Hey everybody new member to the site over here and new member of the Tarantula hobby. Planning to get my first ever T, an A.Avic sometime next week!! I've done my research but please, any advice or just general words of wisdom you guys have please throw it my way, I'm more then happy to listen to wiser, more experienced hobbyists.
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A.Avic my first ever T!
- Thread starter Naseem
- Start date
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- 322
- Location
- South Florida
In spite of any care sheets to the contrary (which are famous for giving bad advice), avoid moist, stuffy cages, as those are the biggest killer of Avics in captivity. Most successful collectors/breeders give them cross ventilation, dry substrate, and a water bowl. Mist slings once a week or so, after that stage they don't need it.
- Messages
- 322
- Location
- South Florida
How big is your Avic? I only mist my slings once a week, and then very lightly, and only on their silk, for drinking, not humidity. The water bowl provides humidity. I give my smallest 2nd instar Avic slings a small water bowl, the lid form a 16 once water bottle. None have drown.
People get carried with misting Avics and end up with a wet cage, and that's usually lethal to them. They don't need it that moist. In the wild they're up in trees where it dries out quickly after rains. We have tropical rains here in Florida in the summer. It's hot and sunny all day until the mid afternoon, then it gets dark, pours, and by late afternoon/early evening, it's bright and sunny again. The branches and leaves in the trees have dried out before dark, and we usually get 1 to 3" of rain at a time. Yes, the ground may be soggy and have puddles, but that's not where Avics are. They're up where there's breezes.
I have 90 Avics (all sizes) , 10 species. I used to have a problem with losses until I kept them on dry substrate.
People get carried with misting Avics and end up with a wet cage, and that's usually lethal to them. They don't need it that moist. In the wild they're up in trees where it dries out quickly after rains. We have tropical rains here in Florida in the summer. It's hot and sunny all day until the mid afternoon, then it gets dark, pours, and by late afternoon/early evening, it's bright and sunny again. The branches and leaves in the trees have dried out before dark, and we usually get 1 to 3" of rain at a time. Yes, the ground may be soggy and have puddles, but that's not where Avics are. They're up where there's breezes.
I have 90 Avics (all sizes) , 10 species. I used to have a problem with losses until I kept them on dry substrate.
Well he/she will be sub adult/adult, I'm going to the pet shop on Friday to have a look at the ones they've ordered in as I really want a female but they are all unsexed so I'm going to have to use my sexing skills lol I know the obvious signs such as the hooks, clubbed pedipalps for a male & for a female there's like 2 kind of slits on the underside of the abdomen? Can't remember what they are called.
What would you advise misting wise for an adult?
What would you advise misting wise for an adult?
- Messages
- 322
- Location
- South Florida
You should be able to spot a mature male easily; it's best to get in the habit of looking at the palps for male emboli. About 30 genera don't have tibial spurs.
I vent sex my spiders using a 32 oz deli cup and flashlight, a pet shop or dealer should let you do that. I learned what to look for by looking at dozens of pics in vent sexing threads. You should do the same.
- Messages
- 322
- Location
- South Florida
I've become quite an Avic fan (now that I know how to keep them). Feel free to ask anytime I can help.
I can see myself becoming the same 
they're just so god damn gorgeous! Yeah I have 2 questions if you don't mind answering them:
1. How should I keep the humidity levels correct? As I know you mentioned too much misting being a major problem for keepers of this species. I keep a snake already and with just a water bowl and NO misting whatsoever I get between 40-50% humidity so how much assistance would I have to give bump it up? I plan on having a live plant in the enclosure aswell.
2. What do you recommend temperature wise? I plan to use 1200W heater to heat my room for 30 mins every 3 hours as the average temp it will get in my room without assistance is around 19/20degrees. Can I also allow a temperature drop at night? If so what temp? Thanks
they're just so god damn gorgeous! Yeah I have 2 questions if you don't mind answering them:1. How should I keep the humidity levels correct? As I know you mentioned too much misting being a major problem for keepers of this species. I keep a snake already and with just a water bowl and NO misting whatsoever I get between 40-50% humidity so how much assistance would I have to give bump it up? I plan on having a live plant in the enclosure aswell.
2. What do you recommend temperature wise? I plan to use 1200W heater to heat my room for 30 mins every 3 hours as the average temp it will get in my room without assistance is around 19/20degrees. Can I also allow a temperature drop at night? If so what temp? Thanks
- Messages
- 322
- Location
- South Florida
A water bowl will provide the humidity. Avics are used to breezes drying things out, so they don't need humidity as high as most terrestrials. You don't want condensation in an Avic cage. 40-50% humidity is fine. As long as your cage has side holes for cross ventilation, then humidity won't escape out the top. Problem with live plants is that their needs can conflict with the spider's. Which is more important? Plants need bright light and periodically moist soil. That an be a problem with Avics. Being new to Avics, it's best not to juggle a live plant in the cage before you have a feel for the spider's needs. You can kill the spider in the process. I use plastic plants, Zoo Med vining types, cut to fit. Makes life much simpler. Avics like to have a lot of anchor points for spinning, and an Avic with a silk sheet/retreat is a happy Avic.
Good daytime temps are mid 70's to mid 80's, a little cooler at night.
Good daytime temps are mid 70's to mid 80's, a little cooler at night.
Wow I didn't know they needed such low humidity I thought they needed 75-85%? I will be housing my Avic in one of those Exo Terra Nano enclosures so there's ventilation on the front with a screen top lid. Regarding the live plant I was going to go with a Golden Pothos (Devils ivy as I know it) they only need watering every 2 weeks or so which I was planning to do with a food injector so I could feed it straight to the roots and very little sunlight (same amount as you would have in a T enclosure) I think it'd be fine but I'll take advice from a more experienced keeper any day and maybe leave it out. I've based most of my info on RobCs videos (TarantulaGuy1976 if you've heard of him) so I thought his advice would be solid
- Messages
- 322
- Location
- South Florida
RobC, isn't he the guy that's always getting bit? That alone is reason to be skeptical. I haven't been bitten in 42 years, and I have a lot of tropicals and OW's. Part of doing things right is not getting bit.
Moist, stuffy cages aren't good for any tarantula. Even Theraphosa and Hysterocrates need decent airflow, and they live on rain forest floors amongst the puddles. Think of it this way: If you put an epiphytic orchid in a pot of top soil and keep it moist, it won't take long to rot. Avics are living side-by-side with those orchids up in the trees.
Moist, stuffy cages aren't good for any tarantula. Even Theraphosa and Hysterocrates need decent airflow, and they live on rain forest floors amongst the puddles. Think of it this way: If you put an epiphytic orchid in a pot of top soil and keep it moist, it won't take long to rot. Avics are living side-by-side with those orchids up in the trees.
Hmmm I'll take your word for it I've just never heard anyone say that Avics can be kept at 40-50% humidity, that's percentages B.Smiths & G.Roseas are kept at! But as you said you have ALOT of Avics that you keep this way and all are healthy so you must be doing something right.
