would this system work?

[Scorpendra]

Minus the draw, the system you are describing is commonly known as a false bottom.

well, the drawer is a pretty big part of what makes my idea unique.

even though my design would be harder (or more fun) to construct, i feel that it would be more efficient. for example; what if, in the tank TheNatural showed, the water were to become contaminated with algae. even if it has a hole and cork to drain the water, the algae would still be there in the tank, as opposed to if the same problem happened in my design, where you just slide out the drawer/tray and clean it.

i do intend on creating a prototype once the schoolyear ends, and unrelatedly after i get a P. subfusca (which my dad agreed to get me as a 10th grade graduation gift).

 

[bushbuster]

and neither of you has any problem with the water stagnating?

I don't, but one doesn't need to over do it with the water, either. Plus, the Tarantula is going to rearrange to gravel anyway.

 

[Scorpendra]

just asking. are you talking about the setup you use or the one i plan on making?

 

[bushbuster]

just asking. are you talking about the setup you use or the one i plan on making?

I'm talking about the one I use, and I meant to say "Rearrange THE gravel". No burrowing Tarantula is going to leave that gravel in the neat little layer that you suggest in those diagrams.

 

[Scorpendra]

the gravel would still do its job unless the tarantula were to move very last grain to the surface. and it's just a basic diagram of the setup, notice the partially underground tarantula and the lack of webbing.

yeah, i will definitely try to make it in the future, when i get a (non-burrowing) terrestrial that requires high humidity.

 

[bushbuster]

Oh, by no means get me wrong, your idea looks great. Good creativity. I just don't see any point in the drawer, when one could simply buy a cheap tank, pour in some gravel, add a bunch of coco fiber, go easy on the H2O, and be done. I gave up on trying to regulate what the Tarantula does with the gravel, lol.

 

[Scorpendra]

if you need gravel at the bottom, you're probably putting in enough water where it can stagnate at the bottom and foster algae. my system prevents that problem and still maintains a high humidity. and if it were to catch on even enough to be mentioned, it'd mean i'd become remembered for something.

 

[bushbuster]

if you need gravel at the bottom, you're probably putting in enough water where it can stagnate at the bottom and foster algae. my system prevents that problem and still maintains a high humidity. and if it were to catch on even enough to be mentioned, it'd mean i'd become remembered for something.

The gravel was in my tank before I ever discovered this board. I had captured a local hentzi Tarantula and thought gravel was the way to go. After "he" died, (I didn't even know what sex he was, until doing some research), I bought a M.robustum from Swifty. He and this board showed me the way to true Tarantula bliss. I figured I would just leave the gravel in the tank, and put in a more suitable substrate. Once again Swifty and the board helped me decide what to use. Later on I found out thru the board that I had unknowingly set up a false bottomed tank. Initially, I just figured the gravel would act like a drain field for poo or whatever, so I just piled the coco fiber in on top of it. Hell I dunno, I may have just been to lazy to clean the gravel out, lol. No, the water doesn't stagnate at the bottom of the tank and foster algae, but I don't "pour" it in, either. I just put a teeny lil itty bitty trickle in once in awhile with a 3 cc cattle syringe and a tube attached to it that pokes down thru the substrate to facilitate water injection at varied depths. I can "see" thru the glass and plainly observe whether or not more water is needed. Theres no algae, just a big fat mean ornery spider with issues in there. Maybe someone will remember me for this, lol.

 

[Scorpendra]

Maybe someone will remember me for this, lol.

you do know that i'm 15, right?

 

[Duc de Blangis]

get LECA instead of gravel. it's much easier to work with and not at all expensive if you go to the right place. i got 50 Liter bag at a local hydroponics store for 30 bucks.

 

[bushbuster]

i don't think one would need kids to know that insulting one's dream isn't that great an idea.

"Oh, by no means get me wrong, your idea looks great. Good creativity." Sorry if I offended ya kid, I didn't realize your idea was quite that important to you. Keep up the good work, you'll go a long ways.

 

[Scorpendra]

i meant becoming known for something. you know, let's just stop and move on before this escalates.

 

[bushbuster]

Yeah, take the compliments and run, no worry about future escalation.

 

[Scorpendra]

i'd rather the thread have faded into oblivion.

 

[Thoth]

Molitor, you seem concerned about algae growth. Why? It won't hurt your t and doesn't not smell bad (relatively speaking).

Maybe you've confused bacterial biofilm, sheet like growth similiar to alga in structural appearance? It does smell bad and is extremely tough to get rid of.

 

[Scorpendra]

yeah, that sounds like what i meant. it'd be easier to clean it from a shallow drawer than from a full 10-gallon tank, i'm sure.

 

[Lover of 8 legs]

My humble advice - don't waste your time on humidity! I don't and everybody's HAPPY - normal molts, no mold, no infestations, all eating, don't change substrate, don't clean very often. Kindness Kills!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Scorpendra]

i designed it so that when i get a high-humidity T, i wouldn't need to. "am i misting enough?" "am i misting not enough?" now i'd just fill a tray and take an asprin. besides humidity during the more extreme months, i rarely worry about them too much. as i told my friend once:

i care for them by sitting around watching TV

i'm thinking about what T i would get for this type of setup, maybe a C. fimbriatus. it is about the closest thing to a regular terrestrial i've seen out of the high-humidity asians, comparing to ones such as haplopelma spp and Ornithoctonus spp. it's also pretty easy on the eyes and (especially) wallet to boot. asking for ones like P. subfusca and C. "blue", i wouldn't want to shave it too close in the future.