Quick Starter Tarantula Care and Advice 

A Care Sheet by Exotics Unlimited 

Written by William West (Manager at EU) 

So, you have decided to embark on the exciting journey of keeping your first tarantula! Great. Welcome to the unlimited world of tarantula keeping. When people ask us, we always say there is a tarantula for  everyone, and there is so much flexibility in how you do “spidering” (spider keeping). After your first  one, you will see that these pets really are the easiest, least stressful and cost-effective pet an animal lover can own.  

This will be a guide for suggestions on tarantula care based on what our team at Exotics Unlimited has  researched and learned through observation and experience from keeping thousands of tarantulas over  the years across well over 100 species. 

What do I need?  

Probably your first question is: “okay, what do I need to keep a tarantula?”. The short answer is really  simple: a properly ventilated container with a water dish, a hide and organic dirt (we use coconut fiber).  Tarantulas will not need any special lighting, or additional heat and most species will be fine with the  temperature that is in your home. We recommend that you avoid lighting fixtures unless you are a more  experienced keeper as many lights will put off heat which can harm your new pet.  

Each species has its own set of preferences, but often species within the same genus will have the  similar or the same requirements. Generally, it is good to maintain air flow for all species: tropical, arid,  arboreal, etc. This keeps fresh air coming into the container and “old” air going out. Good air flow also  prevents from air pathogens (mold/fungus spores and other pathogens) from making your tarantula  sick. Higher air flow may cause the soil to dry a bit faster, so we also recommend using a shallow water  dish so your tarantula can regulate its own water needs; we also recommend weekly misting on the  sides of the enclosure and fixtures. 

Generally, for the cage size we recommend something that is at least twice the tarantula’s diagonal leg  span in width (for terrestrial) or in height (for arboreal and fossorial). Many fossorial species that are  “tube dwellers” will make burrows that are 12” or more in depth, so keep this in mind if you know that  you have one of these species.  

Below we will specify key things to keep in mind for the 3 types of tarantulas: arboreal, terrestrial, and  fossorial. 

Overview of things needed for tarantulas:  

• Appropriately sized cage (about twice the leg span in width for terrestrial or height for  arboreal/fossorial) with good ventilation 

• Water dish 

• Organic soil (we used organic coconut fiber) 

• A hide or retreat for the tarantula (cork bark is the most popular)

• NO special lighting, or heat mats needed. Room temperature (65 to 75F) is fine for these  animals. 

Arboreal Species 

Arboreal tarantulas are species that are adapted to and naturally live primarily in trees. These species  tend to have a more “leggy” and slender appearance and larger “toe pads” in order to help them grip to  surfaces in the tree tops without slipping and falling.  

Cage Design 

For sizing, you will want to make sure that the space on the walls that is available to climb on (Space  between the top of the soil to the top of the cage) is about twice as tall as the tarantula. It is healthy to  allow these animals plenty of space to stretch out completely if they want to. Screen tops can create  good air flow if you like glass terrariums, or you can have cross ventilation with acrylic caging. A lot of  what type of cage you choose is up to preference, but if you plan on doing day/night cycles (which can  increase natural activity in tarantulas, but is not necessary for health) screen tops would be better.  

Why does air flow matter? Air flow is most important for arboreal species because most arboreal  species will be 20ft or more off the ground in trees living, hunting and breeding and not exposed to  things in soil that can make them sick (mold/fungus spores and other pathogens). When we bring these  species in captivity, we cannot keep or observe them in enclosures the height of trees so they will be  closer to soil of course.  

Many arboreal species appreciate and thrive with adequate ventilation to simulate the high air flow  environment that is experienced in the tree tops (much of the time this is 20ft+ off the ground). This is  most often accomplished in captivity through cross ventilation; this is when holes or vents are places  directly across from each other on either side of an enclosure to allow air to pass from one side to the  other. It is important to keep in mind that the “true” arboreal species of tarantulas are adapted to living  exclusively in trees.  

