If there is a large terrarium for the spider. Terrarium. Handling a tarantula

Terrarium for tarantulas

The presence of a terrarium is required both for reasons of your own safety and for the safety of the spiders themselves. A spider that breaks free will not live long due to inappropriate climatic conditions(humidity, temperature), lack of food, in addition, it is a source of danger for children and pets.
By design, terrariums can be of two types: horizontal for ground and burrow spiders and vertical for arboreal spiders. Glass or plexiglass is mainly used to make a terrarium.

Requirements for setting up a terrarium for a tarantula

— the terrarium should provide space for the spiders. The surface of the walls for arboreal species and the surface of the bottom for terrestrial species should be no shorter than 2 times the span of the spider's legs in maximum amplitude. At the same time, the excessive space of the terrarium creates difficulties in constantly maintaining optimal temperature and humidity; in such a terrarium it is difficult for spiders to find food.
- the terrarium must be safe - for the owners and for the spider itself. The possibility of escape must be completely eliminated, and the possibility of a spider bite and attack must also be minimized. You may find it helpful to read about the Poecilotheria fasciata bite.
— containers with a high height cannot be used for ground spiders, because the tarantula can fall from a height and get a ruptured abdomen. For arboreal spider species, the height of the terrarium is an important component of success in keeping them. Shouldn't be placed with such spiders big stones to prevent spider strikes and subsequent damage.
— good system Ventilation is necessary for all types of terrariums.
— as a shelter for terrestrial tarantulas, you need to install in the terrarium either a piece of bark, or half of a flower pot, or some kind of artificial shelter. For tree spiders a shelter in a terrarium can be built from a piece of pine or oak bark.
By and large, tarantula spiders do not necessarily need to be kept in terrariums; any food containers or standard insect boxes are suitable for them. The main thing is that these containers must meet the above conditions. And newborn baby spiders feel great in small plastic boxes, such as those made for photographic film, with small-diameter holes on the lid and sides. As the spider grows, it is transplanted into larger jars.

Where to place a tarantula terrarium

The place for installing the terrarium is chosen by the owner independently, taking into account the characteristics of the home environment and the interior of the apartment.
The terrarium should not be placed in drafts, and it should not be exposed to direct sunlight. It should be noted that. Often special cabinets are allocated for collections in which small jars with spiders are stored, and adult beautiful females are placed separately in a beautiful terrarium.
It is important to understand that no matter how large a terrarium is, it is not worth keeping several individuals under one roof. Tarantulas are prone to cannibalism, so keeping several spiders is very risky.
To decorate or not to decorate a terrarium?
If the terrarium is part of the interior of the apartment, you can decorate it. For the guests of the terrarium themselves, the decor does not matter at all.
For decoration you can use live moss, artificial plants, various driftwood and tree bark. The decor must be secured securely; under no circumstances should you use glue with toxic components for this; there are special adhesives for aquariums. Decorative elements should not cover food objects. In addition, they should not have sharp edges that could injure spiders.
It is not practical to decorate a terrarium with live plants. Firstly, the plants need lighting that is unacceptable for tarantulas. Secondly, many spiders actively dig, damaging plants in the process. It is still optimal to use artificial plants to decorate the terrarium.
Equipment for terrarium
1. Thermometer – for monitoring the temperature. If the temperature in the terrarium is below 20°C, it is advisable to use additional devices such as a thermal cord or a thermal mat. They differ in power and area (length), are selected in accordance with the size of the terrarium and are installed under half of it. You can also use a thermostat with a sensor and timer to avoid overheating.
2. Hygrometer - to control the humidity in the terrarium, the optimal level is 35-60%.
3. Tweezers – for feeding the spider with insects, for cleaning up leftover food and waste products of tarantulas.
4. Lighting – since tarantulas are nocturnal insects, decorative red lighting in the corner of the terrarium will make it possible to observe spiders both at night and during the day.
5. Drinking bowl - only needed for adults. You can use a small saucer. If the soil layer in the terrarium is thick, the stand will prevent the drinker from falling through.

