Can i have your opinion please

[Robert Gliniany]

Hi All,

My name is Robert Gliniany, I am a third year university student studying to become a Design and Technology teacher. I am also a massive tarantula enthusiast.

I was wondering if I could please have your opinion on some enclosure designs I have created?

I have created a small questionnaire (please follow the link), if you could fill it in I would be hugely grateful.

There is also a transportation device which I would like your professional opinion on please.

Thank you in advance.

Kind Regards

Rob

Enclosure designs and transportation container.

A questionnaire created for tarantula owners opinion on enclosure design and a transportation device.

docs.google.com

 

[Carson Bingham]

Hey! I love some of your designs and I have submitted my test!

 

[Rs50matt]

I feel bad because I thought the designs were terrible but any feedback is good feedback right?

From a personal point of view if I was looking for a purpose built enclosure I would want something with top access for terrestrial and potentially top and front for arboreal.

It's also dependant on the market. If your aiming it at someone with a pet tarantula then the irregular shapes could be something interesting if done correctly. If it's aimed at a hobbyist the odd shapes make storage difficult.

Sorry if this came across as negative.

 

[Aracnoenthusiast]

Done

 

[m0lsx]

The designs look OK, but personally, for an arboreal, I want more space above the substrate than a pyramid provides. And for a terrestrial, I still want a reasonable depth of substrate, as many are also partially Fossorial.

With the round enclosure. I have an enclosure with limited top access, that makes me cautious about what I put in there. With my enclosure, I can remove the whole top to make up the enclosure & add larger pieces of bark, or a shelter. But it can still be a pain to add a cleaned water dish, or remove an uneaten cricket & I often use a syringe to add water & tweezers to remove crickets.

With limited top access only, when you need to put your hand into the enclosure, you limit your visibility. I got the enclosure below with an adult GBB & once doing something in there, It got upset with me & hit my hand. I felt it happen, but saw nothing. That could easily have been a bite & I would have been unable to avoid it.

So for me good access is important, be it top or side & I am not sure a round enclosure with a small access lid would encourage me to buy it.


Edited to add. I also have a few enclosure which are stacked. The enclosure below for example has a couple of pots standing on it, that I keep my larger slings in. So odd shaped enclosures are not good for me.

 

[Carson Bingham]

I feel bad because I thought the designs were terrible but any feedback is good feedback right?

From a personal point of view if I was looking for a purpose built enclosure I would want something with top access for terrestrial and potentially top and front for arboreal.

It's also dependant on the market. If your aiming it at someone with a pet tarantula then the irregular shapes could be something interesting if done correctly. If it's aimed at a hobbyist the odd shapes make storage difficult.

Sorry if this came across as negative.

There is so many different shapes and styles that you could use for housing you t. I was unaware that you might be opening this up the the public to buy. I think that for first time tarantula owners, it is important to have a great overall experience with there very first t. But I believe you were spot on about how "hobbyists" would like something stackable and cheap. But mabey for there prized tarantulas they would consider a design something like the ones in your test, so they could be seen by the public in a new attracting way.

 

[Rs50matt]

There is so many different shapes and styles that you could use for housing you t. I was unaware that you might be opening this up the the public to buy. I think that for first time tarantula owners, it is important to have a great overall experience with there very first t. But I believe you were spot on about how "hobbyists" would like something stackable and cheap. But mabey for there prized tarantulas they would consider a design something like the ones in your test, so they could be seen by the public in a new attracting way.

Cheap wasn't what I was getting at. Even hobbyists have favourite species and will pay more for a display enclosure. I did answer on the questionnaire but the enclosures themselves aren't suitable due to the shape or the access.

 

[Frogdaddy]

This reminds me of a Spongebob Squarepants aquarium as seen at a big box pet store.
It looks nice, but functionally lacking. Could it keep fish or in this case T's alive? Maybe. But would they thrive?

I think a lack of decent access is a problem in the round enclosure and I just don't think the triangle ones are functional and none are stackable, which is a big deal to T owners.

IMO the transport idea is unnecessary. A majority of T's are sold online and shipped overnight. Some are bought in person at shows and already come in a container to transport them in. Why would I risk a sling bolting in a crowded show to put them in a vial to transport home? Totally unnecessary.

 

[Konstantin]

Done.
The spider well being and practicality of the enclosure always comes first with me as far as enclosure shape goes design of the decoration in it is always second
Regards Konstantin

 

[Robert Gliniany]

I feel bad because I thought the designs were terrible but any feedback is good feedback right?

From a personal point of view if I was looking for a purpose built enclosure I would want something with top access for terrestrial and potentially top and front for arboreal.