Hides/Climbing Surfaces 

Some species prefer tubes to rest in, others prefer branches or cork to web on, but it depends on the  species you have. A good place to start is a diagonal cork tub so that it doubles as a hiding place, but also  a good anchor point for webbing across the entire enclosure. You will want something so that the  tarantula can rest on without having to web so that as it settles in it is not on the ground. Being on the  ground stresses these animals out because it simply is not natural. Think thick tree brush or tree trunk  (depending on the species).  

Some keepers have bioactive containers with their arboreal tarantula, and each species will interact with the plants in different ways. Make sure if you do plan to use plants in the cage with your tarantula, that  you use non toxic plants that have no pesticides (which can harm your tarantula).  

Some people employ elevated water dishes, but make sure that whatever is used can support the full  weight of your new tarantula pet since they will inevitably climb on this fixture as well.  

Care Regimen 

We recommend weekly feeding and misting for all arboreal species. Make sure to not spray the animal  directly as this can stress them out. Make sure to also provide clean water in the water dishes weekly

Some keepers do day/night cycles with lighting to simulate day and night as they would experience naturally. This can be as simple as an LED strip, or a full spectrum light if plants are in the enclosure. This  is not required and is completely optional for your tarantulas.  

Overview: 

• Ensure enough space and AIR FLOW is given with the cage you choose 

• Water dish and weekly misting for hydration 

• Weekly feeding and “watering” 

• Provide fixtures to climb and web on 

Terrestrial Species 

Terrestrial tarantulas are species of tarantulas that reside on the ground. Many of these species will  make shallow burrows to hide in temporarily and some wonder around on the ground a lot. The care for  terrestrial species is not much different than the other types of tarantulas.  

Cage Design 

This type of tarantulas covers dwarf species (2” leg span) all the way to goliath species (reaching over  11” leg span) but the general rules are the same: you want a cage that is at least twice as wide in both  directions as the tarantula leg span. You will also want to make sure that there is enough air flow to  keep humidity from building on the side of the cage and to bring new air in and old air out. A good rule  of thumb for the depth of soil is one Diagonal Leg Span (DLS) of the tarantula up to 6” and if you are  keeping a larger species 6-8” should be plenty of soil.  

Height to climb is not as important as depth of the soil since these tarantulas will not climb very high  naturally. Larger species will make shallow burrows under logs, or at the bases of trees in the wild so  simulating this with a soil dept of 4-6” and a cork bark tube, or flat over top is a great way to let these  

species make a naturalistic burrow. Many of larger genera (Theraphosa, Xenesthis, Phormictopus,  Pamphobeteus, etc.) can be found wondering the forest floor hunting and then taking refuge in their  shallow burrow so that is what you will want to simulate: enough space to wonder but also a place to  hide.  

The typical genera of terrestrial species in the hobby (Aphonopelma, Brachypelma, etc.) that are from  arid regions DO NOT stay in dusty dry conditions. This is a common misconception with these animals.  These animals a lot of the time are found in burrows that can be 6-12” in nature but this is so they can  escape the heat of the day, have a more humid environment, and escape predators. Many of these  

species can be found at night in nature because of this. In captivity though, we can observe that many of  the bulky, terrestrial arid species will be out on display and not burrowed away. Why is this? Well, our  theory is that the temps in the burrows Temps of where these animals reside naturally vary GREATLY  depending on region, elevation, time of year etc., but regardless you can look forward to species in  these genera still wondering around and being out in the open.  

Hides/Fixtures 

Most keepers use cork bark flats or rounds as the hide for their terrestrial tarantula. Many keepers often  will split rounds in half so the tarantula can burrow under the cork but still have the ability to change the  size of the burrow for when they molt and become larger.  

Terrestrial species do not need many things to climb on, but feel free to add “obstacles” for your tarantula to interact with. Nature surely will not be one flat empty plane of dirt so anything added like  rocks, live plants etc., will help simulate their natural habitat. Just make sure whatever you decide to  add to your tarantula’s enclosure is safe, disinfected and has no pesticides.  

Care Regimen 

The care for terrestrial species tends is the same for other species: weekly feeding and “watering” (misting enclosure and filling water dish). Some terrestrial species have faster metabolisms than others,  so do not panic if your tarantula is not eating every week. 

