Blog

Tarantula Enrichment: Simple Tips for a Better Enclosure

It’s been a while since the last post…today I want to talk about enrichment for your tarantula, and why your enclosures shouldn’t just be a box of dirt. Tarantulas are low-maintenance pets, and while it is true that they do not require daily attention, that does not mean they cannot benefit from a stimulating environment. Enrichment is a way to encourage natural behaviors, reduce stress, and promote overall well-being. In this post, I will share some practical and creative ways to enrich your tarantula’s enclosure, ensuring your eight-legged friend stays happy, healthy, and engaged. Why Enrichment Matters In the wild, tarantulas face a variety of challenges: hunting for prey, navigating complex environments, and avoiding predators. While captive tarantulas do not need to worry about survival, they still retain their natural instincts. A barren enclosure can lead to boredom, for you and for your tarantula (if they were able to feel … Read more

- Posted by NF-Stefan

A Small Health Update (And Why Tarantulas Make Great Recovery Pets)

If you have noticed that hompage posts and articles and video uploads have slowed down recently, there is a simple reason for it. I had an appendectomy in February. It started with abdominal pain that did not feel quite right. A CT scan confirmed early-stage appendicitis, and surgery followed shortly after. The procedure was done laparoscopically, which means small incisions and a relatively quick discharge from the hospital. Still, even “minor” surgery is not something you just walk away from as if nothing happened. The first days at home were mostly about resting, moving carefully, and respecting a strict lifting limit. Recovery also included a painful wound infection that needed treatment and antibiotics, which slowed things down a bit more than expected. Open-wound treatment of an abscess? Pain level 10/10, cannot recommend. Slower Pace, Different Perspective Physically, the main limitation was pressure and discomfort in the abdominal area. Reaching, bending, … Read more

- Posted by NF-Stefan

Do You Need a Separate Tarantula Room? Keeping Tarantulas in Shared Living Spaces

When you watch your favourite tarantula YouTuber or spend time reading through online communities, you will quickly notice that many keep their tarantulas in a separate room. Sometimes this is done to maintain a stable room climate, sometimes simply to keep other pets out. And this brings me directly to the topic of today’s post: is it bad practice not to have a dedicated tarantula room? I do not think so. Let me explain why. Why Keep a Separate Tarantula Room? One major reason for having a separate tarantula room is to reduce interference from other pets, most commonly cats or dogs. We all love our furry companions, but they can pose a real risk to tarantula enclosures. Cats in particular are notorious for knocking things off shelves. While their efforts are often unsuccessful with large, adult-sized enclosures, sling enclosures are much more vulnerable. If a cat manages to knock … Read more

- Posted by NF-Stefan

Nocturnal Fangs Update: New Article, YouTube Channel, and New Tarantulas

Hey tarantula friends, Today’s post is a short update covering a few things that have been happening recently: New Article Online I decided to expand the Health and Emergencies section with a new article: My Tarantula Escaped! What to Do and How to Prevent It. Anyone who has been in the hobby long enough has probably had at least one small slip up that resulted in a tarantula escape. It happens, even to experienced keepers. In this article, I explain why escapes usually occur, what to do when you suddenly find yourself staring at an empty enclosure, and how to prevent the same situation from happening again in the future. If you have ever experienced an escape, or want to avoid one altogether, this article is for you. I Am on YouTube I have officially started the Nocturnal Fangs YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@nocturnalfangs_com I will be posting regular videos covering a mix … Read more

- Posted by NF-Stefan

Sometimes the Sling Lottery Just Does Not Love You Back

My Unlucky Streak This post was inspired by a recent streak of spiderlings that reached their ultimate molt and, one after another, turned out to be male. Somehow, it feels like I have been especially unlucky lately. I mean, statistically speaking, the chance of getting the desired sex when buying an unsexed tarantula sling is about 50 percent. Yet sometimes it really does not feel like that. I am fairly sure some cognitive bias is at play here, because losses tend to sting more than wins feel good. Since I track every tarantula I own in a database and small web app that I built for myself, I actually have the numbers. Over the last three years, I bought 16 unsexed slings. Out of those, 9 turned out to be males. On top of that, one tarantula I bought at an invert expo here in Austria as a confirmed female … Read more

- Posted by NF-Stefan

How I Use 3D Printing in the Tarantula Hobby

3D Printing in the Tarantula Hobby From water dishes to housing or even subterranean cave systems, one thing is clear: when it comes to using 3D printing in the tarantula hobby, the main limit is creativity, with a few technical boundaries sprinkled in. I bought my 3D printer a little over three years ago. It is an Ender 3 S1 Pro (not sponsored), and I am still very happy with it. It uses the FDM process, short for fused deposition modeling. In simple terms, a plastic filament is heated until it melts and is then laid down layer by layer until your object slowly appears on the printer bed. There is also resin printing, usually referred to as SLA. This method uses a UV light source to cure liquid resin layer by layer with very high precision. The results can be stunning, but I do not have hands-on experience with … Read more

- Posted by NF-Stefan

Are Tarantulas Bad Pets?

Arachnophobia is among the most common specific phobias, so it is not surprising that when you tell someone that you keep tarantulas as pets, they raise an eyebrow. People imagine danger and eight legs that are plotting your demise, hidden in the corner of your room. The reality is far calmer. Tarantulas are low maintenance, quiet, and surprisingly captivating animals that make excellent pets for the right kind of keeper. Why Tarantulas Are Actually Great Pets One of the biggest advantages is how little effort they require. A tarantula does not need daily attention, elaborate heating setups, or expensive equipment. Once the enclosure is correctly built, maintenance becomes simple. Sure, if you buy a baby spider (spiderling, in short sling), you will have to re-house it into an adequately-sized enclosure as it grows. But there are plenty of resources out there (e.g. Tom Moran on Youtube), that show you how … Read more

- Posted by NF-Stefan

Welcome to Nocturnal Fangs

Hi, thanks for stopping by! I have just launched Nocturnal Fangs, a site dedicated to practical tips, DIY instructions and essential knowledge for tarantula keeping. It is aimed at current keepers as well as anyone curious about entering the hobby. Who knows, maybe I can convince you. My motivation for creating Nocturnal Fangs is simple. Over the years I have heard and read the same questions again and again, so I wanted to build a reliable place that brings all those answers together. The vision behind this project is to develop a clear, beginner-friendly resource for practical tarantula care while growing a supportive community around it. During the first months you will find only a handful of articles, but the site will grow continuously. You can look forward to content such as: and regular blog posts covering many more practical and interesting topics. As I am always learning new facts … Read more

- Posted by NF-Stefan