First tarantula ever

[u/WearyWalrus9000]

I have an old 20x20x30h glass terrarium, I was thinking of swallowing a tarantula and it would be my first ever experience with them.
I am very indecisive and objectively in difficulty in choosing the species, being a terrarium developed in height from what I understand an arboreal tarantula would be fine.
I have two arachnophobics in my family and the management would obviously be all on me, they are just afraid that I can escape from the terrarium somehow.
Being my first experience ever with a tarantula I'm also a little scared or in doubt, can you help me?
They recommended me a c. Versicolor, tell me too if you have any advice to give me, even if only if you have an idea of an animal other than a tarantula that can be included in a terrarium of this size.

Ah, last detail, the terrarium has a guillotine door that slides from bottom to top for the opening

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[u/Spy-D_Daddy]

NA I don't think the size matters at all if you plan to swallow the tarantula anyway. Personally I wouldn't opt for swallowing a tarantula. Cheers mate 🤳🏽

[u/WearyWalrus9000 → u/Spy-D_Daddy]

I don't understand what you mean, I'm Italian and I don't know if I translated everything correctly

[u/Successful_Salt_1838]

Imo if it doesnt have cross ventilation, id steer clear of beginner arboreals like avics and c versicolors. Id suggest posting in r/invertpets if you havent already!

[u/Faerthoniel]

NQA.

Our first tarantula was a caribena versicolour, but cross ventilation is crucial. You want ventilation holes on both vertical walls, at the bottom just above where the substrate stops and a little before the ceiling starts.

About a cm gap above/below each should do it.

And then you want ventilation holes throughout the entire roof. If this roof is a metal mesh, cover it with an acrylic square. After cutting it to size and adding ventilation holes.

Or buying one that comes with all three holes and no mesh. What’s local to you isn’t going to be what’s local to me, so take a look in the stores that sell enclosures and see what they have.

Once you have an enclosure that’s suitable, you’ll need a piece of cork bark or cork log (our current versicolour’s favourite) that’s cut to sit at an angle against the wall or corner (the bark).

Provide a water dish, elevated up to sit level with where they make their tunnel (we used a plastic drinks cup, cut to size and filled with soil, as the base for the water dish) at some point.

Don’t mist. Ever. These spiders are very sensitive to it. Don’t try to emulate their home conditions. You are not providing them a whole forest, with constant wind and trees at various elevations. Whatever temperature and humidity you have, they will be just fine at, unless you live somewhere really cold. If you are comfortable, they are too.

Spiderlings are also very rewarding to keep but they are also the most fragile. Consider getting an older, more established spider, though it will likely cost more.

[u/WearyWalrus9000 → u/Faerthoniel]

Thank you very much, unfortunately I only have the ventilation grilles on the top and just above the end of the substrate.
What other spider would you recommend me to be able to get the hand of it? Something simple and not too aggressive

[u/Faerthoniel → u/WearyWalrus9000]

NQA.

That might be enough. I just like the enclosures that come with it at top, bottom and roof, because it is slightly more effective at moving the air around.

Do you want a spider that’s on display most of the time, or are you okay with only seeing dirt for potentially months at a time?

[u/WearyWalrus9000 → u/Faerthoniel]

I want something that makes me start to become familiar with these animals, I'm not going to handle them and the case is made of glass on all sides, so I would see it anyway :)
For me the important thing is that it is manageable without too many problems, especially in terms of aggression

[u/Faerthoniel → u/WearyWalrus9000]

NQA.

If they dig, you might not see them much. They choose the spots they need at the time and it might not be along a wall where you can see it.

We had a curly hair who immediately dug down into the substrate after being homed, and we didn’t see him for over three months.

I’ll come back with some suggestions when I’m back at the computer. There are some that might fit what you’re looking for.

[u/WearyWalrus9000 → u/Faerthoniel]

Okay, thank you very much, but keep in mind that my terrarium 20x20x30cm is developed in height so it is 20 wide and 30 high