Overview: 

• Ensure enough ground surface area is given in the cage  

• Enough soil is in the cage (one DLS in depth or 6-8” for larger species) 

• Water dish along with weekly misting of soil/cage  

• NEVER dusty dry conditions. Keep soil half way between saturated (standing water) and dusty  dry

Fossorial Species 

Fossorial tarantulas are species of tarantulas that spend most of their time in burrows below ground. Many of these species are active more at night and during feeding time. This category of tarantula  contains some of the most beautiful specimens known to science.  

Cage Design 

Fossorial tarantulas vary in behavior but most are more active at night and will make fairly deep or long  burrows and spend most of there time there. Some species will make longer and more diagonal burrows  and some will make burrows that are virtually straight down (tube dwellers) so it is important to  distinguish this before picking your cage type.  

As a general rule of thumb, you will want anywhere from 2-4 Diagonal Leg Spans (DLS) worth of dirt and  about 1 DLS worth of open-air space in the container. Even though these arachnids do spend most of  their time underground, it is good to have air flow on the surface to prevent mold growth.  

It is hard to find a cage with the right dimensions that is not acrylic or plastic, but a 10-gallon tank (or  other sizes) work for this type of tarantula too because the increased soil amount helps with keeping  moisture higher. The goal is to create a natural moisture gradient in the soil so the animal can choose  

the humidity it likes depending on the ambient conditions (typically this is dryer at the top and more wet  at the bottom).  

If you notice your fossorial tarantula is digging all the way to the bottom of the enclosure and possibly  across and back up to the surface, it could mean that it needs more soil. Some species can exceed 12” burrow depth in the wild, so if you know you have one of these species, providing a cage with the 2-4  

DLS depth will be fine. The goal is to give the tarantula enough depth to make a burrow where it can be  completely stretched and still have room above and below in the burrow.  

Hides/Fixtures 

Since many of these species create their own home in the ground, a hide is not necessarily essential, but  these tarantulas will use their surroundings to “decorate” their burrows, which can be interesting to  observe. If moss or leaf litter is on the surface, then these materials will often be placed around the  burrow entrance.  

If you are going for a more naturalistic look, you can get creative depending on the specific burrow style  of your tarantula species. Cork flats can serve as “fallen logs” which will be a natural “starter burrow” for  the tarantula in nature and at least provide a place to hide until the burrow is complete. Cork rounds can  be dug into the soil to provide a starter burrow and serve a similar effect. 

Care Regimen 

As with the other types of tarantulas, weekly misting and feeding is suggested at least until you get a  good grasp of the feeding patterns of your tarantula. The soil should be kept with a natural moisture  gradient (typically from top to bottom) and with a water dish. Learning about the region your fossorial  tarantula is found in can be helpful in gauging moisture requirements, but generally keeping the sold  half way between dusty dry and saturated (standing water in the soil) is a good “rule of thumb”. 

Overview: 

• Ensure enough ground surface area is given in the cage  

• Enough soil is in the cage (one DLS in depth or 6-8” for larger species) 

• Water dish along with weekly misting of soil/cage  

• NEVER dusty dry conditions. Keep soil half way between saturated (standing water) and dusty  dry 

Summary 

While the info in this guide may seem long and a bit intimidating, tarantulas are one of the easiest pets  to own and are perfect for those who do not want to worry about a high maintenance and expensive pet. Following these simply rules for each tarantula type should provide you with helpful guidelines to  be successful in whatever type of tarantula you decide to keep.  

If you have any additional questions about your new tarantula, feel free to ask our team so we can point  you in the right direction. 

Introduction

We have prepared this sheet after we have had many requests from many customers that are seeking to keep smaller tarantula spiderlings (slings). Listed below are our recommendations of how we suggest you keep spiderlings. These recommendations are based on our observation and experience in keeping over the many thousands of tarantulas that have come through our shop over the years; this encompasses well over 100 species. 

It is important to note that while this sheet may be detailed, after you raise your first tiny spiderling, it becomes less daunting to get them in the future. Raising tarantulas from slings is not only fulfilling, but also allows you to save money and get rare species that may not be available in larger sizes. 

