Species suitable for a vivarium?

[Vince37]

Hello, I'm interested in building a vivarium that I could put a tarantula in. I'm pretty new to the hobby, and currently only have a single spider (a brachypelma hamorii, if I remember correctly), so spiders more suitable for beginners would be nice. I would be happy with either a terrestrial or arboreal spider, but I think it might be more fun to build an arboreal enclosure. I'm really just interested in knowing what spiders might be happy in a live-planted enclosure without being overly aggressive or difficult to take care of. Thank you!

 

[viper69]

Plants in captivity for Ts are a PITA, and generally not worth it IME.

But @Dorifto does great at it

 

[NMTs]

Hello, I'm interested in building a vivarium that I could put a tarantula in. I'm pretty new to the hobby, and currently only have a single spider (a brachypelma hamorii, if I remember correctly), so spiders more suitable for beginners would be nice. I would be happy with either a terrestrial or arboreal spider, but I think it might be more fun to build an arboreal enclosure. I'm really just interested in knowing what spiders might be happy in a live-planted enclosure without being overly aggressive or difficult to take care of. Thank you!

For beginning T keepers, planted enclosures tend to be problematic because the plants usually need different conditions to thrive than the T does. I don't bother with planted enclosures - they look nice, but my focus is on the spiders and I can make a nice looking enclosure without live plants which is better suited for the T.

All that said, the course of action that I see recommended most often, which makes sense to me, is to build the vivarium and get it established and thriving BEFORE adding a T. This might take up to a year, but however long it takes doesn't really matter - get the care of the vivarium dialed in with a good routine, then figure out which T species would be best suited for that type of setup. You'll have plenty of time to research before making a decision. Trying to get care of the T and care of the vivarium figured out at the same time can have you going in opposite directions...

 

[Vince37]

Thank you this is very helpful! And yes, if I were to do this I would probably need to do something like that regardless, because the room I'd usually keep my inverts in is currently being stayed in for an unknown amount of time, so it would be better to just have plants until I can have that space again.

 

[Wolfram1]

Also get some experience caring for houseplants, vivariums are a little more tricky than pottet plants as the water you add has no chance to escape through a hole in the bottom

if you use the same substrate you would for the spiders, it will give you some additional experience with the specific soil mix, how much water it holds etc.

 

[Dorifto]

Hello, I'm interested in building a vivarium that I could put a tarantula in. I'm pretty new to the hobby, and currently only have a single spider (a brachypelma hamorii, if I remember correctly), so spiders more suitable for beginners would be nice. I would be happy with either a terrestrial or arboreal spider, but I think it might be more fun to build an arboreal enclosure. I'm really just interested in knowing what spiders might be happy in a live-planted enclosure without being overly aggressive or difficult to take care of. Thank you!

As @viper69 mentioned, some plants are a real pita, so choosing the right ones is the key for keeping the enclosures and the T healthy.

Imho the best plants are the ones that can thrive in a broad range of conditions rather than the ones with a narrow range or specific conditions.

Imho the best ones are chamaedoreas and some ferns. Both will offer great coverage and are quite easy to keep alive and healthy.

A chamaedorea only needs some pruning once a year to prevent it from overgrowing the enclosure, same for the ferns, but I'd increase the pruning schedule to twice or tree times a year.

For arboreals I'd use chamaedoreas and some tillandsias, both require very low maintenance and are very helpfull for maintaining optimal conditions inside without too much effort, just water the soil around it from time to time and the plant will keep the enclosure's humidity spot on.

I'd ditch any plant that requires too much maintenance, at least at the start.

But more importantly, you will need a good enclosure from the start. Something with a very efficient ventilation system, imho european style ones are among the best, since they are very good exchanging air and keeping the whole enclosure with fresh air.



Chamaedorea elegans (left) recommended
Guzmania teresa (center)
Nephrolepis cordifolia (fern, center) recommended.
Nephrolepis exaltata (right)
Antrophyum cf plantagineum (growing slowly on the xaxim)

Soil: peat and clay based topsoil, imho the best choice.

Decorations: some dry crunched leafs, once decayed they offer a very natural look.


As you can see, the pulchra is always visible with this setup, while usually it's considered a pet hole if it's kept too dry. Same for the geniculata.


@Wolfram1, I believe it could be some Antrophyum, can't guarantee you, since some ferns spread the same way



Once it's settled you can decrease the amount of moisture, unlike with the moss.

 

[Wolfram1]

@Wolfram1, I believe it could be some Antrophyum, can't guarantee you, since some ferns spread the same way
View attachment 489208

Once it's settled you can decrease the amount of moisture, unlike with the moss.

Thanks, yea might be. If i get my hands on any i would probably start it off in a propagation box and let it cover some branches. I find liverwort also invades moist areas easily, but somehow i never get it to grow where i want it to grow

i personally find your setup to be quite advanced since you keep them on the moister side

Plants that anyone should be able to deal with and that can be neglected a bit more are

Epipremnum aureum,
Dracena (ex. Sansiveria sp.), there are some nice compact forms, Sansiveria 'hahnii', and many other cultivars, that would fit any terrarium
Hedera helix, the english ivy, tolerates drought really well too

ferns are usually a bit finicky about the water quality, do you use desalinated or destilated water for your misting system? Or just regular spanish tap water?

 

[Dorifto]

ferns are usually a bit finicky about the water quality, do you use desalinated or destilated water for your misting system? Or just regular spanish tap water?

Tap water, here in the Basque Country the tap water quallity is top notch, even better than some bottled brands...

Had some issues with distilled water before, all the springtails used to die, regardless of the brand, so I returned to the tap water. The only thing that I usually do it's to leave the cap of the misting system/bottle open for an hour so the chlorine can evaporate, nothing else.

i personally find your setup to be quite advanced since you keep them on the moister side

It's moist since I overflowed it yesterday, usually It's a lot drier. Anyway, both Ts liked it on the "moist" side, just humid enough so the soil doesn't crumble or become hygrophobic.

