new to tarantulas need advice

[jrh3]

ok so i finally took the leap and ordered 2 small 1inch juveniles.  one is a GBB and the other is B. boehmei species. i now have to set up there cages for them one is arboreal the other is terrestrial. 

if anyone could recommend the best substrate for them and a diy cage setup. they will ship on Tuesday so i will be building these this weekend.

 

[Tonypace2009]

B. Boehmei good choice . I can't recommend a exact enclosure but this specie's I would go with 3 to 4 inches of substrate in a enclosure and water dish and something for a hide even if it's just a large fake leaf. I like using peat for substrate sometimes I mix in eco earth. Keep substrate dry. I like using plastic enclosures because they are easy to drill vent holes. Also a big fan of cross ventilation. I get a lot of my containers from dollar store. I haven't kept a GBB most of them I have seen are kept like the terristial with low fake plants to web to. Sorry  I can't be of more help.

 

[jrh3]

thanks for the reply, im pretty excited about getting them. the gbb is pretty flighty at time they say but i dont plan on holding them, lol. i will do like you said , dollar store container, just like my mantids. so are you using just peat moss? i read coco fiber is also good.

 

[Tonypace2009]

Most people use coco fiber but some spiders don't seem to want to burrow in it as well. I usually mix coco fiber  with peat  80\20 mix Peat being 80 percent best. Most spiders will escape to there burrow when spooked except some old worlds. So you need the spider to burrow as soon as possible.

 

[Ranitomeya]

A simple container is all you need and you don't need to go overboard in enclosure size as long as you give them the room they need to make their web hides or burrows. I've had more issues with mold in coco fiber than peat, so I've been using peat with my tarantulas. I mix in a little sand to make it easier to water as it dries, since dry peat alone becomes quite hydrophobic. Keep the substrate relatively dry, but water the substrate a little if it becomes too dry. Provide them with a ceramic water dish to drink from and make sure to clean it as they poop in it, drop boluses in it, and generally dump substrate and anything else they want to discard into it.

 

[Extrememantid]

GBB's are heavy webbers, so a 12x12 type size enclosure would be good for an adult, other than that they have covered pretty much everything above. I like to flood the water dish if it dries out too much, or you can just mist a bit.