Changing the substrate in the environment of fully grown adult female Costa Rican Zebra T would normally involve removing the spider first, and then swapping out the old substrate for some new and probably washing out, or sterilising the tank before refilling it with new substrate and tank accessories and re-introducing the spider.

 

Previously, I had thought that the most sensible and stressless-for-the-spider way of achieving this would be to cup the spider, and move it out of the tank to a holding area, replacing it when the job is done. However, Thursday night called for a new approach, and so I have the following to report.

 

The day in question I was alarmed to see Ginevra, the spider in question alternately climbing with new-found enthusiasm, and trying to construct a deep underground burrow, and failing miserably because of the dryness of the soil.

 

Her entire tank is 100% natural sphagnum peat moss, but has been there around a year since her last tank change, and keeping it fairly dry, as I do, to avoid mould and the associated problems that brings, looked too much so to hold together enough to sustain a burrow. Should I flood it, I thought ? No - it needed changing, and the spider, bless her had created huge holes in the existing substrate into which she repeatedly kept falling, defying my efforts to keep her safe. I watched her for quite some time that evening, and waited until she was positioned high up on a tank wall before choosing my moment to intervene.

 

I picked up her whole tank, unplugged the heat pad, and moved her to a well-lit area and removed the outer top of the tank, leaving a thin sheet of plexi between me and the spider. Normally this sort of disturbance would cause her to climb down, and retreat to her burrow, but today it didn't, and she stayed firmly put, even when the inner lid was slid open.

 

At this point I decided I was going to implement a temporary but hopefully effective solution to her falling, and providing her with new substrate that might allow her to burrow and stop her feeling the need to climb. 

 

So, being alone in the house, I decided to see how well Ginny would tolerate a tank change that went on around her, and if she just stayed put, I would try and work round her, and try not to threaten her...