If you have decided to get a pet tarantula, congratulations! You have officially joined an interesting hobby. But before you get your tarantula and bring it home, you need to set up its enclosure (terrarium), so that everything is ready for it when it comes home. In this post, you will find all you need to know to setup a tarantula terrarium (enclosure) successfully and requirements. This is including information on the size of the terrarium for a tarantula, what to put inside, ventilation, design, decor ideas and accessories, substrate, plants and much more.
Tarantula enclosure size – what is the ideal size?
First of all, let’s discuss what the optimal or ideal size for a tarantula enclosure is. Because tarantulas don’t move around too much, don’t need that much space either. The shape of a terrarium will depend on a type of tarantula you are getting (ground dwelling vs arboreal). Apart from that, you will just need to make sure that your tarantula has enough space for:
- A burrow
- Water bowl
- Some plants and decor – optional
The thing is, even if you get a large cage for your tarantula out of love, it might harm it. That’s because if the enclosure is too big, your tarantula might not be able to find its burrow, food or water. Tarantulas like tight burrows and places to hide.
Also, a tank for a ground dwelling tarantula doesn’t need to be too high either. This is because it would increase a possibility of it falling down and injuring itself (tarantulas can bleed to death very easily).
To answer the question, an optimal and ideal terrarium size for a single tarantula would be around 1 foot or 12-14 inches (30.5-35.5 cm) wide, around 12 inches (30.5 cm) deep and around a 0.5-1 foot/6-12 inches (15-30.5 cm) high. And if talking in gallons, it will be around a 2.5-5 gallon tank.
Regarding the height, it should be at least the maximum length of the tarantula’s legspan, but not much more.
For arboreal tarantulas (living in trees), make sure it’s a terrarium is at least 12-16 inches (30.5-41 cm) high. What is more, it’s better to have a tank with a low opening, so that you don’t disturb your tree-dwelling tarantula when opening the tank.
It is possible to keep tarantula, especially smaller species, in a smaller cage. Small spiderlings (slings) can be kept in 1 gallon tanks. Spiderlings need a small space to be able to find their water bowl etc. As your spiderling grows bigger, you can move it to a bigger enclosure.
- Small to medium tarantulas (such as Chilean rose) can do well in a tank that is 2.5-5 gallons
- Medium to large (such as rednee tarantulas) tarantulas can do well in a tank that is 10-15 gallons
- Very large tarantulas (such as pinkfoot goliath tarantula) can do well in a tank that is 20-40 gallons
Can you keep tarantulas together?
No, you should not keep any tarantulas together as they are very territorial and cannibalistic. That’s because they will attack and kill each other, and the risk is higher after molting.
Please never get a big enclosure and divide it into sections for a few tarantulas. There’s a high chance that they will get into each other’s space. Always get a separate tank for each tarantula!
Tarantulas that seem to be fine living with each other might suddenly turn against each other for no apparent reasons. That’s especially dangerous if a tarantula is molting, making it much more vulnerable.
Step 1: Best terrarium type for a pet tarantula
When looking for a tarantula terrarium, you can pick between different materials that the cage is made of. A few of the best options include glass with a top lid, plastic tanks with a lid that has holes for air exchange, and a mix of both. Don’t choose wooden or full mesh tanks for your tarantulas as they need higher humidity levels. Some good examples and options to choose from are:
- Critter Keeper like this – a plastic box with a ventilated lid and a handle. Choose between small, medium or large depending on tarantula size
- Micro habitat like this – for smaller tarantulas
When choosing a terrarium for your pet tarantula, always make sure that it has a lid that locks securely in place. That’s because your pet tarantula will be climbing walls and can easily escape. Tarantulas also shift lids that are not securely locked in place and can therefore escape too.
And do you think it’s too small or too big? It’s too small, if it’s not much bigger than the tarantula itself. An optimal tarantula enclosure should be about 2.5 times the legspan in length and 2x the width.
However, for small tarantulas and spiderlings, you should have a much smaller space. Spiderlings can even be housed in small deli cups with small holes on top for ventilation. This will make feeding them easier. Upgrade as your spiderling grows.
Please remember not to put your tarantula’s tank in a cold spot – such as garage or basement. This will make the inside of the tank too cold and possibly too humid. Also, avoid any spots that have direct sunlight. This will cause drastic temperature rises inside the tank, evaporation of water and drying out of substrate. All of it is dangerous for a pet tarantula.
Step 2: Substrate – what type and depth
There is a big list of various substrates that exist for terrarium pets. Tarantulas need substrate that stays moist, doesn’t dry too quickly, is non-toxic and doesn’t get dusty.
One of the best types of substrate for tarantula pets is vermiculite. That’s because it holds moisture well and doesn’t let the tank dry out. Vermiculite also doesn’t dry up itself or become dusty, and is also widely available and affordable. Pick horticultural vermiculite without a fertilizer. To make it even better for burrowing, add some potting soil to the mix.
Also great substrate for a pet tarantula is coconut fiber like this. It expands greatly and hold moisture well.
Another substrate you can choose is cypress mulch like this one. It is attractive in the terrarium and helps hold moisture as well.
