cleaning and when

[vincent winyard]

hi everyone i know this subject keeps poping up but need some advise. i've done my homework where the books are concerned and i've read different bits of advise some say they never touch there tanks and some say at least once every six months. none of my tank's have nasty niffs nore is there any mold anywhere but for example my smithi and rosa were last cleaned out 9 months ago and the only thing in there tanks is a carpet of web over the substrate. so im just wondering should i give them a clean out or not. i just need to know what you would do cheers eveyone.

[craig mcinnes]

As long as there is not a massive outbreak of mould then there is really no need to clean the tank out. Remove any cricket remains as and when you find them and you will be good.

[Peter Lacey]

As Craig has replied, there's no need to clean and I think if you get an answer from some of the long standing keepers you'll find many haven't cleaned their enclosures for years!
Removing uneaten food, bolus and moulds is basic maintenance, cleaning the glass of your arboreals is often a way of actually seeing inside, lol.
Your tarantula will put down a layer of web over the substrate which helps to identify its surroundings as well as give it clues to food items. Removing the substrate and cleaning the enclosure is like moving all your furniture out of your house and many suggest this will stress your tarantula. If you consider that many tarantula will live within a square metre for their whole lives its easy to realise why such a chance could be stressful.
The only time I'd go to such drastic measures is if I had an outbreak of phorid flies or potential threats to the health of my tarantula. If it aint broke, don't fix it

[Ray Hale]

Spiders are very clean creatures. I remove the dead cricket husks weekly. Their excrement dries to a pinkish powder that biodegrades easily. If the spider has produced a web matting I would be tempted to leave it be and do spot maintainence where necessary. I only change the substrate if there are problems with mould or mites and with good husbandry this should not be a problem. Disturbing the tank to often can stress the spider and lead to problems.

Hope this helps

Ray

[vincent winyard]

thanks for getting back to me craig. you've prety much gave the same advise as pete and ray really appreciate your help thanks mate.

[vincent winyard]

cheers for that pete makes perfect sence when you explain it the way you have o and by the way i haven't got an arboreal yet but would love an avicularia versicolor. hopefully very soon. thanks again pete.

[vincent winyard]

hi ray thank's for your help on this subject. i've read different opinions on this subject but just wanted a positive answer in a nut shell so to speak and i got it on here. thanks for your help ray much appreciated.

[Colin D Wilson]

Woodlice are a good bet (sterile ones of course)
no mould, no phorid or mite eggs, they'll even tackle a food bolus given time.

but as above have said no real reason to clean on a regular basis