The following sheet includes the care guidelines we use for all of our arboreal species! We label each species in the description of the items on our site, so refer to these if you are questioning whether your tarantula is arboreal, fossorial, or terrestrial. This sheet is for arboreal species. 

Enclosure Size/Type

When choosing an enclosure it is often more helpful to keep the enclosure a little smaller; this helps keep the environment more controlled and so you make sure they find food. We keep all of our tarantula slings in 40 dram vials that are properly ventilated. These are about 2” across and 3” tall. We suggest using a similar size cage even for the smallest arboreal. 

The vials we use are airtight, so we drill holes or suggest having enclosures with cross ventilation. Slings can escape through holes that are the same size or larger than their carapace (the round section that is often called the “head” where the eye cluster is attached to). You can drill holes in acrylic if necessary, just make sure you do not press too hard so you do not crack the acrylic. 

You will know if you have enough ventilation when there is no moisture buildup on the sides of the enclosure. If you notice the sides of the enclosure are wet, then increase the amount of hold you have. 

Ventilation and removing mold is important for tarantulas, but especially for slings. Why? Well pathogens (germs), like mold spores and bacteria, can become airborne and make their way into your tarantulas book lungs and cause them to become sick. Having appropriate airflow helps to keep the air fresh as it would be in nature and to cycle out these pathogens so your animals are not affected. 

 Terrestrial/fossorial species are better utilized for these pathogens, because they would encounter them more often being on and in the soil for most of their lives. Arboreal species on the other hand hardly ever come in contact with the ground, so the mold and bacteria found on and in the soil that is located in your terrarium would affect them more dramatically. THERE IS NO SUCH THING as Pink Toe Death Syndrome or that arboreal species “die for no reason”. It comes down to correct care and husbandry. That is the goal of us taking the time to provide this info to you: to save animals’ lives and to let you more easily enjoy your pets.

Soil Type/Depth

After you choose your enclosure, now we move onto what goes inside. First, we start with a good soil. 

Here at EU, we use fine ground coconut fiber for a few reasons: 

1. It is fairly cheap and easy to find in nearly all pet stores. 

2. It resists mold which helps keep things sanitary for you and your pet. 

3. It holds moisture very well which makes care a bit easier. 

You will want to have a bit of depth in the soil (about 1-1.5”+ depth) and you want to keep the soil halfway between dusty dry and soaking wet. If you can squeeze the soil, water should not come out, but it should feel wet to the touch. Keeping depth will allow for the spiderling to regulate their moisture requirements just in case you do not get it perfect and for humidity to be maintained for longer. 

Arboreal species will need something to keep them off the ground so a stick, moss or chunk of cork bark for them to climb on is important. This is important because as your tarantula becomes established, it will need areas (less steep than vertical) to rest on since being constantly on soil can actually deteriorate the hair on the toe pads of your arboreal tarantula and affect their ability to climb and hunt. 

Bioactive soil CAN be used in conjunction with terrestrial springtails, especially if you are wanting to grow plants in the enclosure of your tarantula. The microorganisms that are in the soil will also help to prevent mold and fungal growth. 

Care/Maintenance

The mindset here should be to not make the environment (temperature and humidity) for these slings change too quickly or become too extreme (too hot/cold or too wet/dry). The “middle of the road” approach tends to be the best for most slings: keep the soil halfway between dusty dry and soaking wet (standing water) and temps at room temperature (68°F-75°F).

For all slings we recommend weekly misting and feeding, but do not spray the sling directly and do not mist them every day or every other day. 

We wanted to find why our arboreal slings did so well, and how we could help other hobbyists be more successful with their arboreal slings. After researching, and talking with other breeders from around the world, we made the connection that pre-killed food items, for arboreal slings (especially in the first few molts or 30 to 60 days life) is a crucial part of success with arboreal species. But why is this? This is mainly because the mother tarantula will kill food for her babies during this period. This helps them get a strong start before departing into the world, and gives them enough food and energy to travel away from the nest and start their own life.

Many arboreal slings can also be timid and not take down large prey or hunt actively until after a molt or two, so it would make sense to connect this timid period of their life with the period that their mother would be feeding them. 

