Cage decor for slings. Y/N? Opinions?

I am starting this thread because I would like your opinions and insight to your husbandry.

So I am aware some hobbyists keep their slings in a deli cup or vial with just substrate or perhaps a twig for the arboreals.

Even Stan Schultz says on pg. 255, "Decorations and retreats are neither practical nor required in this situation. Don't bother."

I have to say that I have have had different results keeping my slings in "cages" with decor. All of mine get a small piece of cork bark (for both trerrestrial and arboreal) and a fake leaf or two. Now maybe because I have only 12 this is more feasible, but I would like to report my findings.

All of my terrestrial sling have buried themselves under the cork bark pice and usually are out and about for viewing. They also molt in there and I am able to watch the process.

My arboreal slings have either made tube webs anchored to the cork bark or the fake plant, or both.

I feel as is giving the T's decor, resulting in more hiding places, we can observe a more "natural" behavior, and as an added bonus some really like webbing and/or substrate structures.

My two examples that are the best example are my H. maculata and my P. murinus slings, both around 1". My P. irminia sling comes in a close third.

My PM has an intricate web structure that is both underground and above ground. My HM also had a tunnel that was under a leaf and went to the bottom of the cage, but after the last molt it has taken up a new home against a piece of cork bark and has a nice new webbing structure.

It is really necessary, perhaps not. Does it result in a more enjoyable keeping experience, perhaps. Is it more work than necessary, perhaps. Thoughts?

I keep my slings in 16 oz deli cups, some arboreals in 32 oz. They SHOULD have 'decorations', and by that I mean things that are useful to them. I give mine some combination of cork, plastic plant, and long fiber sphagnum, all of which they use to construct their retreats. Like you said, this promotes more natural behavior in spiders. If they don't have a retreat they feel secure in, they're far more likely to feel stranded out in the open when you open their cage, and race out. It's in everyone's best interests to have useful decorations in the cage. Keep in mind most of Stan's experience was with Brachypelma and Aphonopelma, and he sold off his collection before the tidal wave of new tropical introductions hit the US and Canada in the mid 2000's. Most of my collection is tropicals, and if I didn't give them decorations, I'd be constantly chasing slings around my spider room.

Yup, I always have something for them to hide under or, if they are webbers, something to anchor webbing to. What I use is dependent on how much room there is in the particular space. My little I. mira is in a small deli cup, and its got its usual underground lair, but I still have a plastic leaf in there...which its webbed a little and created its trap door beneath. Some never use it, like both my B. albiceps, but there's still a leaf for them to get under should they desire. Plus without it, it just looks barren. As they grow, so does their décor.

I gave my tiny O. diamantinensis a very small leaf and I'm so glad I did. It's already dug into the substrate and webbed around the leaf but seems to spend most of it's time sitting on the leaf in full view.

Poec54 said:

If they don't have a retreat they feel secure in, they're far more likely to feel stranded out in the open when you open their cage, and race out. It's in everyone's best interests to have useful decorations in the cage. Keep in mind most of Stan's experience was with Brachypelma and Aphonopelma, and he sold off his collection before the tidal wave of new tropical introductions hit the US and Canada in the mid 2000's. Most of my collection is tropicals, and if I didn't give them decorations, I'd be constantly chasing slings around my spider room.

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This. I agree with functional decor actually helping with the safety (and sanity) of keepers.
And as a side topic, I know the 4th edition is underway, but since the 3rd edition has Stan kept OW and tropicals? Or is he relying on fellow hobbyists to acquire that information?

---------- Post added 10-05-2014 at 12:06 PM ----------

cold blood said:

As they grow, so does their décor.

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Yes. I don't see why a sling wouldn't get "decor" when you would supply some as an adult. OR in some cases maybe the adult never gets any.
I think your I. mira was aware of the leaf and took shelter underneath it. My H. mac did the same thing.

---------- Post added 10-05-2014 at 12:08 PM ----------

Enn49 said:

I gave my tiny O. diamantinensis a very small leaf and I'm so glad I did. It's already dug into the substrate and webbed around the leaf but seems to spend most of it's time sitting on the leaf in full view.

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Although my slings have hides, they are almost all out in the open for me to observe. I am going to try to get photos before the next rehouse.

I too will give any sling some decoration, coz i like to see a piece of nature, but also coz i feel they need it to feel 'at home'.

CBickert said:

And as a side topic, I know the 4th edition is underway, but since the 3rd edition has Stan kept OW and tropicals? Or is he relying on fellow hobbyists to acquire that information?

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I think we can help Stan out with this, as many tropical species have been introduced in the last 10 years, and we're continually making discoveries about them in captivity. The hobby exploded in the mid 2000's with the help of the internet. What's happened since then is amazing.

Poec54 said:

I think we can help Stan out with this, as many tropical species have been introduced in the last 10 years, and we're continually making discoveries about them in captivity. The hobby exploded in the mid 2000's with the help of the internet. What's happened since then is amazing.

