Mary Allen
Admittedly, spiders aren’t everyone’s animals and many people, especially women, get scared when a spider gets too close, but they are extremely interesting creatures. Its appearance alone is exciting and fascinating for lovers, so it is almost no wonder that more and more fans are deciding to keep a spider as a pet themselves. Above all, the many different species of tarantula are enjoying increasing popularity and are therefore the most commonly kept spiders for a reason. However, in order to enable the animals to be kept in a manner appropriate to their species, in which the spiders feel comfortable, are healthy, and can grow old, there are a few things to consider. In this article, we report on the species-appropriate keeping of tarantulas in a terrarium and what needs to be considered.
Before you decide on the spider
Please don’t just go out and buy the next best tarantula and a new terrarium. It is always very important to find out about the animal in advance. Getting to know the needs, studying the feeding behavior, and also the natural habitat should definitely be examined more closely in order to be able to create such an environment for the animals. Furthermore, of course, everything has to be set up and purchased for the animal in advance in order to enable the perfect start to a life together.
The terrarium – which type of terrarium is right?
There are many different ways to keep spiders in a terrarium. For example, many take the opportunity to rebuild an aquarium, which is ideal for spiders that like to dig. Incidentally, these include many spiders from Africa and Asia. In addition, there are two other terrarium types that are often used for keeping tarantulas.
On the one hand, there are models with so-called falling discs. In these versions, the front window is pushed upwards to open it. These have the advantage that they are really easy to use and do not impair the view into the terrarium. They also make removing the spider and cleaning the terrarium really easy. The disadvantage, however, is the fact that they are not suitable if the terrarium is to stand on a shelf. So there must be a lot of space at the top.
There is also the model with a split windscreen, which can now be pushed open to the side. These are also suitable for shelves if you want to place several terrariums next to each other. However, these models are a bit more expensive to buy, but they also offer many advantages.
The size of the terrarium
Most spiders will live in or around a burrow their whole life, which means they don’t need a particularly large terrarium. On the contrary, small terrariums are advantageous for keeping tarantulas. Tarantulas are so-called ambush hunters who wait for their prey at their entrance to the cave and then grab it. This characteristic should of course be observed by them. You not only have to provide a cave in the terrarium, but also suitable prey. What diet is right for tarantulas, we report in a separate article. Humidity is also very important and should always be checked. If you put the tarantula in a particularly large terrarium to give it space to move, you are doing it a disservice. Unfortunately, it could happen here that the animals starve to death because the prey just won’t come close to the cave and spiders won’t go hunting either, but would simply wait in front of the cave the whole time.
The terrarium for tree-dwelling spiders
As the name suggests, the tree-dwelling spider species live mainly at high altitudes. These are animals that are not quite as demanding as the soil types and are therefore easier to keep. While a base area of 25 x 25 cm is completely sufficient for small tarantulas, you should use a terrarium with a base area of 30 x 30 for a slightly larger animal. The height also depends on the size of the animal. However, the height should be between 30 cm and 50 cm. As a rule of thumb, you can always use double the leg span in cm.
The terrarium for ground-dwelling spiders
For spiders that live on the ground, there is not much to consider when it comes to the size of the terrarium. As already mentioned, spiders like it smaller. Here, too, there is a rule of thumb that should simplify the purchase of a terrarium. For the terrarium depth and the terrarium width, you should again orientate yourself on the spider legs and choose one and a half times. Of course, more space can’t hurt, but you shouldn’t overdo it. So five or even ten times the leg span would definitely be too much of a good thing.
The exceptions
Of course, there are exceptions here too, which you should be aware of. For example, if you want to buy a young animal, you do not need to buy a smaller terrarium and change it later. Place the young in a terrarium right from the start, the size of which is adapted to the final size of the animal, otherwise you will have to move the spider after moulting, which would of course be associated with a great deal of stress for the animal.
For small species of spiders, you can be a bit more generous when it comes to the size of the terrarium. Small spiders are usually much livelier than the larger species.
The terrarium height when keeping tarantulas
The height of the terrarium plays a very important role, especially in terms of safety. The ground-dwelling tarantulas can also get the idea to climb. In contrast to the animals that live in trees, the ground dwellers do not have such a pronounced cushion of hair. The hair cushion is used to hold smooth walls. So it can happen that the animal loses its footing on slippery surfaces and falls. Even at a low height, it can now happen that the animal injures itself, such as breaking its leg. Such an injury leads to leakage of body fluid, the so-called haemolymph.
This is a life-threatening injury. Furthermore, in the worst case, the animal can injure its abdomen. Unfortunately, in most cases, such an injury ends fatally for your darling. For this reason, please ensure that the terrarium height is never greater than the leg span of the ground-dwelling spider.