We suggest feeding pre-killed crickets or small roaches, so that you do not have to stress about having small items (like flies) around as much. Crickets and roaches definitely have more nutrients than flies, so you may notice that these food items cause your tarantulas to grow faster. 

You can feed as often as your tarantula will eat (you cannot overfeed tarantulas). However, make sure to remove live food items that are uneaten within an hour or so, and the remains of food after 1-2 days to prevent mold growth.  The goal should be to grow them past their small sling stage as fast as possible. 

NOTE: Contrary to popular belief, not all tarantulas grow faster when they are kept warmer, BUT it seems that tarantulas grow faster when they are given correct conditions (mostly because it leads to these slings eating more consistently and, therefore, growing faster).

Keeping slings at room temperature is fine. You DO NOT NEED a heating element. In fact we recommend not using any additional heating or lighting elements until you have become familiar with general care of the slings. Just keep them on a room temperature shelf that is not in the sunlight so they do not overheat. Containers can quickly become “ovens” when heat is applied (whether that is sunlight or a heating element). More heat means the animals dehydrate faster, which is not good for slings.

One great aspect about tarantula keeping is that the bedding does not have to be changed as long as there is no excessive mold in the enclosure. In fact we suggest not changing the bedding unless absolutely necessary so the webbing is not destroyed. Spot clean mold as it appears in the enclosure, and if the bedding becomes ridden with mold or fungus just change the bedding. We suggest NOT reusing bedding from other tarantulas (since it can contain mold).  

There have been many keepers that ask about cleaning the webbing or removing it from the enclosure for heavy webbing species. Imagine that you build a brand new house. Spending months to build it, working many long hours, and then someone throws a wrecking ball through the house. That is what you are doing when you remove the webbing of a tarantula. Tarantulas use their web as a way to track what is their territory and many use it to create structure in which they will reside. Tarantulas have pheromones in their web that they taste with their feet. This allows them to know when they are in their territory, or if they happen to wander across another tarantula's territory (which often means the smaller one will get eaten). There is also webbing known as “micro webbing” which is a very thin layer of web that is used for just this: marking what territory belongs to your tarantula. 

Spider silk is created from proteins that are forced through organs of the spinnerets that form the strands of silk that spiders use to create their home. Tarantulas repair their web structures daily and often multiple times a day. Tarantula silk will begin to break down after exposure to moisture in the air and can be used to tell if the ventilation is good enough. “Healthy” spider silk is pearly white and looks like cotton. If you notice the silk becoming yellowish then it likely is older, or it could be an indicator of the air flow not being sufficient for the enclosure. 

If the tarantula is dehydrated or has not eaten in a while, it may need some nourishment to create a web. Webbing also is a natural behavior for when tarantulas are comfortable. If you know your tarantula is a heavy webbing species, then you can use this to gauge if they are comfortable in their environment; if they are not webbing it means that they need: food or water more than likely. Many tarantula species will wander around the area they are found and settle down only when they find food. This, of course, depends on the species, since some species wonder more than others. We have observed many species wander continuously and not web substantially until after they encounter some sort of food; then afterwards they build an entire web palace overnight. It is best when unpacking or rehousing to go ahead and squish a cricket head and put it in the enclosure so your tarantula will have the energy to reconstruct its new home (whether that be digging or webbing). 

Sling Sizing/Molt Stage 

Most tarantula slings when they are in their first instars will molt about once every 2-4 weeks with increasing time between molts as they grow. An instar is the number of molts past the first larval stage Eggs With Legs (EWLs); this essentially is a numerical system marking the number of molts the tarantulas have been walking around. The first instar stage is when tarantulas can crawl around, but would be tended to by their mother still. Depending on the species, some tarantulas can web, and even eat at this stage, while others cannot do either; this is regarded as a second larval stage since they cannot function on their own quite yet. Second instar is when most species are regarded to have become fully developed ‘spiders’ that can roam the world and care for themselves. To avoid this confusion, the standard is to list measurements in inches of leg span. 