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To be honest, I wasn't aware that keeping tarantulas as pets was a thing until I discovered Arachnoboards in December of 2012. Well to clarify I knew perhaps a few people kept them, but I didn't think it would be this popular of a hobby.
I know you personally have seen many changes since the 70's, but I am very curious what the next 30 years will bring to the hobby.

From the minority: I don't give them anything - keeps it tidy.

I have reared a ton of babies thuswise and they all went on to lead full and balanced lives into adulthood

When they do become juveniles and or adults, I give them something simple, think Mies Van Der Rohe rather than Green and Green.

telepatella said:

From the minority: I don't give them anything - keeps it tidy.

I have reared a ton of babies thuswise and they all went on to lead full and balanced lives into adulthood

When they do become juveniles and or adults, I give them something simple, think Mies Van Der Rohe rather than Green and Green.

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I think from your experience it comes down to feasibility. It is a lot easier for you to just supply a substrate, and I can understand that.
My train of thought was more along the lines of observing behavior and that relating to an overall enjoyment in keeping the T's. But yes, they will survive and continue to grow into adulthood.

Also, I can relate to your analogy of decoration being a graduate architecture student. Also being a Mies fan among others

^Salut!

I keep all my slings in their delis within a larger tank for better control of climate and humidity. And, despite the lack of decor, I do see the behaviors that we enjoy. Don't want to come off as half-measuring it.

telepatella said:

^Salut!

I keep all my slings in their delis within a larger tank for better control of climate and humidity. And, despite the lack of decor, I do see the behaviors that we enjoy. Don't want to come off as half-measuring it.

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Right. I didn't mean to assume that you aren't able to enjoy your slings behavior because of the lack of decor. It just so happens my favorite part of T keeping is to see the self-constructed homes and the webbing or substrate shelters they create. That might have something to do with being an architecture student. :idea:

But this thread was created for me to gain insight into practices and to see how many people bother putting decor for slings. Just curiosity.

CBickert said:

I am very curious what the next 30 years will bring to the hobby.

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My hope is that we continue to have new species introduced and reproduced in captivity, until we have all of them established and safe from habitat destruction.

My fear is that they will be banned due to the irresponsible stunts of a handful of thrill seekers. That's why I don't cut them any slack. They have no 'right' to ruin it for the rest of us.

Poec54 said:

My hope is that we continue to have new species introduced and reproduced in captivity, until we have all of them established and safe from habitat destruction.

My fear is that they will be banned due to the irresponsible stunts of a handful of thrill seekers. That's why I don't cut them any slack. They have no 'right' to ruin it for the rest of us.

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I hope you are able to! So I can then reap the benefits of your actions.

I read the 69 page Google Books excerpt of Tarantula Keeper's Guide and it comes across as a guide on how to keep as many tarantulas as possible as cheaply as possible. I'm not down with that, sorry. I don't intend to keep more than one or two tarantulas for quite a while, so I have no problems giving them a nicely decorated home with plenty of plant and cork-based hiding spots, a proper photoperiod, and controlled humidity.

Fyrwulf said:

I read the 69 page Google Books excerpt of Tarantula Keeper's Guide and it comes across as a guide on how to keep as many tarantulas as possible as cheaply as possible. I'm not down with that, sorry. I don't intend to keep more than one or two tarantulas for quite a while, so I have no problems giving them a nicely decorated home with plenty of plant and cork-based hiding spots, a proper photoperiod, and controlled humidity.

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I read it as that way as well. It's more learn the basics and rules, then you know how to break them" type thing. But like mentioned above there is a 4th edition in the works currently and maybe some husbandry practices will be updates to include things that are more "natural".

Fyrwulf said:

I read the 69 page Google Books excerpt of Tarantula Keeper's Guide and it comes across as a guide on how to keep as many tarantulas as possible as cheaply as possible. I'm not down with that, sorry. I don't intend to keep more than one or two tarantulas for quite a while, so I have no problems giving them a nicely decorated home with plenty of plant and cork-based hiding spots, a proper photoperiod, and controlled humidity.

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I've got a lot of slings, and still think they need decorations, it doesn't take much effort or cost. To do their best, they should feel safe and secure, doesn't matter how many you have. I think Stan's perspective was based on docile NW slings, that aren't nearly as prone to panicking and running out of their containers as arboreals and high-strung tropicals are. There's a lot of changes been going on in the hobby, and I think that's why Stan wants to do a 4th edition.

Agreed, nothing bugs me more than a plain looking enclosure, I like natural looking set ups with moss, fake/real plants and a natural looking hide (I collect wood from the bush and bake/ boil it with water) since I can't find cork bark anywhere here and I know for a fact as opportunistic burrowers they prefer the hide over nothing.

One of my favorite things to do is decorate my enclosures. Seems to work better with aboreals. Most of my terristials seem to do there own decorating.

tonypace2009 said:

One of my favorite things to do is decorate my enclosures. Seems to work better with aboreals. Most of my terristials seem to do there own decorating.

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Agreed!! But having a smaller collection (14) and not a lot of expendable income at the moment, I have been putting my money into slings and not enclosures. But I have been planning for sure! I am excited when they hit their adult size in the next couple years. And I will have the funds to do a proper display enclosure.