# New river rust rump enclosure suggestions.



## Kimberley5 (Jan 2, 2012)

I'm still not 100% on my tarantula. I am now wondering about her enclosure and I would like opinions of more experienced people with Tarantulas. I currently have her in a small plastic box, I am aware it is not the most naturalistic environment for her. I feel like it's wrong, keeping her in a small sandwich box however I know they like to feel secure and they aren't to keen of being in a large environment. The enclosure she's in now is the second picture.
I would like to know if the first picture would be a more suitable enclosure for her even though it is a lot larger than the plastic box she's in now? What do you guys think?


















(I put a wax worm in a dish so it didn't burrow under the substrate, as she doesn't eat very much I offered her something different)

I don't think it's worth it me buying a class terrarium for her because she isn't a large tarantula, but if you gives think I should please let me know. I have looked online at this particular one which I think would be a permanent home for her : Triple 8 Reptiles - Komodo Reptile Habitats Front/Top Opening 30 x 30 x 30cm


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

Both set ups are fine. Get rid of that dial thingy they are as useful as a chocolate tea pot


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## Kimberley5 (Jan 2, 2012)

selina20 said:


> Both set ups are fine. Get rid of that dial thingy they are as useful as a chocolate tea pot


Haha yes they are! I have just left them in there since I've had it. Thanks


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

Kimberley5 said:


> Haha yes they are! I have just left them in there since I've had it. Thanks


I would perhaps watch the wooden thing that isnt submerged in case of the T getting its leg stuck in it though


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## Kimberley5 (Jan 2, 2012)

selina20 said:


> I would perhaps watch the wooden thing that isnt submerged in case of the T getting its leg stuck in it though


I will, I might just replace it with something else. Would it be best to keep her in the smaller tub?


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

Kimberley5 said:


> I will, I might just replace it with something else. Would it be best to keep her in the smaller tub?


The smaller tub needs more ventilation hence why the substrate is damp. Tbh either is fine


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## Veyron (Mar 29, 2011)

Like Selina said, the smaller is fine for it. If you want it on display, go for the larger clearer one.

Any particular reason you're asking ? The larger one isn't _too_ big. It's all relative ie bigger spaces need more cover/hides. In the wild they live on Earth...which is pretty big, they just stay close to shelter and don't utilise vast, open spaces.


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## Kimberley5 (Jan 2, 2012)

Veyron said:


> Like Selina said, the smaller is fine for it. If you want it on display, go for the larger clearer one.
> 
> Any particular reason you're asking ? The larger one isn't _too_ big. It's all relative ie bigger spaces need more cover/hides. In the wild they live on Earth...which is pretty big, they just stay close to shelter and don't utilise vast, open spaces.


I'm asking because I am a newbie with tarantulas and I am always stressing about what Is best for her. I just wasn't sure whether it would be too big for her as I've read up on them and they tend to be kept in small housing. But thanks Veyron.


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

Kimberley5 said:


> I'm asking because I am a newbie with tarantulas and I am always stressing about what Is best for her. I just wasn't sure whether it would be too big for her as I've read up on them and they tend to be kept in small housing. But thanks Veyron.


Go with your instinct. Dont doubt yourself too much. By looking at the set ups you have it pretty covered anyway


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## Veyron (Mar 29, 2011)

Kimberley5 said:


> I'm asking because I am a newbie with tarantulas and I am always stressing about what Is best for her. I just wasn't sure whether it would be too big for her as I've read up on them and they tend to be kept in small housing. But thanks Veyron.


The first one is "small" though. If you had a mouse, which was roughly the size of your T, then that faunarium would be terribly small for it.

Any spider that is within 6 inches of immediate cover will be happy. So feel free to make it as big or small as you wish.

I do like the first pic though, it meets the T's needs and looks nice. Go with that. Don't know why you have 2 dishes on the second pic, but the larger one is way too big and will increase the humidity.

: victory:


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## Kimberley5 (Jan 2, 2012)

selina20 said:


> Go with your instinct. Dont doubt yourself too much. By looking at the set ups you have it pretty covered anyway


Thankyou! I appreciate your kindness haha


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## Veyron (Mar 29, 2011)

selina20 said:


> Go with your instinct. Dont doubt yourself too much.


