Tarantula setup question

[TonyL]

I have had my B. boehmi about a month now and she has been a blast! She is a 3 1/2 inch female and currently in a 5.5 gallon tank with about 2 inches of a soil/peat moss/vermiculite mix. She has a couple of hides.

I am now thinking about moving her to a bigger tank. However I was reading in the Shultz manual that Ts should never need more than a 10 gallon tank. I would like to move her to a 20 gallon tank with many hides and about 5 inches of substrate to let her burrow.

I do not want to stress her out so I am looking for any advice/comments from experienced Tarantula keepers.

Thanks in advance

[Pixie]

That is the first time I have ever heard anything about a terrarium being too big for a tarantula! I've known some tarantula enthusiasts that had a few in 20 and 30 gallon tanks. As long as you're not talking about a little isty bitsy spiderling, I don't see any problem with moving your T to a bigger tank.

The move will be stressful as she has to get used to a new environment and make her home again. I would suggest lots of hides and decorations and a second water dish.

Good luck with your little girl

Pixie

[jason h]

ive had my rosehair in a tank equivelent to a 65 gallon tank before with no problems she seemed to like it

[camote]

That rosehair must of been really lucky. Did it take her a long time to find food in such a large tank?

[uog11]

in the wild tarantulas, particularily females are ambush predatores, particularily any terrestorial species. males are much more likely to leave the proximity of thier burrow and that is only for mating. i would guess that the authors of the book in question keep numerous specimens and need space. i would also say that some full grow tarantulas, particular T. blondi need more than a 5 gallon tank. its really up to you. does the spider need a 20 gallon tank, probably not, but i don't think it will hurt. you might want to wait another molt or two before you more it over though

[jason h]

nope found the food no problem i just let crickets in and she just waited for them to happen by her and WHAM!!! lunch is served lol.

[OttawaChris]

Remember, Mr. Schultz had a collection of around 1500 tarantulas so space was of the essence to him. If you start using too many aquariums you run out of space quick! Most of us that keep large collections use modified stackable rubbermaid containers that take up a lot less space.

Having a tank that is big is not harmful to a tarantula...but is very unnecessary. Even in the wild, most of them live in a space that is about 2 feet by 2 feet. For a the spider you are keeping, anything beyond substrate, a water dish, and a hiding spot is neither to the advantage nor to the detriment of the spider. It is for your eye and your eye alone.

The real setbacks of a large tank is that the ******* crickets have a lot more place to hide. They have killed tarantulas before so beware. The best way to combat this is to leave a small dish of dried oatmeal so that the crickets have something to eat while they are in there. A cricket that isnt hungry wont munch on your spider.

The other drawback is that its harder to control humidity levels in a larger tank. Some species are quite sensitive to humidity levels so it is something to keep in mind. However, none of the species mentioned here (namely, B. Boehmei and G.Rosea) are at all sensitive to humidity levels so that one is a moot point.

The only time you really NEED a large terrarium is if you are trying to keep a communal setup of avicularia.