Hi there.
I've had my GBB, Ballask, for a fairly reasonable amount of time now (Almost a year?), and I haven't run into any problems (which is a good indication that I should continue with what I am doing). But I just wanted to create this thread to get a general idea of what the overall opinion is regarding humidity and GBB's.
Different sources indicate different ideals for housing climates; The majority that I have read (which, granted, is not *that* many) indicate that the GBB is more of a an arid/desert-type species; Requiring completely dry substrate/tank. I've read that, [especially] among GBB's, increased humidity is a catalyst for book-lung infections, and other complications.
While this makes sense, (and I would think is fairly true for the majority of Tarantulas), I feel more inclined to believe the minority of reports I have encountered; which indicate that GBB resides on the edge of forested/swampy regions. These indicate that GBB should be housed in a low-medium/medium humidity (Not "wet", obv, and not "super-dry" like the majority indicates). Keeping a corner of the enclosure damp (by the water-dish), and/or occasional misting.
The latter makes sense to me, but I have not really taken a stand either way as of yet. I generally switch between the two; allow some over-spill of the water dish to generate some humidity in the enclosure, then allow time for the enclosure to dry out before re-humidifying.
What are your opinions on housing-humidity for GBB?
TL;DR: Should GBB enclosure be humid, or dry?
I've had my GBB, Ballask, for a fairly reasonable amount of time now (Almost a year?), and I haven't run into any problems (which is a good indication that I should continue with what I am doing). But I just wanted to create this thread to get a general idea of what the overall opinion is regarding humidity and GBB's.
Different sources indicate different ideals for housing climates; The majority that I have read (which, granted, is not *that* many) indicate that the GBB is more of a an arid/desert-type species; Requiring completely dry substrate/tank. I've read that, [especially] among GBB's, increased humidity is a catalyst for book-lung infections, and other complications.
While this makes sense, (and I would think is fairly true for the majority of Tarantulas), I feel more inclined to believe the minority of reports I have encountered; which indicate that GBB resides on the edge of forested/swampy regions. These indicate that GBB should be housed in a low-medium/medium humidity (Not "wet", obv, and not "super-dry" like the majority indicates). Keeping a corner of the enclosure damp (by the water-dish), and/or occasional misting.
The latter makes sense to me, but I have not really taken a stand either way as of yet. I generally switch between the two; allow some over-spill of the water dish to generate some humidity in the enclosure, then allow time for the enclosure to dry out before re-humidifying.
What are your opinions on housing-humidity for GBB?
TL;DR: Should GBB enclosure be humid, or dry?
