Suggestion for building a cave chamber?

[Ekul1021]

Hi everybody, I saw the forum after watching a video from a helpful spider guy on youtube and have decided to go back to keeping these wonderful and mysterious creatures. I used take care of the school's spider when I was 7 years old and ever since I have grown up watching and learning these arthropods. The spider I'm looking at is namely the Brazilian Pink Birdeater which I saw one in Brazil years ago when I was doing my graduate study. What was fascinating was it was eating a snake which my professor said was the most dangerous so that was most amazing.

Does anybody have a tip for making a cave chamber and making a tunnel that connects to it? Someone mention using the towel tube as a way to make a tunnel to the chamber. Also would using a have cut half cut Tupperware be okay or use this wooden piece from pets mart and just stuck the tube through the opening and throw the substance in?

http://www.petsmart.com/reptile/hab...-things-reptile-refuge-14750.html?cgid=500116

I also want to try and make the tunnel 45 degree downward. Also I'm concern about the size of the tunnel because this spider is the third largest in the world too.

I just want to give him or her a nice mansion size terrarium since it'll be in a 20 or 40 gallon long aquarium size tank which the neighbors gave me before they move.

Otherwise any help and suggestion would be grateful and most appreciative. Thank you everybody for reading.

 

[Nephila Edulis]

Hi everybody, I saw the forum after watching a video from a helpful spider guy on youtube and have decided to go back to keeping these wonderful and mysterious creatures. I used take care of the school's spider when I was 7 years old and ever since I have grown up watching and learning these arthropods. The spider I'm looking at is namely the Brazilian Pink Birdeater which I saw one in Brazil years ago when I was doing my graduate study. What was fascinating was it was eating a snake which my professor said was the most dangerous so that was most amazing.

Does anybody have a tip for making a cave chamber and making a tunnel that connects to it? Someone mention using the towel tube as a way to make a tunnel to the chamber. Also would using a have cut half cut Tupperware be okay or use this wooden piece from pets mart and just stuck the tube through the opening and throw the substance in?

http://www.petsmart.com/reptile/hab...-things-reptile-refuge-14750.html?cgid=500116

I also want to try and make the tunnel 45 degree downward. Also I'm concern about the size of the tunnel because this spider is the third largest in the world too.

I just want to give him or her a nice mansion size terrarium since it'll be in a 20 or 40 gallon long aquarium size tank which the neighbors gave me before they move.

Otherwise any help and suggestion would be grateful and most appreciative. Thank you everybody for reading.

I think you can make a cave out of styrofoam, cut it to shape and smear black silicone over it then cover it in soil/coco peat. Then you can just remove any substrate that isn't stick to the silicone.

 

[Ungoliant]

The spider I'm looking at is namely the Brazilian Pink Birdeater which I saw one in Brazil years ago when I was doing my graduate study.

I'm assuming that "Brazilian Pink Birdeater" means Lasiodora parahybana. (Most of us prefer to use scientific names, as it eliminates ambiguity. There are many species with some variation of "birdeater" in the name.)

If you're considering a different species, please let us know which one, as that may change what would be an appropriate care regimen.

Does anybody have a tip for making a cave chamber and making a tunnel that connects to it? Someone mention using the towel tube as a way to make a tunnel to the chamber. Also would using a have cut half cut Tupperware be okay or use this wooden piece from pets mart and just stuck the tube through the opening and throw the substance in?

I haven't kept Lasiodora parahybana before, but I would honestly just provide a hide and let the tarantula dig its own burrow if it wants.

Also would using a have cut half cut Tupperware be okay or use this wooden piece from pets mart and just stuck the tube through the opening and throw the substance in?

As far as the hide is concerned, something opaque is better, as it makes them feel more secure when they have a dark place to go. The ideal hide is lightweight (in case the tarantula undermines it) and has no bottom. Ideally, bury it most of the way so that there is only a little starter entrance, which it will happily excavate.

Cork bark is very popular, as it meets all of those criteria. Avoid any cedar or pine products. (Cedar is used to repel insects, so it may have adverse effects on other invertebrates like tarantulas.)

Here is some good information about keeping a juvenile or adult LP:

And if you're getting a sling:

 

[The Grym Reaper]

also want to try and make the tunnel 45 degree downward. Also I'm concern about the size of the tunnel because this spider is the third largest in the world too.

Just give it a cork bark hide, there's no point in making an elaborate tunnel system that it won't ever use, once these hit 4" they stay out in the open all the time, the only thing mine does with its hide is sit on top of it.

Their size is also greatly exaggerated so that they sell faster, egg sacs for this species contain 1500+ eggs so people struggle to even give the things away. It'll most likely max out at 7-8 inches, you might luck out and get a freak 9 inch specimen but I wouldn't count on it.

I just want to give him or her a nice mansion size terrarium since it'll be in a 20 or 40 gallon long aquarium size tank which the neighbors gave me before they move.

Anything bigger than a 10 gallon for an LP is a waste of space.

 

[Ellenantula]

I'm picturing this as one of RobC's pokie cannons....

 

[user 666]

Don't bother with making a tunnel. If the T wants one they will dig it.

I recently got an older obligate burrower (C minax, I think) and I tried to be helpful and give it a starter tunnel. It ignored my work and dug its own tunnel (two of them, in fact).

The T will take care of itself.

 

[JoshDM020]

Don't bother with making a tunnel. If the T wants one they will dig it.

I recently got an older obligate burrower (C minax, I think) and I tried to be helpful and give it a starter tunnel. It ignored my work and dug its own tunnel (two of them, in fact).

The T will take care of itself.

My Aphonopelma seemani ignored my starter burrow, too. Twice. I rehoused it into a smaller enclosure because it was waaaaayyyyyy too small for what it was in. In both its chosen to use a completely different corner.

 

[user 666]

My Aphonopelma seemani ignored my starter burrow, too. Twice. I rehoused it into a smaller enclosure because it was waaaaayyyyyy too small for what it was in. In both its chosen to use a completely different corner.

My C darlingi also ignored the starter tunnels, choosing to instead dig its own network and also make web tunnels above ground.

Curiously, my S kovariki used one of the starter tunnels and then built a dirt-web tube up into the air.

 

[Ellenantula]

I've only started burrows for slings -- usually under a piece of silk leaf or small cork bark -- they used my starter burrow and expanded however they wanted.

Adults get a wood hide but I do not start them a burrow. It's there choice to burrow under their hide or burrow elsewhere... or burrow not at all.

 

[mconnachan]

Don't bother with making a tunnel. If the T wants one they will dig it.

I recently got an older obligate burrower (C minax, I think) and I tried to be helpful and give it a starter tunnel. It ignored my work and dug its own tunnel (two of them, in fact).

The T will take care of itself.

I have 0.0.3. C. minax - they all made their own borrows, extremely elaborate give their in sling vials that they arrived in, I put substrate to about a couple of centimetres of the top of their vials, the tunnels they have made are awesome looking, reinforced with webbing, with two entrances/exits, it's time to upgrade to larger enclosures after one more molt from them, a stunning fossorial sp. I'm loving these sp. their eating response is phenomenal as well.