i am preparing an enclosure for my rosehair tarantula. what kinds of things can i put in it to make him happy?

Question

I hope to prepare an environment for my Grammastola Rosa or Rosehair tarantula, that includes plants and soil that are comparable to His Native land Chile. So far i am having trouble finding information on the vegetation of Chile (expecially the vegetation found in his habitat). Help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

You don't really have to duplicate the exact plants of his habitat. You can use any kind of indoor houseplants that you think look nice -- the tarantula won't care, it doesn't eat the plants, just hides in them. Just don't clutter up the cage so much that the spider can't find its food. A bigger problem is that it might dig up the plants. My female Rosy Hair, Elvira, whom I've had for 10 years, likes to scoop out a place to sit and hide and she kept digging up the plants. I solved this by using SMOOTH small gravel (not that sharp aquarium stuff -- that can be rough on the spider) for the floor of the cage and putting the plants in little pots buried in the gravel. I also made a little wooden platform raised about an inch off the ground. She goes under there and scoops out her hideout. Also, gravel is easier to clean than a dirt terrarium. About once a year I take out all the plants, water dish and platforms and the tarantula. Then I take the cage outside, fill it to overflowing with water from the hose, and all the dead bug leftovers float to the top. Stirr the gravel around and fill/empty several times, and your cage is vclean for another year. Then put the plants & things back in. (No need to wait for the gravel to dry -- the spider like the moisture.) Good luck with your tarantula -- they are neat pets!

Answer 2

http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html

I have a ten gallon tank with coconut fiber bedding, rocks and a few pieces of petrified wood and a desert background. Aloe plants are safe, as well as non-spiny cacti.