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HOUSING.
Many items can be utilised as spider housing, from clear
plastic film canisters for very small spiderlings, to large
pen pal, fauna boxes for sub adults and adults.
I also use empty sweet jars and clear plastic boxes.
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Substrate is peat/vermiculite mix, but you can use the fine grade
vermiculite on its own, however I prefer the latter mix as it does look more natural.
For retreats I use pieces of cork bark, buried slightly into the peat,
This gives the opportunity for the spiders to burrow under it if they
wish, but I have to say that most of my spiders tend to spend all their time in full few.
Water bowls are provided, but for very small spiders I use the tops of plastic coke and milk bottles filled with very wet cotton wool.
The last thing that I add to the tank is some sphagnum moss, this is
sprayed daily to keep up the humidity, every other day for those
spiders which require a less humid atmosphere.
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HEATING
All my spiders are housed on a open plan shelf system, heated by a heat
cable running along the shelves themselves.
This cable along with the ambient room temperature keeps everything at 74-78f.
However I do allow a slight drop in temperature at night of 2-3c.
Other heating methods can be used such as heat mats, and also heated cabinets, which is what I used when I first started keeping spiders many years ago.
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FEEDING
One of the most important factors in feeding your spiders is that the insect food you are
providing is as nutrious and full of calorific value as possible.
This can be provided by feeding live foods either with a commercially made product such
as Bug Grub, or by making something yourself. I always feed my live foods for at least two days prior to using them, so that they are gut filled.
I also use waxworms and occasionally mealworms, but I tend to use ones that have just
moulted. My larger spiders are also offered mouse pinkies, as these are a complete meal in
themselves, but I must say it is a bit messy!
During the summer months I collect wild bugs and moths, the latter being especially liked
by my arboreal spiders, and it is quite something to watch a pink toe chasing a moth around its tank, and the catch is usually quite spectacular, as they will actually leap at the moth.
As far as my feeding regime goes I tend to go by the adage " you get out what you put in".
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I check all my spiders on a daily basis, usually as soon as I get up in the morning. I look
for any spiders that have moulted, if there is any live food left in the tank, and also if the water bowls need cleaning and topping up, and any food remains removed.
I always feed my spiders at night, and I usually watch to make sure that all have fed, and make
a note of any that have not.
General cleaning of the tanks I do every six months or less if a spider needs transferring.
At the end of every month any notes or observations I have made goes onto disc.
I do tend to still use my notebooks however, and over the years I have collected quite a few. I often look back through them, and its interesting to make comparisons to the stock I hold now. I even find snippets of information that come in quite handy at times!
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