Also popular is a mix of different types of substrates in one. For example, you can get a mix of potting soil, peat moss, and sand/carbon. You can get ready-made packs of mixed substrate like this or make your own mix.
You can also use a mix of sphagnum moss and potting soil, vermiculite and sphagnum moss.
For a tarantula, avoid any substrate of peat or soil that has fertilizer in it, also perlite, sand, alfalfa.
Prepare the substrate in a separate dish or inside the terrarium while slowly adding substrate and water. Avoid making the substrate watery, just damp (not seeping any water). Optimal depth of a substrate for a burrowing tarantula is around 2-4 inches (5-10 cm), but not more than 4″. For an arboreal tarantula, 2-3″ inches of substrate is also sufficient.
Another useful tip is to add a little bit more substrate to the corners of the tank. That’s because tarantulas climb the walls of the tank, and can injure themselves very easily when falling. Add more substrate to make it softer on the sides for an extra soft fall.
Step 3: Water bowl
A water bowl is essential in your pet tarantula’s terrarium. When choosing a water bowl for your pet tarantula, make sure it’s wide enough for a tarantula to turn around. This is important so it can turn around when entering and leaving a bowl. It also needs to be shallow so that your tarantula can drink safely.
For a water dish, your tarantula will be fine with almost anything as long as it can drink from it. You can make a water bowl from a mini-ramekin, jar lids, ash trays or more attractive options of pet bowls like this. Whatever you pick for a water dish, it should be around 0.8-1″ (2-2.5 cm) deep and around 3-4″ (8-10 cm) wide.
What is more, put a small pebble inside the water dish. This pebble should be higher than the water level, so that any crickets that jump inside can escape. However, make sure it’s not too big so that your tarantula is able to drink water without any hassle.
Step 4: A retreat (hide)
Ground dwelling tarantulas like to burrow and retreat. Generally, tarantulas spend most of their days in retreats waiting on a prey to pass by. This also makes them feel safe and protected. There are a lot of things that you can use for your tarantula’s retreat. You can pick from a flowerpot (plastic or ceramic), food storage box, cut kitchen towel tubes, or a more attractive cave or hide like this one.
When picking a hide for your tarantula, make sure it’s not too small so that entry is easy. It shouldn’t be too narrow either, so that your tarantula can turn around easily. For a reference, an average sized tarantula is about 2-3″ (5-7.5 cm) long and about 4-6″ (10-16 cm) long in legs.
Step 5: Decor ideas and accessories for your tarantula
In general, there is no great need in accessories or decor in a tarantula’s tank. But of course, if you are willing to make it look more appealing and interesting, you can add some decor pieces to the tank. However, there are some things to keep in mind.
For example, if you wish to add flowers, go for fake flowers instead of real plants. That’s because your tarantula will dig the soil and ruin the plants. What is more, your plants are likely to die quickly, because of lack of full-spectrum light to keep them alive and growing.
Another thing to remember is that your tarantula will cover accessories in webs, making them hardly visible in the cage to enjoy. Some decor ideas for the tarantula tank include plastic plants, curved branch, pieces of moss and similar.
Try to limit to one or couple extra accessories to make it simple to clean the cage and for it to look neat. When adding accessories and pieces of decor, place them near the center of the cage, not corners. That is to avoid any injuries if your tarantula falls down when climbing the walls of the tank.
Terrarium setup for arboreal tarantulas and ideas
A terrarium setup for an arboreal tarantula will be different, because they live on trees and need a vertical cage, not a horizontal one.
If you are getting an arboreal tarantula, you will need to get a higher tank that is 12-16 inches (30.5-41 cm) high, and up to 18″ (46 cm) for larger tarantulas. An optimal tarantula enclosure should be about 2.5 times the legspan in length and 2x the width.
What is more, you will have to place a big branch or two (real or fake) in the center that has a hole for your tarantula to retreat and make + attach its webs.
You could also add a fake plant (silk or plastic), such as vine leaves. Don’t forget a water bowl on the bottom of the cage. But overall, it’s better to keep it simple as your arboreal tarantula will web most things in the tank and visibility will become even lower.
Arboreal tarantulas also need substrate (2-3″ inches of substrate is sufficient) on the bottom of the cage – this will provide very much needed humidity. When choosing a tank for your arboreal tarantula, it’s better to pick an option with a door opening from the front. A creature habitat kit like this is one of the options for smaller to medium sized arboreal tarantulas.
Important notes about tarantula terrarium setup and safety
As mentioned above, ground dwelling tarantulas spend most of their time on the ground and are not designed to get too high off the ground. If a tarantula falls from a top of a tall terrarium, it’s very likely to die. That’s why for a terrestrial tarantula, the height should be equal or bit more than tarantula’s legspan.
While sizes of tanks mentioned above are approximate, everything will depend on the size of a tarantula you’re getting. If you are getting a smaller tarantula or even a juvenile, it’s better to get a smaller tank.
Also, it’s a good idea not to choose any cages with fine mesh top lids because tarantula’s fangs might get stuck in them, causing injury. And make sure not to have any sharp objects or anything with sharp edges in the tank. Falling tarantula will likely die of a fall on a sharp object.
Thank you for reading this post on tarantula terrarium setup! If you would like to learn more about tarantula care, please see this page.