- Messages
- 11
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First OBT Advice Please.
- Thread starter smudger
- Start date
Totally normal. They settle in very quickly and love to web. I would suggest a taller/deeper enclosure. These guys like to burrow, and a deeper area to burrow means they're less likely to pop out when you try to do maintenance. They also like it pretty dry.
- Messages
- 10,909
- Location
- Malton, UK
I got my OBT 2 years ago (she was my 1st T) when she was just a fraction smaller than yours and I put her into a 12"Wx12"Dx18"H ExoTerra which has saved me from having to rehouse her. She has never burrowed but made a web at the top corner and then a web tunnel down the back corner. She lived in that for quite a while and then constructed a cave at the bottom made of web and substrate. Now she just enlarges the cave as necessary. I rarely see her but when she chooses to appear she is a beautiful sight and uses the full height of her enclosure. Every few months she'll clean out the rubbish from her cave and leave it for me to clear away. I always do maintenance while she's hidden away keeping one eye on her doorway and I always use a pair of long tongs to remove debris.
Get yours into a bigger container and always remember that they are fast and have a bad reputation and you'll be fine.
Get yours into a bigger container and always remember that they are fast and have a bad reputation and you'll be fine.
The best advice for an OBT as with all tarantulas is to just give them the respect they deserve. These suckers are fast and have an attitude to match. Just be aware and take precautions for you and the spider. Here's a little trick for rehousing; cut a two liter soda bottle in half. Once you get the spider out of the enclosure (easier said than done) pop the soda bottle on top of it and slide a paper plate underneath. They'll usually climb up at this point. Then place to open bottom of the bottle in the new enclosure. Then you can unscrew the cap to gently coax the spider into her new home. Works like a charm.
- Messages
- 5,547
- Location
- Outside San Antonio, TX
Screw that. I just upend the smaller enclosure into the bigger enclosure, then slam the lid down. Last time an orange leg slid under the lid and gave me the finger. Its hard to do it fast when you're holding a .357 in your hand, though, so its best to have a friend standing by with a shotgun.
- Messages
- 540
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
Good grief, that was hilarious!
- Messages
- 5,547
- Location
- Outside San Antonio, TX
The truth is, I did have a hilarious escapade during one of my obts rehousing, and it was the one and only time I've gotten a threat pose from either of mine. I love the little spazzes, and they're beautiful, but I literally never see them.
Which is why I want a T gigas instead. I keep hoping to find an affordable sling. So if anyone sees them extremely reasonable tag me please.
I think they are gorgeous but I want to see them more then on the red moon.
- Messages
- 10,909
- Location
- Malton, UK
Which is why I want a T gigas instead. I keep hoping to find an affordable sling. So if anyone sees them extremely reasonable tag me please.
That was why I bought my T.gigas but he's turned out to be male and gone brown instead of orange.
Which is why I want a T gigas instead. I keep hoping to find an affordable sling. So if anyone sees them extremely reasonable tag me please.
My T gigas is a bad little SOB that jumped right of the tissue it was shipped in and landed on my bed in front of me.... And what did I do? Backhanded him to the floor... instant (bad) reaction. Thankfully he was ok! Picked him up and put him in his sling enclosure. Later that night, I decided he was to big for the sling enclosure and rehoused him. Little **** jumped on my bed AGAIN. I placed his new enclosure in front of him and he calmly walked right in. He's doing great now and is webbing all over the place. I'm not used to fast moving T's. My rosea is so laid back and S-L-O-W!!
Thankfully he didn't run.... Just jumped. Way too fast for me. But so far he's behaved perfectly when I've opened his lid to feed him. I keep expecting him to make a break for it but he seems very calm now.
- Messages
- 5,547
- Location
- Outside San Antonio, TX
If you react in fear by slapping your spider off the bed, perhaps rehousing should be done in a more controlled environment. My heart is not bleeding for your spider, that ain't my thing Just a logical suggestion.
Just a logical suggestion. 
- Messages
- 797
- Location
- Warminster PA
If ur not used to their speed and aggression i would suggest putting it in a large enough enclosure so it can go many molts without a rehouse. That way u can still do routine maintinence and watch mannerisms, but not have the danger until prepared. That way also, it has the space to web til its content
- Messages
- 11
Thanks for all your replies, much appreciated. I have to go with what MassExodus does LOL
The bath is a good place to rehouse the fast Ts in my experience. Make sure the plug is in though lol
