Some questions about L.Parahybana and tanks

[Vys]

I might get one of these guys soon, (getting T's in Sweden is hard, especially in winter, if you don't own a car :/ ) and I'm just a tad curious about their climbing abilities, if any. You see, I might get an aquarium instead of a terrarium because of a ~22 dollar price difference, and slightly bigger floor space in the latter, although there's a nice steel rectangle on the one side of the terrarium, as wel las the top, with ventilation-holes in, and there are sliding glass doors on the side. These things are pretty practical, at least the ventilation thing. Now, the aquarium has a lift-up top, and 'holes' in two of the corners of it, for ventilation.
Looking something like this :
(spaces are ignored, why I don't know, so a * char is just ..glass, and this is the top piece, seen from above)
_____
|** \ |
|****|
|** / |
-------

(I hope that made sense)

If a Spid climbed up there, it could probably fit thrugh those two holes. That would make me spend more money on modifying the top piece, namely gluing or tapeing two pieces of holed hard sturdy plastic or metal to the top piece over the holes. However if the spid can't climb the surface, then there's nothing to worry about.
Also, I don't know really what is considered enough ventilation, if these aquarium holes (For grabbing the top piece, perhaps mainly) are enough or what ?
I am not planning on holding humidity very high. (The parahybana I might get is adult, or very nearly adult, anyway)

So what would you say ?

 

[Vys]

well..reason I'm unsure of the climbing capabilities of terrestrials is simply 'cause I have never owned one. Only such I've studied for any extended amount of time is a rosea. She could climb glass, then she couldn't then she molted, and could again. So I wonder.
Parahybanas - cliffhangers?
How much ventilation needed?

Consider this a thing that went bump in the night

 

[Tarantula]

Mine has great climbing abilities. I put vaseline around the top of the container it lives in and that stopped it from climbing shortly after.

 

[Joy]

Originally posted by Tarantula
Mine has great climbing abilities. I put vaseline around the top of the container it lives in and that stopped it from climbing shortly after.

I'd be cautious about doing this myself, as I've heard vaseline may clog the booklungs. Presumably you haven't had this trouble since you don't mention it, but it's something you might want to consider.

Regarding climbing, I think it's always best to assume they can and will climb, and act accordingly. I've personally witnessed large terrestrial species who were not at all physically suited to the exercise climbing the walls of their vivaria. It may be unnecessary caution, but when the consequences are so potentially unhappy why take the chance?

Joy

 

[Vys]

Yeah Joy,..I guess....silicon glue+bits of steel or hard plastic..with hole in them...gah. Not for free at least. :/
I won't use vaseline, too messy..

Thanks both for you replies though.

 

[Vys]

Eck, so here I go again, mr. Clever, scouting for a suitable tank thinking only of too big escape-holes. What happens?
I buy a terrarium that is 40cm high(15.75 inch), with a metal piece with airholes lying horisontal at 10.5 up from bottom(4.10), with upper end at approx 15cm(5.95), where the sliding glass doors begin. Neat. That makes a 25cm(10 inch) free fall if I fill it with substrate up to sliding doors (covering the metal ventilation piece with tiny airholes) and ms. Spider decides to hitch up to the top and drop. I wouldn't like to hear this is definitely too much...since it's a nice tank with a similiar but bigger metal piece with airholes at the top..but I'd like to know if it's a terrestrial death-trap ?

 

[Vys]

Oh come on. Can large terrestrials mostly make it if they fall 10 inches unto peat?

 

[MrDeranged]

It's "possible" that they could survive drops from even higher, but why take the chance? BTW, "possible" doesn't mean "probable"

Scott

 

[Vys]

'why take the chance' with too big holes in tank, 'why take chance' with too high a tank ..I'm beginning to see a pattern here

Anyway, I wanted to know what the general consencus(sp?) was, eventhough there aren't very many other options. If I would have gotten the one aquarium that didn't have ultra-large holes on top , I'm sure the ventilation would have been insufficient.
The only other option is either buying a new 50dollar tank (I kind of doubt they'll let me return it) or getting a petpal. And the last is quite beyond me simply because I think glass is nicer.

Tough as it might be to believe, i'm not unreasonable though. If no one can say 10 inches is 'reasonably safe'..I'm just gonna have to think of something. Can anyone ?

I mean, the spider has a large legspan, I just thought it wouldn't be so dangerous. If I Could fill it with any more substrate, I'd feel claustrophobic just looking at it


Like, look at this tank, it seems that Parahybana has quite the vertical space as well ?
http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/photos/PsychoPolluxCage110300.jpg

I'm not trying to sound idiotic and prove someone wrong here Just haven't seen very many setups for terrestrials with 2 inches of vertical space.

 

[Immortal_sin]

mine are in 10 gallon aquariums, with screen tops. But then again, the smallest I have is probably 5 1/2" or so. I have filled the aquarium halfway with peat. None of mine are climbers though, so what applies here may not apply to yours.
I would not take the chance of them climbing and falling though...just my .02

 

[Vys]

Smallest spider ?

 

[Vys]

Decided not to add more questions.
Just a pointer to here :
http://www.arachnopets.com/arachnoboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=780

Several of those setups seem to hold pretty good 'free fall' heights for terrestrials :/ ?

I wouldn't know if they're 10 inches, but anyways...I think i might just be hopeless for consequence sometimes.

 

[Bjorgly]

I hope to get a L.parahybana soon and it's going in a 10 gallon aquarium where it can't fall more than 1.5 - 2 times its own body length and a plexi-glass type custom lid. I'm sure it will be fine in such a setup.

Mark

 

[Vys]

Ok. Exactly that 'custom plexi lid' is what I'm missing. So how long is that, anyway ?

Anyway, I'll make hills and stuff, and use peat/vermiculate mix, so it should be pretty 'fluffy'.

 

[Bjorgly]

All i do is use plexi glass or Lucite (similar stuff), cut it to be about a 1/2 inch larger than whatever cage i use it for and put velcro on the edges of the lid and the top edge of the aquarium. Then i drill holes in the lid, lots on one side, a few on the other side to allow for a bit of circulation besides the ventilation the holes already provide.

Mark

 

[Vys]

What is velcro?

Anyways, I don't have a drill, I don't know if I can get any cheap plexi-glass..I'd jave to check that, first. But just a piece of plexi the size of the lid seems like it would be ok. If I could get a drill, if I could get piece of plexi.

I just bought this dang tank and walked with it and washed it, before I thought of fall-height :/ Äck, if I can find no plexi and drill, I'll just use it and see what happens. (If spid climbs all the time I'll have to put it in a pet pal for the time being, and anyways if I can't exchange the terrarium I'm definitely keeping it)

Can't you stop it from climbing with tape or something ?

I wish someone would've diverted me from my obsession with too large holes when I first made the thread