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He's about exactly three inches. Is the ten-gallon tank too big? Will a two-gallon tank be better? Five-gallon?

BTW he actually *is* easy to handle. I made him get on my hand to move him while I changed the substrate, and he didn't resist much, and didn't bite (whew!!). It was a bit hard to make myself do that, it was a first for me. At least now, through reading, I know his threat-posture, which he doesn't seem to use.

Clffdvr

>>He's about exactly three inches. Is the ten-gallon tank too big? Will a two-gallon tank be better? Five-gallon?
>>
>>BTW he actually *is* easy to handle. I made him get on my hand to move him while I changed the substrate, and he didn't resist much, and didn't bite (whew!!). It was a bit hard to make myself do that, it was a first for me. At least now, through reading, I know his threat-posture, which he doesn't seem to use.
>>
>>Clffdvr

shoe box size critter keeper cage is what you need. Aquariums are too tall and you'd have to fill them almost all the way up with dirt to keep the spider from injuring itself.
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Wyvern

The Invert Collection:
* 0.0.1 Aphonopelma anax - Texas Tan
* 0.0.1 Aphonopelma chalcodes - Desert Blond
* 0.0.1 Avicularia avicularia - Pink-toe
* 0.0.4 Avicularia geroldi - Brazilian Blue Pink-toe
* 0.1.0 Brachypelma auratum - Mexican Flameknee
* 1.4.0 Brachypelma emilia - Mexican Red-leg
* 2.1.0 Brachypelma smithi - Mexican Red-knee
* 0.0.1 Cyclosternum fasciatum - Costa Rican Tiger Rump
* 1.0.2 Grammostola pulchra - Brazilian Black

I don't want to be a pest about this, I just really want to get it right. Maybe in ten years I'll be able to give advice to newbies like me.

Here it goes:

My background is extensive lizard keeping. Every nerve in my body always says "More room!" "Bigger habitat!" all the time.

Please convince me. Do three-inch Mexican Red-Kneed T's have good behavioral, mental, and physical health in shoebox sized containers? I want to do the best for my fuzzy guy, but that habitat size seems exotic to me. Will some others chime in to support PHWyvern's assertions?

PHWyvern, you're a moderator here, right?

clffdvr

OK, here goes. Tarantulas in their native habitat, will usually build a burrow, either into the ground or under a rock or something. They rarely leave their burrow over the course of their life. They come to the surface at night to feed, but still stay inside the burrow entrance until something comes by. When they do wander from their burrow, they usually don' stray much more than a foot, maybe 2. So they don't need much floor space. The general rule for floor space is 1.5 X legspan for width and 2.5 X legspan for length.

So a 5 gallon aquarium, a kritter keeper, or even a Rubbermaid plastic shoebox (that's what I use, they're $1 apiece from walmart) is all you need.

Now you may think that a shoebox offers a lot less than an aquarium, but the only think that's lacking is height. Excess height is dangerous for Ts. Falls of a few inches can be deadly. You generally want the space from the substrate to the lid to be equal to the legspan, so that if it decides to go climbing up the side of the tank (or even upside down on the lid) it can't fall very far, and in fact can put it's feet on the floor while on the lid, incase it gets stuck, then it's not dangling.

A shoebox with 2 inches of substrate is perfect. If you use an aquarium, then you need to put a good 8 inches of substrate in it to fill up the space, which is more costly, and adds extra weight. You may want this if you wish to let it burrow, but if you want it out in the open all the time, then go with less substrate.

As long as it has a hide it'll be good. Truth is, B. smithi rarely burrow or use a hide in captivity, especially when they get larger. Eventually your B. smithi will have a 6-8 inch legspan. It will outgrow a shoebox sized container, so you can upgrade to a 10 gallon aquarium or just a larger sized, but still shallower, Rubbermaid. Aquariums are better for display purposes, as the glass is more clear than the plastic is, but if you plan on having more tarantulas in the future, rubbermaids are nice because they stack, and you can fit several on one shelf, that would only hold 1 aquarium. Plus you'll spend a ton less on cages that way.

So that just speaks to the minimum needs of a spider. I don't think you'd do any harm to your spider if it was in a 10 gallon aquarium right now, as long as the substrate is deep enough, so there's no need to buy anything else (as I said in a previous reply, below) since you already have the 10 gallon. If it were smaller than 3" then I'd say definitely go smaller, but it'll grow into it in a while anyway.
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KJ Vezino
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I had no idea of the habits of T's. Especially with falls. Now I won't feel guilty when I get a one-gallon tank and fill with peat within a few inches from the mesh top.

All of you have been a great help, thank you all.

Roger