Ok, so recently I had to increase the size of my tarantula enclosures. This is due to the amazingly fast growth rate of both my Lasiodora parahybana (Brazilian Salmon Pink Birdeater a.k.a. Website) and also my Brachypelma vagans (Mexican Red Rump a.k.a. The Beast). I am overjoyed and completely take back that Beast is growing as fast as Website though it is a known fact that LP's are one of the fastest growing tarantulas which also rank as one of the three largest in existence (adult leg span of between 25-30cm). I would have to put it down to his appetite. They both eat anything that moves of any size up to double their own (on days when I only had large crickets left) with no problems whatsoever.
Back to the topic on board, I have attempted to take photos of all the steps required, but if there is anything misleading/seemingly incomplete; anyone can let me know. I will never be too old or young to learn more!
Firstly what you will need before you start:
- a container for your tarantula, find one that's maximum height is no more than twice your tarantulas leg span, width and length can be 3 or 4 times the length of the tarantulas leg span
- a substrate to put in the container, the one I have found my tarantulas seem to be most happy with is a mix of coconut fiber (coir) and vermiculite mixed in the proportion of 1 cup vermiculite to two cups coconut fiber (peat could also be used very effectively)
- a variety of sizes of bottle caps, typically ones used for soda/still water/milk bottles, these should not exceed the length of your tarantulas leg span as they could drown if they fall in, also very important if you are doing this for a spiderling or any tarantula smaller than 2cm leg span, you can leave out the water bowl until they grow bigger as they should get enough moisture from their food/moisture droplets on the side of the enclosure
Tools you will need to carry out the process:
Preparing the substrate:
In using coconut fiber, if you cannot find it in a 'ready to use' form (in packets it looks like loose dark brown soil with lots of root fibers) , I get bricks of these at the local pet store, using a large plastic tub you can pre-prepare these dehydrated bricks into the substance we need. Firstly place the brick on its 'flattest' side in the middle of the tub (5 liter tubs work well - 1 gallon), then add water until it is up to the middle of the brick. Every 15-30min check to see if the water level is there, the brick should expand upwards absorbing the water, eventually you may need to break it in half and put it next to the other half in the tub. once there are no dry/hard bits you can take the substrate, squeeze it between your hands/fingers to get out as much water as possible. once this is done you can seal it in plastic bags and keep them for when you need it.
As you can see in the one photo the dark wet coconut fiber is in a plastic bag which is how I store it. If following this path, when preparing a tank, I scoop handfuls of the coconut fiber into the container I am going to rehouse into, until it reaches between one quarter to one half of the tanks height when leveled out, you can make it slightly less but this is not recommended. Once there is enough wet substrate, I place it on a dinner plate and in the microwave on high for 10 minutes. The reason for this is to 'steam' out the moisture in the substrate and effectively sterilize anything that might have been growing on or in it (this can also be done with bark chips etc, spray some water on them, place on a dinner plate and nuke for 10min) just make sure nobody else has any objections to this.
The substrate wont make the microwave smell or anything and isn't dirty also should not catch on fire under any circumstances. I have heard this can be done on a metal sheet in the oven, but have yet to try it. once the 10min are up, place the dinner plate somewhere to cool down completely because if you use it when warm it can harm your intended pet. as soon as there inst any heat from it or the plate you can now carry on with the rest. If you have bought coconut fiber from the shops already prepared, this is where you can continue with the rest of the process.
When mixing the peat and vermiculite I use a large plastic container, place the coconut fiber in it then the vermiculite on top and mix it in with my hand. As you can see in the photos we have a nice dry and good looking substrate. The reason for using these two in the mix is due to the fact that both of them are very sterile and impede fungi growth, they hold moisture VERY well (makes it easy to adjust/control humidity) and are sterile substances which do not promote fungi/parasitic growth (making it healthier for your pet).
Preparing the water bowls/hides:
For smaller tarantulas they feel much safer and don't get stressed if they have a hide to stay in or retreat to when they get a fright. Generally what works well is a plastic bottle cap from any ordinary soda/water/milk bottle. I prefer to stay away from metal caps as one does not know if anything will seep into the water from them (just a bit superstitious of me). The way to sterilize these is similar to the substrate, in that we use very hot water. Please be careful with all of these steps as you could burn yourself with this method or when making ventilation holes in the container (as you will see next). What works best, is to put the bottle caps down on a surface such as your kitchen counter, boil some water and then pour it into the caps. Leave the cap for a minute or two then thrown the water out and wipe it dry. If you can still smell the soda/water/whatever was inside the bottle previously in the cap then repeat this process until you can't anymore.
Do not use soap as it could kill your pet! once you have dried the bottle cap and have the substrate ready you can move on to preparing the container. Do the same to another bottle cap for a hide, then carefully cut a small entrance in it big enough for the tarantula to easily pass through.
Preparing the new container:
Having found a container of the correct size, if it does not have any ventilation holes (most pet stores sell glass containers which can be used, that have ventilation holes already, though with two fast growing tarantulas this becomes quite expensive replacing/buying a new one every two months) then we will need to make them. As you can see I have normal clear plastic storage containers, without a handle (very important to remove all handles from containers, a terrarium should be moved by picking it up at the bottom, due to the change the handle could snap and damage/kill whatever may be inside if it falls to the ground and smashes/shatters). The containers I have picked have two small 'clips' on the sides to firmly enclose the tarantula, I have seen tarantulas of all sizes move or lift surprisingly larger objects than themselves.
What you do next is light the candle with the lighter, get the long sharp metal object you are going to use (a normal fork could even work well) then holding the metal object over the flame (your hand as far away as possible because this gets hot when doing a few containers) let it heat up, then holding the container firmly press the metal object through the plastic (from outside the box to inside it) then pull it out. If it does not 'slide' in and out easily then heat it more. In the containers I have picked I have only made 6 holes, if I find the tanks are more humid then later on I can make more holes in it, less is more (especially when it comes to exotic pets). Once the holes are complete, they should cool down quickly, if there is any buildup of plastic around the holes these can easily be pulled/scratched off. Now for the final steps.
Decorating the enclosure with all your goodies:
First put in the substrate, press it down firmly with your fingers, without cracking the container. This compressing of the ground ensures your tarantula's safety when/if it decides to burrow, tightly packed soil wont cave in. Next place the water bowl in one corner of the tank and press it into the soil. If you are using a hide you can place this in the opposite corner, this gives your tarantula the most floor space to walk and hunt etc. I sometimes use hides and sometimes use plastic aquarium plants (avoid real plants) to add some more color to the tank.
If you wish to use aquarium plants make sure they have round edges instead of pointy sharp ones as this could harm your pet and only use a little bit, just enough for them to sit underneath if they wish to do so. Do not yet put water in the water dish as your next step is to collect your tarantula and place it in its new home. once it has settled down and isn't skittish you can add the water. I find this easiest by owning a plastic syringe, then you wont spill much and you will be able to wet the substrate if you must. Please at all costs AVOID misting. All it does is increase the enclosure's immediate humidity, but then this evaporates into the air outside anyways. Humidity should come up from the substrate or the water bowl evaporating, also one VERY important thing Tarantula's are prey to the Tarantula Hawk: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula_hawk so ANY wind that blows over your pet from you breathing, a fan, objects moving fast, a mister spraying directly on the pet is almost 100% guaranteed to make your pet react in a VERY unpredictable manner and could be harmful to yourself or your pet. A syringe carefully dripping water on the substrate around the Tarantula is safer and possibly emulates rainfall.
I hope this article was enjoyable and also helpful. Please feel free to comment or ask any questions or even to challenge me on my ideas if you have found something to work better for you.
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