You sound like Trisha (Goddard) :lol:


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

Veyron said:


> You sound like Trisha (Goddard) :lol:


Im trying to be nice :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## Kimberley5 (Jan 2, 2012)

Veyron said:


> The first one is "small" though. If you had a mouse, which was roughly the size of your T, then that faunarium would be terribly small for it.
> 
> Any spider that is within 6 inches of immediate cover will be happy. So feel free to make it as big or small as you wish.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I have been doubting the smallest one because it's not like it's natural habitat in the wild. 
I think I will put her in the one, in the first picture. Thanks. Lol I placed two dishes in the second picture because there's a waxworm in it, otherwise It will just burrow under the substrate. She doesn't eat much so I tried offering her something that may seem more yummy. and the other is for water.


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Aphonopelma's spend 99% of their life in a burrow, they don't need loads of space. I keep a fair few different Aphonopelma & mine are all in smallish tubs as they feel more secure in them. I don't personally like the faunariums for them as they don't hold the humidity very well & even though they are a desert species they like a high humidity. Personally if this was one of mine it would be kept in the sandwich box type tub :2thumb:. 


Great choice of tarantula though :2thumb:, you need a few chalcodes now :whistling2:.


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## pcharlton (Mar 23, 2012)

selina20 said:


> Im trying to be nice :Na_Na_Na_Na:


:idea::idea::idea::idea::idea::idea::Na_Na_Na_Na::Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## MEDICALMAN (Jul 9, 2012)

i keep all my 12 AF new worlds in the exact same faunarium in pic 1 - slightly different furniture and arrangement within it but the same enclosure. Seems that after a while they seem to view the whole enclosure as a shelter in itself. The rust rump will grow a bit and the span of these faunariums seems to suit ok. a couple of my T's have moulted in them also. just keep the water dish full and a little overflow and they will work good.

as to the thermo / hyrdo dials they are not exact at all, but, that doesn't matter if you get to work out exactly how wrong they are from the actual. kind of like having a watch that is 10 minutes fast - it doesn't matter so long as you know it ten minutes fast. all 12 of mine have all settled to show the exact same temp which is 2 degrees out from the actual. however, don't obsess about humidity and temp anyway - basically if it is not too hot or cold for you in a t shirt in the ambient then your T will be fine. Having been to Arizona, California, Nevada and New Mexico I can tell you it gets scorthcing during day and proper cold under desert sky at night. Tough little buggers these USA new worlds.


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## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

These are a desert species, there's not exactly an awful lot of rain fall in Arizona and it's a completely different climate over there, the heat is a dry heat in deserts so, I think overfilling their water dish is just fine, least it's working for mine. Anyway, here's my New River Rust Rump set up, I keep her in a large flat faunarium and she's doing just fine, I just keep the water dish full and sometimes overfill it, she's never once burrowed and has never even attempted to dig at all, the only one of my Ts that doesn't shift the substrate round, she's mostly sitting out in the open or in her plant pot hide;


















First feed with me


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## giantisopod (Oct 21, 2012)

Hi, my Aphonopelma sp. 'New River Rust Rump' seems to prefer a deeper enclosure with lots of substrate (see pics, water dish is out of sight). I used to keep her in a shallow plastic enclosure with a hide, but she would freak out every time I opened the enclosure and she was really skittish. I got hold of a bigger enclosure, filled it mostly full of sand and coir, with leaves and twigs on the top, and started a burrow for her at about a 45 degree angle. She doesn't move a millimetre when I take the lid off now, and after a few weeks she started using the burrow and chucked a load of earth out of it. She's much more chilled now. Anyway, no idea whether yours might benefit from that kind of setup but thought it was worth sharing...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/8435976806/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/8434894727/in/photostream/


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## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

giantisopod said:


> Hi, my Aphonopelma sp. 'New River Rust Rump' seems to prefer a deeper enclosure with lots of substrate (see pics, water dish is out of sight). I used to keep her in a shallow plastic enclosure with a hide, but she would freak out every time I opened the enclosure and she was really skittish. I got hold of a bigger enclosure, filled it mostly full of sand and coir, with leaves and twigs on the top, and started a burrow for her at about a 45 degree angle. She doesn't move a millimetre when I take the lid off now, and after a few weeks she started using the burrow and chucked a load of earth out of it. She's much more chilled now. Anyway, no idea whether yours might benefit from that kind of setup but thought it was worth sharing...
> 
> DSCN1419s | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
> 
> DSCN1420s | Flickr - Photo Sharing!


