When it comes to keeping your tarantula healthy; a tarantula is a pretty hardy creature, and much of the possible illnesses that they could suffer in captivity is generally the result of poor husbandry. Keeping your tarantula healthy is not possible if you’re providing a poor or insufficient diet, for instance, but most importantly, poor living conditions. In this article, you’ll learn what it takes in keeping your tarantula healthy.
It is important to keep your tarantula’s cage clean and well-maintained. Cage maintenance should be done every day: clean their water dish and replace the water with fresh clear water each day, and remove any exoskeleton, uneaten food or remnants of food. Pay attention to the humidity levels – many tarantulas die from too much moisture than they do from dehydration – molds or fungus could begin to grow in your pet’s cage if it is too moist, and this could signal the beginnings of contamination and then infection. If the cage is too dry, daily misting with a substrate that holds moisture is a quick solution. And if you feed your tarantula live prey – they should be removed if uneaten because there is also a chance that they could attack your tarantula instead – a definite possibility particularly when your tarantula is molting and thus extremely vulnerable.
Every 4-6 months (or more often if necessary), give the enclosure a deep and thorough cleaning. Move your tarantula to a temporary holding container before doing so. Then remove all the contents of the tank, wash and sterilize the inside and outside of the tank, replace the substrate, clean the water dish, and clean and sterilize all the items inside the tank before replacing them.
Author and long-time animal lover. Sharing knowledge on pet care through experience and the written word. 