Ventilation

[aphono]

Which is considered ideal, vent holes on the side vs top of enclosure?

There are pre-made acrylic cages online I rather liked however they have vent holes on the top(both drilled little holes in rows or round mesh screen). But then so many of the pictures on this site show cross ventilation on the sides- is this the ideal?

I'm keeping mainly species that seem to like it on the dry side- A. chalcodes, A. eutylenum, GBB and G. pulchripes. Extremely temped to jump in and try an arboreal- probably A. versicolor- cross ventilation is best for arboreals, right?

p.s. the main reason for wanting acrylic is for viewing access and not planning to have a huge collection(I'm sure some of you chuckle at this but...) so it will not be such a huge expense.

 

[grayzone]

Ventilation is a matter of preference unless cross ventilation is needed

 

[bryverine]

Cross ventilation for the avic. The key there is to not make the substrate wet. Just keep a water dish full.

Top holes are for to release humidity. Humidity rises so if you want a dry enclosure, holes are good in top.

 

[Andrea82]

If your tempted to get an Avicularia (Caribena) species, this link contains pretty much everything you need to know to keep these species succesfully :
http://arachnoboards.com/threads/avicularia-husbandry.282549/#post-2461399

I would advise to get a juvie or young adult instead of a sling, since slings can be more sensitive for beginner mistakes.

Jamies enclosures are beautiful, but rather expensive. You are saying that you're not planning to get a large collection...well....lots of people say that....i said it too, but i'm on 30 now, and not even close to having all species i would like.

 

[aphono]

Thanks for the replies. I'm glad to have found this board, the avic example of very different idea of care. Initially I did not want any arboreals because care for them seemed so complicated but from comments on here it seems it is not exactly so, just different.. and if done properly, they are reasonably easy(?).

 

[aphono]

If your tempted to get an Avicularia (Caribena) species, this link contains pretty much everything you need to know to keep these species succesfully :
http://arachnoboards.com/threads/avicularia-husbandry.282549/#post-2461399

I would advise to get a juvie or young adult instead of a sling, since slings can be more sensitive for beginner mistakes.

Jamies enclosures are beautiful, but rather expensive. You are saying that you're not planning to get a large collection...well....lots of people say that....i said it too, but i'm on 30 now, and not even close to having all species i would like.

Thanks! That link is actually one of those I came across and helped me think about trying an avic. So far all the local sources for versicolor have been slings. I've been taking care of four slings (2 G. pulchripes, GBB, A. eutylenum) for about 3 weeks by now. At first I was slightly worried about being able to manage such tiny things.. but so far they have been very easy and enjoyable. Would this be considered generally a good step towards taking care of an avi sling(understanding there are differences) if I don;t find a larger sling/juvie?

as for the other comment.. Right now there's only a very few species I have any interest in. Hope that will help contain my collection, ha! But there is a chance I may find my favorite species and get multiples of it...

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Right now there's only a very few species I have any interest in. Hope that will help contain my collection, ha!

I thought that at first, I've since found myself warming to species that I wasn't initially interested in owning (and now I'm going to have to buy more shelves ).

 

[Jeff23]

I prefer a minimum of side ventilation. But when I customize enclosures I put ventilation on both top and side (but a lot more holes on the side). If you are using a ceiling fan, top ventilation only may survive okay. But with no ceiling fan side ventilation should be used.

 

[Andy00]

Cross ventilation is in all my enclosures, just extra for arboreals.
This is how I keep juvie-subadult avics,caribena,ybyraporas. I cut a section on the bottom so if they web the top I can still clean out boluses. (Walmart 1-gallon)
This is how I keep my avic,cari, and yby slings-juvies. Keep it simple but just know they like atleast one "clustered" spot in the enclosure and will usually always go up. (AMAC box that opens at the bottom so I don't have to rip the webbing)

 

[aphono]

I thought that at first, I've since found myself warming to species that I wasn't initially interested in owning (and now I'm going to have to buy more shelves ).

You are not very.... helpful.. I will not even think about the fact there is a lot more space available, nope! Maybe I am just doing the right thing for now, starting out slow n easy instead of going all full out right out of the gate. But for now, few it is!

 

[aphono]

I prefer a minimum of side ventilation. But when I customize enclosures I put ventilation on both top and side (but a lot more holes on the side). If you are using a ceiling fan, top ventilation only may survive okay. But with no ceiling fan side ventilation should be used.

This is useful! No fan so I will avoid the top-only ventilated enclosures or at least plan on making side ones for these. Thanks.

 

[aphono]

Cross ventilation is in all my enclosures, just extra for arboreals.
This is how I keep juvie-subadult avics,caribena,ybyraporas. I cut a section on the bottom so if they web the top I can still clean out boluses. (Walmart 1-gallon) View attachment 234987
This is how I keep my avic,cari, and yby slings-juvies. Keep it simple but just know they like atleast one "clustered" spot in the enclosure and will usually always go up. (AMAC box that opens at the bottom so I don't have to rip the webbing) View attachment 234986

Clever adding that section for cleaning the bottom. How do you feed them in these AMAC boxes or if they have webbed up the whole top of top opening containers? Did you drill or solder the vent holes?

Seems I am "doomed" to get an avic..

 

[Andy00]

Clever adding that section for cleaning the bottom. How do you feed them in these AMAC boxes or if they have webbed up the whole top of top opening containers? Did you drill or solder the vent holes?

Seems I am "doomed" to get an avic..

In the AMAC voces i just flip it upside down and drop the prey on their web. They don't mind being upside down haha. I solder the holes. Honestly, you don't have to do all this complicated stuff, just put some dirt and fake plants in a deli cup and you're good to go.

 

[aphono]

Easy peasy! I can do that, thanks!

 

[Thaneem]

The ideal is to have both, but how much ventilation - and where - is going to be determined by the humidity requirements of the species. Low humidity = lots of top ventilation. High humidity = little top ventilation, more on the sides. I can tell you that I've kept scolopendra and such with great success in critter keepers with dry substrate, large water dishes and saran-wrap over two-thirds the top.