First Time Tarantula Owner

[YourLocalCryptid]

Hello everyone! I have just purchased an Avicularia avicularia. I have been wanting to add a tarantula to the small collection of animals I own for a while now and had a chance encounter with a friend that was able to order one for me. I got her yesterday, at lease I assume it's a her as I do not see any hooks on her front two legs. I'm currently debating on whether to name her Crow or Aragog. I am excited to have her and excited to be here! Thanks in advanced!
-Basil

 

[octanejunkie]

Welcome and congratulations!

Post some pics of the T, and your enclosure... we love pictures!

 

[Konstantin]

Welcome

 

[YourLocalCryptid]

The habitat now has a climbing plant on the side, a water bowl, and a sponge soaked in water to help with humidity. I'll get pics of the actual set up when I get home from work!

 

[octanejunkie]

Cool
You can lose the sponge, you don't need it.

That looks like an Exo Terra background, so you can just fill the bottom of the enclosure up to the door divider and moisten it somewhat. Use a water dish and over fill it once a month. That is all the humidity an Avic needs.

We can look at the rest of your setup when you get a chance but that spider looks pretty small for an exo terra... post some pics from front, top and side when you get a chance

 

[YourLocalCryptid]

The habitat now has a climbing plant on the side, a water bowl, and a sponge soaked in water to help with humidity. I'll get pics of the actual set up when I get home from work!

 

[YourLocalCryptid]

Cool
You can lose the sponge, you don't need it.

That looks like an Exo Terra background, so you can just fill the bottom of the enclosure up to the door divider and moisten it somewhat. Use a water dish and over fill it once a month. That is all the humidity an Avic needs.

We can look at the rest of your setup when you get a chance but that spider looks pretty small for an exo terra... post some pics from front, top and side when you get a chance

She is in an exo terra, I do have a smaller enclosure that I could put her in though!

 

[octanejunkie]

Thanks for posting that pic!

Your setup in it's current configuration is good for a non-avic, like psalmopoeus or pseudoclamoris.
Could use more substrate regardless.

However, that enclosure is pretty large for that size spider, and with the decor and setup not optimized for an avic, can lead to an uncomfortable spider.

The keys to keeping an avic happy are a taller enclosure with good cross ventilation, lots of things to attach webbing to up high (fake plants, cork bark, etc) and access to water.

The size of the enclosure can be as small as 3-4x the size of the spider, they are solitary animals that will stay close to their web; they don't need vast spaces to roam.

Avics tend to go up, usually to the too of the enclosure, and will create funnel or hammock-type webs attached to leaves and branches and the side/top of the enclosure.

Do a search for avic enclosure, or look in the Avicularia section here at all the different containers and tanks people use and how the are decorated; you'll see some good examples.

Glad you joined before you had a distressed spider

 

[m0lsx]

Hello & welcome to the forum.

 

[YourLocalCryptid]

Thanks for posting that pic!

Your setup in it's current configuration is good for a non-avic, like psalmopoeus or pseudoclamoris.
Could use more substrate regardless.

However, that enclosure is pretty large for that size spider, and with the decor and setup not optimized for an avic, can lead to an uncomfortable spider.

The keys to keeping an avic happy are a taller enclosure with good cross ventilation, lots of things to attach webbing to up high (fake plants, cork bark, etc) and access to water.

The size of the enclosure can be as small as 3-4x the size of the spider, they are solitary animals that will stay close to their web; they don't need vast spaces to roam.

Avics tend to go up, usually to the too of the enclosure, and will create funnel or hammock-type webs attached to leaves and branches and the side/top of the enclosure.

Do a search for avic enclosure, or look in the Avicularia section here at all the different containers and tanks people use and how the are decorated; you'll see some good examples.

Glad you joined before you had a distressed spider

Thank you so much for this information! I want to provide the absolute best care that I can for her and really do not want to have her stressed out from my lack of knowledge. I will set up the smaller enclosure and move her to it until she is bigger and then will revisit buying a proper tank/enclosure for her once she is bigger.

 

[octanejunkie]

Thank you so much for this information! I want to provide the absolute best care that I can for her and really do not want to have her stressed out from my lack of knowledge. I will set up the smaller enclosure and move her to it until she is bigger and then will revisit buying a proper tank/enclosure for her once she is bigger.

Glad to hear that!
Do your research first.
Review the threads in the Avicularia section here and watch this

 

[ilovebrachys]

Glad to hear that!
Do your research first.
Review the threads in the Avicularia section here and watch this

Great advice from @octanejunkie
And welcome to the forum and the hobby

 

[Enn49]

Hello and welcome

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome!

 

[menavodi]

Welcome to TF