Additional Recommendations

Most tarantula slings can be kept nearly the same exact way regarding moisture and ventilation, so do not overcomplicate it. You just do not want moisture to build up on the sides of the enclosure, and for arboreal species something that is simple for them to climb on would be beneficial so that they do not have to sit on the ground. Long exposure to the ground without something to rest on can lead to the toe-pads of arboreal slings to begin to break down, reducing their ability to climb and hunt. 

Mold is often found on what remains of your tarantula's meal and looks like white tufts of cotton most of the time (this is the most common). There is also a type of mold known as “flower pot mold” that is yellow and grows deeper in the soil. This means the enclosure would likely need new bedding and to be rinsed with warm water and wiped with a clean paper towel. 

One consideration is that in nature, most mold will be controlled by things in the soil that eats the mold. This is where springtails come into play. Springtails are small “bugs” that crawl around in the soil that can be white, gray, or pink. These inverts eat mold and other biodegradable matter in terrariums and they will spread throughout cages as they have more food. These animals can also be cultivated on their own to be used in cages. They do a really good job of keeping things nice and clean in the terrariums! These also can double as a food source for very small slings. 

Bioactive soil will provide a little more natural feel to your tarantulas enclosure. Plants can also be grown in this type of soil, however, it is best to keep things as simple as possible for small slings. Depending on the type of bioactive mix that is used, this can assist in controlling mold, fungus and pathogens. 

Hopefully you found this sheet helpful. If you have any additional questions pertaining to the particular species of your interest, please do not hesitate to contact our team! Thank you for reading our care sheet and we look forward to answering all of your questions. - Exotics Unlimited Team

Seladonia (Brazilian Jewel) Special Care

We keep seladonia essentially the same as our other arboreal slings, with a few exceptions. 

1. A cork bark is REQUIRED. This species is an arboreal Trapdoor, and uses bark as a natural surface to live and hunt. We make sure the bark in these cages is rooted in the middle of the cage in the soil so it stands by itself, and we drill holes in the bark so that they have plenty of areas to choose from to build their traps. 
2. Seladonia need a meal before they construct traps. For slings that are departed from mom, we feed a crushed cricket to. This is because these slings will depart from mom in the wild until they find an area with food. Since they are pretty stationary, they need to find a place with consistent food. You will notice that if you go a while without feeding your sling, it will come out and walk around or move its trap in an attempt to find an area with more food. 
3. Do not spray heavily, and make sure the bark dries within a day or two. Mist lightly once a week and do not let the soil get dusty dry (you may notice your sling to come out and drink too). You do not want boggy conditions for this species, since they live on the surface of tree bark, it will naturally dry pretty quick, and have plenty of air flow. 
4. Provide some sort of shavings of cork bark or moss once a month. Your sling will repair, and expand its trap as it molts. These shavings are the material they use to make their trap doors. 

Unpacking: We send our complete kits for seladonia with the bark packed into the soil already, but use moss in the vial to hold everything in place. Remove all the moss, and save it or use it for other enclosures. This is only a packing material that is natural. 

After this, lightly mist the cage and crush a cricket and put it somewhere on top of the cork bark, so your sling has a strong start in your care! 

If you have more questions let us know! - EU Team

Introduction

We have prepared this sheet after we have had many requests from many customers that are seeking to keep smaller tarantula spiderlings (slings). Listed below are our recommendations of how we suggest you keep spiderlings. These recommendations are based on our observation and experience in keeping over the many thousands of tarantulas that have come through our shop over the years; this encompasses well over 150 species. 

It is important to note that while this sheet may be detailed, after you raise your first tiny spiderling, it becomes less daunting to get them in the future. Raising tarantulas from slings is not only fulfilling, but also allows you to save money and get rare species that may not be available in larger sizes. 

Enclosure Size/Type

When choosing an enclosure it is often more helpful to keep the enclosure a little smaller; this helps keep the environment more controlled and so you make sure they find food. We keep all of our tarantulas in 40 dram vials that are properly ventilated. These are about 2” across and 3” tall. You can use smaller enclosures, but even for small slings (1/8” leg span) the smallest vial we keep is a 20 dram vial which is about 1.5” across and 2” tall. 

