When most people start doing their research on tarantula enclosure setup and tarantula care, I’ve noticed that most of the focus is on what’s going INSIDE the tank instead of what’s going on outside the tank. Of course the inside of your tarantula’s home is critical and should never be taken lightly (I did a whole post on everything a tarantula enclosure needs here), but the outside matters too – especially in regards to safety for your tarantula. I’ve written in-depth about this topic in my tarantula guide, but I will outline all the critical steps below.

When thinking about creating a safe space for your pet’s new tarantula enclosure, the location is what matters much. There’s a lot to factor, such as the lighting, temperature, and proximity to the enclosure’s surroundings. Here are some things to consider when choosing the location of your tarantula enclosure:

Protect your tarantula from other pets or children. You do not want to put your tarantula’s new home in a place where it will be in danger of small, curious children or any predatory pets like cats (or even dogs). Putting the tarantula enclosure on a strong shelf or a stable, sturdy high surface where it cannot be disturbed or fall down is a good idea to keep your tarantula safe. It’s not uncommon for experienced tarantula owners who have a lot of spiders to have a room designated to their collection of tarantulas. Some even keep the cages or the door to the room locked so that their children cannot disturb their pets. For those of us who don’t have a spare room to dedicate to our tarantulas, a simple out of reach area will be fine.

Choose a location where your tarantula will be comfortable and at peace. Tarantulas do not like or benefit from direct sunlight (they actually LOVE darkness), so it’s best to put your tarantula enclosure in either a dark place, or somewhere with limited lighting. Putting your tarantula’s tank near a sunny window is NOT a good idea! Because I have Spidey’s tank in a main room with big windows, I make sure to pull the curtains shut every night so she doesn’t get the strong morning sunlight in her tarantula enclosure. You also want to make sure the room isn’t either too hot or cold. Most tarantulas will be fine at a comfortable room temperature, but research the needs of your particular tarantula. You don’t want them to be in a cool basement if you have a jungle tarantula!

Tarantulas need peace and quiet.

Tarantulas are the introverts of the spider world. Because they would rather be left alone to do their spider stuff, putting a tarantula enclosure in an area of your home that gets a ton of foot traffic or is noisy is a terrible idea and will stress your tarantula out. While tarantulas may not be able to hear or see very well, they are sensitive to vibration and will not enjoy constant stimulation or disturbances. It’s best to keep a tarantula enclosure out of the way where it can be admired from afar.

Tarantulas will not enjoy being placed near a vent, fan, air conditioner, or anywhere  there is lots of airflow – their hairs are sensitive and this will cause stress.

Keep it chemical-free.

This is something that is not talked about too often, but it really should be. Of course you want to keep your spider safe from chemicals and harmful things that could be in the air. Do not put your tarantula’s enclosure in a place where you constantly spray things like air fresheners, perfumes, or other chemicals. And another big one: DO NOT SMOKE NEAR YOUR TARANTULA. Smoking is bad for you, and it is also bad for your pets – so if you do smoke, please do it outside or in a room away from your tarantula’s enclosure to ensure that there is little to no chemical transference. It is believed that a fatal tarantula disease known as DKS (Dyskinetic Syndrome) may be caused by chemicals.

I hope that helped, tarantula lovers! To learn more about tarantula enclosures, check out my articles on the things you should put in your tarantula’s tank, ways you can enrich your tarantula’s tank and keep it interesting, and tarantula enclosure inspiration!

If you liked this topic and want to learn more about tarantulas, feel free to check out my big tarantula guide (I talk about lots of enclosure and care tips). You can also get free tarantula tips by signing up for my newsletter or subscribing to my YouTube channel! I release new tips every Tuesday for Tarantula Tuesday!