Terrarium.

Few spiders can live in a group. Most species are characterized by cannibalism, which requires keeping them alone. Both plastic and glass containers of various types are suitable as a terrarium. convenient forms. A prerequisite is a tightly closing lid or doors, since all tarantulas move well on glass. Substrate for bedding: filter paper, gravel, peat (but fungus easily settles on it), sphagnum and lichen, sawdust (preferably coniferous with pieces of bark). The ideal substrate is vermiculite.

All tarantulas can be divided into terrestrial and arboreal ones; for the former, the most convenient is a horizontal terrarium with a removable lid, for the latter, a vertical one with a removable front wall.

Species leading a terrestrial lifestyle usually have a manic tendency to various earthworks. If there is a sufficient layer of substrate, they dig a hole and begin to lead a life invisible to you.

Shelters and holes.

For terrestrial tarantulas, transparent plastic foam shelters are sold abroad and are used for constant monitoring of the animal. But an ordinary piece of transparent plastic pipe can also be used, buried in the ground and leaning one side against the glass wall of the terrarium. It must be remembered that if there is large quantity usually ignore the soil spider covers the shelters set out for him. For woody species, it is best to use fragments of tree branches or vertical pieces of coniferous tree bark.

Temperature.

Most spiders are kept at a temperature of +23-28 C. But they can easily withstand a decrease in temperature to +15 C. It is best to have a thermostat with a constant temperature of about +26 - 27 C. The most dangerous decrease in temperature is for heavily engorged spiders, since in their stomach putrefactive processes may begin.

Heaters.

It is most convenient to use glass baths with a water heater. This maintains both temperature and humidity. You can use bottom heating using thermal pads, thermal films or thermal cables.

Humidity.

The basis for successfully keeping spiders is properly selected air humidity. When humidity is low, it becomes difficult to shed. When there is a lack of moisture in the air, spiders in tropical rain forests simply die. For tropical rain forest spiders, it is recommended relative humidity 75-90%, and for desert-shrub species - 55-75% (adults can tolerate the absence of moisture for a month). The terrarium should have a bath of water or a container with wet moss; in extreme cases, the litter should be sprayed daily with a hand sprayer.

Excessive humidity, in turn, can lead to the massive development of mold fungi, many types of which are dangerous for arthropods (fungal diseases of the body and respiratory organs).

Lighting.

The lighting lamp should be low voltage, 15-25 watts, no more. Spiders do not see red light, and therefore a red lamp can be recommended to observe their natural behavior (as well as for other nocturnal animals). If the terrarium is decorated with plants, then you should use a fluorescent lamp that produces a full spectrum (lamp daylight or biolamp). There are extremely conflicting opinions regarding the benefits of irradiating spiders with ultraviolet light.

Naturalistic type of design.

For aesthetic and decorative purposes it can be imitated natural environment in the terrarium. Easier to complete It is better to box under a tropical rain forest than under a semiarid habitat. For small spiders, this design is not recommended; the animal will simply “get lost” in a pile of bark, stems and leaves. Planted plants will eliminate the problem with food residues in the burrows: it will be processed by the plants. It is better to use artificial plants to decorate desert terrariums because live succulents require much more light than spiders. Only species of Haworthia, Gasteria and small Aloe are fully adaptable. These are just general recommendations. Terrarium design is an excellent field of activity for using your imagination and creative experiments.

A necessary tool.

To move the animal you will need tongs and a net. You will also need a box with a tight-fitting lid to temporarily house the animal while cleaning or changing the design of the terrarium. For food (crickets), two tweezers are desirable, long and short. To grasp the spider with your hands, if necessary, follow the cephalothorax with the thumb and forefinger between the second and third pair of legs.

