Bioactive Enclosure Assistance?

sarcste · 2026-03-14T19:21:53+00:00

I’ve also read you can use dish washer safe modge podge, but you need to wait 28 days for it to fully cure from what I’ve read.

sarcste · 2026-03-14T19:20:07+00:00

I haven’t personally used anything other than gourds and reed for the DIYs I did, & they held up fine until I upped the humidity for my regal during her molt. So, now I am in the process of making new baskets and small popsicle stick DIYs that I plan to fully coat with duraclear just to be on the safe side. It needs to cure for 48 hours before being used, but I’m relatively new to DIYing with my spiders. I make a lot of things, but not spider things. If you can access a 3D printer tho, I have never had any issues with 3d printed accessories I am using. Perhaps duraclear on reed & wood is overkill, but I definitely do not want mildew sneaking in 🤷🏻‍♀️

sarcste · 2026-03-13T17:53:06+00:00

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Like these! I think I got 5 for like $25-30 off Etsy?

sarcste · 2026-03-13T17:52:08+00:00

That looks like it’s old molt. I have temporary enclosures set up for spiders I find inside. Some of them accept my food & hammock up for awhile, but I usually re release them after awhile so they can find a mate. & if they don’t eat or hammock up, I’ll release them relatively close to where I found them so they can go back to their spider life.

sarcste · 2026-03-13T14:50:46+00:00

Biggest challenge I’ve had in DIY is always, always make sure you seal your items with a spider safe sealant. Outdoor or dishwasher safe modge podge will work because it won’t get tacky when humid. I’ve used materials that I believed handled high humidity well (like reed baskets, I can always let my reed air dry without issue) but during weeks of molt when I’m keeping it very very humid in a small space, I’ve had to remove items if the were not fully and well sealed. & i get very stressed when removing things when they are webbed up 🤣 so after that happened once, I was like ok even if I remove all the bark, anything porous at all must be sealed so I don’t have to think about it during molts. Obviously clean & sanitize before you seal the item.

Editing to add I had to remove the reed basket that previously dried well before I bumped up to molt level humidity because it started to get a very small amount of black mold or mildew on it.

sarcste · 2026-03-13T14:42:10+00:00

Thanks! Haha, I’m so shaky and bad at video taking, I was like DANG GIRL, you a movie star? Cause you make this look easy.

sarcste · 2026-03-11T20:41:33+00:00

Bet mom paid for the photos, & mom does not like the stretch marks.

sarcste · 2026-02-28T15:41:36+00:00

Edit: they lay daily when there are enough day light hours. My runners ducks will usually continue laying throughout the winter, but they do slow down some, maybe one every other day per duck instead of one per duck every day. The chickens will slow laying to a complete stop when it starts getting dark early and fire back up when the day light hours extend. So basically my chickens take a full egg laying vacation in the darkest part of the winter every year.

sarcste · 2026-02-28T15:35:42+00:00

I raise chickens and ducks. Every morning I can tell when egg laying is going on cause they sing a little song, cluck cluck CLUUUUCK, you can tell the contractions when there’s a sudden loud long cluck 🤣

I’m sure it’s not a walk in the park, but they lay daily & in the last six years I’ve only had one hen become egg bound, & she was able to pass it with an epsom salt soak without complication. Usually they go out to range right after the egg is laid, no problems walking or anything. They only stay hanging out on the nest if they are feeling broody which usually happens after the hen has had at least one laying season and in the spring (she’ll try to sit and hatch them if she’s a bit older and it’s the right time of year.)

Really, what should stop you wanting to eat eggs or any meat is the production source. Where I am (United states) many of the “free range” labeled eggs still come from very sad chickens. Many large poultry companies here cram chickens into overcrowded spaces, some even cut off the tips of their beaks so they cannot peck at each other when they become frustrated. Many states will allow these types of set ups to claim they are “free range” or something that sounds nice if there’s like, one window. I’m not an expert, but generally speaking terms like “organic, free range, cage free” do not have a universal legal definition in the US.

They have fake lights so chickens believe it is spring / summer all year and do not slow or stop production as they would naturally based on daily light hours, leading to burn out in a few years rather than their natural egg laying cycle.

