got a new baby Grammostola pulchra

[kormath]

Not to thread jack mindburner, but...

So I put my little smaller than a dime T in a 10 gal vivarium. That's what I'm keeping it in, so that's what I put it in. I've read where people put them in smaller keeps because:

1. Easier to keep track of.
I can see that being a benefit. I can't find the little bugger anywhere in the 10, and don't want to overturn the whole thing just to satisfy myself to see it. So says, these tiny ones will stay very well hiden until they get some size to them.

2. They just don't need the space.
Well, if they are going to stay hidden, I guess they don't. But I know Ts go on the prowl. They do explore their surroundings, and sometimes even modify them. I feel good about having it in a bigger space.

3. A bigger keep will stress a smaller T.
This time around isn't the first I've read this. I still don't buy it. In the wild, which captivity is not, but, even new born Ts live in a space the size of planet Earth, because it is planet Earth. Given enough hiding spots, I just don't see a bigger space being a stresser. My concern is always that the space isn't big enough.

Thoughts?

And how often should I go looking for my little sling? I'm careful to not go all bulldozer, and put things back just like they were.

My experience, larger enclosures DO stress them out.

Take Avics for example, they'll web more and be more active in a smaller enclosure vs. a larger one.

My G. pulchra started as a 1/2-3/4" sling, in a 4.5" square amac box. Spent almost all of his time under the hide and wouldn't rarely eat. Thought he was in premolt. Stressed the hell out of me (see some of my posts about it ) Few weeks ago the GBB out grew his 2.5" square enclosure so i swapped them, put the pulchra in the 2.5" and the GBB in the 4.5". The G. pulchra has since molted, dug burrows and is now quite the active little T. Even eats regularly.

My LP and some of my brachy's are the same way. Upgrade them to to large and they won't eat and just hide all the time. Put them in a more "fitting" size enclosure and they do much better. My rule of thumb is 3 times their DLS. for the width, upgrade them when there's an inch or so left difference in their DLS and width of the enclosure, like a 4" T in a 5" wide enclosure.

 

[Aint]

It molted!