The presence of a terrarium for the spider is required both for reasons of its own safety and for the safety of the spiders themselves. A spider that has broken free will not live long due to unsuitable climatic conditions (humidity, temperature), lack of food, in addition, it is a source of danger for children and pets, as well as the home interior, since many of the owners try to throw some accessory to make the spider run away.

By design, terrariums for spiders can be of two types: horizontal for terrestrial and burrowing individuals and vertical for arboreal ones. Glass or plexiglass is mainly used to make a terrarium.

A tarantula terrarium requires special conditions

The location for installing the tarantula spider terrarium is chosen by the owner independently, taking into account the characteristics of the home environment and the interior of the apartment.

The terrarium should not be placed in drafts, and it should not be exposed to direct sunlight. It should be noted that tarantulas do not like noise. Often special cabinets are allocated for collections in which small jars with spiders are stored, and adult beautiful females in a beautiful terrarium are placed separately, but in the same room.

It is important to understand that no matter how large the terrarium is, you should not keep several individuals under one roof. Tarantulas are prone to cannibalism, so keeping several spiders is very risky for each other. The interior of an apartment where insects devour food does not evoke any special joyful feelings among the owners and members of their family.

Terrarium for a spider: abundance of decor

If the terrarium is part of the interior of the apartment, you can decorate it. For the guests of the terrarium themselves, the decor does not matter at all.

For decoration, you can use live moss, artificial plants, various driftwood and tree bark. The decor must be secured securely; under no circumstances should you use glue with toxic components for this; there are special adhesives for aquariums. Decorative elements should not cover food objects. In addition, they should not have sharp edges that could injure spiders.

It is not practical to decorate a terrarium with live plants.

Firstly, the plants need lighting that is unacceptable for tarantulas.

Secondly, many spiders actively dig, damaging plants in the process. It is still optimal to use artificial plants to decorate the terrarium.

The number of exotic pet lovers is growing every day. Particularly popular is the keeping of tarantula spiders (lat. Theraphosidae). This is very interesting creatures, which amaze the imagination with their size.

The span of their legs can exceed 20 cm. Currently, more than 700 species of tarantulas are known. Most of them feel quite comfortable in captivity, and keeping them in a terrarium is not particularly difficult even for beginners.

Who can breed tarantulas

It is not recommended to have such pets for people suffering from various types allergies. Allergic reactions to spider hairs can be very strong, so you will soon have to part with your favorite arachnid.

Also not worth buying poisonous species. Their bites are very painful and in some cases can even lead to fatal outcome. It is better to move on to keeping such spiders after acquiring practical skills in caring for less dangerous arachnids.

It must be remembered that spiders cannot be trained. They simply stop perceiving their owner as a dangerous irritant. However, this does not prevent them from changing their opinion at any time, even after for long years“friendship” and at the most inopportune moment inflict a strong bite on its owner.

Tarantulas from the American continent have a relatively “meek” character, while their African and Asian relatives are more aggressive and dangerous.

How to choose the right pet

When choosing a pet, you should consider its gender and age. If in most species the male lives for about 4 years, then the female can reach the respectable age of 25-30 years, and caring for her will become the work of your whole life.

It is better to stop your choice on spiders of 5-7 molts. Older individuals will take a long time to get used to the change in environment, which will invariably affect their well-being. Buying spiders with 1-2 moults makes it difficult to determine the species. After a year of keeping it, it may turn out that the furry little animal will not be the one you have long dreamed of.

Arrangement of the terrarium

For terrestrial spiders, horizontal terrariums are suitable, but for arboreal and climbing spiders, it is better to purchase a vertical terrarium. Its dimensions should be approximately 2-3 times the span of the legs. With a smaller space, the pet will experience mental discomfort, and with a larger space, more energy will be required to heat it, light it and maintain the required humidity.

It is necessary to purchase one lamp for irradiation with the ultraviolet spectrum at 15-18 W, and another for local heating. Spiders need constant temperature ranging from 21°C to 28°C. Humidity, depending on the type, is maintained in the range from 55-90%. There must be a rigid ventilation mesh to ensure the flow of fresh air and preventing the tarantula from escaping.

