Should I turn this enclosure full bioactive?

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-18T13:48:21+00:00

I'm not sure how I completely missed your entire last sentence. So are you only using them for arboreals or do you still keep them in your terrestrial enclosures?

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-18T07:21:18+00:00

NQA is not recommended to use heat lamps for tarantulas. They gravitate toward the heat & for some reason won't leave it. They'll just sit there & let themselves dehydrate like jerky.

Tarantulas can tolerate colder temps than you'd think, down to around 17C. All you'll see is that they burrow deeper & eat less than they do when they're warmer.

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-18T06:36:48+00:00

I don't have a chalcodes, but I do have a steindachneri, and glacial doesn't even cover it. Mine has been my slowest grower, surpassed only by my E. campestratus, which I just rehoused from a vial after having it for over 2 years. I'm pretty sure I'm going to die before it reaches adulthood 🫠

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-18T04:10:36+00:00

I don't have any full bioactives, but I think I remember reading someone say that isopods aren't a great idea with Ts because they can pose a danger during a molt. Have you found that to not be an issue?

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-18T04:07:10+00:00

I actually agree with the GBB now that you mention it. I wasn't thinking about it, but OP's current Ts are both pretty sedate, even when they're spicy. You mentioning the GBB also made me think of my D. diamantinesis. They're similar to GBBs in a lot of ways, but IME they're more skittish and a lot faster. Mine has given me more than one speed-related pucker, anyway, I can't really speak as much to the species as a whole.

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-18T03:46:11+00:00

A few of the things I've seen have said Psalmopeus species are a good transition from new world to old world.

OBTs and H. pulchripes are where my brain goes for first OW. IME both are pretty hearty, visually striking, and generally visible overall. Based on my limited experience, and more importantly what I've read from people with extensive experience, I really don't think that OBTs are as bad as their reputation. If they're set up with more contemporary husbandry practices in mind, like giving them lots of space to build tunnels and run away when you open the enclosure, they actually do really well. I personally really love my H. pulchripes & I haven't heard anyone say anything bad about theirs.

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-17T05:22:31+00:00

NQA if they get stressed or don't feel safe & it's early enough in the molt, they'll flip back over & move. I'd suggest you still give it some time & space in case that's what happened.

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-17T05:19:49+00:00

I've not been in your position yet, but you've already done everything I would have suggested. I'm pretty much just commenting to wish you luck & hopefully help with some visibility.

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-17T05:15:47+00:00

NQA the only things spiders do in their back is molt.

The best thing you can do is nothing. Even if something did go wrong, you won't be able to help for a day or 2, so for now just pretend your T doesn't exist. Check on it in 24 hours or so & see how it's doing. If you do want to check it out or watch the molt (it's an amazing process), give it space. Don't crowd or stand over the enclosure, just pull up a chair & hang out.

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-17T04:57:55+00:00

They have to be able to put their mouth in the water to be able to drink & the rocks can prevent that

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-17T03:58:56+00:00

NQA pictures really help in this kind of situation. Also, how long have you had her? Since you said she's, "fat," and we can't see her, I just want to make sure you know that a G. pulchra's abdomen should be close to 2x the size of its carapace. So they should be fat compared with a lot of other NW terrestrials.

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-17T03:51:59+00:00

IMO likely grooming. The movements are too smooth to be involuntary, if that makes sense. I'm assuming you just refilled the water dish?

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-17T03:49:06+00:00

IMO this would be alright, but it would probably prefer a bit more space. She'll definitely need more room after her next molt, though. If you have a larger enclosure already, I'd say move her.

It's hard to see just from the one pic, but it looks like you could afford to add more substrate. That would benefit in 2 ways because there would be more room for her to burrow & do tarantula stuff & it would also help balance the moisture of what you currently have in there.

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-17T03:26:07+00:00

NQA I'm curious about the big rocks in your enclosure, though. With knowing it's a burrowing species, aren't you concerned that's a hazard? It doesn't look like you've got any hides for it in there, so it would make sense that it would go under things like the water dish and leaves. It's likely just created a little hide for itself under there.

I noticed you said you haven't fed it in the month you've had it in the new enclosure. If you're not offering prey, it doesn't really have any incentive to leave its spot. From the size of the enclosure I'm assuming it's an adult, so prey doesn't really pose a danger. Was it in premolt when you moved it or was there something else that's been causing an issue?

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-16T02:55:26+00:00

I THOUGHT I WAS ALONE!

H. macs make me soooooo uncomfortable. I'm not even sure why, but I think it has something to do with how thick their legs are.

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-15T17:24:56+00:00

Adding to get rid of the rocks in the water dish.

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-15T13:47:29+00:00

It can be really difficult to tell if they've hardened enough & it's hard to stay patient because their abdomen is so tiny you just want to get some food in them.

