What size tarantula for a 18x12x12 enclosure?

[ilikebugs7]

I'm in the process of setting up an 18x12x12" Tarantula Cribs enclosure for a T. albopilosus, and I'd like to be able to move her directly into the enclosure rather than starting with a sling in a vial. First T, so I'm a bit nervous about caring for one so small.
Would a 3" T be a good size to move into this size enclosure? And around what age would a curly hair be at this size?
I've not seen many subadults for sale, really only slings and adults. So would it be advisable to buy an adult (4-5") female instead of looking for a subadult?

 

[Arachnophobphile]

That size of enclosure is suitable for a 6 inch + tarantula. 5 inch could work out too. 3 inch T is too small for that. That's also not suitable for an arboreal just fossorial and terrestrial.

 

[ilikebugs7]

That size of enclosure is suitable for a 6 inch + tarantula. 5 inch could work out too. 3 inch T is too small for that. That's also not suitable for an arboreal just fossorial and terrestrial.

Got it, thanks. I may just buy a 5 or 6" adult then. Or if I find one around 3" I'll keep it in something smaller until it's ready for the 18x12x12.
It'll be for a curly hair, Tliltocatl albopilosus.

 

[fcat]

It's basically impossible to determine the age, as you can have very different sized slings come from the same sac even. I personally have sac mates from pairing my T verdezi and you would never guess they are related. I have some that are 2 inches and some that are a half inch.

If you want to know an exact age, buy from a breeder. And if you are in the states then I would point you to the classified section here.... @cold blood has babies that he produced. If memory serves me right they just hit 1 or 2 years of age but I'll edit when I find it. I feed modestly, just to achieve abdomen size and maybe a treat to push fluids here and there, and they are about 2" now. They are seeing lows of about 60F and highs of about 88F.

These are gonna be "slings" to juveniles...honestly those terms are pretty subjective and not standardized...but they are so fun to raise. Here are some pictures of my half inch sling that had been in the pot for one week.

What I've circled here are burrows. Already has two separate entrances and a basement!

Proportionate to this enclosure...I think it's an 8oz jar...Personally I am comfortable giving a half inch this much space because I've now raised hundreds of them in a similar fashion... But in order to make the home safe for them I had to bring up the substrate level.....that's a lot of space to "lose them." But I only have about 3 cubic inches of space to worry about. You would need A LOT of dirt to make that enclosure safe. They will burrow and if you can't see your T you can't monitor it.

I consider myself very generous when it comes to Tliltocatl, a 3" in that big and deep in an enclosure to boot, I don't think even I would go that crazy. And I certainly can't have any of mine finding out that there are other curly hairs getting treated better than they are

BUT... you don't need to spend crazy money on an enclosure, and definitely don't, save the money to spend on Ts. Anything clear that you can poke a hole in works.

There really aren't rules on how big you could go....how vast is the wild (but also how short is their lifespan in the wild)...they just tend to stick to safety and when they aren't moving dirt around they are waiting for food to walk by. You want to make sure they can tell food is walking by, and that they don't have to go too far for water.

 

[ilikebugs7]

It's basically impossible to determine the age, as you can have very different sized slings come from the same sac even. I personally have sac mates from pairing my T verdezi and you would never guess they are related. I have some that are 2 inches and some that are a half inch.

If you want to know an exact age, buy from a breeder. And if you are in the states then I would point you to the classified section here.... @cold blood has babies that he produced. If memory serves me right they just hit 1 or 2 years of age but I'll edit when I find it. I feed modestly, just to achieve abdomen size and maybe a treat to push fluids here and there, and they are about 2" now. They are seeing lows of about 60F and highs of about 88F.

These are gonna be "slings" to juveniles...honestly those terms are pretty subjective and not standardized...but they are so fun to raise. Here are some pictures of my half inch sling that had been in the pot for one week.
View attachment 487383 View attachment 487384 View attachment 487385
What I've circled here are burrows. Already has two separate entrances and a basement!

Proportionate to this enclosure...I think it's an 8oz jar...Personally I am comfortable giving a half inch this much space because I've now raised hundreds of them in a similar fashion... But in order to make the home safe for them I had to bring up the substrate level.....that's a lot of space to "lose them." But I only have about 3 cubic inches of space to worry about. You would need A LOT of dirt to make that enclosure safe. They will burrow and if you can't see your T you can't monitor it.