Animals should always have access to clean drinking water and a place to hide. Tree species hide under branches or pieces of bark. For ground spiders, pour a thick ball of sand and decorate it with stones.

Tarantulas are very fragile creatures. They can easily injure their paws and abdomen when falling even from a small height or when coming into contact with sharp objects. When decorating the interior of their home, unnecessary clutter should be avoided.

The terrarium must be placed so that straight lines do not fall on it. Sun rays. Tarantulas are active at night or twilight, so bright lighting will deprive them of their usual rest during the day.

Feeding a tarantula spider

Almost anyone can feed their pets. They are neither demanding nor whimsical when it comes to food. The main thing is that the victim is alive and 1.5-2 times smaller than the spider itself (from chelicerae to arachnoid warts).

The diet may include mice, frogs, tropical cockroaches and any insects. The only exceptions are some species of tree spiders, which ignore any terrestrial insects.

Giving frozen food is strictly prohibited. This can lead to the death of your pet.

If the spider refuses to eat for 5-7 days, then the victim should be caught and removed from the terrarium. The tarantula may be preparing to molt, and the presence of other living creatures distracts it from this important process. Small spiders can be fed as they eat food, and adults once every two weeks. The duration of the meal depends on the size of the victim and can reach three days.

It is advisable to change the bedding after each spider molt. Mites develop on the leftover food, which harm the health of the spider when it molts. After molting, the tarantula begins to feed after a week, and sometimes after 2-3 months.

Tarantula spiders are very clean. They carefully wrap food remains and droppings in a web and always leave them in one place, so cleaning the terrarium does not pose any difficulty. It is advisable to carry out all manipulations in the terrarium with long tweezers.

Plexiglas is the most suitable material for terrarium

The most suitable and affordable materials for creating terrariums are silicate and organic glass.

Advantages of plexiglass:

• It is more difficult to break than ordinary silicate;
• Containers made of plexiglass accumulate heat well and reluctantly release it into the surrounding space;
• Its fragments rarely form sharp edges on which you can cut yourself;
• Plexiglas is easier to process and fasten.

Plexiglas has fewer disadvantages than advantages, but each of them can become critical for a terrarium.

1. Plexiglass is easy to scratch. Therefore, you can only wash it with a soft sponge or gauze;
2. The surface of plexiglass becomes cloudy over time and begins to turn yellow;
3. Ultraviolet rays are harmful to plexiglass.

Thus, plexiglass is a good material for terrariums whose inhabitants cannot scratch the walls.

These could be spiders, snakes, Achatina. To make terrariums in which animals with sharp claws (lizards or turtles) will live, you should choose a different material.

In addition to the plexiglass itself, you will need plastic corners and a metal mesh for ventilation. To make doors, you need two types of plastic E profiles. The upper profile should be 2 times deeper than the lower one. The size of both profiles corresponds to the thickness of the door material.

Choice of plexiglass

In order to choose the right plexiglass for a terrarium, you need to know that it comes in two types - cast and extruded. Casting is more expensive, but does not have most of the above disadvantages. It is stronger than extrusion and less cloudy. Some brands transmit UV rays well and are not destroyed under their influence. Therefore, it is worth choosing those brands of molded plexiglass that are characterized by strength, preservation of transparency and do not block UV rays. The sheet thickness should not be less than 5 mm.

Glue selection

1. The glue must meet two characteristics: Be harmless to living organisms, do not emit chemical substances
2. in contact with litter, water or excrement;

Be durable and waterproof.

In practice, any silicone sealant for gluing terrariums or aquariums meets these conditions.

When working with such sealants, you must be careful, since drops frozen on the material are difficult to clean off.

Required Tools

• To create a glass terrarium you will need the most common tools.
• Glass cutter;
• Fine-grained sharpening stone or sandpaper;
• Ruler;
• Marker for glass;
• Sharp knife;
• Heavy rectangular object;
• Adhesive tape;

You also need to take at least two rags: one for wiping glass, the other for other surfaces and hands.