The vials we use are airtight, so we poke holes in the soft plastic lid for small slings so they do not escape. Slings can escape through holes that are the same size or larger than their carapace (the round section that is often called the “head” where the eye cluster is attached to). You can drill holes in acrylic if necessary, just make sure you do not press too hard so you do not crack the acrylic. You will know if you have enough ventilation when there is no moisture buildup on the sides of the enclosure. If you notice the sides of the enclosure are wet, then increase the amount of hold you have. 

Ventilation and removing mold is important for tarantulas, but especially for slings. Why? Well pathogens (germs), like mold spores and bacteria, can become airborne and make their way into your tarantulas book lungs and cause them to become sick. Having appropriate airflow helps to keep the air fresh as it would be in nature and to cycle out these pathogens so your animals are not affected. 

 Terrestrial/fossorial species are better utilized for these pathogens, because they would encounter them more often being on and in the soil for most of their lives. Arboreal species on the other hand hardly ever come in contact with the ground, so the mold and bacteria found on and in the soil that is located in your terrarium would affect them more dramatically. THERE IS NO SUCH THING as Pink Toe Death Syndrome or that arboreal species “die for no reason”. It comes down to correct care and husbandry. That is the goal of us taking the time to provide this info to you: to save animals’ lives and to let you more easily enjoy your pets. 

Soil Type/Depth

After you choose your enclosure, now we move onto what goes inside. First, we start with a good soil. 

Here at EU, we use fine ground coconut fiber for a few reasons: 

1. It is fairly cheap and easy to find in nearly all pet stores. 

2. It resists mold which helps keep things sanitary for you and your pet. 

3. It holds moisture very well which makes care a bit easier. 

You will want to have a bit of depth in the soil (about 1-1.5”+ depth) and you want to keep the soil halfway between dusty dry and soaking wet. If you can squeeze the soil, water should not come out, but it should feel wet to the touch. Keeping depth will allow for the spiderling to regulate their moisture requirements just in case you do not get it perfect and for humidity to be maintained for longer. 

For very tiny slings (⅛-⅕”), it will be best to let them go through the first couple molts with just your selected soil in the container, unless they are arboreal (tree dwelling) species. Arboreal species will need something to keep them off the ground so a stick, moss or chunk of cork bark for them to climb on is important. 

Bioactive soil CAN be used in conjunction with terrestrial springtails, especially if you are wanting to grow plants in the enclosure of your tarantula. The microorganisms that are in the soil will also help to prevent mold and fungal growth. 

Care/Maintenance

The mindset here should be to not make the environment (temperature and humidity) for these slings change too quickly or become too extreme (too hot/cold or too wet/dry). The “middle of the road” approach tends to be the best for most slings: keep the soil halfway between dusty dry and soaking wet (standing water) and temps at room temperature (68°F-75°F).

For all slings we recommend weekly misting and feeding, but do not spray the sling directly and do not mist them every day or every other day. For food items, we suggest doing pre-killed crickets or small roaches, so that you do not have to stress about having small items (like flies) around as much. Crickets and roaches definitely have more nutrients than flies, so you may notice that these food items cause your crickets to grow faster. 

You can feed as often as your tarantula will eat (you cannot overfeed tarantulas). Just make sure to remove food items that are uneaten within an hour or so, and the remains of food after 1-2 days to prevent mold growth.  The goal should be to grow them past their small sling stage as fast as possible. NOTE: contrary to popular belief, not all tarantulas grow faster when they are kept warmer. 

Keeping slings at room temperature is fine. You DO NOT NEED a heating element. In fact we recommend not using any additional heating or lighting elements until you have become familiar with general care of the slings. Just keep them on a room temperature shelf that is not in the sunlight so they do not overheat. Containers can quickly become “ovens” when heat is applied (whether that is sunlight or a heating element). More heat means the animals dehydrate faster, which is not good for slings.

One great aspect about tarantula keeping is that the bedding does not have to be changed as long as there is no excessive mold in the enclosure. In fact we suggest not changing the bedding unless absolutely necessary so the webbing is not destroyed. Spot clean mold as it appears in the enclosure, and if the bedding becomes ridden with mold or fungus just change the bedding. We suggest NOT reusing bedding from other tarantulas (since it can contain mold).  