The only enclosure that I'm keeping it a bit more humid/moist than usual it's the geniculata's one. She had some issues with eating properly before and got quite thin, but after molting it's still persistent, so to prevent further dehydration I keep some spots moist.

Even with the moist soil the enclosure it's still quite dry, only 50% RH, since my house gets too dry on winter (cold days). Usually with the same anount of moisture, it stays around 70-85% RH all year around.

Right now:

 

[Wolfram1]

Thx, thats good to know.

i personally really like the look of Maidenhair ferns, i bet they'd do well in your conditions as well.


the one on the left

 

[TheraMygale]

Maybe it doesnt need to be plants, but moss.

Hapolopus sp columbia large. This tarantula is a looker, and with the right set up, you could get what you want.

a vivarium is a big word. Things are alive in it. Doesnt mean it has to be a full fledged plant.

this is what i am trying next in the coming year.

this tarantula is not a defensive species like many ow arboreals. Its colorful, gets a nice size if you get a female.

and when you dont see it, you get to look at your beautiful enclosure.

 

[DeusJeffrey]

This is not a vivarium but an empty jar of jelly ACE. I planted a selected grass so that it will be ready for occupancy of my tarantula. I want the plants to be stable and breathing already once the T is already transferred in.

 

[Introvertebrate]

This is not a vivarium but an empty jar of jelly ACE. I planted a selected grass so that it will be ready for occupancy of my tarantula. I want the plants to be stable and breathing already once the T is already transferred in.

I don't have the nerve to try live plants, but in terms of appearance, they beat my faux plants any day of the week.

 

[Kada]

Dorifto And wolfram. You guys might like various rabbits foot fern species, and relatives that are often found growing on relatively dry rock and tree stems. And they don't get large.

I am normally looking for plants that are fine in darker conditions so I don't need lots of lighting, and also species that are well adapted to drought or drier conditions. I tend to stick to lithophytes and epiphytes if I'm wanting a more green enclosure. For desert enclosure, spinless succulents come in a wide variety and cheap (and expensive haha). Work well with a great showy beginner tarantula like say Brachypelma!

My preference, so that I can control the overl spil moisture more completely) is to have the plants in a container that is buried. Then just water the base of the plant, the water won't leak out the container and will not affect the surrounding soil moisture level. Be is desert or a more temperate/"tropical" looking tank, I always plant in containers and bury, with spider tanks

 

[Matt Man]

Tap water, here in the Basque Country the tap water quallity is top notch, even better than some bottled brands...

Had some issues with distilled water before, all the springtails used to die, regardless of the brand, so I returned to the tap water. The only thing that I usually do it's to leave the cap of the misting system/bottle open for an hour so the chlorine can evaporate, nothing else.

I am guessing Distilled water is an issue because it will steal whatever the pH in the surrounding environs to reach equilibrium. So it could upset the chemistry of what it contacts (dirt, animal stomaches, etc...) as it tries to reach an equalized state with its surroundings.

I know distilled water will pull minerals from what you've eaten in an attempt to equalize

 

[Dorifto]

I was thinking something similar but due the osmotic effect, so for I ditched it completely.

 

[Wolfram1]

Dorifto And wolfram. You guys might like various rabbits foot fern species, and relatives that are often found growing on relatively dry rock and tree stems. And they don't get large.

yea, they are nice, i haven't really tried growing them yet, but they are readily availabe and cheap to buy so they might indeed be a good option.

Care should be pretty similar to Tillandsias, wet dry wet dry wet dry...
and if they somehow don't make it not much is lost.

That said i allways worry about pesticides when i buy plants at garden centers etc. so i like to grow things out from cutting or seedlings in order to add them to the enclosures.

I am normally looking for plants that are fine in darker conditions so I don't need lots of lighting, and also species that are well adapted to drought or drier conditions.

agreed, luckily many houseplants fit that mold.

I tend to stick to lithophytes and epiphytes if I'm wanting a more green enclosure. For desert enclosure, spinless succulents come in a wide variety and cheap (and expensive haha). Work well with a great showy beginner tarantula like say Brachypelma!

i have surprisingly little experience with cacti, i just grow a few seedlings currently, they are not my favourite type of plant, but yea that does sound perfect. I'd personally probably go for other caudiciforms or bulbs. They just interest me more.

My preference, so that I can control the overl spil moisture more completely) is to have the plants in a container that is buried. Then just water the base of the plant, the water won't leak out the container and will not affect the surrounding soil moisture level. Be is desert or a more temperate/"tropical" looking tank, I always plant in containers and bury, with spider tanks

That is a great method, personally i actually prefer it if the plants are growing in the soil directly, but then again i have all my potted plants in the same soil mix i also create for my spiders, soo ... i know how to water them, but thats from years of experience. Same thing though, i mostly add water at the bases of the plants as well as in a corner to perculate through to the bottom.

Brachypelma sp. actually have no isse with moisture if the ventilation is good so the range of plants that can be used is huge. That said, i'd still go for things that can dry out in between. Better stick with things that are sure to work.

I was thinking something similar but due the osmotic effect, so for I ditched it completely.

good to know, i wasn't sure if the misting systems need to use destilated water or not, but yea probably not the best

 

[Dorifto]

good to know, i wasn't sure if the misting systems need to use destilated water or not, but yea probably not the best

Mine is doing good with the tap water. I clean the nozzles with some white vinegar to disolve mineral deposits once a year, nothing else.

The pump it's a cheap coffee machine pump, so even if it gets clogged, I can find replacements easily, but for now, the moving parts look like new.