It's also dependant on the market. If your aiming it at someone with a pet tarantula then the irregular shapes could be something interesting if done correctly. If it's aimed at a hobbyist the odd shapes make storage difficult.

Sorry if this came across as negative.

No No this was fantastic thank you.

The overall theme of my project is actually fully customisable enclosures, utilising 3D printing and recyclable Acrylic. I have also incorporated a temp/humidity sensor run by a BBC micro bit and a micro camera, which allow you to see the tarantula (or not depending if its hiding lol) from an app on your phone. All of this has been coded through a raspberry pi zero w utilising the customers Wi-Fi.

The designs I have shown were examples of what could be possible, depending on the clients wishes.

I have made a fully operational prototype of an arboreal enclosure with the modifications specified, would you be interested in seeing it? (please excuse the B.Hamorii molt, it was just for effect lol and the 3D printed hide is very small due to lack of time).

Thank you again for the feedback.

Rob

 

[Robert Gliniany]

Done.
The spider well being and practicality of the enclosure always comes first with me as far as enclosure shape goes design of the decoration in it is always second
Regards Konstantin

Thank you very much for the feedback, it is greatly appreciated.

 

[Robert Gliniany]

For anyone that is interested, this is the fruit of my labours. a final working prototype of a fully customisable arboreal enclosure ( I took the advice given and stuck with the regular cuboid shape for the prototype).
There is a temp/humidty sensor connected to a BBC microbit computer, utilising two buttons to display both temperature and humidity displayed on a 27 LED interface. There is also a Micro camera connected to a raspberry pi zero W, which allows the customer to view the tarantula through an app on any mobile. The camera can be positioned wherever the customer desires in the enclosure. The BBC microbit is powered by the raspberry pi GPIO pins and the pi is powered from the mains.

All elements of the enclosure has been created using recycled/recyclable materials and is fully customisable through 3D printing and CAD. (as can be seen on all the circuitry housing and the funky water bowl)
(Apologies about the size of the hide, the full print would have taken 20 hours so i shrunk it lol)

Oh and the B. Hamorii moult is just for effect, to freak out the external examiner lol.

Let me know what you think please.

Rob

 

[SpoodDude]

There may be a small niche market for pet stores wanting to display particular species but for the majority of collectors who have 30+ tarantulas none of these are very practical. They look cool though.

 

[Lentulus]

Hey, when some dude started selling water in plastic bottles he was told it was an absurd idea and that no one in their right mind would ever spend money on that.

I like where you’re going with this. Minimizing the visual aspect of the gear would be nice. I would want all the controllers/probes and such to be as invisible as possible. Camouflage!

 

[Robert Gliniany]

Hey, when some dude started selling water in plastic bottles he was told it was an absurd idea and that no one in their right mind would ever spend money on that.

I like where you’re going with this. Minimizing the visual aspect of the gear would be nice. I would want all the controllers/probes and such to be as invisible as possible. Camouflage!

100% agree with you. If I could, I would use smaller computers and hook everything up via Bluetooth.

At the minute though I don’t have the time to take it past this prototype. Once I’ve graduated I would like to spend some more time on this though, as I like the idea of being able to see your T and what it’s doing, anywhere in the world.

Thank you for the kind words as well.

 

[m0lsx]

There is a temp/humidty sensor connected to a BBC microbit computer, utilising two buttons to display both temperature and humidity displayed on a 27 LED interface.

Humidity sensor!!! Why? Some of my enclosures have humidity sensor &/or thermometers within them. But only where I have brought a T & it has come with an enclosure & that enclosure has a thermometer or humidity sensor in it, that I cannot remove easily remove, or not without the risk of leaving sticky residue on the inside of the enclosure.

Humidity is a word we need to remove from the hobby, as it causes confusion & poor husbandry choices/ advice.

The closest we come to needing a thermometer is if, or when we use an outside heat source & then it's a thermostat that we need. A thermometer is more use in the room we keep our T's in, than the T's enclosure, as the room temperature tells us all we need to know about enclosures temperatures. I have a cheap indoor, outdoor weather station that gives me a max / min thermometer in my room, as well as interesting information about what is happening outside.

 

[m0lsx]

On a positive note. Something that monitored the moisture level of the substrate would be a good thing to have. Gardeners use monitors for potted plants & I have thought about looking something with a long probe on it, as I have had a couple of close calls on arboreal enclosures which are top access only. As the difference between moist & much too wet can be close.

Edited to add. This is the sort of thing I have been looking at..https://www.amazon.co.uk/XLUX-Soil-Moisture-Sensor-Meter/dp/B014MJ8J2U

Under £10, the only issue is they suggest inserting it into the soil by about 3 - 4 inches, so I am not sure just inserting the tip would work.