Care Sheet and General Tarantula Information
While care requirements can vary slightly from species to species,
MOST tarantulas require the same basic conditions in order to thrive.
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Tarantula Enclosure Temperature/Lighting:
68-75 degrees Fahrenheit (Room Temperature) is perfect for most tarantulas.
In general, if you are comfortable in a T-shirt, your tarantula is comfortable. No light is required for tarantulas. They are nocturnal and will generally avoid light, preferring to explore and hunt at night.
DO NOT USE LAMPS OR UNDER TANK HEAT MATS! Lamps produce too much heat and dry out the enclosure, and under tank heat mats will cause the tarantula to instinctively burrow to escape the heat, and often this leads to the tarantula accidentally cooking themselves.
(Tarantulas in the Theraphosa, Pamphobeteus, and Xenesthis genus are best kept at 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit.)
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Tarantula Enclosure Humidity/Ventilation:
Instead of chasing a specific humidity percentage, provide a gradient so that one side of the enclosure is more moist than the other. This allows the tarantula to regulate itself depending on it's needs. ​​
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Tarantulas can generally be divided into three basic humidity types:
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-Arid/Dry: Bone-dry substrate, refill water dish once per week.
Examples: Grammostola rosea, Brachypelma hamori, Aphonopelma chalcodes
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-Temperate/Semi-Moist: Dry top layer, moist bottom layer. Overflow water dish occasionally.
Examples: Grammostola pulchripes, Lasiodora parahybana
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-Tropical/Moisture Dependent: Consistently damp substrate (not swampy) with high cross ventilation.
Examples: Theraphosa stirmi, Pamphobeteus machala
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The Squeeze Test: For species requiring mid to high range humidity, if you squeeze a handful of substrate and it holds shape without dripping water, it is perfectly moist.
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Ventilation: Cross ventilation is extremely important for all tarantulas. This means the enclosure has holes on the side to allow air to flow through the enclosure and across the substrate, not just ventilation at the top which usually lets moisture escape but does not provide much air flow. Cross ventilation is very important to keep the air from stagnating and allowing mold and mildew to form. Many off-the-shelf reptile tanks only have ventilation at the very top (usually a mesh screen). For tarantulas, this is often insufficient because it creates stagnant air at the bottom of the tank, where the spider actually lives.
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Stop misting, start pouring: Misting only raises humidity for a few minutes. To keep it stable, pour water directly into one corner of the substrate to allow the bottom layer to stay damp while the top layer stays dry.
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Water dish is key: Even for Arid species, a water dish is the best humidity regulator. As it evaporates, it creates a micro-climate of humidity right where the tarantula needs it.
Do not use a sponge. Tarantulas cannot drink from a sponge, and sponges grow lots of bacteria.
Many keepers choose to use distilled water instead of tap water to avoid hard water stains. Calcium deposits can build up on acrylic/glass that are very hard to scrub off. Using distilled or RO (reverse osmosis) water for the dish and pouring into substrate can prevent these mineral buildups in your enclosure and water dish.
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Slings/Spiderlings: Regardless of the adult's needs, slings of almost all species require slightly higher humidity. Because they are so small, they desiccate (dry out) much faster than adults. It is always recommended to keep a small portion of a sling's substrate damp and ensure adequate cross ventilation.
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Tarantula Enclosure Size:
The enclosure size is based on the tarantula's Diagonal Leg Span (DLS) or the length of the legs from the tip of the front left leg to the tip of the back right leg.
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-Terrestrial/Fossorial (Ground-dwellers/Burrowers): The floor space should be roughly 4x the spider's diagonal leg span. Height should be limited because a fall from a great height can be fatal for a heavy spider. These prefer deep substrate (often 6+ inches for adults) to feel secure in their tunnels.
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-Arboreal (Tree-dwellers): Size requirement is the same as terrestrial, roughly 4x the diagonal leg span, except vertical instead of horizontal. Prioritize height over floor space. Provide lots of vertical cork bark or branches for climbing and webbing anchor points.
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Risk of Falls/Abdominal rupture: People often don't realize how fragile a tarantula's abdomen is, especially terrestrial tarantulas which usually have a larger abdomen than an arboreal tarantula. Always ensure there is enough substrate to 'cushion' the distance between the top of the tank and the floor. For terrestrial species, the distance between the top of the substrate and the lid should not exceed 1.5x the leg span of the spider.
The abdomen is essentially a thin-skinned balloon filled with vital organs. Even a fall of 6–12 inches onto a hard surface can cause the abdomen to rupture. Abdominal ruptures are almost always fatal.
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Tarantula Substrate:
Most tarantula keepers use a moisture retaining base of coco fiber, organic topsoil, peat moss, or a mix of those 3. In general, the more substrate the better.
Terrestrial/fossorial tarantulas prefer 4"-6" of substrate to burrow/tunnel.
Arboreal species do not need as much but a decent 2"-3" layer is preferred to hold humidity.
Do not use potting soil, which often contains fertilizer, pesticides, or other chemicals.
Do not use substrate that contains cedar or pine chips, which contains oils that are toxic to tarantulas.
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Tarantula Feeding/Nutrition:
Tarantulas are opportunistic predators. Feed live insects at least once a week. Always remove uneaten prey after 12-24 hours to prevent the feeder insect attacking the tarantula.
Adults can eat full sized crickets, or other insects around 1" or larger.
