Recommendation for GBB Enclosure

[Carsten]

Hi Everyone,

Another beginner question . I am collecting my GBB next week and it will be my second T. She is 1 year + old.

I want to make her enclosure as comfortable as possible and need some help with it. E.g. what tank size should I get? Should I get the 12"x12"x12" or better a 8"x8"x12"? And what to put inside? Some people say that the GBB is semi-arboreal other say they are terrestrial. What kind of soil is best? I would really appreciate your suggestions.

Thank you in advance.

Carsten

 

[spidey noob]

hi carsten
tank size is usaly detirmend buy the spiders leg span at least 2 x the width & 3 x the lenght, (i would set it up as a terestrial !!!)
substrate is a personal choise, i use coco fiber for all my Ts.

 

[Thivo]

Hi there... Follow the advice of spidey... It should be terestrial, you must get the 12"x12"x12"... I suggest you better wait to see first the size of your GBB before you purchase any enclosure... For substrate you can use coco fiber, peat moss or flower garden soil and mix with some vermiculite and sand, sprinkle a little bit of water on it once every two weeks, or fill the water dish full till it dumps at least half of the enclosure, coz it preffer dry substrate... Also add a bark where you GBB may hide, but most likely it will build its own retreat from webbing...

 

[Carsten]

Hi,

Ok, here is what I created for my GBB. Your feedback is highly appreciated.

I followed your advise and used the coco fiber (the brick that you have to soak first) and put some rough coco husk on top. I used drift wood which I put in the oven for 30 min. However, I am concerned that it will get mouldy now since the soil is moist after I soaked it. Should I have dried the soil first?

 

[Ghost]

Hi Carsten,
Your enclosure looks great however I would have dried the substrate out a bit more for a GGB.....

 

[Thivo]

Hi there...

Yeah... You really have a nice enclosure and landscape for your GBB... Seems like spoiled T's Hehehehe... Your substrate will be dried the time your GBB arrive... For sure he/she will be happy in his/her new home...

 

[Carsten]

Thanks for all the replies.

Thivo, that the issue. I got her already. I took Ghost's advise and took out all the soil and I am drying it in the oven while I type . It was really too moist.

 

[spidey noob]

Nice looking setup

 

[Carsten]

Ok a few days have passed and the little girl seems to be settling in now that the substrate is much dryer. She started webbing already so I enjoy her beauty as long as I will be able to see here .

Here are some pics.

 

[Deemar]

I found when I put my spiders into a tank with the wet coconut husk they would freak out until they found a dry piece of wood to hang out on. They stayed on that wood for days until the substrate was dry, they really didn't like it. I think since their lungs are exposed on their bellies, the evaporating moisture may come up into their lungs and make it too hard for them to breathe.

 

[Deemar]

Also, you have your background upside down. The notches go on the bottom.

 

[Carsten]

Ups. Thank Deemar. It was already inside that way . Hope the T won't notice

 

[Thivo]

Her color is so pretty... I really must have at least one GBB on my collection...

 

[spidey noob]

stunning T gbb are definatly on my list !!!

 

[Danny Roe]

I recently got a GBB, She seems to hate the coco substrate ( its dry) she hunts and eats from the side of the tank. I'm wondering what else would be a good alternative ?

Trust me to get a fussy one!!

 

[Therasoid]

I recently got a GBB, She seems to hate the coco substrate ( its dry) she hunts and eats from the side of the tank. I'm wondering what else would be a good alternative ?

Trust me to get a fussy one!!

They all get fussy at some point.
I use topsoil from a DIY center and mix a little peat with it. Just read the bag to make sure there are no fertilizer/ additives that might be harmful to to T.

 

[Therasoid]

Ups. Thank Deemar. It was already inside that way . Hope the T won't notice

Kinda late, but nice setup you've done. I'm sure your T won't notice the background. Will be too busy webbing it up anyway. [emoji3]

 

[Deemar]

I recently got a GBB, She seems to hate the coco substrate ( its dry) she hunts and eats from the side of the tank. I'm wondering what else would be a good alternative ?

Trust me to get a fussy one!!

Coconut substrate should never be used for a tarantula enclosure, it's too dry and it sucks the moisture out of their skin causing them to develop wrinkles on their abdomens. It also causes them great stress as a result.
After hearing this from a well known Canadian breeder and viewing some of his collection, he told me he uses a mixture of 60% black earth and 40% cedar mulch, I use it for all my spiders and they seem much healthier now. In fact I just changed out my Green Bottle Blue tank Friday afternoon and it has been running all over that tank webbing up everything in sight.
The black earth and cedar mulch I just get at any Rona or Home Depot. I prefer Rona because it's Canadian.

 

[Deemar]

I never noticed this until now, is that an arboreal tank? Is it taller than it is wide? That tank will work but these species are terrestrial and should be in a wider / shorter tank with deep substrate.

 

[Danny Roe]

Coconut substrate should never be used for a tarantula enclosure, it's too dry and it sucks the moisture out of their skin causing them to develop wrinkles on their abdomens. It also causes them great stress as a result.
After hearing this from a well known Canadian breeder and viewing some of his collection, he told me he uses a mixture of 60% black earth and 40% cedar mulch, I use it for all my spiders and they seem much healthier now. In fact I just changed out my Green Bottle Blue tank Friday afternoon and it has been running all over that tank webbing up everything in sight.
The black earth and cedar mulch I just get at any Rona or Home Depot. I prefer Rona because it's Canadian.

You have been told this since your last post about coco husk ????