Complete opposite from my New River, she's really quite calm, never showed any aggression, she can be a little bit flicky but that's it, quite a calm spider and always sitting out in the open.


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

I like your enclosure giantisopod, very realistic.

I also like AilsaM's and the OPs, tbh your tarantula isnt going to have any preference.
smaller enclosures are all that's necessary, but a faunarium is much better for display. With the dark lids of a faunarium its not going to feel too out in the open.
Dry with a water bowl, occasional overflow, feed once or twice a fortnight and everything should be fine.


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## Veyron (Mar 29, 2011)

corny girl said:


> Aphonopelma's spend 99% of their life in a burrow, they don't need loads of space.





giantisopod said:


> Hi, my Aphonopelma sp. 'New River Rust Rump' seems to prefer a deeper enclosure with lots of substrate . I got hold of a bigger enclosure, filled it mostly full of sand and coir, with leaves and twigs on the top, and started a burrow for her at about a 45 degree angle.


....



AilsaM said:


> Complete opposite from my New River ...always sitting out in the open.


Is your post count so high because you type random comments wherever and whenever you can, massively contradicting yourself inbetween ?


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## pcharlton (Mar 23, 2012)

Veyron said:


> ....
> 
> 
> 
> Is your post count so high because you type random comments wherever and whenever you can, massively contradicting yourself inbetween ?


mine is out all time or in the flower pot :Na_Na_Na_Na::Na_Na_Na_Na::Na_Na_Na_Na::Na_Na_Na_Na::lol2:stop being a bully lol its a forum:Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

Veyron said:


> ....
> 
> 
> 
> Is your post count so high because you type random comments wherever and whenever you can, massively contradicting yourself inbetween ?


I don't think I contradicted myself, I merely stated about my own New River as I thought it would help the OP out, I cannot comment about other peoples spiders because quite simply am not really interested in how they provide the correct care for them, my own spiders are all doing just fine and personally that's all I'm bothered about however, should you feel the need to point out where I contradicted myself, please do carry one :Na_Na_Na_Na::Na_Na_Na_Na:

I think the comment below should tell the OP that there's nothing wrong with my set up or maybe you just missed that because you just wanted to have a go :whistling2:



Poxicator said:


> I like your enclosure giantisopod, very realistic.
> 
> I also like AilsaM's and the OPs, tbh your tarantula isnt going to have any preference.
> smaller enclosures are all that's necessary, but a faunarium is much better for display. With the dark lids of a faunarium its not going to feel too out in the open.
> Dry with a water bowl, occasional overflow, feed once or twice a fortnight and everything should be fine.


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## Veyron (Mar 29, 2011)

AilsaM said:


> I don't think I contradicted myself, I merely stated about my own New River as I thought it would help the OP out, I cannot comment about other peoples spiders because quite simply am not really interested in how they provide the correct care for them, my own spiders are all doing just fine and personally that's all I'm bothered about however, should you feel the need to point out where I contradicted myself, please do carry one :Na_Na_Na_Na::Na_Na_Na_Na:
> 
> I think the comment below should tell the OP that there's nothing wrong with my set up or maybe you just missed that because you just wanted to have a go :whistling2:


I didn't say your setup was bad, nor did I even hint at it. It's pretty much identical to the OP's, which I said was fine : victory: 

I was just pointing out how you said that this genus spends 99% of it's life in a burrow, and when someone agreed with you and had set their tank up in a way to allow that, you said that yours is permanently out on display.


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## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

For goodness sake


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

Veyron said:


> I didn't say your setup was bad, nor did I even hint at it. It's pretty much identical to the OP's, which I said was fine : victory:
> 
> I was just pointing out how you said that this genus spends 99% of it's life in a burrow, and when someone agreed with you and had set their tank up in a way to allow that, you said that yours is permanently out on display.


