assuming she was going to live upwards of fifteen years. As I explained earlier I think it was more like seven or eight years making it all the more interesting since I would’ve agreed with Petko’s assumption. Her permanent enclosure was almost six years old based on a video he posted on July 4, 2015 regarding the project. I assume he left her in there for those six years. Leading up to her death she slowed down and weakened for a week, until she entered death curl. Petko said he wished he had recorded the video the day prior as she still tried to enter somewhat of a threat posture. So, no immediate/sudden death or anything out of the ordinary. When examining her she appeared healthy, no enlarged abdomen or other signs of impaction. One comment thread I recall reading had a reply of someone who said they believed adult fossorials should be rehoused every few years to prevent from toxic bacterial build up harming the spider. Does this sound like it has any merit to it? Even in fully bioactive enclosures I’d imagine the detrivores and other micro fauna might not maintain populations after such long periods of time in an enclosed environment. I’m not sure...