waterfalls in T house?

[Nitibus]

may be if the T is large, it would be alright

The bigger they are the harder they fall...

I wouldn't suggest it.

 

[TalonAWD]

I have successfully done it and it was for a Laisodora Parahybana. This was 5 years ago before I got married and sold them all I had a collesction of 5 tarantulas. (they are in my profile.) Now I'm back in the hobby again. (Took 5 years but finally convinced my wife to accept. Persistence is key;P )
What I did was buy a 24" x 24" x24" glass tank with two lids. I bought the waterfall that goes in a corner of the tank. I don't know if its the same one the original poster was referring to. Its basically a corner waterfall with 3 shelves. Water flows from the top via a small pump. The water is collected on the bottom of the unit. I than used the normal stuff to decorate the tank. I built a special cabinet with two 20W light fixtures. (They produced high heat) I placed them hovering over the tank about 1.5-2" and towards the middle of the tank and from that portion to the back completed covered with the cabinet. From the lights foward there was no covering over the tank to provide free air. Basically the side walls of the cabinet were cut at an angle. The screen tops I chucked and replaced them with two 1/4" Plexi or Lexan. It had to be two for ease of feeding and maintenance (Because of the size of the tank) and the split also released more humidity depending on how much of a gap I wanted to leave. (For changes in weather that affect my houses temperature. I chose 1/4" because of the high heat lights I was using. Didn't want to have molten plastic fall in the tank. Drilled 1/4" holes and 1/2" holes towards the middle of the plexi around where the lights were. I placed rocks in the waterfall unit to prevent splashing whereever the water fell. Than I tested it for about a month. Each day (every 24 hrs) I would monitor the humidity level with 3 guages (Both sides and rear of the tank) The lights were put on a timer to turn on in the morning (roughly 7-8 am ) and to turn off at night (9-10pm) The pump was turned on and the tank was decorated with Dry Peat moss (Spagnum )Big Rocks (Situated partially directly under the lights for absorbtion of heat) and no water dish.

Every day I would drill a couple more holes in the plexi depending on my readings of the 3 guages. More humidity I would drill a 1/2" hole and fine tune it with a 1/4" hole. The area with the water fall had 1/2" holes with 1/4" holes around it to let out most of the moisture or humidity. I was able to manage 70-80% humidity.
Also one important detail. The water pump also had a seperate timer. The pump would usually start 1-2hrs (don't remember exactly) AFTER the lights turned on in the mornings. This was important because at night humidity would rise a bit and the lights were used to dry out the humidity level of the night before the pump started. And the pump would shut off 1-2 hrs before the lights shut off at night so that the same thing happens but for the opposite reasons. At night it will automatically become humid inside the tank. After 1 month I put the Laisodora in her new home (she hated the 10 Gallon tank)
My Laisodora Loved it!!! She was a 9" leg span Tarantula. The tank was art. Sometimes she would sit ontop of the HUGE rock cave to sun bath under the light and I have caught her drinking water from the water fall. She got used to it! Unfotunately my wife did not like to see such a large spider and I sold it with the set up for $100 along with the other 4 tarantulas for cheapeek: yeah I know I was stupid but in love!!) The most important part of the entire project was the simplist thing.....The Plexi Glass tops. That was the only thing I kept and still have till this day. I will one day Have it again but It was success. It was alot of work to get the plexi drilled with the correct number of holes to make it work. I started out with no holes. The other important detail is that whenever the pump started the flow of water, humidity would rise alot faster. With water standing (Similar to having a water dish) humidity levels would rise slowly depending on temperature. I never had mold nor have the sides of the tank accumulated water droplets during the day. (At night yes the sides would get a fog but near the huge rocks cause the rocks dissapaited heat slowly.) Also as long as the pump was completely submerged, it made no vibrations, it was silent. The rocks in the waterfall unit were also there to prevent the noise of water falling.

It can be done but it should be done with a large spider rather than a small one like the Parahybana or the T-blondi. With the blondi you could even go as far as making a small pool by placing a divider going at an angle and placing the water fall in the small pool. Place fake plants to stop the splashing. (The water droplets can stress the trantula greatly because it will hit them and they won't know what hit them and the fact that its random hits) My Parahybana was too large to even fit in the bowl so there was no chance of her drowning.
I do have a video of this tank setup. Hopefully I can find a way to take a picture of it one day to post. (Its on a VHS tape and I don't have a VHS player only DVD player since I don't use VHS anymore)I tried to describe it as best that I can. I will work on getting pics.

 

[Drachenjager]

i think modifying it where the pump was remotly located would eliminate the vibrations distrurbing the T

 

[Damien]

I have an Exxo Terra small waterfall in my Avic Avic enclosure, and has not presented any problems. The small waterfall is not big or deep enough for a mature Avic Avic to either be flushed or drown, and the water doesn't come straight down, but at a slight angle, so it's more of a big trickle.

I have put soil all around the sides and back, which seems to be enough to keep the vibrations down, as my tarantula has decided to web right on top of the waterfall. The only problem with not being able to take the back off is that it is more complicated to remove the crud that can block your pump.