Stages of making a terrarium

You should start making a terrarium with a drawing. On a piece of paper or using computer program you need to draw each side of the parallelepiped indicating the dimensions, as well as general form assembled, with sides marked. The dimensions can be taken ready-made, recommended for keeping a future pet, or you can calculate them yourself, based on the maintenance standards and conditions of a particular apartment.

Then, using a ruler and marker, draw out the details and cut them out. If there must be a hole in the part, it is drilled before gluing begins. The edges of glass parts are processed with a sharpening stone or sandpaper. To avoid glass dust, this is done under running tap water. After this, the parts are dried and the gluing areas are degreased with acetone.

Making the base

The parts are connected using glue. It is applied to the fat-free edges, after which the parts are pressed against each other and fixed. This is easiest to do with duct tape and a heavy rectangular object.

Connecting terrarium parts

Excess glue is not washed off - it is carefully cut off after the parts have completely dried. It is not recommended to press the surfaces to be glued close to each other; there should be a layer of glue of 1–2 mm between them.

In this way, they assemble a box with a built-in ventilation fence and proceed to the manufacture of doors. To do this, glue a deep profile to the ceiling from below.

Gluing deep profile

A small profile is applied to the upper part of the front corner of the ventilation fence.

Bonding small profiles

Doors are inserted into the grooves of the profiles. The result is a design like this.

Final design

Making a ventilation fence

This design uses flow ventilation. The principle of operation is that air enters one hole and exits into another, thus creating a constant current. It is very simple to set up flow ventilation, and in terms of efficiency it is superior to ventilation through an open lid. But there are two points that must be observed.

1. The air inlet is located at the bottom. The outlet should be 1.5–2 times larger and located at the top. It is optimal to place it near a heating source;
2. The holes should not be placed so that they are opposite to each other, otherwise the air flow will create a draft that is harmful to most insects and reptiles. Most correct option- the inlet hole is located on the side wall from below, at ground level, and the outlet hole is located on the opposite wall at the very top.

Instead of one large one, you can make several small holes. Aluminum mesh is best suited for sealing them. Plastic and synthetic ones are fragile, iron ones rust when exposed to moisture.

Using flow ventilation you can also regulate humidity. To reduce humidity, it will be enough to increase the number or overall density of ventilation holes; to increase it, reduce it.

To create a ventilation fence, you need to cut out two additional parts - a strip for the doors and a rectangular ventilation panel.

They are glued in at the stage when the structure only has a bottom, back and side walls.

There are already two walls

Then the second wall is glued in. Using corners and glue, attach to upper parts metal mesh ventilation parts.

Installation of metal mesh

After this, they move on to making the roof. Both parts are glued to the resulting frame, between which a mesh for the outlet is attached using corners and glue.

Erection of the roof

The structure is left to dry for a day, then the edges of both holes are reinforced with glass strips.

Reinforcement with glass strips

Making a terrarium lid

Often a terrarium is made without doors, but with a removable lid. The advantages of this design are that sockets for heating lamps and fixtures for appliances, as well as fans for forced ventilation, are built into the lid.

Forced ventilation is used in large structures. Ventilation is carried out using two fans. The first promotes the flow of fresh air from outside, the second mixes it inside the structure. Any brands that combine small sizes and low level noise, for example, cooling fans for system units.

A good material for the lid is foamed PVC, other non-toxic plastic will also work..

The height of the lid is selected taking into account the equipment that will be attached from below, the length and width - according to the dimensions of the terrarium with an increase in the thickness of the material. The parts are cut out and glued together in the same way as the glass parts of the terrarium. Holes are made in the finished cover for the wires and a hatch is cut out. After this, the lamps are built in. The wires must be carefully insulated, and a piece of plastic must be glued to the sockets so that there is a gap between the heating elements and the cover.

