Housing a Chaetopelma

[Edmund Hanna]

Hello, I'd like to get some advice on housing a Chaetopelma Olivaceum
First, I think a little background information is important; I live in Lebanon... Big spiders are generally a rare sight here, never seen one until I moved to this apartment, where I've been finding plenty, mostly Huntsmen and Jumpers. I often keep the spiders I find for a while, it helped me as an ex-arachnophobe (I have a Heteropoda Variegata here, have little anxiety handling it now. Friendly spider). Anyway, A month ago some folks on the Internet helped me ID this as a Chaetopelma Olivaceum. It can be aggressive, and fast... No handling it yet. I've been keeping it in a temporary container until I got it a more appropriate housing. The problem is that there is no support for this in the country, even pet stores look at me weirdly when I tell them I'm buying a housing for the Tarantula -.- I may find reptile equipment but even that appeals as queer to society...
I appreciate your help greatly, but please note that I've only been learning about spiders recently, and I've still much to learn.
Here's the spider shortly after capturing it.

Here's its current, temporary housing:

The substrate is from a plant pot. I can't find Coconut Coir around, so I used organic soil.

Having two cigarette boxes is an experiment: one has a bottom layer, the other doesn't. It is to test the spider preference; if it doesn't like the substrate, it would spend most of its time in the top box. I haven't seen any particular preference for the spider, so I assume the substrate is okay. I can buy organic soil here, so it's a lot easier than Coconut Coir.

That's about the container in size, and it's not deep at all. I've been told to emphasize on the depth of the house. What do you think?
Also, I can't find Peat Moss. Can I perhaps mist the container more regularly instead?
I was thinking of having a half-cut plastic cup as a hiding place in the soon terrarium to be... But I heard this spider likes to burrow. I can't find a cork bark here, but I can cut a Pringles can appropriately, if that's a fair substitute. Also, is there a need for the half cup if I add the cut-Pringles can?

Here's the spider a week ago

Thanks in advance!

 

[MassExodus]

As far as the soil, I'm sure it's fine. For a burrow you can just make a starter burrow in the dirt and let the spider finish it to it's satisfaction. I'm not sure about the temps/humidity for that species but I'm sure you found that online already, I know I've seen this species quite often in the hobby so there should be some good info on them. As far as the hides, it's going to come down to your personal taste. It looks like you're doing fine so far, welcome to the addiction, and it's very cool to see someone from Lebanon in the hobby!

 

[Edmund Hanna]

Thanks for the support!
I just have one more question; I'm concerned about what to feed him.
See, I only find a ****roach/cricket in the house about twice or trice a month, but that's fine since turning my balcony lights on gets me plenty of Moths. That won't stay this way in the winter. Do you have any suggestions or tips for catching anything the spider can eat in the cold days?
Nothing of use is sold in pet stores, sadly...

 

[MassExodus]

Thanks for the support!
I just have one more question; I'm concerned about what to feed him.
See, I only find a ****roach/cricket in the house about twice or trice a month, but that's fine since turning my balcony lights on gets me plenty of Moths. That won't stay this way in the winter. Do you have any suggestions or tips for catching anything the spider can eat in the cold days?
Nothing of use is sold in pet stores, sadly...

Maybe try catching some wild roaches and breeding them? I'm not sure what your native roaches are, but you can order certain species online..well, here you can. But anyway, male roaches will have larger wings in most cases. get a few females and a male and you can breed a colony rather fast . There's a bunch of info online about roach colonies. Also, crickets and grasshoppers can be caught easily at night near streetlights. The problem with feeding wild caught prey is that you don't know where they've been, pesticides, etc..any pinkie mice or small mice available? Moths I can't comment on, I've never fed them to spiders, except a jumping spider that lived in the corner of my kitchen..there should definitely be a solution to the prey problem somewhere around there, anyway

 

[SasyStace]

Hi Edmund I am still fairly new to the hobby but I am curious if your T is using the cigarette packs as hides? I have read they hate nicotine so if you find that it will not use them as hides it's possible there might be residual nicotine in there keeping him away.

 

[Edmund Hanna]

Maybe try catching some wild roaches and breeding them? I'm not sure what your native roaches are, but you can order certain species online..well, here you can. But anyway, male roaches will have larger wings in most cases. get a few females and a male and you can breed a colony rather fast . There's a bunch of info online about roach colonies. Also, crickets and grasshoppers can be caught easily at night near streetlights. The problem with feeding wild caught prey is that you don't know where they've been, pesticides, etc..any pinkie mice or small mice available? Moths I can't comment on, I've never fed them to spiders, except a jumping spider that lived in the corner of my kitchen..there should definitely be a solution to the prey problem somewhere around there, anyway

I guess I might have to consider breeding. I'll see how the winter goes. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Edmund Hanna]

Hi Edmund I am still fairly new to the hobby but I am curious if your T is using the cigarette packs as hides? I have read they hate nicotine so if you find that it will not use them as hides it's possible there might be residual nicotine in there keeping him away.

I'm glad you told me. I had emptied the inner layer of paper, took out any residues. I'm not sure it has any traces of nicotine, but hides in it, at least mostly when I open its housing. Most of the time I'm away the spider is either webbing around or trying to climb out of its prison... But then again, this is temporary housing.
You can cut a plastic cup in half (such that its top is like a semi-circle) for a safer hiding place. I'd have done that if I had any at the time... Best of luck!

 

[SasyStace]

Good stuff probably isn't enough residual to bother him