Tarantula caging question

[ShutUpAndSmile]

Wasn't sure if I should put this here or what. Sorry if wrong spot.
Anyway

I was looking at cages online that are like $60 with shipping.
Then I saw this huge plastic jar I have that held animal crackers. (like 2+ lbs of animal crackers) would this be okay for a pink toed if holes were drilled in it?
Would it just make it akward to put the water dish in? (tbh I don't want the T crawling on me while I'm trying to change water or just upsetting it and just getting in its way)

[Alexandra V]

If you can't easily get your whole hand in the jar, then IMO it's not a good cage just because it's inconvenient. Most jars can make it hard to do cage maintenance.

From Wal-Mart there are one-gallon jugs where the whole top opens up with a nice big opening, and a pair of forceps long enough for you to reach in and grab a small water bottle (think water bottle cap) to take it out should make it virtually impossible for the animal to get on you while you're changing water and such.

If you go for the expensive ones, you're really just paying for the looks. If you've got a bigger pink toe though, you could always get a 5.5 or 10 gallon aquarium (not that cheap but better than the $60 ones) and a locking screen lid and a piece of plexi or any other hard medium really (except anything with pine or cedar in it!) and you can make an easy mod to the cage, which I can explain to you if you want.

[ShutUpAndSmile]

I can def get my hand in it easy at the moment. But then again it's empty.


It's like 12in high and a little more then a credit card length across like I tried to show in the first pic lol.
And I"m not that good at modding things if it requires more then a drill and a screw driver. lol

[Alexandra V]

Lol ah, okay. Well that's similar to the Wal-Mart jars I was talking about. If you drill or melt air holes in the side then that's a decent enclosure. If you provide a hide area (like a slab of cork bark leaning against the side), then usually the spider will hide behind there when you disturb it and you shouldn't have to worry about it while you do maintenance. You can also always coax it behind the hide by gently touching it's abdomen and back legs with a chopstick or paint brush if it won't go on it's own

[ShutUpAndSmile]

Lol yay I'm excited I found a free cage ( I didn't buy the animal crackers even ;D )

[AmysAnimals]

You shouldn't worry about the pink toe crawling on you. It won't harm you. It may be a shocker at first if you've never held one because they walk strange but it should be fine. As far as for disturbing it, it will only be for a few minutes and the spider will quickly go back to what ever he was thinking about lol. Cage maintenance is a must and if you can't do it in that jar (which I think you could) then I suggest you go all out and buy a nice cage if this is your first and only T. Filling water bowls should be a cinch, especially if it doesn't have substrate it in. Taking out dead body parts from uneaten or half eaten...or finished food items so they don't mold should be easy too. Just take the feeding tongs (assuming you have some) and take it out. I'm sure you have done your research on them, but if you need help just PM me and I will gladly give you any information I know. =)

Oh and if you are worried about disturbing the web at all, it's okay to disturb it a little while doing maintenance, they will quickly repair it. He may even web on the lid so when you open it it may destroy a part of the web. I am fortunate that my Versicolor doesn't web the lid. I have a sling/juvi so my enclosure is small.

If this is your first tarantula, it's unfortunate to say that...you'll soon be addicted...lol If I could I would have more than just two. =P There are so many species out there it's unbelievable. I love it. I love my tarantulas.

Do you know what size your T is going to be when you get it?

Like what Alexandra V said, just put a slab of cork bark in there, maybe a fake plant , and of course substrate (my preferred for T's being Eco-Earth) and you'll be set. And of course the water dish. =P

Hope I didn't ramble too much here.

[mechnut450]

my fiance uses a tub that like 3 quarts for her rose hair. I am not a spider fan(scared of spiders more so) and I held it 2 times and she not even had enough free time to hold it. I was thinknig of getting one of the animal cages ( like they sell with hermit crabs) for hers but this one about large enough to hold a young corn snake or so. it so small we been using an old pill container ( washed out ) to make a hide for it since we can set it up like a cave.

the only think I might wonder about your jar set up is if you are going to have it upright or on it side with a way to keep it from rolling around. ( which give spider some more room to roam.) but then I not spider fan/ good at care, maybe one day lol