SkittleBunny

FAQ For New Tarantula Owners

Q: Does my tarantula need a heat lamp?
A: No. Direct heating elements of any kind are dangerous and deadly to a tarantula. Room temperature is fine. Tarantulas don't appreciate the light either

Q: What do I do when my baby Tarantula arrives?
A: Your new baby will arrive packed neatly into a translucent straw. Once you open the box you'll notice the cup with your tarantula is clearly labeled. Your spider will NEVER arrive 'loose'! Just open the straw on both ends and place the open straw into the enclosure. From here you can gently blow to coax the spider out (please remember it is NOT a spitball!) or wait on the spider to come out on its own. The enclosure should have deep enough substrate to burrow, and always mist a third to half of the substrate for the baby to drink. You do not need a water dish until he/she is 1"+. Even then, a water cap will do.

Q: What do I feed my baby tarantula?
A: Short answer is.. Cut up feeder insect pieces or micro crickets. I feed mine sliced superworms as babies until they are big enough to kill a 1/2" cricket on their own.

Q: What size tank do I need for my tarantula?
A: I highly recommend a quick google search on tarantula 'bin' enclosures, they are much cheaper and I use the 12.7L Latching sterilite bin for my adult curly hair. Holes drilled of course! As a baby, they need a 2oz deli cup with THUMB TACK or NEEDLE holes as ventilation. As they grow you can slightly increase the size of the container they live in. Get creative! It's one of the best parts of raising a tarantula. For example, I have a 1" specimen in a clear square cotton ball dish from the dollar tree with 1/16" ventilation holes. Adorable!

Q: Can I choose to have a boy or girl tarantula sold to me?
A: I can only guarantee a specific sex on a tarantula 1" or larger. Males are usually distributed to breeders as soon as I can tell. Females are posted as either suspected or molt confirmed. 'Unsexed' specimens are not guaranteed to be male or female. I always recommend buying more than one baby if you want a higher chance at getting a long-lived female. Males live 2-5 years, Females up to 30 years. This is true for the Curly hair tarantula and most species of tarantula.

Q: My tarantula is upside down with its legs open! Is it dead?
A: No. Your spider is molting! A quick YouTube search and you can see many time-lapses of this process. A dead tarantula will have its legs curled underneath of it, and shriveled abdomen. DO NOT TOUCH OR DISTURB A MOLTING TARANTULA OR IT MAY DIE.