I think you have misread it. Corny girl said they live in burrows lol


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## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

Veyron said:


> I was just pointing out how you said that this genus spends 99% of it's life in a burrow, and when someone agreed with you and had set their tank up in a way to allow that, you said that yours is permanently out on display.


I suggest you look back at the comments, it was not me who said they spend 99% of their time in burrows & yes I commented that mine is always out in the open on display because this is exactly how she behaves.

Please try reading comments first, the below comment is what your referring to, quite clearly not said by me!!



corny girl said:


> *Aphonopelma's spend 99% of their life in a burrow*, they don't need loads of space. I keep a fair few different Aphonopelma & mine are all in smallish tubs as they feel more secure in them. I don't personally like the faunariums for them as they don't hold the humidity very well & even though they are a desert species they like a high humidity. Personally if this was one of mine it would be kept in the sandwich box type tub :2thumb:.
> 
> 
> Great choice of tarantula though :2thumb:, you need a few chalcodes now :whistling2:.


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## Kimberley5 (Jan 2, 2012)

Well thankyou for everyone's advice, it's helped a lot dispite the different opinions everyone has on what they should/shouldn't have. And it's good to see pictures of everyone else's enclosures for them!


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

Kimberley5 said:


> Well thankyou for everyone's advice, it's helped a lot dispite the different opinions everyone has on what they should/shouldn't have. And it's good to see pictures of everyone else's enclosures for them!


Remember everyone keeps them differently. The main thing is a burrow and kept dry and you cant go wrong there


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## Veyron (Mar 29, 2011)

selina20 said:


> I think you have misread it. Corny girl said they live in burrows lol





AilsaM said:


> I suggest you look back at the comments, it was not me who said they spend 99% of their time in burrows & yes I commented that mine is always out in the open on display because this is exactly how she behaves.
> 
> Please try reading comments first, the below comment is what your referring to, quite clearly not said by me!!


Even though I hate to admit I'm wrong, I will, and I am :blush:


In my defense....I was rather hungover from my birthday celebrations :whistling2:


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## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

Veyron said:


> Even though I hate to admit I'm wrong, I will, and I am :blush:
> 
> 
> In my defense....I was rather hungover from my birthday celebrations :whistling2:


Oh aye am sure you do hate to admit it :whistling2:

Suppose I should wish you happy birthday, hope it was a good one : victory:


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## Veyron (Mar 29, 2011)

AilsaM said:


> Oh aye am sure you do hate to admit it :whistling2:
> 
> Suppose I should wish you happy birthday, hope it was a good one : victory:


No need for the 'whistle', I will openly admit to despising myself when I'm wrong :lol2: I'm off to whip myself now :2thumb:

And thanks, had the best day ever, with my mum, girlfriend and kids. Most important people in my life.


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## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

Veyron said:


> No need for the 'whistle', I will openly admit to despising myself when I'm wrong :lol2: I'm off to whip myself now :2thumb:
> 
> And thanks, had the best day ever, with my mum, girlfriend and kids. Most important people in my life.


Good stuff, glad you had a great day :2thumb:

Now you can go off and whip yourself :lol2:


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## Kimberley5 (Jan 2, 2012)

giantisopod said:


> Hi, my Aphonopelma sp. 'New River Rust Rump' seems to prefer a deeper enclosure with lots of substrate (see pics, water dish is out of sight). I used to keep her in a shallow plastic enclosure with a hide, but she would freak out every time I opened the enclosure and she was really skittish. I got hold of a bigger enclosure, filled it mostly full of sand and coir, with leaves and twigs on the top, and started a burrow for her at about a 45 degree angle. She doesn't move a millimetre when I take the lid off now, and after a few weeks she started using the burrow and chucked a load of earth out of it. She's much more chilled now. Anyway, no idea whether yours might benefit from that kind of setup but thought it was worth sharing...
> 
> DSCN1419s | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
> 
> DSCN1420s | Flickr - Photo Sharing!


Your set ups are a great idea. Thanks for the tips


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