Enclosure size question

[Tboltguy1000]

Hi everyone,

As some of you may know, I recently adopted a female Aphonopelma Chalcodes juvenile/sub-adult. When I adopted her, she came with one of those enclosures that you assemble yourself and are held together by silicone bands. I’ve noticed she’s been walking around a whole lot, especially around the walls of the enclosure. My question is, should I rehouse her into a 12x12” Exo Terra enclosure I bought or should I keep her in her current one for now? She seems to be looking for a spot to burrow, and the enclosure she’s in now has around an inch of substrate and it’s around 6 inches tall. It seems to me like the 12x12” is the way to go, but I wasn’t completely sure so I thought I’d ask the pros. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[m0lsx]

How big is your chalcodes?
My Aphonopelma Chalcodes has yet to give me a sexable molt. But it's close to mature, well over 4 inches Diagonal Leg Measurement. It is in a plastic 9.5 inch, by 7 inch, by 7 inch enclosure. And it moved a lot of substrate when it first got in there. If your chalcodes is any where close to the size of mine, or potentially larger, then the 12 X 12 would be my choice. Give it some plants, I use plastic & mine also likes it's coconut shell, which it partly buried & then partly covered in plastic ivy.

 

[Tboltguy1000]

How big is your chalcodes?
My Aphonopelma Chalcodes has yet to give me a sexable molt. But it's close to mature, well over 4 inches Diagonal Leg Measurement. It is in a plastic 9.5 inch, by 7 inch, by 7 inch enclosure. And it moved a lot of substrate when it first got in there. If your chalcodes is any where close to the size of mine, or potentially larger, then the 12 X 12 would be my choice. Give it some plants, I use plastic & mine also likes it's coconut shell, which it partly buried & then partly covered in plastic ivy.

She's around 2-2 1/2" in diameter.

 

[m0lsx]

At 2 -2.5 inches it is small for that enclosure, but not TOO small. Being an Aphonopelm it will grow slowly, so it will take several years to reach full size, but that enclosure will be fine, both now & in the future.

 

[Tboltguy1000]

At 2 -2.5 inches it is small for that enclosure, but not TOO small. Being an Aphonopelm it will grow slowly, so it will take several years to reach full size, but that enclosure will be fine, both now & in the future.

Great, thanks!

 

[Frogdaddy]

IMO Exo Terra enclosures are great for arboreal species but not for terrestrial/burrowing species. It won't give you enough room to put in a lot of substrate. Since there is a fall risk for a terrestrial T in a 12in tall enclosure you would want a lot of substrate to mitigate the risk of a fall.

 

[Arachnoclown]

Lots of substrate = a spider you will never see. A moderate amount of substrate...4" with a hide is plenty. With 4" of substrate we are only talking a 8" fall. Tarantulas don't die from falls less then 12"...thats silly talk there. Tarantulas fall all the time in the wild, spiders climb. However falling on to hard sharp objects or a couple feet onto the floor would be a hazard. The exo terra 12x12 is fine for terrestrial spiders however many say they get stuck in the screen top. I have never seen one stuck in 38 years but it happens I guess. Just swap out the screen for plexiglass. Its pretty simple.

 

[m0lsx]

I currently have 3 terrestrial's in 12 inch tall front opening Exo Terras. 2 came in the enclosures. One being a juvi of unknown sex or exact species of Theraphosa, but almost certainly a stirmi. The other is a Grammostola rosea. The third is a male juvi Theraphosa blondi. None of them climb & all have deeper substrate at the rear than the front.

I also have an adult female stirmi in a 12 inch tall Exo Terra Habisphere. None of them are climbers.