Housing
There are 3 groups of Tarantulas Arboreal, Terrestrial and Burrowing.
Taller enclosures are best used for Tree dwelling species so they can climb.
You can also use taller tanks filled deep with substrate for burrowing species.
For Terrestrial species height is not so important and an enclosure 15cm high
would be suitable for the majority of species. As a general rule the length
of the enclosure should be 1.5x bigger than the spiders leg span. If you have
a 10cm spider your enclosure should be around 25cm in length. Many species live
down burrows and rarely move more than 10cm from them so not much room is needed
to give a Tarantula adequate space.
Many containers and tanks are suitable for housing spiders. Glass
tanks can be used, though you will need to make sure there is a secure lid and
ventilation. Glass can be harder to heat so you may need a larger heat mat connected
to a thermostat. There are now several commercial
glass tank designed for exotic pets with front opening doors and ventilation
on the market.
Another option is to use a plastic enclosure. As these are low
cost and easy to heat. You can use any correct sized plastic box, just add ventilation
and you’re away. There are many low cost commercially made plastic
enclosures available for Tarantulas.
Tarantulas are cannibalistic so strictly one spider per enclosure.
Arboreal setup on the left and Terrestrial set up on the right.
Heating & Humidity:
Tarantulas come from warm climates and will need to be heated.
As a general rule they should be kept approximately 23 -28C (75 - 85F). Scrubland
Tarantulas should have a humidity level of between 60 – 75% while Rain
forest species need 75-90%.
The most practical way to heat an enclosure is to use a Heat
mat attached to one of the back walls of the enclosure. Any Heat mat larger
than 15 x 28cm is best attached to a Thermostat. If you are trying to heat multiple
cages run a heat
strip connected to a Thermostat
along a shelf or wall and place the back of the enclosures next to it.
Make sure you place the heat source on only half of the enclosure.
Remember that you’re trying to only heat an area in the tank to the desired
temperature not the whole tank. This will create a warm spot and cool spot where
the Tarantula can move around to regulate its own temperature. Tarantulas don’t
like strong light and should not be heated with any type of bulb heater.
You can regulate the humidity by spraying the cage slightly when
it falls below the desired level. By having a quite a deep substrate and not
letting it completely dry out usually keeps the humidity around the right level.
Ventilation is also important as you need air flow to stop the air from becoming
stagnant and encourage mould growth. However to much ventilation and you might
struggle to maintain the correct humidity. Make sure you buy a Hygrometer
& Thermometer
to monitor the enclosure.
Heat Mats are ideal for heating spiders and come in a variety of sizes
Substrate:
Substrate is what you put in an enclosure for your Tarantula to
live on. The best all round substrate to use for Tarantulas is Coir.
This comes in a block which you add to water and it expands into substrate.
Its is made from Coconut husk as usually goes under the trade names of Eco Earth,
Forest bedding, Terrarium Humus etc.
If you squeeze the substrate and it binds together briefly before
crumbling this is the ideal dampness you are looking for. If when you squeeze
water is released it is to wet. If your spider is climbing the sides of the
enclosure and not on the substrate, it is a sign it is to wet. Try not to allow
the substrate to dry out completely as it will become hard to moisten again.
As mentioned earlier a deep substrate is better where possible
with 3 – 4inches being ideal for most Terrestrial species. Though we don’t
recommend using Vermiculite
as a substrate by its self it is often mixed with coir for use with Tropical
high humidity species. Sometimes with African species we will also add a little
sand. Every 6 months or so replace the substrate unless it is spoiled before
then.
Furnishings:
The first requirement is to create a hiding place for you spider
as they are essentially nocturnal (Active at night & inactive by day) and
will need a dark shelter to hide during the day. There are several commercially
made shelters available that look naturalistic. A simple shelter can be
made using half a flower pot which you sink into the substrate. Then cover the
top with more substrate and leave enough of an entrance hole for the spider
to enter. Cork
bark slabs can also be used to create shelters and these don’t go
mouldy like other types of wood. You can also get Cork bark tubes for use with
arboreal species. Tarantulas will often dig in the substrate and web around
their shelter.
You will also need to include a water bowl for drinking. The water
bowls manufactured by Exo-Terra are ideal for this as they do not tip over
easily and have a ledge so crickets can climb out
The above two items are the only essential items. Other items
of decoration like artificial plants moss and bark can also be added but make
sure you don’t take up to much floor space. Avoid adding sharp objects
(Cactus) and rocks into the enclosure which may potentially harm the spider.
Hides and Water Bowls made by Exo Terra
Feeding:
The mainstay of their captive diet is live crickets, but they
will take a wide variety of insects like mealworms and locusts. These are readily
available through the web
and at many pet-shops. As a general rule tarantulas will readily eat food items
which are half their own body length or less. A typical-sized, adult tarantula
will be content with four large crickets per week. They dont need to be fed
very frequently; you can give them all the crickets at once and that will be
fine for the rest of the week.
Make sure you don’t over feed your Tarantulas. The abdomen
should not be more than twice the size of the carapace. If it is, the spider
is overfed and this could affect it during a moult. Spiders can go without food
for days, weeks and sometimes months. Feeding your spider once or twice a week
should be sufficient.
When a tarantula has finished feeding it will leave a small ball
of indigestible leftovers. These should be removed from the tank during routine
maintenance (long
tweezers are useful here). Tarantulas produce negligible amounts of faeces
(tiny white packages) and as a result, dont need to be cleaned-out like other
small animals.
Crickets and Locusts make ideal food for Spiders.
Moulting:
For a tarantula to grow it must shed its hard outer skin. Adult
tarantulas shed their skin approximately once a year though younger ones will
more frequently. They will usually do this within their retreat. A tarantula which
is about to moult will often seal itself into its retreat with a plug of substrate
or wall of silk (dont be tempted to open it up).
On some spiders, the abdomen will become dark—this is the new skin underneath.
Just before the spider moults it will flip over onto its back to begin its moult.
This is a critical time and the spider must not be disturbed or you could kill
it. The spider will shed the old skin within hours, and then flip over again.
It will not eat for a few days after so do not attempt to feed it. Simply leave
it alone for a week while its new skin hardens.
Handling:
Spiders are generally best not handled as they are easily damaged
and a fall often results in death. The best way to move a spider is to coax
into a box with a lid using a ruler or pencil.
Further Reading & information:
Unfortunately there are more out of date books with incorrect
information than there are good ones. The two books we recommend that are readily
available are:
Tarantulas
and Scorpion in captivity by Russ Gurley
The
Tarantula Keepers Guide by Stanley Schultz
If you wish to take your interest further you might like to consider
joining the BTS. For a very reasonable sum of money your membership provides
four, exciting colour journals every year. These journals are cram-packed with
the very latest information on tarantulas. The BTS website provides a Forum
where anybody can post tarantula-related questions. Members will often be able
to provide answers within a matter of hours. In addition to this, BTS Committee
members will gladly assist anybody with tarantula inquiries. You can view there
site at http://www.thebts.co.uk
NEXT:
SETTING UP YOUR ENCLOSURE
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