There have been many keepers that ask about cleaning the webbing or removing it from the enclosure for heavy webbing species. Imagine that you build a brand new house. Spending months to build it, working many long hours, and then someone throws a wrecking ball through the house. That is what you are doing when you remove the webbing of a tarantula. Tarantulas use their web as a way to track what is their territory and many use it to create structure in which they will reside. Tarantulas have pheromones in their web that they taste with their feet. This allows them to know when they are in their territory, or if they happen to wander across another tarantula's territory (which often means the smaller one will get eaten). There is also webbing known as “micro webbing” which is a very thin layer of web that is used for just this: marking what territory belongs to your tarantula. 

Spider silk is created from proteins that are forced through organs of the spinnerets that form the strands of silk that spiders use to create their home. Tarantulas repair their web structures daily and often multiple times a day. Tarantula silk will begin to break down after exposure to moisture in the air and can be used to tell if the ventilation is good enough. “Healthy” spider silk is pearly white and looks like cotton. If you notice the silk becoming yellowish then it likely is older, or it could be an indicator of the air flow not being sufficient for the enclosure. 

If the tarantula is dehydrated or has not eaten in a while, it may need some nourishment to create a web. Webbing also is a natural behavior for when tarantulas are comfortable. If you know your tarantula is a heavy webbing species, then you can use this to gauge if they are comfortable in their environment; if they are not webbing it means that they need: food or water more than likely. Many tarantula species will wander around the area they are found and settle down only when they find food. This, of course, depends on the species, since some species wonder more than others. We have observed many species wander continuously and not web substantially until after they encounter some sort of food; then afterwards they build an entire web palace overnight. It is best when unpacking or rehousing to go ahead and squish a cricket head and put it in the enclosure so your tarantula will have the energy to reconstruct its new home (whether that be digging or webbing). 

Sling Sizing/Molt Stage 

Most tarantula slings when they are in their first instars will molt about once every 2-4 weeks with increasing time between molts as they grow. An instar is the number of molts past the first larval stage Eggs With Legs (EWLs); this essentially is a numerical system marking the number of molts the tarantulas have been walking around. The first instar stage is when tarantulas can crawl around, but would be tended to by their mother still. Depending on the species, some tarantulas can web, and even eat at this stage, while others cannot do either; this is regarded as a second larval stage since they cannot function on their own quite yet. Second instar is when most species are regarded to have become fully developed ‘spiders’ that can roam the world and care for themselves. To avoid this confusion, the standard is to list measurements in inches of leg span. 

Additional Recommendations

Most tarantula slings can be kept nearly the same exact way regarding moisture and ventilation, so do not overcomplicate it. You just do not want moisture to build up on the sides of the enclosure, and for arboreal species something that is simple for them to climb on would be beneficial so that they do not have to sit on the ground. Long exposure to the ground without something to rest on can lead to the toe-pads of arboreal slings to begin to break down, reducing their ability to climb and hunt. 

Mold is often found on what remains of your tarantula's meal and looks like white tufts of cotton most of the time (this is the most common). There is also a type of mold known as “flower pot mold” that is yellow and grows deeper in the soil. This means the enclosure would likely need new bedding and to be rinsed with warm water and wiped with a clean paper towel. 

One consideration is that in nature, most mold will be controlled by things in the soil that eats the mold. This is where springtails come into play. Springtails are small “bugs” that crawl around in the soil that can be white, gray, or pink. These inverts eat mold and other biodegradable matter in terrariums and they will spread throughout cages as they have more food. These animals can also be cultivated on their own to be used in cages. They do a really good job of keeping things nice and clean in the terrariums! These also can double as a food source for very small slings. 

Bioactive soil will provide a little more natural feel to your tarantulas enclosure. Plants can also be grown in this type of soil, however, it is best to keep things as simple as possible for small slings. Depending on the type of bioactive mix that is used, this can assist in controlling mold, fungus and pathogens. 

Hopefully you found this sheet helpful. If you have any additional questions pertaining to the particular species of your interest, please do not hesitate to contact our team! Thank you for reading our care sheet and we look forward to answering all of your questions. - Exotics Unlimited Team