Tarantulas - How to care for Tarantula

Introduction to Tarantulas

The very name Tarantula conjures up a fear in most people, large, hairy and deadly spiders - not true. Tarantulas are in fact misnamed as there is only one true Tarantula and this is to be found in Italy (Southern Europe). The spider gets its name from the town of Taranto where there has always been a large native population,  the locals were so afraid of the spiders they dedicated a dance in honour of the spider - the Tarantella, hence the name.

Ever since horror films have been made Tarantulas have featured as the most horrific monsters, Peter Cushing has starred in many films featuring deadly spiders, at least this is how they are always portrayed.  In reality the the bite is no worse than a bee sting and the venom of most of the commonly kept varieties does humans no harm - unless of course you have a known intolerance for insect bites. There are over 30,000 known species of spider and more are being discovered all the time, Tarantulas belong to one of the oldest groups of spider, the Theraphosids which is part of the Mygalomorph group.  They are found all over the world in tropical, sub tropical and temperate countries such as USA, Africa and Australia. Left: Salem Ornamental Tarantula - Poecilotheria formosa

Tarantulas are often referred to as insects, this is not actually the case. In reality all spiders belong to a group of mostly terrestrial (land living) creatures officially classified as Arachnida (sub group Araneae). There are one or two spiders that live under water in what is essentially a diving bell made from an air bubble and catch fish!. The Arachnid group also contains the order Scorpiones (Scorpions) and Uropygi (whip scorpions), Amblypygi (tailless whip scorpions) and Solifugae (sun spiders) as well as one or two other orders which are less kept by the hobbyist.

The main difference between 'normal' spiders and Tarantulas are the fangs. In Tarantulas they are fixed in position and fold under the head when not in use, Tarantulas have to bite their prey by stabbing at it whereas in other spiders the fangs have a joint at the base which allows them to point their fangs in different directions to grab their prey. Here's the business end of a curly hair tarantula!

Housing Tarantulas

Tarantulas don't need a great deal of space to be kept but for the sake of the animal it is always a good idea to give enough space to freely move around otherwise it will be put under unnecessary stress and will suffer. A good size tank or vivarium for an adult would be 12 inches long x 12 inches deep x 12 inches high, this will give enough room for the addition of hiding places, water wells and still leave room to move around freely. Tree spiders will need a taller tank, similar foot print but around 18 inches or more taller. Right: Red Leg Tarantula - Brachypelma emilia make super pet tarantulas

Glass Terrariums are the best option for tarantulas but aquarist tanks are a good container but the lid should have ample air holes to allow the tank to breath. Special plastic tanks can also be purchased in a wide variety of sizes, these are also ideal homes for tarantulas and are much lighter in weight.

Whichever home you choose there are two types of substrate open to you:

A. The tank should have a coating of 2 inches of vermiculite which should be kept slightly moist at all times - not wet though as this would harm your tarantula and could cause infection. This is the preferred substrate.

B. The base of the tank should have a coating of 3 inches of substrate, the best type of substrate to use is Faunology Jungle substrate or a mixture of sphagnum peat and good quality top soil or John Innes potting compost (soil based) in a ration of 70/30 soil/peat will do. This substrate should be moist but not wet at all times.

Which ever type you decide upon it should be kept slightly damp, not ringing wet though. This will prevent your spider from becoming over dry and dying.

Here's a good kit for the typical forest type ground dwelling tarantula, this group includes Chile Rose, Red Knee, Stripe Knee etc

HOUSING 1 x Exo Terra Glass Terrarium (30 x 30 x 30cm) HEATING 1 x Electric heater (6 x 11 with plug) SUBSTRATE 3 x 5 litres of Jungle substrate DECOR 1 x Gnarled Looking Wood Chunk 1 x Cave Hide 2 x Silk Plants OTHER EQUIPMENT 1 x Dial thermometer 1 x Dial hygrometer 1 x Water dish 1 x Keeping Tarantulas Book

All tarantulas moult every few months, this allows them to grow as their exoskeletons (skin) has very little room for expansion.

When shedding they will often refuse to eat and seem listless, they may loose their colouration too and take on a pale look. DO NOT disturb your tarantula during this time as they could die.

The likelyhood is that you will wake one morning to find two tarantulas in the tank - one is a real one and the other is a complete skin. The image below shows the skin of a curly haired tarantula

Some form of shelter should also be provided to allow you pet to hide in safety whenever it chooses, the best type of shelter to provide is in the form of a piece of cork bark. This material is available from Faunology and is used widely by orchid growers, it is light weight, looks good and will last for ever! When choosing a piece it should be around 7 inches wide (for an adult) and in the shape of either a tube or arch which will allow the spider to crawl under or in.

Other tank additions include artificial plants to give the whole tank the look of a natural environment but avoid any hard or sharp objects or your spider may harm itself and a water dish of around 3 inches in diameter and 1 inch deep - this is a must!

No lighting is needed in the tank but you can add it if you prefer, this is purely for cosmetic reasons. 

Temperature & Humidity

The temperature of the tank will depend on what type of Tarantula you are keeping but typically you should be aiming for 70°F to 75°F. This is most easily achieved using under tank heating mats to which a thermostatic probe has been attached and placed in the tank. An alternative is to use one of the ceramic heating lamps housed in the top of the tank again with a thermostat attached for control.

Humidity should be maintained by spraying the tank floor, walls and plants twice a week with clean water, the compost in the base should not be allowed to become completely dry otherwise you will have difficulties getting it damp again. If it appears to be drying out heavily spray one or all of the walls with fresh water, this will be absorbed by the soil but will avoid puddles forming. Left: Ornate Ornamental Tarantula - Poecilotheria ornata very fast tree spiders with attitude!

If you use the under tank heating system then you may need to spray a little more as this will evaporate the water more quickly. Ideally you should be aiming to maintain a humidity level of around 50% to 60%, you can check this with an inexpensive hygrometer. Once you tank has been set up for a few weeks you will get the feel for how much spraying is required to maintain the correct levels. Don't allow the humidity level to drop below 30% or rise above 70% as the spider will become distressed.

If you are considering a tree (arboreal) spider then you will need a taller tank as they do not like being near the floor. This offers you the opportunity to include a live tree in your terrarium and will create a much more realistic environment for the spider than artificial plants ever can. The humidity will be much more constant and the spider will be at home. The snag here is that you will need to provide artificial lights for the plants to grow. I use the Exo Terra Repti Glo 2 tube for this will great results, just resting the tube on the ventilated lid and fitting a tube reflector to aim the light downwards.

Feeding Tarantulas

Tarantulas will take most common insects as food such as crickets, locust, moths, large flies, meal worm are all suitable food sources but the diet should be varied to provide all the minerals and fats essential for best growth. Although in the wild large adults can take small rodents - don't feed mice to your spiders as I've sometimes seen, the chances are that the mouse will bite the spider and may result in the death of the spider!

Water should be provided in the form of a shallow (1 inch) deep dish of 3 inches in diameter, this should be filled with clean water and changed daily, this will also help raise the humidity levels. Tarantulas will also drink the water droplets from the walls and plants after spraying. 

You can purchase live food from our other site Global Live Food (UK only)