Vivarium/Paludarium for Theraphosa sp.

Ashton · Nov 21, 2014

I will be getting a Theraphosa (likely stirmi) sometime from now to January. I well have it in a very large enclosure that's probably 3-6 times the length of it and 2 times the width. I will attempt to keep it as close to its natural environment as possible. If I get a cb sling then I have plenty of time to wait, but I fancy the price and size of a wc specimen for about the same time. I have seen them on Net-Bug and that's likely where I'll get one.

Now onto the main part of this. I am considering a 180 gallon with an acrylic lid with vents in it. I would like a water feature of some sort especially since there's plenty of space to do it. Should I have a water feature? I've been lucky enough to buy or trade for large tubes and slabs of cork and have found nice logs and such so there's no stress there. Should i have mosses in there? What kind of plants? Where's the best place to get idopods? Should/can I incorporate fish?

I have the need to plan in advance just so I can save and shop effectively for my wallet. I'm sticking with the saying "go big or go home."

xTimx · Nov 23, 2014

first of all congrats on your stirmi.

second of all, 180gal is too big for a stirmi. if you're custom making your tank i wouldnt even make it more than a 50 gal. i wouldnt even worry about a water feature. you dont see a stirmi near running water. but thats up to you. a water feature can be a pain if you dont set it up correctly. do you have a plan or drawings that you can show us?
I have a T Stirmi and i have found that lots of ventilation helps with the airflow (naturally) but i too have set up mine close to its natural habitat. a layer of substrate. a log with a burrow underneath it. mosses laid around and laid upon the log. but the one thing i have done that has helped is leaf litter. not many people do this with their enclosures but seriously it helps with humidity by keeping the substrate moist, the leaves also help with the sensitivity of the webs that the stirmi lay on them, and if she doesnt like the layout she'll move the leaves around anyways.
plants you can put are pothos, you want something rugged but if you go away for the weekend you dont have to worry about watering them. i wouldnt worry about isopods really, they are only mainly there for clean up of mold and wastes. if you have enough ventilation in the tank you dont have to worry about mold.
Fish all depends on if you wanna put a water feature in.

lemme know if this is helpful as i'm barely woken up from the morning. lol

Ashton · Nov 23, 2014

xTimx said:
first of all congrats on your stirmi.

second of all, 180gal is too big for a stirmi. if you're custom making your tank i wouldnt even make it more than a 50 gal. i wouldnt even worry about a water feature. you dont see a stirmi near running water. but thats up to you. a water feature can be a pain if you dont set it up correctly. do you have a plan or drawings that you can show us?
I have a T Stirmi and i have found that lots of ventilation helps with the airflow (naturally) but i too have set up mine close to its natural habitat. a layer of substrate. a log with a burrow underneath it. mosses laid around and laid upon the log. but the one thing i have done that has helped is leaf litter. not many people do this with their enclosures but seriously it helps with humidity by keeping the substrate moist, the leaves also help with the sensitivity of the webs that the stirmi lay on them, and if she doesnt like the layout she'll move the leaves around anyways.
plants you can put are pothos, you want something rugged but if you go away for the weekend you dont have to worry about watering them. i wouldnt worry about isopods really, they are only mainly there for clean up of mold and wastes. if you have enough ventilation in the tank you dont have to worry about mold.
Fish all depends on if you wanna put a water feature in.

lemme know if this is helpful as i'm barely woken up from the morning. lol

Would you mind posting a picture of the enclosure?

Vivarium/Paludarium for Theraphosa sp.

Ashton

Arachnoknight

xTimx

Arachnoknight

Ashton

Arachnoknight