Arachnids

Guides & Resources

Have you ever thought about keeping a pet spider for yourself? Are you worried its difficult, or too expensive? What if you get bitten? Are they venomous? How big do they get? Can you house more than one together? What does it eat? What does 'old world' mean?

I've only started keeping spiders since 2022. Here I've collected some links, videos and other resources that have helped me get started and answer all those same questions. The hobby of arachnids wouldn't be possible without the brilliant community of people dedicated to it and sharing their experiances and husbandry practises. This is also why I made this section of the site ^_^ I want to be a part of that

Old World vs New World

This refers to tarantulas specifically. There's lots of sites and videos online that can explain it more in depth, but I'll try to describe it simply;

Whether a spider is OW or NW depends on what side of the equator its species comes from. NW spiders are generally throughout the upper equator, so all of North America, most of South America and all the islands there. OW falls below the equator line, so throughout the African continent, India, Asia, and Australia.

NW have piss-poor venom, possess uriticating hairs (barbed ouchy-ouch hairs) or can expell excrement as a means of defense from predators. OW don't have uriticating hairs, but are insanely fast and have way more potent venom. No tarantula's venom is potent enough to kill you, not unless you are allergic or have some other immune compromisation that puts you at risk. Children and small animals would be *hugely* at risk however, and is something to consider if you live in a shared home or have other pets

So... NW are better, right? Not nessecarily, every species and individual within that species can vary in temperament. Many OW species have brillant colours and markings, and can still have passive and relaxed personalities. I've also had some NW species that are so cranky, they're basically hell on 8 legs. It all comes down to you and understanding the risk factors that come with owning these kinds of pets. The same case would be for scorpions and similar. If you want a pet you can handle, in general spiders aren't a great choice for that alone... But if you're determined, you'll want to stick to the NW species, and know that they still can bite (ouch), and still have uriticating hairs (itchy) but overall tend to be more docile and less defensive

Spiders are animals

Like all animals, spiders need to have their basic needs met in order to live and function. For them, this is access to clean water, average temperatures (not hot, not cold), food (live feeder insects), and shelter or a home to call their own (their enclosure + hide) Their enclosure should be well ventilated with a secure (closing) lid. Whether you want to keep them in something basic or fancy, it's important to make sure all the needs are there, and they'll pretty much do the rest on their own. Its vital to research the specific species requirements for their preferred set-up. Aboreal species need more canopy room and things like fake plants or upright cork to hide and web behind. Terrestrial and burrowing species need deeper substrate, etc. Humidity is especially important for some spiders (OW Asian species for instance) so this is where your substrate matters, and it really benefits them to increase the enclosure humidity when they're in premolt with a bit of misting. Helps if you live in a dry climate. I'll link a great video here that goes in-depth about humidity and the basic principles to follow

They also poop a lot T_T

How much does it cost? What do I need to get started?

This largely varies, but it doesn't have to be expensive. It depends on the kind of setup you aim for, whether you want a glass terrarium or acrylic, something cheap from the dollarstore, etc.

Not only do I enjoy choosing the aesthetics I want for my spiders and making it look all nice, I believe it improves their quality of life by encouraging foraging/exploring to have a few things in their enclosure for decor. Two common mistakes however; the first is over-crowding. Make sure there's still space for your spider to comfortably move around, dig, web, etc... and secondly, too large an enclosure for the animal. You want space for them to move around/grow into, but wide open space makes most tarantulas anxious and if they're tiny slings, it makes them more vulnerable to falls (and they will climb the enclosure, even to the roof. Yep, even the terrestrial spiders). A good rule is the enclosure should be about 3 times bigger than the total length of the spider. If the spiders legs is touching all sides, it's too small and time for a rehouse. It's important that you research your chosen species, especially if you buy it as a sling. Some tarantulas can live up to 10 years or more! Most spiders will not need anything much larger than a 10 gallon/12x8x8 inch enclosure, not unless you're getting a strimi or blondi but let's be serious; if you're getting your first spider, its's very unlikely you're going to get a giant like those. There are some companies like Tarantula Cribs and Primal Fear that make really convenient, magnetised acrylic enclosures. These are really popular and look great but do cost a bit more

