UK Arachnid-About

Subsrate and Interior

There are several kinds of substrate that can be used, however as a rule the safest, cleanest and easiest kind to use is vermiculite. Vermiculite is used by gardeners as a medium to incubate seedlings but it can be found in most pet stores. When purchased vermiculite is very dry and water should be added. The water will be absorbed into the vermiculite since it acts like a sponge, this will help maintain the humidity level in your spiders container. The substrate should be between 3" and 5" deep and moist but not soaking wet. Other substrates include soil or peat these should be baked in an oven in order to eliminate any harmful parasites, they may also be prone to mould and can have an unpleasant odour. A mixture of vermiculite and peat is sometimes used for larger spider for example `Bird Eaters`. My advice is to stick to vermiculite. Rocks, stones, gravel or sand SHOULD NEVER BE USED as they can prove to be a dangerous hazard to your spider. Humidity levels can also be increased with the addition of sphagnum moss or damp cork bark into your spiders dwelling.

When furnishing the interior of the container an open water dish should always be present. This should not be prone to tipping over, I use lids from coffee jars which do the job quite well or perhaps a small shallow ashtray. The water dish should be partially filled with sponge or cotton wool, sponge tends to be the more convenient this prevents insects which may fall into the dish from drowning. Water should be changed daily, again an open water dish helps maintain humidity. If you keep an arboreal species then it will require daily mistings of its web nest to provide it with drinking water since it is unlikely that it will use an open water dish.

You should also provide you tarantula with some form of retreat for example a plastic flowerpot may be used. This can either be cut in half or left whole and simply dug into the substrate. To hide the fact that it is a flowerpot you can cover it with vermiculite. By coating the flowerpot in aquarium sealant, rolling it in vermiculite and allowing it to dry you can produce a well disguised retreat for your spider. For arboreal species of tarantula a retreat will not be necessary since these spiders will construct a tube like web in which they will live and feed, a piece of cork bark or a twig should be place at an upwards angle so as the spider may use it as a anchorage point for its web. Daily mistings of the cork bark and web with an atomiser spray are required since an arboreal species will not use a water dish. The only other essential additions to your spiders interior is a thermometer and advisably a humidity gauge to keep track of your spiders environment. Thermometers can either be electronic or of the gauge type, thermometers used in aquariums can also be used. I find these work best and are at the cheaper end of the scale, either a glass type or the self adhesive type which can be positioned on the glass/plastic inside the container.

A Cheap and Effective Thermometer

You may wish to add some form of decor, for instance plants to enhance the appearance of your tarantulas dwelling. This is however not essential to your spiders well being and is only necessary for aesthetic reasons. Ideally plastic plants as used in aquariums may be utilised, some have suction cups and may be attached to the side or rear wall inside the container to give a hanging effect.

Aquarium plants require no maintenance and can safely be used.

NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES USE CACTI FOR DECORATION OR FOR THAT MATTER ANYTHING ELSE WHICH MAY HAVE SHARP OR JAGGED PROTRUSIONS AS YOUR SPIDER COULD SUSTAIN A FATAL INJURY.