5 Habits for a Successful Tarantula Keeper

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Written by Richard Stewart of The Tarantula Collective 3/4/2025

Tarantula keeping is one of those hobbies where you get what you put into it. It's not just about having the right setup and feeding your spiders – it's about building habits that ensure your tarantulas thrive and that your experience remains rewarding and stress-free. In this post, I’ll walk you through 5 essential habits that every successful tarantula keeper should develop.

1. Track Feedings and Molts

One of the simplest but most effective habits is to keep track of your tarantula’s feedings and molts. This not only helps keep you on top of your care routine but also offers some useful insights into your spider’s health and growth.

By tracking feedings, you can ensure your tarantula is eating at the right intervals, which is key for its well-being. It also gives you a clear record of when your tarantula last molted, which can help you determine its age and track its growth over time. Molt intervals can vary from species to species, and tracking them can also help you spot any unusual patterns that might signal health issues.

If you’re breeding your feeders (more on that in a bit), you’ll also want to track how much your tarantula is eating to make sure you're not over or underfeeding it. There’s a lot of valuable information to be gained from tracking feedings and molts, and it’s a habit that helps you stay on top of everything.

There are many ways you can track your feedings. Many people just use a notebook or a spreadsheet. Some people mark the feedings and molts on a calendar. I prefer to use an app like Arachnifiles because it makes storing and backing up all the information very easy. I can access my information from my phone or my computer and back up all the data to the cloud. This app is free to use, but there is also a paid premium version for added features. There are also other similar apps available that help track feedings and other care parameters. The key is to find the app or the method that works best for you and can be easily incorporated into your routine.

2. Breed Your Own Feeders

Let’s be real for a second: buying feeders from pet stores can get expensive and it is only getting more expensive. Plus, there’s always the risk that you’re not getting the healthiest insects, which can affect your tarantula's health. For those reasons, breeding your own feeders is one of the best habits you can develop as a tarantula keeper.

Breeding your own feeders not only saves money but it gives you complete control over the quality of the feeders you offer. You can ensure they are gut-loaded with nutritious food, which means your tarantula gets all the nutrients it needs. Crickets can be fed an array of vegetables like leafy greens, squash, cucumbers, and carrots. Or, you can use a gut-loading supplement like Bug Grub. Healthy feeders = healthy tarantulas. Also, having your own supply of feeders means you never have to make last-minute trips to the pet store again.

Starting a feeder colony doesn’t have to be complicated. You can breed crickets, roaches, or mealworms with relative ease. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes part of your routine and saves you time and stress in the long run.

3. Make a Schedule & Stick to It

When it comes to keeping tarantulas, routines are key. You may not realize it, but developing a feeding and maintenance schedule can really take the pressure off. Having a set routine for feeding, cleaning, and monitoring your spiders helps you stay organized and reduces the chance of missing anything important.

A consistent schedule also helps with the overall health of your tarantulas. If you know exactly when to feed them, when to check on them, and when to clean their enclosures, you’re less likely to overlook things. It can feel like a lot of work at first, but once you establish your schedule and get into the rhythm of it, it becomes second nature. And, as with anything in life, routines help you work smarter, not harder.

In the long run, sticking to a schedule means you’ll get to enjoy the hobby, and your tarantulas, without feeling overwhelmed. It ensures you’re giving your spiders the best care possible while also making sure you don’t burn yourself out.

4. Know Your Limits

One of the hardest lessons to learn in this hobby is knowing your limits. It’s easy to get carried away – there’s always a new spider species to obsess over or a new enclosure setup to try. But here’s the thing: keeping tarantulas should be fun, not stressful. If you overcommit, you’ll end up with more spiders than you can realistically care for, and that’s when things go downhill fast.

Remember, tarantulas are living creatures that need proper care. Overbuying species beyond your experience or capabilities can lead to health problems, both for the spiders and for you. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with too many tarantulas, especially if you're just starting out. Spiders die from poor husbandry, and you’ll burn out quickly if you try to keep more species than you’re ready for.

Start small, learn as you go, and DON'T rush into buying every spider you see. The last thing you want is to take on too much too soon. Know your comfort zone, and respect it. The hobby should grow with you – not make you feel like you're drowning in enclosures and feeders.

5. Never Stop Researching & Learning

Tarantula keeping is one of those hobbies where you’ll never stop learning. It’s not a “set it and forget it” kind of deal. There’s always new information coming out, new care techniques, and exciting developments and new products in the tarantula world. To be a successful tarantula keeper, you need to stay on top of that information.

Watching YouTube videos, reading forums, and joining Facebook groups are all great ways to learn. If you're serious about keeping tarantulas, consider subscribing to the BTS (British Tarantula Society) and get their newsletter, which offers a lot of valuable updates and research. There are also scientific journals and Twitter accounts from biologists who specialize in arachnids. Following them can give you access to the latest research, which might open your eyes to new ways of caring for your tarantulas.

The more people keep tarantulas, the more we all learn, and by staying engaged with the community, you’re ensuring that you continue to grow as a keeper. You don’t want to get to a point where you think you know everything – that’s when things start to slip. Always keep learning. Always keep researching.

As the saying goes: “If you stop learning, you stop growing.”

Final Thoughts

There you have it: 5 habits that will set you on the path to becoming a successful and responsible tarantula keeper. By tracking feedings and molts, breeding your own feeders, sticking to a schedule, knowing your limits, and continuing to learn, you’re giving yourself the tools you need to thrive in this hobby. The tarantula world is vast, and it can feel overwhelming at times, but with these habits in place, you’ll be on your way to creating a healthy and enjoyable environment for both you and your spiders.

Remember: this hobby is supposed to be fun! By taking it slow and building good habits, you'll be able to enjoy it for years to come. Happy spidering (I don’t if that’s a thing, but let’s make it a thing)!