The common practise is gradually upgrading slings (baby spiders) into appropriate sized containers as they grow. Vials and plastic tupperware work perfectly fine, just make sure to poke some air-holes in them! By the time they're sub-adult and a much larger size, you can opt to put them into their would-be permanent enclosure. Your other costs for closure setup is going to include a substrate like cocofibre, or Reptisoil is what I use, sometimes ZooMed jungle mix. All great substrates for retaining moisture/humidity and readily available. Spagnum moss is another good option for helping moisture retention. You also need a source for water like a bottle cap.. Although for slings in vials, they will get all of their moisture directly from the substrate anyways

They also need something to provide a hide. Cork bark is cheap, plentiful and light-weight. It dries fast, and even if it collapses in the enclosure from a spider burrowing, it won't harm or crush your spider. You can use other types of driftwoods and things but try to avoid anything too heavy or sharp. Acrylic/fake plants are perfectly acceptable and stay beautiful even as theyre covered in web :3 You can also do a bio-active setup with live plants but then that might cost more and might seem more of an undertaking for a newbie. There's plenty you can look up about this online and on youtube if you really want to go with a bio-active enclosure

Lastly, you will want to invest in a good pair of long tongs or tweezers, 10 inch is average. I also have a set of model tweezers for the smaller enclosures, since the bigger tongs can be a bit inconvenient for it. I also reccommend a spray-bottle for misting water, an empty clear container or soda-bottle with the bottom end cut off, and a long soft tipped paint brush. The paint brush will be your best friend when rehousing and manuevering reluctant spiders so you needn't use your hands. The container/pop bottle is your 'catch cup' for scooping up spiders, something to keep them in temporarily when needed

Nutrition, molting, and other things to know

Any insect feeder will do regardless, but it's good to vary the diet occassionally when possible. The common feeder for spiders is crickets or superworms. I stick to crickets overall since they vary in size and their nutrition value is balanced. Superworms are a good variant for larger spiders to feast on, and blue horn worms tend to be higher in fats, so ideal for reluctant and shy spiders or for thier first feed after a molt. You shouldn't feed spiders directly after they've molted, however... Their fangs are still soft... Oh! That's right, spiders molt! They shed their exoskeleton every-so often.. When they're slings, they molt quite frequently. Every other month I'd say, from my own experience. It kinda spreads out as they age in frequency, sometimes up to several months or even a year between molts as adults. But more about that in a moment

When it comes to feeding your spiders, you dont want to overfeed them as it can lead to a number of issues... For slings, they might eat twice or thrice a week. Adult spiders will eat typically once a week or so, and less often as they get mature, or nearing a molt. I don't really keep a strict schedule on feeding my own spiders personally, they kind of tell me when they're hungry in their behaviour. For me, thats part of the joy is getting to experience their natural predation habits. You'll see them stalking the mouth of their burrow and know its time for a feed. For the inexperienced and in the beginning, stick to a schedule until you get used to understanding what their behaviours mean

How do you know when your spider is getting ready to molt...? Ah... It's a difficult question to answer and plagues all spider-keepers... But you will start to notice some changes in their behaviours or appearance that signals they're close and preparing... Some species will lay down a web mat, a thick bed or patch of sticky web that they use to aid in a molt. Burrowing species, or species that hide under cork slabs, may web up the entrance and enclose themselves. You'll notice they start to seem less active and turn a dull colour. Their butt may start to thin out or lose patches of hair completely! When their butt really balloons out and seems large, thats an indication they might be molting very soon. When you start to notice these signs, the best way you can help is by giving your spider as least stress as possible. Try not to disturb it, but you can increasing misting frequency and up the humidity levels

Below I've compiled together a list of links and resources to help you find more information and to get started ^_^

_{Care Guides}

_{Where to buy spiders (ships in Canada)}

_{Arachnid Hobbyists & Community}

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