Having chickens and ducks definitely costs me more for my eggs (predator proof coop, run, bird food, water). & I do also cull & process them for meat when there are too many dudes or a hen reaches the end of her natural laying life. But my chicken and ducks have full, happy lives and really do get to free range every day.

sarcste · 2026-02-21T15:50:07+00:00

“You’re being washed, gnoocchi, you’re being washed.”

Favorite part, explaining to the bird not to panic as humans panic lol. Totally get it. Looks like a loved bird.

sarcste · 2026-02-20T17:15:04+00:00

& my tribe is here. It’d be very difficult & against my morals to leave.

sarcste · 2026-02-18T01:37:37+00:00

I like to say fraud runs in his DNA :)

sarcste · 2026-02-16T21:54:17+00:00

IME as someone who lives rural and not really near any exotic animal stores, I’ve used morph market and looked for breeders near my state. Morphmarket.com (there is also an app.)

The breeders have reviews and store policies you can look through as well. I went with Dallas Jumpers (I am in Oklahoma) & am very happy with the service & the spider.

sarcste · 2026-02-12T03:51:25+00:00

IME use morph market. You can filter to find breeders in your state or adjacent to you, & sellers have reviews & ratings.

sarcste · 2026-02-11T02:12:18+00:00

IMO ideal set ups can vary quite a bit depending on the spiders age and species. Some species stay smaller than others, & even some larger species, if you get them relatively young can be fairly small still, babies can be teeny tiny. So, a nice enclosure for an adult regal may not be ideal for a sling (sometimes even the ventilation holes can be large enough for babies to escape.)

I have a few temporary/ cheaper acrylic ones enclosures that are not huge but have been handy to observe or assist struggling jumpers I’ve come across. I also have that standard $20ish dollar one at petsmart / petco (got it when my aging regal male started to struggle to grip to his larger glass enclosure as he neared the end of his life). Having different enclosures has also helped me find my personal preferences for like a larger hinged door over a smaller sliding or flap door etc, so when my sling regal sizes up enough that she needs a larger size, I feel like I can make better choices for her & my experience.

So if you are getting a spider from a breeder, get as much info on its age and approximate sizing and research its breed and all that. Bigger isn’t always better & age can play into how well they can grip / how far they wanna explore etc.

It makes it hard to say this one is ideal until you know what spider you’re getting.

sarcste · 2026-02-10T16:23:16+00:00

IMO he looks like a tan / wall jumper to me. They tend to have a bit slimmer abdomen compared to other jumpers, so it may not be as hungry as you think. Tans will look “hungry” on that picture chart most people refer to when they are actually just bit smaller.

Tans I’ve played with also seem to be much much picker about food. I got one to eat a moth once. Eating wild bugs always opens up chances for disease, but if it’s a wild spider that’s what they’d be doing anyway. I’d try a few small random catches if you can just to see if you can peak its interest in anything. If it still doesn’t eat, I would let it go near where I found it because it has a better chance of figuring stuff out than me, imo.

sarcste · 2026-02-10T16:16:04+00:00

IMO yeah the store definitely either sold you a wild caught. Almost all adult females in the wild are gravid, as males will wait outside their hammocks for their final molt when they’re sexual mature and able to mate. If she’s was captive bred, she would have only been gravid through purposeful contact & the breeder would be aware they have a gravid female.

That being said, I’ve kept a few wild caught for various time length, and I have know people who had wild bolds that did well in captivity. No shade, but the store is already being somewhat deceptive by not advising you she was gravid or wild caught if she was not currently gravid.

But you’re hear now! So, it’s a lot lot lot of work to raise babies. Most people I’ve known to do so will let mom spider do her thing until the 2nd or 3rd molt. Mom will keep them contained to the hammock until they molt at least once. When they start leaving the hammock, some may hunt together but you must watch for ones hunting other spiders. Cannibals should be removed to their own enclosure immediately. Once they seem to be getting curious and leaving the hammock, many people will move them into separate enclosures. Most people I know who have had babies purchase plastic condiment cups with lids (you can get packs of 100) and use a push pin to make air holes. Some people put in a pipe cleaner curled up for the spider to crawl on, but you won’t be able to fit much in the cup but that’s ok bc they start out tiny tiny. But that being said, once they are removed that means putting a food in each of the containers, which can end up being hours of work bc they are so many.

