New Huge Enclosure

CellebrO

Arachnosquire
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Hi guys,
Its been some time since Ive posted here.
So I am planning a new huge enclosure for my P. Regalis. She us a juvenile, about 12-15sm, may be a bit bigger, haven't really measured here after the last molt. The enclosure is 35x35x55 where 55 is the height. I am planning it with a nice branch and a lot of live vegetation, so it will be something like a mini rainforest, really dense and green. So i am writing here to see what you think about that? I am a bit concerned about if I will see my spider in all the plants and how she will find the food.
Looking forward to reading your input and opinions.
 

MarkmD

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The enclosure size should be ok, cause thay get large as adults, my concern would be the live plant's, mainly cause they will eventually die out even throughout the year being autumn/winter etc, on top of that most likely she will Webb or chew them apart after a certain time, fake plant's are best in my book cause thay come in all sizes/shapes plus easier to replace if dugg up or chewed apart, not saying will be destroyed but just a thought.
 

viper69

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That's a good point about them chewing them up...I didn't know they did that. I knew they dug them up though. As for finding food, it's possible that it will be more difficult. Mind you they are designed to hunt. If it's dense, it's possible you may need to throw more crix in there than she would eat just so she can find them. Then you'd have to worry about dead crickets and getting mites, unless you add in other micro faunta like springtails and isopods. It's just a guess on my end what would happen.

But dart frog people keep live plants 24/7, 365, there's no reason the OP can't, right?
 

Disquiet

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My experience with live plants is that you have to do your homework and purchase plants that don't drop leaves--they all may drop a few here and there, but some plants actively throw up stalks and take them down again--huge hassle when minimal "gardening" is the goal. I got some awesome, broad-leafed 2" plants perfect for juvenile enclosures, but they sprout from the base repeatedly and die off up top--lesson learned! Get something with a more stable growth pattern, a la philodendron, and you shouldn't have too many problems. Start sparser than you want the end result to be too, the plants will fill things in for you.
 

MarkmD

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True they might be ok with live plants, just chose the right ones. nothing to large/can over grow, very easy to maintain and dont die with low water/humility requirements.
 

CellebrO

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Thanks for the input. My other hobby is gardening and indoor plants so I have that one covered - the plants will be similar in condition requirements, will not grow too big and should be just fine. I am planning appropriate lighting as well so that the enclosure is well displayed and the plants have what they need to grow.
Oh something else - after some time the plants may need fertilizer and pruning. How will the low nitrogen fertilizer affect spiders? And Im kinda scared of my T :D So how do I go about pruning and maintaining?
 

Blut und ehre

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Oct 30, 2012
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My thoughts on such an enclosure is .....It could be a nightmare to care for....Hard to keep track of the spider....if it feeds....where any dead un eaten prey may be....decomposing leaves/humidity troubles...mold.....absolutely fertilization [many have fungicides mixed in..which will be harmful to Ts] .....If the T webs the plants heavy ..or rips them up..digs them up....keeping the glass clean so you can observe...on and on. I absolutely applaud your artistry.......but it seems it would be exhausting chore after a while!! I've tried something similar....but smaller ...it became disappointing ..for all the effort that was put in. [but to be honest...My hobby wasn't indoor plants though hahahha you may have the edge there!! hahaha]
Just a thought.

---------- Post added 12-21-2013 at 09:17 AM ----------

There also the possibility that your T will feel vulnerable in such a large area.....There for it will head for a hiding place and spend most of it's time there!!
So you will have a tank full of plants......and somewhere a spider [hahah] ..in which you may see once or twice in a month or three!!
Just something to consider.
 
Last edited:

Disquiet

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Thanks for the input. My other hobby is gardening and indoor plants so I have that one covered - the plants will be similar in condition requirements, will not grow too big and should be just fine. I am planning appropriate lighting as well so that the enclosure is well displayed and the plants have what they need to grow.
Oh something else - after some time the plants may need fertilizer and pruning. How will the low nitrogen fertilizer affect spiders? And Im kinda scared of my T :D So how do I go about pruning and maintaining?
Def skip the fertilizer, maybe try using a mix of substrates that will support the plant life more or less on its own? As viper69 said, there are a lot of PDF peeps out there setting up semi-permanent vivariums that feature self-sustaining plants--I think most of them use an ABG type mix of peat, coconut fiber, orchid bark, sand, etc.

As for the cleaning and maintenance, you could always remove the tarantula to a temporary enclosure while you do your thing undisturbed and unafraid ;)
 

2bears

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Might consider with a set up that large it will take the T longer to find the food....would make sure it is well ventilated.
I keep alot of pokies and they seem to do well with coconut fiber substrate, plastic plants and cork bark.
 

CellebrO

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I hope I can find her in all of the plants! :D
Finally I got the glass enclosure home, I am sterilizing the branch now, got almost all the plants. Just need to wait for my moss to be delivered, pick up a few more plants, get substrate and lights!
Ill be sure to post pics.
Thanks for all of the ideas and advice.
Cheers.
 

CellebrO

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redo terra.jpg

So this is the new terrarium a few weeks after it was put together. The plants are doing great, they are even blooming continuously. I have only watered it 2-3 times since it was started - the last time - at least a week or two ago. No pookie yet because I want to test the stability of this environment first.
So far so good. However I noticed there are tiny flying/jumping bugs in the substrate and on the glass. I suspect these are mites. They are really tiny and fast and everywhere. So as far as I know these are a product of humidity, right?
So with that said should I just leave the terrarium to dry up to get rid of those? Also one of the plants is a Bromeliad which I water from time to time and it collects the water between its leaves where it says until the plant uses it up. How do you think this affects the mites?
So, do I have the right idea or not?

Any input will be highly appreciate :) cheers ! :)
 

Oreo

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Sep 21, 2011
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Looks nice, is that a hide in the center? You could also consider adding a backdrop. Are the little bugs flying? Or jumping? Mites don't do either. Springtails are beneficial critters that help with cleanup, and they do jump/spring from one spot to another.
 

cold blood

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the enclosure looks beautiful! Best of luck. I am anxious to see how it works, I am planning a similar enclosure in the future. Feel free to message me with any info you learn on the plants...plant life is not my forte.
 

Wildenthusiast

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Are the little bugs flying? Or jumping? Mites don't do either. Springtails are beneficial critters that help with cleanup, and they do jump/spring from one spot to another.
That would be my guess as well. Without seeing them it would be tough to say for sure, but I wouldn't think it unlikely that they would have been in the root packs of the flora before transplanting.
 

CellebrO

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Nope, no hides :) Just the tree and plants.
The little bugs are flying. They look like tiny fruit flies and for some reason they love the heat from the lamp and gather there and die.
Any idea what that might be? Unfortunately my camera can't focus on them because they are so small.

Cheers :)
 

Wildenthusiast

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Feb 3, 2014
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Nope, no hides :) Just the tree and plants.
The little bugs are flying. They look like tiny fruit flies and for some reason they love the heat from the lamp and gather there and die.
Any idea what that might be? Unfortunately my camera can't focus on them because they are so small.

Cheers :)
I believe we can answer this by asking a couple questions. Do they tend to run more than fly? Also, are they long bodied and dark in coloration, or more of your typical housefly shape, and orangeish to tan?
 

cold blood

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haha wild, I though scuttle flies as well (if that's where you were going).
 
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