Too Small?

[kirsty smith]

As i finally have my t reserved & paid for,im just about to set up the tank,ive got a medium pet keeper (7.2ltr) is this big enough for a sub adult g.rosea?. Also, ive got terrarium humus & (orchid? )bark?,as this is the mix my t is on in the shop,or should i get peat & vermicullite just incase my t doesnt like the stuff its on? Do i change the water every day,or will every 2nd day be ok? I take it tap water is ok? Sorry for always asking questions!

[Colin D Wilson]

Hi Kirsty

If the floor area of the little tank is at least 6 x 4 inch then a little 3 inch leg span rosea will be ok in there for quite a while (8 x 6 will be better)
Nice dry compost, top soil / peat mix or peat / vermiculite mix will be fine for it.
You can put a little water dish in there (with some pea gravel or similar to weigh it down) and you'll find that you have to give it a clean quite often as the spider will shovel dirt into it as likely as not over night (every night)
Tap waters fine (i like to put some in a bottle and let it stand for a few days with the lid of in a warm room) i try to use clean rain water that has been microwaved or boiled and cooled before use.
Keep the questions coming we don't mind at all !!
(if you wait for a few answers then you can choose the best way to suit you, we all have slightly different methods of spider keeping on here but we all get the same result....nice healthy spiders!!)
Colin

[Peter Lacey]

The terrarium humus is most likely to be coco-fibre (from coconuts) which neednt be mixed with anything. Its good for holding humidity but you'll need to soak it in water to break it up. It will probably take 2 days for the majority of the water to evaporate but this can be done in the enclosure. I mixed mine with vermiculite which is a good insulator and helps to bind the mix together, plus a little peat which I layed as top soil.
I've known people to keep Ts on pea shingle and they've never had probs although it could cause abrasions. Cedarwood chippings (like those used in childrens playgrounds and plant terraces) are not recommended.
The bark is likely to be cork bark which everyone seems to use successfully, including the crickets!
Personally, as far as water is concerned, I use only a small plastic lid with some pea gravel in. Spiders don't tend to drink much so mostly this is for humidity reasons. As its small 2-3 days is as long as it lasts and I tend to make sure its filled twice a week.
As you have everything but your T I'd suggest setting up now, before your T arrives. If you have temperature gauges get some readings to make sure things aren't dropping too low (and if you have a heater, not going too high). You'll no doubt change the enclosure a bit so its far better to do so before your T arrives. Also, ask the shop to make sure she's well fed before you take her.
When the big day comes open her box in the new enclosure and let her take her own time to come out and explore. Don't expect her to explore straight away, she may go for the hide first which should give you the opportunity to remove the travel box. Turn the lights down and leave her for a few days - no bright lights, no poking her and definitely no food - she's just moved house, she needs a well earned rest

If we consider the size of a burrow in the wild its not likely to be much bigger than the T x2 although the depth may be much longer. If we're trying to recreate an open burrow rather than an area of open desert then we have to consider a large enclosure to be too much for the T's needs. I'm still getting my head around this small enclosure mentality, I understand it but I'm always tempted to go big. The general rule I've read is 2 or 3 times the legspan for your T but the net is full of smaller enclosures.

[kirsty smith]

Ive started to "set" up my tank- but i think i over done it with the coco-fibre stuff!! OMG! i only used less than a 1/4 of a small block & it looks like ive enough for a 3ft tank!!! lol!. Im letting it dry out for 2 or 3 days,as i dont pick my t up till friday,ive been thinking about when i seen her on Saturday it was gorgeous! but im wary about saying its female as the "pink" colour was stunning! Isnt it males that are more colourfull?

[Colin D Wilson]

Unfortunately you can't go by colour, i have a female rosea that is quite a bright pink when first moulted, she's also quite leggy so shape isn't a good indication either, I have a male out on loan who is, from first appearences, very much like a mature female.
The best way is wait for a moult and let someone on here sex it for you. There's plenty who can and all you have to do is post it to them then wait for an email.

[James Box]

my G rosea's are about 3 inches each. one is in a 10 x 6 inch enclosure and seems content, and the other is in an 8 x 4.5 inch enclosure. both have a small bit of fake greenery (something to break up the flatness), a small lid for water and a hide which is big.
at one time, the rosea in the smaller tank was in the same size enclosure as the other, but never left its hide. eventually i got worried enough to try moving him or her to the smaller one, and all of a sudden it emerged, and seems far less insecure in the smaller tank with a lot less room then the other, as items in the tank are the same size as those in the larger for the most part.
so you may find yours is happy in a smaller tank, but roseas are so individual in their tastes and "personalities" that you will probably have to experiment with the spider present to get the best possible combination of factors like space, temperature, etc. this is true for all T's, i expect, though rosea's do seem to be very individual.
i'm sure to start with, your set up will be fine, and with luck she'll be quite happy in there for some time!

[Pam Turner]

Hi Kirsty.

My female is about 5.5 inches, and I have her in a 2.5 gal KK. Sorry, I am horrible at converting to metric. The floor is about 8" x 12". Total height is about 6 inches. Her strate comes up to just under the side venting (leaving about 4 inches to the inside of the lid), she has a half log hide, and the lid off a peanutbutter jar for a water dish. The top of her hide to the underside of the lid has about a 1.5" clearance.

Like James' one girl, she also seems much more secure in a smaller enclosure. I had her in a 10 gal tank at first, and she seemed more nervous/stressed.