• Are you a Tarantula hobbyist? If so, we invite you to join our community! Once you join you'll be able to post messages, upload pictures of your pets and enclosures and chat with other Tarantula enthusiasts. Sign up today!

best size enclosure for adult femaleT stirmi

Whitelightning777

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
2,565
Location
Baltimore MD
ExoTerra makes 2 enclosures that I like but each is a different size.

One is 18x18x12. The other is 18x24x18, which is about $50 more but otherwise very similar. In both cases, there's ample room for a deeper layer of substrate.

Overalll construction between both is very similar.

A T stirmi might even get to 11" DLS, but 9" DLS is more common from what info I've been able to find.
 

Logan D

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
506
Location
iowa
honestly go with the bigger one when I had my adult female I had her in a 55gal tank with land elevations and multiple hides with logs and plants and a huge shallow water dish and she thrived really well
 

Tortoise Tom

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
1,034
Location
Southern CA
I'm new to the species, but the one I got from Metalman is a BEAST! She's about 6-7" and she's in a sterilite tub that is about 18x24". I tried to keep her in a 10 gallon tank that was 10x20", but she kept climbing up and messing with the screen top and I didn't want her to get stuck or injured. I can't imagine keeping her in anything smaller than that. Knowing how big they can get, I'd go with the bigger one, but watch out for that screen.
 

Whitelightning777

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
2,565
Location
Baltimore MD
They have bonded screens from the factory. Putting the hides lower down ought to discourage climbing as should excessively low temps.

I've found with all of my species, different though they may be from one another, they go for height and light when they are cold and go down and dark when to warm, regardless of where the heat is coming from.

Although highly controversial, with a temperature of only 68 degrees in my condo + a tenant with fibromyalgia that uses every room and tired that for comfort I do supplement heat and I've had zero problems with any of them getting upside down.

My T stirmi has never done that despite the cage only being 6" high.


She could just reach up and touch the screen of she wanted to do so. She's also a confirmed female & I expect a huge size. I'm planning for 1 foot DLS must in case, but I think that 9 or 10 inches is more realistic.

T stirmi heat elements and pads.jpg
T stirmi Mini me cage 1.jpg


This is her current cage. She's thriving and is beautiful done she molted but I doubt she'll stay small enough for it.

I think I may have posted this here but here's the link.


She often explores the whole thing, but tends to stay in front because I keep that slightly more moist then the back.
 

Whitelightning777

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
2,565
Location
Baltimore MD
I also have a slightly wider Terra Blue professional 12x24x6 cage that has more floor space but it's so low, the wall wouldn't even be a speed bump for something that just might get 12" DLS.

I got that for some surprise scorplings I had a while back, but it's still too small.

Here is her current size.


She's also on her best behavior here as well!!
 
Last edited:

Metalman2004

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
810
I'm new to the species, but the one I got from Metalman is a BEAST! She's about 6-7" and she's in a sterilite tub that is about 18x24". I tried to keep her in a 10 gallon tank that was 10x20", but she kept climbing up and messing with the screen top and I didn't want her to get stuck or injured. I can't imagine keeping her in anything smaller than that. Knowing how big they can get, I'd go with the bigger one, but watch out for that screen.

Glad to see you’re enjoying her!
 

Whitelightning777

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
2,565
Location
Baltimore MD
I'm new to the species, but the one I got from Metalman is a BEAST! She's about 6-7" and she's in a sterilite tub that is about 18x24". I tried to keep her in a 10 gallon tank that was 10x20", but she kept climbing up and messing with the screen top and I didn't want her to get stuck or injured. I can't imagine keeping her in anything smaller than that. Knowing how big they can get, I'd go with the bigger one, but watch out for that screen.

There are upgraded for lids to 10 gallon tanks. Some are acrylic. Others are bonded screens that won't endanger or ensnare the claws like older types can

Terra Blue and some others make enclosures with a lower wider profile that is wonderful for terrestrial tarantulas. The Terra Blue screen is bonded and I've had zero issues with it.

ExoTerra makes excellent ones & I'm leaning towards the bigger one. Also consider that you can slope the substrate and angle the hides in that. This gives the tarantula more options to change is elevation then just climbing the glass.

You can do the substrate in steps with rigid bariers to hold it back as well. I've done some preliminary drawings about the layout but the type I get and where I put can totally change it up so I'm not sure yet.
 

Whitelightning777

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
2,565
Location
Baltimore MD
It just came in the mail. I about had a heart attack when I saw the size of it and it's even slightly heavy.

Then I measured again and placed a dish about 12 inches in diameter inside. The cage does seem to fit the size better when you look at it like that. All that substrate and decor will make it to heavy to lift. It'll be incredible when I get it up.

Still. I think I'll let her molt once or twice more before moving her. It might be a wee bit to roomy now because she's only about 6 inches in size.

Once I finish the build, it will impress. I'm even considering using clover as ground cover. Since clover can grab nitrogen from the air, it'll do great in peat with no added fertilizers. That would, however, mean using a light source.

New T stirmi cage.jpg


Imagine having a 10" to maybe even a 1 foot spider in there!! Wow!!
 

Whitelightning777

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
2,565
Location
Baltimore MD
Mine is only 24"x18"x12".


Still, I can't imagine any tarantula outgrowing that.

It's looks like it would be too big if I just set it up and tossed her in next week.

Of course, if I put the feeders in front of the hide, she'd probably be able to find them. It's just getting the substrate up high enough to reduce fall hazards. I'm going to slope it up there back as much as I can without it being unstable.


I'm also going to do something to jazz up the backing a little bit.
 

Latest posts

Top