Enclosure for GBB

Blut und ehre

Arachnoknight
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Oct 30, 2012
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The enclosure looks ok.....But they do not like moist soil....they like it dry. Maybe "spritz" a small area for drinking purposes ...on occasion ?
 

kevp

Arachnosquire
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Jan 24, 2014
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Is this a suitable enclosure? Do they like moist soil?
Gbb's when young require some moisture.. As they mature they like a dry substrate! They hate wet or damp enviroments. The enclosure will be ok for a lttle while but obviously you will have to rehouse it as it grows. Cut the moisture down.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
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Bone dry sub works best, and give your T a bit more height for a container. The area of the square is a good size for that Ts DLS
 

Kinkyskink

Arachnopeon
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Aug 12, 2013
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My sub is dry, I sprayed a little water on it before I transferred. I have a taller enclosure. Maybe I will see is I can make it into a gbb enclosure. It was more for avic slings but I think I can modify it. I will put a picture up when I finish it.
 

cold blood

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Bone dry sub works best, and give your T a bit more height for a container. The area of the square is a good size for that Ts DLS
Kinky, I think you misunderstood this quote. A GBB has arboreal tendencies and it often referred to as semi-arboreal, which is why viper suggested more height...so the sling has the option to climb. While your new set up is taller, by adding as much sub as you did, you essentially just recreated your old enclosure, but now with deeper sub. For a GBB, I would personally take out half of the sub and put a vertical piece of wood to give a climbing option. For more most strict terrestrials the new set up is great, but GBB's often like to live the high life.
 

Shrike

Arachnoprince
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Gbb's when young require some moisture.. As they mature they like a dry substrate!
I completely agree. This is a subject that comes up often, and it's slightly frustrating to see certain species lumped into the "bone dry substrate" category, regardless of the spider's size. Tiny slings (even those native to arid environments) need extra moisture because they're more vulnerable to dessication. Slings (or adult tarantulas for that matter) don't just sit out in the baking hot sun or freezing cold daring nature to kill them. They seek out shelter, which provides a microclimate. In my opinion, telling somebody to keep a sling native to an arid environment on bone dry substrate isn't quite getting it right. What I've always done is provide my slings (regardless of species) with extra moisture in the substrate, and then adjusted my care regimen accordingly as they grow. I understand that others probably have been successful doing things differently, but the notion that care requirements for slings and adults aren't the same seems reasonable to me. What I'm advocating here is still an incredibly simple care regimen, but it's more nuanced than saying "this species is from somewhere hot and dry, I'm going to keep it on bone dry substrate."
 
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viper69

ArachnoGod
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How's this? He is already webbing. I think he likes it.
ColdBlood is correct in what I was referring to. That setup would be excellent for a small Blue Fang if you put more holes across the sides for greater ventilation. There were a few reasons I mentioned what I did.

1. Greater distance between the substrate and the lid provides 2 things
A. More space for Ts to attack prey, certain Ts, eg GBBs, are ferociously, fast acrobatic prey tacklers. So w/less distance you inhibit their natural movements/ability to seize prey effectively IMO from what I have observed with the ones I have owned.
B. More distance gives both you and the T a bit more working room for cage maintenance. I don't like giving my fast Ts the bare minimum because it allows them to run out faster, you barely open the lid and POOF they may just be out the door. GBBs are unpredictable in their movement, both in speed and direction

2. GBBs while not arboreal like Avics or Pokis, at times climb vertically when allowed to. My female GBB is in a taller KK and she frequently hangs out on the side either to escape disturbance or just to do what a GBB T does hah. She often uses it as a launch point to attack crickets.


I would remove 2/3s-3/4s of the substrate. Enough so that it has at least an amount that will allow it to make a few layers of web matting. You don't want a small level of sub because when it rolls up the mat, there will be bare plastic below. See Shebeens pic, that's how much I would have in yours.
 

LordWaffle

Arachnobaron
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Nov 20, 2013
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There isn't really anything for me to add at this juncture, but Shebeen's setup is basically identical to mine for my GBB. She usually hangs out down on her web on the substrate, but it's not uncommon to see her climbing around.
 

Kinkyskink

Arachnopeon
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Aug 12, 2013
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I will take out some substrate. Thank you for the suggestions. I wasnt aware of just how arboreal they were. This is my first gbb and while I have done research, nothing beats personal experience which is why I posted on here. I am used to avics and brachy's. I was following the vendor (got him at repticon) instructions for set up which I had a feeling weren't right. Personal experience with reptile salesmen has taught me to never believe anything they say until it is confirmed. I once overheard someone at a pet store trying to sell a chameleon with a glass tank and a heat rock.

Thanks once again.
 

viper69

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People say this species is semi arboreal, I think it's a bit misleading given the morphology of their feet.
 

vespers

Arachnodemon
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People say this species is semi arboreal, I think it's a bit misleading given the morphology of their feet.
Viper is right. They aren't arboreal, or even technically semi-arboreal, as they don't live up in trees.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
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Viper is right. They aren't arboreal, or even technically semi-arboreal, as they don't live up in trees.
I sure would like to hear from people who have observed them in the wild, where they are typically found. It would certainly be beneficial to know this.
 

z32upgrader

Arachnobaron
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I sure would like to hear from people who have observed them in the wild, where they are typically found. It would certainly be beneficial to know this.
Check out this video with Rick West. Jump to the 19:40 mark and once you get past the part about the pepsis wasps, you'll see exactly the kind of habitat they live in naturally.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSDJKt6V5p0
 
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viper69

ArachnoGod
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Check out this video with Rick West. Jump to the 19:40 mark and once you get past the part about the pepsis wasps, you'll see exactly the kind of habitat they live in naturally.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSDJKt6V5p0
Thanks a lot for this!!!! I had read they lived in desert regions in Venz some years ago.. But I've never seen actual photos or video footage of the terrain. This is great!! Thanks again so much!!! Never saw that video either. That first GBB he found at night pretty nice disposition for a GBB, NICER than mine! I can't get that close to mine w/out a hair flick or 3!
 

vespers

Arachnodemon
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Yes, Rick West is the right guy to talk to about their natural habitat. He also had an article about said habitat called "Desert Blues" in Arachnoculture Vol. 1. Good luck finding it though.

http://exoticfauna.com/AC1(1).html
 
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