As a tarantula enthusiast, providing my eight-legged friends with an ideal habitat brings me great joy. For arboreal tarantulas that love to climb, creating a suitable vertical enclosure is key. After much research and trial-and-error, I’ve gathered 19 creative enclosure ideas perfect for arboreal ts.
Prioritizing Height Over Width
The #1 requirement for an arboreal tarantula enclosure is height. These spiders need room to climb so taller-than-wide tanks are a must. A good rule of thumb is choosing an enclosure that’s at least 4 times the leg span of your T. For example, my 5-inch P. regalis juvenile has a 20-inch tall tank.
Arboreals are active explorers and become stressed in enclosures not tall enough for them. Providing adequate vertical space keeps them healthy and happy.
Accessorizing for Climbing
Filling the enclosure with décor for climbing is also essential. Arboreals love crawling up and down cork bark, vines, branches, and foliage.
Some key accessories include:
- Cork bark or cholla wood arranged vertically
- Driftwood, grapevine, or manzanita branches
- Fake vines and leaves suction cupped to the walls
- Live or fake plants
Position décor so your T has unobstructed paths to climb up and down.
Choosing the Right Enclosure Style
Arboreal tarantulas come in two types – webbed and non-webbed. Webbed species like Avics produce intricate funnel webs while non-webbers like Pokies just dig burrows up high
For Non-Webbed Arboreals
Tanks with front-opening doors work well. Accessing the enclosure doesn’t disturb webbing or burrows since there are none.
- Acrylic hinged door enclosures
- Glass terrariums with front doors
- Old aquariums turned vertically
Aim for 18″-24″ of height.
For Web-Building Arboreals
These spiders need enclosures with side or top-opening doors. Front-opening tanks destroy their webbing each time you open it.
- Plastic critter keepers with lids on top
- Glass tanks with mesh lids that slide open on top
Provide 24″-36″ of height for maximum web spinning.
Choosing the Right Substrate
3-4 inches of substrate is sufficient for arboreals since they don’t burrow Opt for a mix that retains some moisture since humidity levels should be around 70%
Good options include:
- Coconut coir
- Potting soil
- Peat moss
- Mix of peat moss, cocofiber, and potting soil
Avoid sands which can irritate arboreals when they kick hairs.
Providing Adequate Ventilation
Arboreals need good airflow and ventilation in their vertical enclosures.
For tanks with screen lids, aim for mesh with fine holes no bigger than the tarantula’s leg span. This prevents escapes while allowing ventilation.
With front-opening acrylic doors, drill 5-10 holes evenly spaced along the sides for air flow. Place small pieces of mesh over the holes to prevent spiders squeezing through.
Ideal Water Dishes
The other furnishing essential is a water dish. For heavy-webbed arboreals, placing it 3/4 of the way up lets the T easily access it without leaving its web tunnel.
For non-webbers, put the dish on the substrate layer. Shallow, wide bowls work better than deep containers for arboreals. Cups allow spiders to easily drink without drowning.
With moisture-loving arboreals like Avics, consider mounting the water dish near the top using suction cups. Misting the tank walls frequently also helps maintain humidity.
19 Enclosure Ideas for Artistic Spider Keepers
Beyond getting the habitat basics right, you can unleash your creativity when designing arboreal tanks. Here are 19 unique ideas to inspire fellow artistic arachnid enthusiasts:
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Jungle Vines Tank – Affixfake vines with suction cups up the walls and across the ceiling to mimic a tropical jungle for arboreals.
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Hanging Plants Enclosure – Incorporate hanging basket planters inside filled with live pothos or philodendrons. Use plant hooks to hang them at different heights.
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Rainforest Canopy Tank – Simulate a rainforest canopy by affixing large fake leaves across the entire topportion of the tank. Use bendable vines to create a web.
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Mossy Forest Enclosure – Cover cork bark, branches, and substrate with preserved reindeer moss for an ancient forest look.
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Bonsai Tree Tank – Add a mini bonsai tree on one side and fake vines creeping up the other for an nature-inspired habitat.
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Jungle Ruins Terrarium – Incorporate broken terracotta pots, plastic skulls, and small ruins for an ancient jungle theme.
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Tiki Hut Hideaway – Make a Polynesian hideaway with a mini tiki-style hutplaced atop cork bark “stilts” and artificial foliage.
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Treetop Getaway – Position curved pieces of cork bark like branches meeting at the top to form a tree hollow for the T to nest in up high.
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Skull Hideout – Cut holes in a plastic skull for the tarantula to enter and exit for a spooky yet artsy enclosure.
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Haunted House Tank – Add mini tombstones, plastic bats, and a haunted house model for a fun Halloween-inspired setup.
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Egyptian Crypt Terrarium – Make a mini sarcophagus hide and egyptian statues for an ancient tomb tank theme.
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Pyramid Hideout – Incorporate plastic pyramids, desert shrubs, and sand substrate for an exotic Egyptian desert habitat.
