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Tarantula

Invertebrates

Beastly Facts · Updated Oct 6, 2026

The misunderstood gentle giant of the spider world, a surprisingly low-maintenance pet!

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Did you know? Tarantulas can live extraordinarily long lives. Females of some species (like the Mexican Red Knee) can live 25 to 30 years in captivity, while males rarely live past 10. A female tarantula may outlive your dog.

The first week

The numbers a new owner needs in the first week, each from the article it links to. Rows with no link come from the encyclopedia.

Enclosure: Horizontal, wider than tall, to limit fall risk. A reasonable adult minimum is around 20x10x10 inches, roughly a 10-gallon, sized to about three times the tarantula's leg span. Keep overall height under about 12 inches.Setup guide →
Substrate: At least 3 inches of coconut fiber, peat, or organic pesticide-free soil, and more in a taller tank, since a deeper floor shortens the distance the spider can fall from the lid.Setup guide →
Lid: A secure lid, but never mesh, a tarantula's feet can get caught in it and cause real injury. Acrylic with drilled ventilation holes is the better choice.Setup guide →
Humidity: Published targets run from 40 to 60% up to 65 to 75%. Use the lower end for dry-adapted species like the Chilean rose hair. A reliable water dish plus lightly moistened substrate holds it more steadily than heavy misting.Setup guide →
Housing: One tarantula per enclosure. Most species are solitary and cannibalistic, and cohabitation isn't workable regardless of enclosure size.Setup guide →
Feeding schedule: Slings every 2 to 3 days, juveniles every 4 to 7 days when young and every 7 to 14 days as they grow, adults every 1 to 2 weeks, sometimes far less for a slow-metabolism species.Feeding guide →
Not eating: Usually not an emergency. A plump, active spider refusing food for weeks is typically just in premolt. For juveniles specifically, refusing food for more than 6 to 8 weeks alongside weight loss or lethargy is worth a vet consult.Feeding guide →
Handling: Mostly, no. Best kept as a look, don't touch pet: a fall can fatally injure the spider, and a hand, shoulder, or couch cushion is enough height for that.Handling guide →
Budget: $25 to $100 for the spider (common beginner species), $105 to $305 for the setup with every item priced, and $75 to $235 a year after that, most of it feeder insects.Cost guide →
Adult size: 2 to 12 inch leg span, depending on species.
Lifespan: 15 to 20 years or more for a female Chilean rose hair, and about 5 for a male, 10 at the outside. A female is a long-term commitment, though the ongoing budget stays very small the whole time.Cost guide →
Power outage: A non-event for most tarantulas at home; they don't need supplemental heat in a typical room and can go without food far longer than most pets. The real risk in this corner of pet keeping is in a car or a shipping box, not a home outage.Emergency plan →
Quarantine: Apart from any other invertebrate, with its own tools, until it has been seen to feed, drink and settle, and longer if it was wild-caught. Mites and mold build slowly, and nematodes turn up mostly in wild-caught spiders.Invertebrate Housekeeping →
Cleaning and escapes: Uneaten prey out within 24 hours, remains weekly, substrate every 6 to 12 months or at the first mold. For an escapee, close the door of the room and search it low for a ground-dweller, high for a climber.Invertebrate Housekeeping →

Emergency card

Check the water dish and humidity first, then act on these today. Vet care for tarantulas is limited.

A shriveled, wrinkled abdomen with lethargy or legs curling tightly under the body (dehydration)
A molt that looks stuck or incomplete
A ruptured abdomen or hemolymph visibly leaking from an injury
A juvenile refusing food for more than 6 to 8 weeks with weight loss or lethargy, or refusal at any age alongside dehydration signs

Prevention matters more than treatment. A shallow water dish and correct humidity prevent most dehydration; never disturb, handle, or feed a molting tarantula.

From Common Tarantula Health Issues (Prevention Matters More Than Treatment) →

Where to go next

How Much Does a Tarantula Really Cost?

$25 to $100 for the spider, $105 to $305 for setup, $75 to $235 a year, and why the ongoing budget stays small for decades.

Should You Handle a Tarantula? Almost Always, No

Why the answer is almost always no, the real fall risk, and New World versus Old World defenses.

Common Tarantula Health Issues (Prevention Matters More Than Treatment)

Dehydration, stuck molts, injury, and the difference between normal fasting and a real problem.

Tarantula Enclosure Setup: Shape, Substrate, and a Humidity Debate

Enclosure shape and size, substrate depth, the humidity debate, and why mesh lids are out.

Tarantula Feeding: Schedule, Diet, and Why They Stop Eating

Schedule by life stage, what they eat and what to skip, why a weeks-long premolt fast is normal, and the shriveled abdomen that is the real emergency.

Tarantula Enrichment: The Spider Sat Still in Both Enclosures

What the research on enclosure complexity actually found, and what it didn't.

Are Tarantulas Legal? The Species Question Most States Never Ask

The species question most states never ask, and where a specific tarantula is restricted regardless of the genus.

What to buy

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Underlined items are paid Amazon links, at no extra cost to you.

20x10x10 inch enclosure or larger, wider than tall, with a secure acrylic lid with drilled ventilation (never mesh)

A taller, cross-ventilated enclosure for a pink toe, with the same acrylic lid

Coconut fiber, peat, or organic pesticide-free soil substrate

A hide (cork bark, half-log, or a broken terracotta pot)

Shallow water dish, and a spare

Digital thermometer/hygrometer combo

Long feeding tongs

Vented 32 oz deli cups, for a catch cup and a spare

A large tub to rehouse over

Safety glasses

Live feeder insects (crickets or dubia roaches)

Gut-load food for the feeders

Prices and the reasoning behind each item are in How Much Does a Tarantula Really Cost?.

Full Tarantula gear list

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a tarantula cost upfront?

The spider itself runs $25 to $100 for common beginner species, a curly hair or pink toe typically lands at $30 to $40 and a Chilean rose hair nearer $60 to $70. Every item is priced: the enclosure, substrate, a hide, two water dishes, a thermometer and hygrometer, feeding tongs, catch cups, a tub to rehouse over, safety glasses, and the first feeders and gut-load food. The setup comes to $105 to $305 before the spider itself, or $130 to $405 with it.

What size enclosure does a pet tarantula need?

About 20 by 10 by 10 inches for an adult, roughly a 10-gallon, sized to around three times the leg span. Keep it low, under about 12 inches tall, since a fall is a genuine danger for most tarantulas.

Can you hold a tarantula?

Mostly, no. Most tarantulas, including the Chilean rose hair, are best kept as strictly look, don't touch pets, since a fall can be fatal to the spider and its defenses can hurt you.

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