I consider myself very generous when it comes to Tliltocatl, a 3" in that big and deep in an enclosure to boot, I don't think even I would go that crazy. And I certainly can't have any of mine finding out that there are other curly hairs getting treated better than they are

BUT... you don't need to spend crazy money on an enclosure, and definitely don't, save the money to spend on Ts. Anything clear that you can poke a hole in works.

There really aren't rules on how big you could go....how vast is the wild (but also how short is their lifespan in the wild)...they just tend to stick to safety and when they aren't moving dirt around they are waiting for food to walk by. You want to make sure they can tell food is walking by, and that they don't have to go too far for water.

Thanks for the reply. I'll check out the classifieds.

I definitely bought this enclosure with the intention of it being a "display" enclosure for an adult. I've always been a fan of large naturalist or bioactive enclosures for herps and other inverts, so I wanted to do something similar here.
This is the current state of my 18x12x12 (it's just arrived today)

I'll definitely be adding a good 5" of substrate if not more. I've along got dwarf purple isopods and springtails for a CuC.

The last thing I want is putting in too small of a T to where it can't get food and water easily. If I can find one around 3" I'll keep her in a smaller (and cheaper..) enclosure until she's ready. Ideally though I'll get one large enough to go straight into this one. I plan to get a female so I don't feel I'm missing much of their lifespan if I get a 3-4yr old adult.

 

[fcat]

Thanks for the reply. I'll check out the classifieds.

I definitely bought this enclosure with the intention of it being a "display" enclosure for an adult. I've always been a fan of large naturalist or bioactive enclosures for herps and other inverts, so I wanted to do something similar here.
This is the current state of my 18x12x12 (it's just arrived today)
View attachment 487386
I'll definitely be adding a good 5" of substrate if not more. I've along got dwarf purple isopods and springtails for a CuC.

The last thing I want is putting in too small of a T to where it can't get food and water easily. If I can find one around 3" I'll keep her in a smaller (and cheaper..) enclosure until she's ready. Ideally though I'll get one large enough to go straight into this one. I plan to get a female so I don't feel I'm missing much of their lifespan if I get a 3-4yr old adult.

She will be spoiled rotten

I too had dreams of keeping Ts and isopods together but came across too many horror stories. They need protein and your T is a sitting duck when it molts. Now I just have pet isopods. I did have one mature male come to me with his whole enclosure, he somehow survived the Devils rice (dwarf whites) but I kept his enclosure in another room so they wouldn't jump ship to other enclosures.

Just do your due diligence ...it's gruesome when it happens but others don't have problems.

 

[ilikebugs7]

She will be spoiled rotten

I too had dreams of keeping Ts and isopods together but came across too many horror stories. They need protein and your T is a sitting duck when it molts. Now I just have pet isopods. I did have one mature male come to me with his whole enclosure, he somehow survived the Devils rice (dwarf whites) but I kept his enclosure in another room so they wouldn't jump ship to other enclosures.

Just do your due diligence ...it's gruesome when it happens but others don't have problems.

I'll keep that in mind, thanks. The vendor I bought the dwarf purples from was also selling Ts and said he kept them together, but I've definitely heard of larger isopods being a problem.
I'd assume that with plenty of leaf litter and other food sources there'd be less risk. But maybe I'll only use springtails to be safe.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Got it, thanks. I may just buy a 5 or 6" adult then. Or if I find one around 3" I'll keep it in something smaller until it's ready for the 18x12x12.
It'll be for a curly hair, Tliltocatl albopilosus.

If you find a 3 inch T something on the lines of 11x7x7 would be perfect. Doesn't have to be exact just an example. That or a large Kritter Keeper.

 

[ilikebugs7]

If you find a 3 inch T something on the lines of 11x7x7 would be perfect. Doesn't have to be exact just an example. That or a large Kritter Keeper.

I'll look for one that size. On average, how long would it take for a 3" T. albopilosus to reach 5-6"?

 

[viper69]

No
Varies for MANY reasons
Yes

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I'll look for one that size. On average, how long would it take for a 3" T. albopilosus to reach 5-6"?

years..
I have one that maxed out under 5”.

 

[Brewser]

It's a very nice enclosure for sure.
Depends on how you Set it Up.
Be sure and show again, When completed with the Lucky Inhabitant installed.
Best Regards to You Both