Features of arrangement of terrariums depending on their purpose

For reptiles

Turtles do better in closed terrariums

Turtles do not tolerate the microclimate of an average Russian apartment. Therefore, open terrariums are not suitable for them - it is difficult to maintain the required temperature and humidity in them. Create for turtle good conditions only possible in a closed terrarium.

The dimensions of the minimum terrarium for a turtle are calculated as follows. The length will be equal to the length of the turtle multiplied by 5, and the width will be equal to the width of the turtle multiplied by the same value. High altitude turtles do not need it, even for large individuals it is not advisable to make terrariums higher than 50 cm.

When choosing material for the walls, it is necessary to take into account that turtles do not always adequately perceive transparent barriers and can bang against them for a long time. Therefore, opaque materials are preferred. To improve inspection, the front wall can be made of glass. Plexiglas is not recommended as it can be scratched by turtles with their claws.

Turtles need very good ventilation, so the top ventilation through the lid is not suitable. Need a flow one.

The temperature in the place where the turtle is kept should not fall below 22 C. Therefore, heating is required. Thermal mats and similar devices for bottom heating are not used, since heat flows emanating from below can cause kidney disease. Heating should be from above. To do this, you can use a regular 60 W incandescent lamp or an ultraviolet lamp. What these reptiles like most is uneven heating, when half for waking and eating is warmer, and half for sleeping is colder, so the lamps are placed near one of the walls.

The choice of terrarium for a lizard depends on its species.

The shape of the terrarium for lizards is chosen depending on their species. Arboreal ones need a vertical terrarium, in which the height will be at least twice the width, and terrestrial ones - vice versa.

For small lizards, especially those who love to climb, one of the side walls can be made of metal mesh. The diameter of the cells should be such that the reptile cannot get out, but can cling freely with its paws. You can make a lid from the same mesh. Such designs are suitable for keeping reptiles, optimal temperature for which it is not too different from the room one.

However, mesh walls are not suitable for keeping iguanas and chameleons. Apartment air is too dry and cold for them. In order to maintain the microclimate necessary for these reptiles, the walls are made of plywood, organic or silicate glass.

Iguanas are kept in horizontal terrariums. For one adult reptile over one and a half years old, the dimensions should be as follows: 200x200x125 cm. When kept in smaller rooms, iguanas lose their appetite, move little and lose resistance to diseases.

Small terrariums are also not suitable for keeping agamas; the minimum volume for keeping an adult is 200 liters. A built-in ultraviolet lamp is required. Stones with a heating element inside are not suitable for heating; you need to take a terrarium lamp or a regular incandescent lamp. Agamas do not like humidity and cold, so you need to equip the terrarium with a thermometer and hygrometer.

Terrariums for insects

For spiders and snails, horizontal terrariums without doors, but with removable lids, are suitable.

The tarantula does not require much space

Tarantula spiders are capricious when kept; any deviations from the required humidity and temperature in the terrarium can cause them to become ill. They do not tolerate drafts or stagnant air. Therefore, it is best to equip the terrarium with a heater with automatic temperature control and a hygrometer.

Tarantulas do not need large volumes; in nature, they spend their entire lives in shelters. The minimum bottom area is equal to the spider's leg span multiplied by 2.

Achatina needs a home with a large bottom area

Achatina requires rectangular terrariums with a large bottom area. These snails do not need a large influx of oxygen. For ventilation, a flow system is used; the air entry and exit points are rows of holes with a diameter of 3–4 mm.

Features of making a decorative terrarium

Either a teapot or a terrarium

Terrariums are used for more than just keeping reptiles and insects. Decorative terrariums can only contain plants and decorative elements. To make them, any glass container is used, preference is given to non-standard items. The video explains how to make a mini terrarium with lighting from an incandescent lamp.

Video: DIY light bulb terrarium

As you can see from the article, making a terrarium with your own hands is simple, and even a person who does not have such experience can handle it.