Cork & Chitin
Get the enclosure right before something goes wrong.
Practical care sheets for tarantulas, jumping spiders, isopods and springtails, written for keepers who want the setup right tonight.
Why keepers trust these numbers
Specific, conservative numbers
Every parameter is a °F range, an enclosure size in inches tied to leg span or body length, or a prey size and frequency per life stage. Where sources disagree, we give the safer option and say so.
At a glance boxes
Each species page opens with a specimen label box: temperature, humidity, enclosure size, feeding and temperament. You can act on the basics tonight, then read the why when you have time.
Honest recommendations
We say when a species is a poor first tarantula, when a product is unnecessary, and when a popular hobby myth is simply wrong. No hype, no affiliate pressure.
Legal morph guidance
Isopod morph pages always name the species behind the morph and flag permit rules, so you buy legally and with the right expectations.
Who these guides are written for
You brought one home today
Your first tarantula or jumping spider just came home from an expo, pet store or online breeder, and the box it arrived in is not the home it should live in.
Start with the species care sheet. It gives you the enclosure size in inches, a temperature range in °F, substrate moisture and a feeding schedule per life stage. Terms like sling, premolt and urticating hairs are explained the first time they appear.
Helping a teen start well
A first spider for a teen is a reasonable pet, if the species fits. We tell you plainly which tarantulas are calm, slow and forgiving, and which are fast, defensive or medically significant enough to skip.
You will also find honest notes on bites and urticating hairs, written calmly, so you can decide with facts instead of fear.
Clean-up crews that work
If you keep reptiles or dart frogs and want a bioactive enclosure, you need a clean-up crew that actually survives in your conditions. Our isopod and springtail guides match species to your humidity, temperature and substrate.
We explain what bioactive means in practice, which isopods tolerate drier setups, and how to seed a culture so it establishes before the waste builds up.
A spider showed up uninvited
Found a jumping spider indoors and wondering what to do? Our quick guide covers identification basics, short term housing in a ventilated cup, feeding small prey, and when release is the kinder option.
Care sheets you can act on tonight
A new keeper does not need forty pages of theory. You need the enclosure size, the temperature, the substrate moisture and the first feeding, in that order.
That is why every species page opens with an At a glance box, then explains the reasoning below it. If you only ever read the box, your animal will still be housed correctly. If you read on, you will understand why the numbers are what they are, and when it is safe to adjust them.
Set up a new arrival in four steps
Check the species sheet
Look up your exact species. Confirm the enclosure size in inches relative to leg span or body length, and the temperature range in °F for your region and season.
Build the enclosure
Add substrate to the recommended depth, moisten it to the stated level, and provide the hide or anchor points the species needs. Skip decorations that do nothing for the animal.
Let it settle
Give a new tarantula or jumping spider a few days of quiet before the first feeding attempt. A spider that just shipped is stressed, not hungry.
Feed and observe
Offer prey no larger than the stated size for its life stage, at the stated frequency. If it refuses, check for premolt signs before assuming something is wrong.
What you get on every page
1
At a glance box per species page
4
Linked guides per species: enclosure, feeding, molting, alternatives
100%
Independent advice, no product pushing
0
Guessed numbers. Undocumented values are labeled as such
Questions new keepers ask first
What temperature does my tarantula need?
Most common beginner species do well at normal room temperature, roughly 68 to 78 °F. Each species sheet gives its own range in °F, and we note the conservative option where sources disagree. Avoid heat lamps unless the sheet says otherwise.
How big should the enclosure be?
Bigger is not better for tarantulas. We give sizes in inches tied to leg span for tarantulas and body length for jumping spiders, because oversized enclosures make prey harder to find and falls more dangerous.
My tarantula stopped eating. Is it sick?
Usually not. The most likely cause is premolt, the phase before shedding its exoskeleton. Our problem guides open with a Quick answer box covering the likely cause, what to do now, and when to actually worry.
Which tarantula is a good first species?
We recommend calm, hardy species and say plainly which popular ones are poor choices for beginners, usually due to speed, defensive behavior or potent venom. Every species page links to beginner alternatives.
Can I keep isopods with my reptile?
Yes, that is the idea behind a bioactive setup: isopods and springtails act as a clean-up crew that processes waste. Match the isopod species to your enclosure's humidity and temperature using our clean-up crew guides, and check the morph pages for permit rules before buying.
Still working out your setup?
Not sure about a number, a species choice or a setup detail? Send us your question. We answer with the same conservative, specific approach you will find in the guides.