Any advice about adding isopods and plants to the T terrarium?

[Onnux]

Red-legged tarantula. 4". I want to add one or two succulent plans and isopods. I have common Armadillidium Isopods and dwarf whites. Before I go ahead and hope for the best, any advice? Would the T benefit from the Isopods as a cleaning crew or food? The enclosure is big enough and has cross ventilation. I mist often, and it has a hiding place that the T seems to like a lot.

 

[PanzoN88]

I think I’ve heard good things on dwarf white isopods, but I’ve also heard of some species of isopods have the habit of nibbling on other molting inverts. I know tarantulas will eat them.

Though I have no experience with them either, I’d recommend springtails over isopods. Apparently much easier to breed and keep.

 

[m0lsx]

I keep isopods & I have added a few to a couple of my enclosures too. I am not 100% sure what a red legged T is, but would guess it's something like a Brachypelma red knee? If so I would not keep isopods in there as they require different conditions. Isopods need more moisture than a Brachy etc, And the same applies to springtails, they need moist environments. But you could always do what I do & keep a tub of springtails & add if they are ever necessary.

I feed both my springtails & my isopods. I use dried yeast for the spingtails & specialist isopod foods such as dried fish, dried pollen etc. I also add dead crickets to my isopods. Why waste crickets that die before you can feed them to your T's?

 

[Onnux]

I keep isopods & I have added a few to a couple of my enclosures too. I am not 100% sure what a red legged T is, but would guess it's something like a Brachypelma red knee? If so I would not keep isopods in there as they require different conditions. Isopods need more moisture than a Brachy etc, And the same applies to springtails, they need moist environments. But you could always do what I do & keep a tub of springtails & add if they are ever necessary.

I feed both my springtails & my isopods. I use dried yeast for the spingtails & specialist isopod foods such as dried fish, dried pollen etc. I also add dead crickets to my isopods. Why waste crickets that die before you can feed them to your T's?

I think the Red Leg T is from the same family of the Red Knee. Here is a picture. I have her for 10 months now, she hasn't molted yet. She hasn't eaten in 2 weeks, maybe now is time?

She doesn't make web and spends most of her time in the open.

 

[Hagraven]

Yes to everything said above!
Beautiful T- maybe a Brachypelma Boehmei? I knew mine was about to molt when her abdomen darkened.
I kept Dwarf White Isopods in a moisture-dependent species' enclosure and they did really well...but I later learned that that species specifically have been known to nibble on, or worse, living inverts- during a molt or otherwise. I have no experience firsthand, but stories of lost pets were enough to turn me away (although they are really cool critters to watch!)
Maybe other keepers have positive stories with Dwarf Whites? All the best!

 

[liquidfluidity]

I keep dwarf whites in my Theraphosa enclosures as they do have a lot of waste and if I miss a bolus, the isopods will take care of it. Dwarf puroles seem to be more resilient to dryer conditions.

 

[meridannight]

As far as plants go, I wouldn't recommend them really. I know some guys claim to successfully keep some plants in their tarantulas' enclosures, but i believe those are some rare cases where conditions are way above average and plants extremely low light tolerant.

Plants need light, and nutrients of their own. There usually isn't enough light or nutrients for plants in the environment we keep tarantulas in. Plants will just become stressed and die. It won't happen immediately and will take months, but you'll end up with a dead plant like that. And I know some plants are cheap, but they're still living things, and I don't recommend stressing any living thing if it can be avoided. Tarantulas don't really need them, they would only be there the aesthetically please the human beings, and that's just not good enough of a reason, in my opinion.

 

[liquidfluidity]

I keep plants in all of my adult enclosures without issue. I use Skylights from Froskr. I have done it for years, long enough that I have to trim back regularly and then have starts for the next. Pathos, ivy, some other vining plants, etc.....