Adult size
Plan for the mature animal, not only the sling, nymph or juvenile you bring home.
NEW TO INVERTEBRATES?
Start with the animal, not the shopping list.
Choose a group, learn its basic language and research the exact species before buying equipment. This introduction helps you understand the questions every good setup needs to answer.
BEFORE YOU BUY
Four checks for every setup
Natural lifestyle
Ground-dwelling, arboreal and burrowing animals use enclosure space differently.
Moisture and airflow
Humidity, substrate moisture and ventilation work together; a percentage alone is not a complete setup.
Safety and lifespan
Understand speed, venom, defensive behaviour, escape risk and the length of the commitment.
01
Tarantulas
Tarantulas are long-lived spiders kept individually in secure enclosures. New World species come from the Americas and usually rely more on urticating hairs; Old World species come from Africa, Asia and Europe and are generally faster, more defensive and more medically significant. Terrestrial species need low, floor-focused housing, arboreal species need height and vertical retreats, and fossorial species need deep diggable substrate.
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Jumping spiders
Jumping spiders are small, active visual hunters that use height, light and anchor points to explore. They benefit from front- or side-opening arboreal enclosures so their upper web retreat is not destroyed whenever the enclosure opens. Their small size makes ventilation, escape-proof gaps and correctly sized prey especially important.
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True spiders
“True spiders” covers a very wide range, from web builders to huntsmen and burrowing species. There is no universal true-spider setup: enclosure orientation, humidity, ventilation, prey size, speed and venom risk must be researched for the exact species before it comes home.
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Scorpions
Scorpions are nocturnal arachnids that usually value secure hides and stable substrate more than display space. Desert, forest and burrowing species need very different moisture and substrate conditions. All scorpions can sting, potency varies, and handling should be avoided.
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Mantises
Mantises are visual ambush predators that need enough height to hang freely during a moult—usually several times their body length—with reliable grip above them. Ventilation, appropriately sized live prey and careful control of moisture are central to successful keeping.
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Isopods
Isopods are land-dwelling crustaceans usually kept as colonies. Most setups rely on a moisture gradient rather than uniform dampness, with humid shelter at one end and a better-ventilated area at the other. Leaf litter is both cover and a major food source, while calcium and supplemental foods support the colony.
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Millipedes
Millipedes spend much of their time in or on the substrate, feeding on decaying plant material. Deep, nutritious substrate is part of their diet as well as their home. They need dependable humidity and ventilation, and species-safe materials without pesticides or softwood toxins.
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Centipedes
Centipedes are fast predatory arthropods and capable escape artists. Larger species can deliver painful, medically significant bites, so they are display animals for experienced keepers rather than animals to handle. Secure lids, careful transfers and enough substrate for retreat are essential.
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Other invertebrates
Beetles, stick insects, cockroaches and other invertebrates each bring different needs around diet, climbing space, breeding substrate and life cycle. Start with the exact species rather than a broad group label, and have the full enclosure running before acquiring the animal.
Explore other invertebrates guides →RESEARCH THE EXACT SPECIES
Ready to compare care requirements?
The species library connects these foundations to temperatures, humidity, size, behaviour, practical husbandry and sources.
Open the species library