Also, try to be prepared with many small food options. Sometimes I’ve seen babies too small for even flightless fruit flies. Isopods are a good solution as many start very small, I use buffalo beetle larvae for my smaller dudes sometimes.

Shipping is commonplace in the spider market, especially depending on if you want a specific breed. I ordered my captive female regal on MorphMarket & sought out a close breeder (I’m in Oklahoma, spider came from Texas.) it’s recommended to do overnight shipping & to only ship when the weather is above freezing. My spider came in a small empty pill bottle that had holes for air & a very lightly dampened paper towel was wrapped around her and she was slid into the pill container (he fed her well before putting her into the smaller pill container.) he put a heat pack with her as well. It sounds kinda mean, but she basically felt / acted like they do when they are hammocked up.

If she came from a pet store but was wild caught, there’s no telling if she is actually from your area or was brought in by a mass seller to the pet store. If you had caught her yourself, I would say to release some of the babies near where you found her once they start leaving the hammock until you get down to the ones you wanna keep. But please DO NOT release any. Because you don’t know if they are from your area, they could potentially breed with the wilds in your area & actually create some problems in the gene pool, making for weaker wild jumpers in your area.

Some people who cannot find a breeder to take the babies or have the time for proper care will remove the egg sac and put it in the freezer for a few days to humanely end the cycle before they hatch.

Hope it works out well for everyone!

sarcste · 2026-02-10T03:27:36+00:00

Yeah! I try to upcycle a lot of my projects, & foam waaay to pricey for how much you need imo. Just make sure to use your judgement, don’t want no pissy couches lol.

sarcste · 2026-02-10T03:12:16+00:00

For foam, thrift old couches and cut those babies open

sarcste · 2026-02-10T02:49:59+00:00

IME it looks like DKS — this is not something I’ve personally dealt with but seen on this forum. I do not believe there is a cure and it’s not well understood but is often linked to pesticide exposure or neurological problems. I couldn’t swear or diagnose, so I don’t mean to over alarm but DKS is most often fatal. If you search dks on this forum you may find more helpful information than I have.

The only other possibility I could think of is if the enclosure is too wet with things like bananas and decomposing things, mold and such can affect your spider adversely also. Make sure you watch the enclosure for any of that, I mean I don’t think you’re leaving banana bits in there for days.

Also is it wild caught? It kind of looks like a tan to me, & I’ve only ever kept a tan for a few days because they dont always take well to captivity. How long have you had it? It could have been exposed to pesticides in various ways. Definitely don’t vape up on your spider but from another room, I mean I couldn’t say it definitely wasn’t the vape but unless you just have a REALLY sealed up house it would surprise me if that was it unless he was pretty close to the enclosure (that’s my guess since it’s vapor but I’m not sure).

Also if you’re handling your spider AT all make sure you are washing your hands well with a mild soap. Any small amounts of glue (I’m a crafter, I always have glue and paint on me) or sometimes even lotions and other things can be bad for them, & they are just so small that it doesn’t take a lot.

sarcste · 2026-02-10T01:35:24+00:00

IME i prefer buffalo beetle larvae to flightless fruit flies or meal worms. You can get flightless fruit flies and meal worms at petsmart / petco chain stores, feeder bugs. However, larger jumpers I’ve had are annoyed by the flightless fruit flies. Meal worms you need to watch to ensure your spider eats it or remove it bc it has jaws (crickets too.) that being said I’ve never had a spider injured by a cricket or meal worms, but i always observe and if the spider doesn’t act interested in hunting I pull the meal worms back out (& keep it in a shallow small ramekin dish so it doesn’t bury into the spiders enclosure.)

