Creating Your Tarantula's Enclosure

[ThistleWind]

Hey guys, I'm looking for tips and how-to's for natural and life-like tarantula enclosures. As someone who is getting into the hobby, I can't help but gather as many T's as I can. I have 5 at the moment and before I acquire any more I want to know how to do more than the ol' peat moss/Eco-Earth with hide and water dish scenario. I've been following robc's tutorials and they're a huge help. I've also seen some BEAUTIFUL hand-made enclosures in the Pictures section. It just seems easier for someone who has around 30 T's to just build their own cages.

Do any of you guys create your own cages? Is it difficult? Is it easier than buying them from pet stores? What do you use to cut the material and glue them? What do you use to drill the holes?

Do you guys have a specific system that supports things like humidity? I've seen some of TheNatural's pictures and he has some sort of water drainage system so the T can actually go further down if it desires more humidity.

I've seen some people using ExoTerra products as well. Is it easier to buy an already built glass cage and just mod it or is it better to build the entire thing yourself?

Thanks for all your help. I love this place.

[WARPIG]

Here's my thread on the enclosures I made, this should help you.
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=125036


Here are a few of them.


One up close


Hope this helps.
PIG-

[MoonYin]

beautiful... thanks

[ErgoProxy]

Seriously nice enclosures, WARPIG...

And SWEET camera too....Nikon D300!

[ErgoProxy]

BTW...

Where did you get the acrylic hinges? (thinking I just didn't look hard enough )

[fang333999]

hmm im starting an arboreal cage with my dad, were using plexi glass for the walls and top and bottom, with a door in front. then were going to drill holes on the bottom and top areas for ventilation. i was going to use a peat moss, sphagnum substrate with a vine, and plant with some other type of hide. were just starting it, so i thought id share.

[WARPIG]

hmm im starting an arboreal cage with my dad, were using plexi glass for the walls and top and bottom, with a door in front. then were going to drill holes on the bottom and top areas for ventilation. i was going to use a peat moss, sphagnum substrate with a vine, and plant with some other type of hide. were just starting it, so i thought id share.

Post pics of all the steps Fang, people love new ideas and different perspectives. I know I do. Thats where I get most of my ideas, I steal them

GL with your project.

PIG-

[sick4x4]

if you get a copy of Micheal J's video, he has a good tutorial on natural set-ups....

wayne

[fang333999]

haha dont worry i steal ideas too(many many). hmm well i just redid my avics enclosure nothing fancy, but hold on ill get a picture

[fang333999]

Post pics of all the steps Fang, people love new ideas and different perspectives. I know I do. Thats where I get most of my ideas, I steal them

GL with your project.

PIG-

rosea tank

rosea tank

peeking in at my avic

side view/avics enclosure

same enclosure



ill get some pictures of the tank in progress war pig

[WARPIG]

Wow that avi enclosure is sweet!!! It looks like you have a slice of rain forrest in your home.

Great job.
PIG-

[fang333999]

wow really? thanks yeah she seems to like it shes over 5" now. shes so much sweeter than my rosie haha. her tank was very empty so i had to add some pothos plants to it, and some vines, and moss.

[Arachnosold1er]

Sweet enclosures. Where did you get the plexi hinges and stuff?

[Newyork]

rosea tank

rosea tank

Funny, my tank set up for my G. aureo looks almost exactly the same. I have a log just like that and i think the same waterdish too. Weird.

[Arachnosold1er]

I think just about all of us have the same log and water dish.