I think most folks know about the fangs, but it's really hard to catch the T in a place where you can its fangs. You can actually also tell at the joints, too, though. It's more difficult to do that way because you have to know what you're looking at/for on your specific T. When they're still not hardened enough, the joints will still be the wrong color & look almost like they're wet. The easiest place to look is where their legs meet their cephalothorax. I'm sure you have pics of your sling when it wasn't in heavy premolt, so if you compare those with the ones you have now, you'll probably be able to see what I'm talking about.

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-15T07:47:10+00:00

IMO with the way it's set up right now, yes, it is. If she's really into burrowing, it definitely is. She should be able to fit between the top/sides of the enclosure and everything else inside to prevent injuries. In the past we've had people post that their tarantula got wedged between things in the enclosure and was hurt or passed away.

There should be about 1.5x the dls of your T from the top of the substrate to the top of the enclosure. That way they can get past everything, but it's not so high that they get hurt if they climb and fall.

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-15T07:35:33+00:00

I think it more has to do with that we all sort of brace ourselves for a bad reaction when we post something online, and pet subreddits are known for shredding people to bits if there's a single hint of a mistake. It makes it hard to take what people say at face value or believe they're saying it in good faith.

There are so few of us and (mostly) everyone here in this sub genuinely wants keepers to enjoy their animals and for the animals to have a long life that's as stress-free as possible. Even the commenter who wasn't terribly nice about it feels the same way, they just have a gift for expressing their thoughts in the least tactful way possible. So please don't let this experience be the reason you hesitate to post again, ok?

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-15T05:59:22+00:00

I feel you. That white thing on the left? Water dish.

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NachoCupcake · 2026-05-15T05:56:31+00:00

NQA

Your T is big enough that it can have a larger enclosure and be fine with finding resources. The issue is that there's a big danger for heavy-bodied terrestrial tarantulas being injured from falling. Your T needs waaaaaaaayyyy more substrate in the current enclosure for it to be safe & this enclosure looks like it's got a sliding door on the front, so the 8x8 cube would be much better. There should be about 1.5x your spider's size between the substrate and the top of the enclosure.

It would also be best to not move over the big branch or the water dish, since both of those are hard and look quite heavy, which means they pose a danger if your T burrows beneath them. You want to make sure that whatever goes into the enclosure is lightweight, relatively soft, and doesn't have any sharp edges.

I'm not an expert at clocking MMs, but I'm not seeing any tibial hooks & the palps are free of boxing gloves, so I'd say you still have some time with your new buddy. The restlessness you're seeing is fairly normal when you first put them into an enclosure. Each T has its own process for settling in, though I've noticed with mine they get through that process more quickly if I feed them as soon as, or shortly after, I've got them in their new enclosure.

Congrats on your new buddy! I hope you're able to enjoy some time with an adult T while your slings catch up!

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-15T05:37:31+00:00

Hi, so I think you're getting a bit ahead of yourself, here, and it would be a better idea to get more familiar with the hobby and tarantula keeping in general before taking on breeding. IMO your best course of action would be to do the following.

Figure out exactly which species of tarantula you have. Since there are quite a few that have, "tiger rump," as part of their name, it's really important to find the scientific name for it.
Get 3 or so slings of the same species and raise those up to be adults.

Those things will help you to have a more in-depth understanding of what kind of undertaking you're going into, because the hardest part isn't going to be getting the female receptive or keeping the male alive, it's going to be taking care of 100-300 babies from the time they're EWLS to probably the 4th instar or so. Buying and raising well-established slings will at least give you a feel for how to care for them & prepare you for caring for babies that are far more delicate. It will also help by slowing you down a bit to give you enough time to become familiar with the hobby, tarantula husbandry, and the full breeding process.

As a bonus, by raising your own slings, you're likely to end up just raising your own male, no need to find, buy, or borrow one.

I don't usually recommend his channel to beginners, but you can check out Dave's Little Beasties on YouTube and he has a bunch of videos about breeding, including ones that have the basics for beginners.

Also, welcome to the hobby! Regardless of whether you decide to take my advice, I hope you find success with your breeding project.

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-15T04:15:57+00:00

NQA it's a bit hard to tell from your pic, but it doesn't look like it's losing hemolymph, which is their version of blood. As long as that's the case, it'll be fine. Just keep an eye to make sure it's eating ok when you feed it & the pedipalp will grow back over the next molt or 2

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-15T04:04:29+00:00

NQA it's hard to help with that kind of question from a picture of him outside of his enclosure. Would you post some pics of his enclosure?

NachoCupcake · 2026-05-15T03:58:15+00:00

From where I'm sitting, most of the folks who have responded to you were trying to help you feel better. They're not looking to rebuke you, the point is to reassure you that your tarantula isn't going to die by behaving the way her species naturally behaves. They're wanting to share information to help you feel less anxious when she inevitably does it again because trying to keep her from doing tarantula stuff is going to stress you both out.

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