You now have to add the substrate to this height. However, it must be considered how the digging behavior of the spider behaves. There are species that dig a lot, but there are also spiders that dig less. The substrate should therefore have a height of between 3 – 5 cm. For animals that bury themselves completely, the substrate should be 10 cm high. As mentioned above, you should use an aquarium for animals that even create entire cave systems for themselves.
Plants for the terrarium
Plants have important tasks to fulfill in a terrarium and therefore play a particularly important role in species-appropriate tarantula husbandry. Of course, a terrarium that is equipped with beautiful plants is also much nicer to look at. Since tarantulas are of course also very shy animals, ground-dwelling species also like to use the plants as hiding places, while the tree-dwelling animals also like to integrate the plants into the construction of their home.
Plants have the task of regulating the humidity in the terrarium. When the plants are watered, droppings, uneaten food and other dirt are also washed into the substrate, which is then taken up again as fertilizer by the plant roots. The roots also have the property of keeping the substrate nice and loose, which means that the substrate is prevented from getting stuck and then rotting. With the right plants, you can ensure that the substrate stays nice and healthy for several years.
In order for the plants to fulfill their tasks, their care should of course not be forgotten. Above all, this means that the plants must be watered regularly. Depending on the type of plant, these must also be cut back every six months. In a terrarium without plants, you would have to completely replace the substrate about every six months, which would also be associated with a lot of stress for the animals. When buying plants, you should make sure that they are small species that can easily withstand temperatures between 15 and 35 degrees and have no problems with a humidity of 45 – 99 percent.
Since spiders like to completely turn a plant landscape into chaos within a few days, you should gradually add the plants to the terrarium. So never put the tarantula in a completely planted terrarium, but always give the animal a certain amount of acclimatization time, after which you add a new plant.
Which plants are particularly suitable?
There are different types of plants that are particularly suitable for a terrarium with tarantulas. In the case of small to medium-sized tarantula species, these are, for example, climbing ficus, the well-known mantle claw or Fittonias or bromeliads. Many keepers, for example, also opt for the climbing philodendron. For medium-sized to large species, plants such as miracle shrubs, bow hemp or purple mare are often used. In addition, Efeutute and Korbmarante are very suitable for a tarantula terrarium.
Of course it can happen that there are always problems, for example that plants die or the spiders dig them up again and again. In such cases, you can of course also resort to artificial planting, which of course is not as beautiful as real plants from a purely visual point of view. However, the tarantula itself doesn’t care if it’s a fake plant or not. Of course, such a terrarium is easier to care for, but on the other hand you have to pay much more attention to the humidity and you should never lose sight of the formation of mold on the floor, since the tasks of natural plants are now of course no longer necessary.
The right substrate for the tarantula terrarium
Finding the right substrate is easier than with many other terrarium inhabitants. Normal potting soil is suitable for the spider. However, this must not be fertilized under any circumstances. Please never use normal garden or compost soil. Bark mulch is also very popular with the animals. For tarantula species that dig very heavily, palm soil that has a high proportion of sand and clay is very useful. Vermiculite, which is otherwise mainly used in nurseries for growing different seeds, is also well suited. This has the property of retaining moisture very well. However, it is not suitable for burrowing spiders, only species that live in dens.
Unfortunately, the formation of mold from the substrate in the terrarium is a major problem that not only beginners have to struggle with, but also professionals. Fungal growth from the substrate is due to the high humidity and heat. For this reason, it is important to choose the right substrate from the start. As soon as the floor shows slight mold growth, even in the smallest spot, the entire terrarium must be cleaned and the entire substrate replaced.
The lighting in the terrarium
Of course, the lighting in the terrarium is also very important. Suitable fluorescent tubes are particularly suitable for this. The normal daylight tubes, on the other hand, have never proven themselves, especially for the plants, because growth is disturbed in this way. It is even best to use special plant tubes. These also have the property that they often give off enough heat for the ideal temperatures in the terrarium. In addition, for example, 20 W halogen spotlights can be used, with which the heating of the terrarium could also be guaranteed.
The temperatures in the terrarium
Depending on which species of tarantula you have chosen, the temperatures can of course vary. The average temperatures during the day are between 22 and 26 degrees, which you can of course achieve with special heat lamps. These are attached above the terrarium and are therefore not a danger to the animals. Please never attach these under the terrarium. In the evening, the temperature must now be lowered and should be between 16 and 18 degrees. These temperatures can be reached simply by turning off the heat lamps.
Conclusion
The species-appropriate keeping of tarantulas is particularly exciting, but only feasible if you deal with the animals and their individual needs in advance. With the right terrarium, the right equipment, and optimal nutrition, nothing can go wrong and you will enjoy your rather unusual pet for a long time. Of course, it is always important to adapt to the animal and to respond to individual requirements.