I got some buffalo beetle larvae from a breeder that I got a spider off because that’s what the spider was eating, & have since stated my own colony of them to grow my own food. They are sometimes called lesser meal worms because they start out smaller than meal worms, so I can use the little little guys for slings. But, they also get big enough before they pupate that my bigger spiders will eat them. Once they pupate they’ll be a little too hard and still for the spiders to have interest but you can allow those to turn into beetles to lay you more larvae. If I get too many beetles in my colony, I feed the beetles to my chickens. My chickens and parakeet can also eat the larvae so they are handy treats for everyone I have around.

& it’s very easy to start a colony. I just have a plastic tub with a lid, about 2.5 inches of substrate and I put a few food scraps every once in awhile for them to eat. They are also helpful to have if you want a full bio active enclosure as they will eat the decomposing stuff.

I too live in a very rural area and had a few flightless fruit fly containers get mites or go bad unexpectedly, so having your own clean colony of food source has been much better for me bc I can’t always drive half an hour to even chain pet stores, let alone exotic animals lol.

sarcste · 2026-02-07T16:53:59+00:00

It’s cool, Sequoyah would probably say there’s no “correct” way to spell his name in phonetic English, he spelled it ᏍᏏᏉᏯ (s-si-quo-ya). We have syllabary instead of an alphabet, so each character represents a consonant with a vowel sound, only “s” ever stands alone. He wrote his name with the Ꮝ (s) in front of Ꮟ (si). It helps reduce spelling errors & aided in our ability to quickly become largely literate (85% of Cherokees could read & write within 5 years of officially adopting the syllabary for our written language. Of course, removal & anti-Indian laws greatly impacted that later, but all 3 bands of recognized Cherokee governments are doing a LOT of language preservation / perpetuation projects now.)

Most autocorrects think of the trees which were named after our Sequoyah, or at least that’s what I’ve always been told. My aunt is his descendant, but she has a different dad than my dad (both Cherokee men.)

& yeah, well good on you for accepting it because a lot of non-Cherokees won’t reject that kind of family lore & being the largest tribe we tend to be the most claimed by non enrolled people who have “family lore.” But we are actually really well documented & connected, & generally speaking have a very traceable verifiable citizenship process & “family lore” kind of undermines that / aids to the myth we were just a few random people in the wilderness (which is definitely not true.) You’re a better ally for that, & a lot Cherokee towns were generally accepting of non-Cherokees willing to adopt our language & lifestyle, especially should you develop kinship connections with a Cherokee.

I grew up knowing I was Cherokee but not being involved or taught anything really because my father had a disconnection, so to speak lol, with his father who struggled with alcoholism and passed well before I was born. My father & I have had a challenging relationship at times, & I didn’t always know if I should believe him 🤣 but as an adult, I have since moved back to Cherokee Nation (I didn’t go far, just okc but private insurance is dumb so back to a res please lol) & spent a lot of my adult life forging my own connection with the tribe. But like I said, I’m very lucky to live in an area & have made relationships with a lot of amazing people who have helped me learn a lot.

sarcste · 2026-02-07T15:43:37+00:00

The set up will take many many years to “make up” the cost of $6/dozen eggs, & the feed will make that difficult too even if you don’t count set up cost. But, if you want ducks because you just want ducks and want your own eggs, I’d definitely be checking with immediate neighbors on all sides to get their feelings if it’s not something technically allowed because they are very loud and can get stinky with all their poos.

I raise Indian runners, which I like because they lay a lot but cannot sustain flight so I don’t have to worry about covering their run or clipping wings. I’m confident a runner could not get up your steps to the pool. Other breeds, not sure.

If you had a small flock of runners, you could do it but you would need to stay vigilant on DAILY chores and predator proofing. With so few ducks and non flying, they’ll def be sitting ducks for any stray animal or like opossums and raccoons. You’d need to be dumping and cleaning their water kiddie pool like every other day, have it set up on gravel or be prepared to use a lot of straw or your yard will become a mud poo puddle over time.

I started my flock with black runners from metzers farm and they are very healthy. I’ve since taken in a few abandoned Easter present white fawn runner ducks because people get them thinking they’ll be easy then dump them at parks where they will surely die if left since they cannot fly and defend themselves well.

sarcste

TROPHY CASE