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Alien Planet Tank – Use colored gravel substrate and alien figurines protruding from the gravel for an otherworldly enclosure.
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Sunken Shipwreck Enclosure – Position pieces of curved cork bark together to resemble a ship’s hull partly buried in the substrate.
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Mermaid Cove Hideaway – Add a mermaid figurine, seashells, and plastic corals for an underwater fantasy habitat.
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Jolly Roger Terrarium – Make a Pirate theme with a Jolly Roger flag, gold coins, mini pirate ship, and treasure chest hideout.
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Western Saloon Setup – Incorporate a mini saloon building, wood fence, and cacti for a Wild West inspired habitat.
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Hobbit Hole Tank – Use a round cork bark stump as the door to a hobbit hole, with artifacts scattered around the hole.
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Gothic Castle Enclosure – Create a gothic castle ruin out of foam board, with towers, turrets, and broken walls.
The possibilities are endless when crafting an artistic arboreal spider habitat! Focus on height, climbable décor, and displaying your T’s enclosure with creativity. A well-designed tank keeps arboreal tarantulas healthy while looking beautiful
Add the substrate.
This one is pretty self-explanatory. For an arboreal enclosure, you want to add 2-3″ of packed-down substrate. Appropriate substrate can be coco fiber (Eco-earth), peat, organic (no animal products added) top soil, or any mixture of the those. For more on substrates, feel free to check out this link.
Ventilating the enclosure
First off, if you find yourself making a lot of DIY tarantula cages, then immediately head over to Amazon and invest in a soldering iron. The one I use is manufactured by J&L, and it costs just over $10 (money VERY well spent).
Using the soldering iron, I make a series of holes horizontally starting about an inch below the lip of the container. As you’ll be housing large juveniles to adults in this setup, you can use a bit more pressure on the iron to make larger holes. I will do about five to six rows of these on each side, spacing the holes about 1/4″ apart or so. For the arboreal enclosure, you are going to have more vertical space, so it’s okay to put holes lower on the side of the enclosure. However, for a fossorial species, you’ll want to keep the holes toward the top to allow for adequate substrate depth.
You can add holes to the other sides as well if you prefer, but keep in mind that if you’re trying to create a micro-climate, too much ventilation will make it very difficult for you to maintain optimum conditions. I do not add holes on the lid, as this just allows moisture to evaporate faster.
Where I get the BEST TARANTULA ENCLOSURES
FAQ
What size enclosure for arboreal tarantula?
Arboreal Species
Length and Width Size: 2 to 3 x leg span (DLS). Height: bare minimum 4 x leg span (DLS). Amount of substrate: 1/8 to 1/4 of the enclosure height; some species do not need any. Top clearance: most of the enclosure volume.
What do arboreal tarantulas need?
… providing a suitable habitat and substrate, maintaining appropriate temperature and humidity, feeding a balanced diet, and respecting their natural behavior …Nov 19, 2023
Is a 20 gallon tank too big for a tarantula?
Where Do I Keep My Tarantula? Dr. Keller advises housing your tarantula in a 20-gallon aquarium or larger. The aquarium should be kept in a quiet area of the home that is not too bright, because an area with commotion and brighter lights may be stressful for most tarantulas.
What is the best tarantula enclosure?
Arboreal Cage by Jamie’s Tarantulas This cage is perhaps the best tarantula enclosure for arboreal tarantulas. It features a dam at the bottom that holds the substrate in its place and a lip on the top where your tarantula can build its web.
How do I choose a suitable arboreal tarantula enclosure?
The first step in creating a suitable arboreal tarantula enclosure is selecting the right tank. Here are some key points to consider: Size: A tank size of 12x12x18 inches is ideal for most arboreal tarantulas. Material: Glass or acrylic tanks are preferred for their durability and visibility.
Do tarantula enclosures need a lid?
Ensuring safety is essential, especially if you own an arboreal tarantula. Arboreal tarantulas are skilled escape artists and will jump out and leave the safety provided by your home if you do not pay proper attention. So tarantula enclosures designed for arboreal tarantula must necessarily have a lid or cover.
What should a tarantula enclosure look like?
Basic items for a tarantula enclosure Every tarantula enclosure should have quality substrate like coconut fiber, a water dish, a hide or place for the tarantula to hide, and some decor items. Arboreal tarantulas in particular will need decor items like branches to climb on.
How do I create a tarantula habitat?
The tarantula habitat you create will all depend on the species of tarantula you have, but basically all tarantulas need a well-ventilated tank, some good substrate (like this or this), access to a water dish, some decor and an area to hide in, and a setup that keeps them safe.
Do arboreal tarantulas need a cover?
Arboreal tarantulas are skilled escape artists and will jump out and leave the safety provided by your home if you do not pay proper attention. So tarantula enclosures designed for arboreal tarantula must necessarily have a lid or cover. The cover must facilitate appropriate ventilation.