Pimping da regalis crib

[Michael Peachey]

I've recently got a new funky tank in which to house my P.Regalis. So since its a really nice tank, i wanted to pimp it out. Make it look very visual but at the same time practical. So i bought some plastic plants to use, very soft and not sharp. Just a simple lengthy peice of ivey (spelling?) and a smaller plastic leave thing. I've got a largish peice of bark for a hide for the regalis, and its using it currently already in the smaller tank so i already know its ideal.

However i'm now looking for a peice of bark/twig what ever you would like to call it to go across the tank for something for the regalis to web/climb.
I hadnt noticed however...at how damn expensive peices of bark like that are! The pet shop and the garden center had them marked up at like £8...seems like day light robbery to me.

So here's my question...can you simply use bark strait from a wood? I know the ones they have a steam cleaned ...i think and maybe coated, but is it viable to maybe do that yourself if it has to be done?

Any additional tips to how to pimp up my new tank would be appreciated, can upload some pics of the plants and tank in a bit.

Mike

[Craig Mackay]

If you have a wooded area near you go for a nice winters walk and see what you can find. I've never done this but if you give it a good clean and bake the bark in the oven it should kill of any nasty bugs and give you a nice natural look.

[Michael Peachey]

Sounds good, no reason for it to be bad for the spider though is there if its been baked and clenaed?

Mike

[Anita Pile]

Hi Michael,

Yeah, like Craig said, I see no reason why not. Obvious things to avoid are Cedar (and I assume anything in that family?) as they are poisonous, apologies if you already knew that!

There was a short thread on this on another forum and one user had said pretty much the same thing, ie just because it isn't sterile it doesn't mean it's going to harm your tarantula!

Means you can have some original, free decoration and get really imaginative!

Post pics

Hope it goes well, Anita

[Craig Mackay]

Yeah as Anita says avoid cedar. I'm sure I'd read that somewhere. If its been baked any mites or other nasty things would be killed off. Obviously let it cool down afterwards and you should be sorted. And it's an excuse to get out the house too.

[Andrew Ferguson]

Or if you have a show coming up, they are often sold there. I got a lovely piece of bark at the Leeds show that looks like a tunnel for just 20p!

[Phil Rea]

As has been pointed out, cedar is insecticidal (it was used in olden times to kill clothes moths, and you can still buy it to do the same thing), so it would be a very bad idea to expose your spiders to it!

[Steve McIntyre]

Hi Guys and Girls, I've used bark from the forest frequently without any big problems. As has been said, if it's sterilised in the oven for a few minutes, it should be ok. If you don't sterilise it, however, mold / fungus can be activated due to the humidity and temps in the tank. If you're going to Kettering in April, I normally bring a load of driftwood to sell and no ridiculous high prices

[Anita Pile]

Hi Guys and Girls, I've used bark from the forest frequently without any big problems. As has been said, if it's sterilised in the oven for a few minutes, it should be ok. If you don't sterilise it, however, mold / fungus can be activated due to the humidity and temps in the tank. If you're going to Kettering in April, I normally bring a load of driftwood to sell and no ridiculous high prices

...........what's happening at Kettering?!

[Michael Peachey]

Hello everyone, i thought i would show you all a picture of the finished tank. Originally a gold fish tank, two plastic lids with a gap in between. The under lid has been fixed onto the tank securely and has a small flap to put in crickets and top up the water bowl. Air holes drilled into both layers.

Eco earth substrate, 2 peices of bark steam cleaned and oven baked, an eco earth water dish, cork bark hide (at the back). planting is a soft plastic vine, and a some plastic smaller leaves. The vine has been fixed into the bark by some small drilled holes.

My Regalis is female roughly 5-5.5" for anyone interested and is hidding away to feel more secure in her new home. Here it is anyhow



I can take a few more photo's if anyone would like to see.

Mike x

[Craig Mackay]

Looks nice man, good job

[Michael Peachey]

Sign of approval or not i dont know, she's just decided to take a dump (by the looks) against the side of the glass...what a bitch! Mike

[Craig Mackay]

Hehe, give her some loo roll

[Michael Peachey]

Lol, i think she must have wanted to crisen the tank....meh

mike x

[matthew spooner]

nice one michael, looking good. i just wish i had the time to go all out on tank set ups like that lol. see you at the meeting at end of month? AGM this month