Slings prefer softer bodied insects around half their body size such as crickets or freshly molted roaches. Commonly used feeder insects include crickets, dubia roaches, redrunner roaches, mealworms, superworms, waxworms, hornworms, or fruitflies for the smallest baby spiderlings.
For tiny spiderlings, you can also used prekilled insects by tearing the feeder to expose the soft insides and let the spiderling scavenge on the carcass.
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The Hunger Strike: Tarantulas have incredibly slow metabolisms. An adult can often go several weeks to months without food without any ill effects, even when not in pre-molt. As long as the abdomen is not shriveled and they have water available, do not worry if they refuse a meal.
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Tarantula Molting:
Tarantulas grow by shedding their exoskeleton A.K.A. Molting.
Before molting during a period called pre-molt, the spider will stop eating for weeks or months. It will often hide or seal off its burrow with web or substrate for weeks. It's abdomen will turn dark and shiny. They may become less active and seem lethargic.
Immediately before molting, the tarantula will usually flip on it's back in a web chamber or on a thick mat of webbing. It may remain in this position for an entire day as it sheds is skin.
DO NOT TOUCH OR FEED THE TARANTULA DURING MOLT! This can be fatal for the tarantula.
Do not feed or touch the spider for 7-10 days after a molt. Their fangs are soft and can break. They need time to harden their exoskeleton before being handled or fed again. Feeder insects can prey on soft tarantulas after molt.
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"Death Curl" vs Molting: One of the most common reasons new keepers panic during a molt and attempt to intervene (usually killing the spider) is because they don't know the difference between a molt and a death curl. If a spider is on it's back, it is usually molting. If a spider is right-side up with its legs tucked tightly underneath its body like a closed fist, it is usually a death curl.
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Tarantula Handling:
At Paladin Exotics, we view tarantulas as "display pets" (like fish). While some species are docile enough to be handled, handling always carries a risk of the spider falling or biting.
We recommend observing their fascinating behaviors from outside the glass. Handle at your own risk.
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Urticating Hairs:
New World tarantulas have a defense mechanism called urticating hairs. These are barbed, microscopic bristles on the abdomen that the spider "flicks" into the air using its back legs when it feels threatened. These tarantulas can brush off these hairs from their abdomen causing itching and irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. The hairs can feel similar to fiberglass insulation when on the skin, and can potentially cause permanent eye damage if they get in your eyes. Don't touch face or eyes after handling or cleaning an enclosure.
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Mesh Lid Warning:
A potential safety issue for all tarantulas are screen mesh lids. Tarantulas have small claws on the tips of their feet, called tarsal claws. These little hook like claws can sometimes get stuck on mesh lids, causing them to lose a leg or even fall and rupture their abdomen. This may be a very rare occurrence, but it is always possible. We recommend using an acrylic lid with drilled ventilation holes.
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Tarantula Enclosure Cleaning/Maintenance:
Tarantula enclosures and substrate don't need to be changed or cleaned very often. Tarantulas don't produce much waste. Unless the enclosure becomes moldy or infested with mites, keepers often can go years without completely cleaning an enclosure. Usually, spot cleaning to remove the remains of dead insects and cleaning of white poop spots off the sides of the enclosure is sufficient to prevent mold or mites from becoming established in an enclosure.
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​The Hiding Phase:
Tarantulas will often hide for weeks or even months at a time. Do not panic if you don't see your tarantula for weeks or months. Many species are 'pet holes' and prefer to stay in their burrows. Tarantulas are nocturnal and prefer to come out at night. As long as the water dish is full, they are likely just fine.
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Hydration First Aid for Dehydrated Tarantulas:
If you find a spider with a shriveled abdomen or in a death curl, place its mouthparts directly into a shallow water dish. Unlike humans, they breathe through book lungs on their underside, so ensure the water doesn't cover their abdomen.
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Old World vs New World Tarantulas:
Tarantulas are categorized by where they originate in the world. Tarantulas from the Eastern hemisphere are Old World tarantulas, and tarantulas from the Western hemisphere are New World tarantulas.
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New world tarantulas are generally best for beginners. They are usually much less prone to biting, and their venom is generally much less painful than Old World species, similar to a bee sting. Their primary defense is the urticating hairs.
New World species are generally slower-moving and more docile, though there are exceptions to this rule.
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Old World tarantulas are usually recommended for more experience keepers. They are generally much more defensive, and faster moving than New World. Old World tarantulas do not have urticating hairs, but they are more prone to biting. Their venom is also usually much more painful, although not deadly, some species can cause muscle cramping and heart palpitations for days and weeks after the bite occurs.
Paladin Exotics Rule of Thumb: If you are a first-time keeper, stick with New World terrestrials. If you own an Old World species, never attempt to handle it. Always use long feeding tongs for maintenance to keep a safe distance.
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Common Beginner Tarantula Species:
These species are all great options for beginner tarantula species that are easy to care for, and could potentially be handled. This is not EVERY beginner species but it is a good place to start.
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Chilean Rose Hair - Grammostola rosea or porteri
Mexican Red Knee - Brachypelma hamori or smithi
Brazilian Black - Grammostola pulchra or quirogai
Curly Hair - Tliltocatl albopilosum
Guyana Pinktoe - Avicularia avicularia
Arizona Blonde - Aphonopelma chalcodes
Texas Brown - Aphonopelma hentzi​​​​​​​​​
