Terrarium Substrate cleaning

Harrietsdad

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 17, 2011
Messages
0
Our son's had a rose haired tarantula for a couple of years now...we keep it in a 10 gal terrarium, with one of those little
half-log tunnels, and a water dish on top of about 1.5" of coconut husk substrate.

Question: other than cleaning out the occasional uneaten cricket, we really haven't cleaned it's cage, and lately, the substrate
has become covered with this thin mat of what looks like web that she's woven. It now covers about 3/4 of the bottom of the
cage.

Should we just leave this stuff alone? The one thing I notice is that now, when we drop a live cricket in the cage, it immediately
gets stuck/tangled on the web material - is this the point (from the Tarantula's point of view)?

Thanks.
 

DeRez

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 15, 2011
Messages
23
I usually remove webbing from the "ground" every couple of months, when I notice it's bunching and wadding up. I think it's good for her to redo the webbing and it keeps the enclosure looking tidy, but that's just my 2 cents.
 

High_Rolling_T

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 8, 2010
Messages
140
Honestly, I never even considered cleaning up the webbing. Generally, if it is cleaned up by me it is because it comes attached to a bolus or to a water bowl that needs cleaning. As a side note, my G. rosea will perform a house cleaning every so often by herself. I'll come along and find all her webbing rolled up into 1 big ball in the center of the enclosure waiting for disposal.
 
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