 

[bushbuster]

I have successfully done it and it was for a Laisodora Parahybana. This was 5 years ago before I got married and sold them all I had a collesction of 5 tarantulas. (they are in my profile.) Now I'm back in the hobby again. (Took 5 years but finally convinced my wife to accept. Persistence is key;P )
What I did was buy a 24" x 24" x24" glass tank with two lids. I bought the waterfall that goes in a corner of the tank. I don't know if its the same one the original poster was referring to. Its basically a corner waterfall with 3 shelves. Water flows from the top via a small pump. The water is collected on the bottom of the unit. I than used the normal stuff to decorate the tank. I built a special cabinet with two 20W light fixtures. (They produced high heat) I placed them hovering over the tank about 1.5-2" and towards the middle of the tank and from that portion to the back completed covered with the cabinet. From the lights foward there was no covering over the tank to provide free air. Basically the side walls of the cabinet were cut at an angle. The screen tops I chucked and replaced them with two 1/4" Plexi or Lexan. It had to be two for ease of feeding and maintenance (Because of the size of the tank) and the split also released more humidity depending on how much of a gap I wanted to leave. (For changes in weather that affect my houses temperature. I chose 1/4" because of the high heat lights I was using. Didn't want to have molten plastic fall in the tank. Drilled 1/4" holes and 1/2" holes towards the middle of the plexi around where the lights were. I placed rocks in the waterfall unit to prevent splashing whereever the water fell. Than I tested it for about a month. Each day (every 24 hrs) I would monitor the humidity level with 3 guages (Both sides and rear of the tank) The lights were put on a timer to turn on in the morning (roughly 7-8 am ) and to turn off at night (9-10pm) The pump was turned on and the tank was decorated with Dry Peat moss (Spagnum )Big Rocks (Situated partially directly under the lights for absorbtion of heat) and no water dish.

Every day I would drill a couple more holes in the plexi depending on my readings of the 3 guages. More humidity I would drill a 1/2" hole and fine tune it with a 1/4" hole. The area with the water fall had 1/2" holes with 1/4" holes around it to let out most of the moisture or humidity. I was able to manage 70-80% humidity.
Also one important detail. The water pump also had a seperate timer. The pump would usually start 1-2hrs (don't remember exactly) AFTER the lights turned on in the mornings. This was important because at night humidity would rise a bit and the lights were used to dry out the humidity level of the night before the pump started. And the pump would shut off 1-2 hrs before the lights shut off at night so that the same thing happens but for the opposite reasons. At night it will automatically become humid inside the tank. After 1 month I put the Laisodora in her new home (she hated the 10 Gallon tank)
My Laisodora Loved it!!! She was a 9" leg span Tarantula. The tank was art. Sometimes she would sit ontop of the HUGE rock cave to sun bath under the light and I have caught her drinking water from the water fall. She got used to it! Unfotunately my wife did not like to see such a large spider and I sold it with the set up for $100 along with the other 4 tarantulas for cheapeek: yeah I know I was stupid but in love!!) The most important part of the entire project was the simplist thing.....The Plexi Glass tops. That was the only thing I kept and still have till this day. I will one day Have it again but It was success. It was alot of work to get the plexi drilled with the correct number of holes to make it work. I started out with no holes. The other important detail is that whenever the pump started the flow of water, humidity would rise alot faster. With water standing (Similar to having a water dish) humidity levels would rise slowly depending on temperature. I never had mold nor have the sides of the tank accumulated water droplets during the day. (At night yes the sides would get a fog but near the huge rocks cause the rocks dissapaited heat slowly.) Also as long as the pump was completely submerged, it made no vibrations, it was silent. The rocks in the waterfall unit were also there to prevent the noise of water falling.

It can be done but it should be done with a large spider rather than a small one like the Parahybana or the T-blondi. With the blondi you could even go as far as making a small pool by placing a divider going at an angle and placing the water fall in the small pool. Place fake plants to stop the splashing. (The water droplets can stress the trantula greatly because it will hit them and they won't know what hit them and the fact that its random hits) My Parahybana was too large to even fit in the bowl so there was no chance of her drowning.
I do have a video of this tank setup. Hopefully I can find a way to take a picture of it one day to post. (Its on a VHS tape and I don't have a VHS player only DVD player since I don't use VHS anymore)I tried to describe it as best that I can. I will work on getting pics.

Now, theres some real creativity, I'm impressed with your trial and error, and making sure everything was right before introducing the Tarantula. I'm sure that setup rocked, would love to see pics sometime. Kudos to u!

 

[TalonAWD]

Ok I went out and bought one of those VHS/DVD recorders and got a hold of a picture of my setup 6 years ago. WOW the memories that tape brought.
Heres a pic of the enclosure:

If you look closely you will see the way the holes are drilled. Lots of holes. Also a correction in what I stated for the setup. I did have a water dish in the setup in addition to the water fall. And all four walls had some type of guage. The front one has a temperature strip.

 

[TalonAWD]

Heres the water fall up close.

 

[Feathers]

I asked this same question here and at The Arboreal Tarantula Forum. Michael answered, saying it would pose no problem and the sole benefit would be eye candy for the keeper. I haven't done it yet, but plan to in the future with one of my pokies.

 

[speedreader]

Thanks, Talon!

This looks spectacular. I am sure that I (a statistician) and my buddy (a mech. engineer) can construct a similar mechanism through careful trials. It seems totally worth it. Although I will have to think of what the perfect spider would be for it.