• Are you a Tarantula hobbyist? If so, we invite you to join our community! Once you join you'll be able to post messages, upload pictures of your pets and enclosures and chat with other Tarantula enthusiasts. Sign up today!

First Tarantula species soon

Andee

Member
3 Year Member
Messages
44
Location
California
Just finished unboxing the two, do you know if having a red/brown blush on the top of the abdomen is normal for some slings? this one is slightly smaller than my other one too, but the reddish spot doesn't look bald like it would for possibly a premolt? Dunno will have to wait and see I guess. >.<
 

Whitelightning777

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
2,565
Location
Baltimore MD
Thanks for that info! Do you think upgrading to 10 gallons currently would be safe? At 1 inch?


That's probably not necessary unless your cat knocks small things off of the shelf all the time.

If the T can eat drink and molt successfully at optimal temperatures, size doesn't matter is all I'm saying.

If you get a web or a burrow, finding food and water are no longer a problem requiring the sling to cover the entire tank.

In all seriousness, you can use dividers and remove them as the T grows. Resisting the temptation to put in multiple spiders is a must. This might give you peace of mind if you're dealing with a super aggressive species.
 
Last edited:

Whitelightning777

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
2,565
Location
Baltimore MD
Update. The T has dug out a complex series of burrows. Perhaps this is because the scent of scorpion might be lingering.

Also, I fed 2 roaches today, snapped up immediately. The left eye socket is right over the T.
 

Andee

Member
3 Year Member
Messages
44
Location
California
So much cool info, I have really been absorbing like a sponge. So both of the babies have extremely different personalities. My super chill fatty is Necco (like the wafers), and the speedy slightly smaller and most likely premolt is Espresso <3 Espresso has currently dug and settled down under a leaf can't see it well now. Necco is just out in the open and doesn't care at all XD
 

Andee

Member
3 Year Member
Messages
44
Location
California
Super happy, Necco decided to eat for me this morning, (gave a relatively small roach nymph just to make sure it had something on board) I will likely give something larger for the next feeding around Sunday or something, but I am not in a rush. Currently I am still iffy on feeding Espresso since I haven't seen it out at all today and it looks like it is still where it settled last night? When do you think would be a safer time to offer? Couple days? It's definitely the one that stresses more easily so maybe even if it's not molting, just needs some time to settle.
 

kormath

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
3,565
Location
Idaho
Thanks for that info! Do you think upgrading to 10 gallons currently would be safe? At 1 inch?
G. pulchra, in my experience, do better in smaller enclosures. Both of mine go into stress poses when i rehouse them to larger enclosures. With mine, anything over 3x their leg span wide, they didn't like. So a 10 gallon tank for a 1 inch T i think is way overkill. I wouldn't put a 1" in anything larger than 4" wide, then rehouse when it gets to be about 3" leg span to something around 6" wide. Mine currently is 2.5-3" dls and in a small Kritter Keeper (9"L x 6"W x7" T) with about 3" or so of substrate.

I tried a medium Kritter keeper (12"L x 8"W x 8" T roughly) but they didn't like it. They sat in a stress pose for 2 days until i moved them into the small. After next molt i'll move it to the medium.

Super happy, Necco decided to eat for me this morning, (gave a relatively small roach nymph just to make sure it had something on board) I will likely give something larger for the next feeding around Sunday or something, but I am not in a rush. Currently I am still iffy on feeding Espresso since I haven't seen it out at all today and it looks like it is still where it settled last night? When do you think would be a safer time to offer? Couple days? It's definitely the one that stresses more easily so maybe even if it's not molting, just needs some time to settle.
I feed mine twice a week, Sunday and Wednesday usually, until they're about 2 inches dls, then i just feed on Sunday until they're adults, then every other week except after a molt, i'll feed them weekly to fatten them back up.

If you're feeding roaches, you can leave them in the enclosure for a couple days to see if the T will come out at night and eat. If the roach is still running around after 2 days remove it and try again the next feeding time. Crickets or meal worms, you don't want to leave in the enclosure, they can harm the T if it's in molt, Drop them in there and they haven't been eaten by the next morning, remove them.
 

Andee

Member
3 Year Member
Messages
44
Location
California
They are still in the larger tupperware containers I made for them they are both hugely premolt, but they are still eating when I drop things in, so I assume they are just bulking up until ready. Necco got fed three times last week because it was just so hungry. Espresso ate one large roach for me will feed again this week to see if it's interested. It's not as good as eater but is still definitely good enough especially considering how close to molting it is.
 

Andee

Member
3 Year Member
Messages
44
Location
California
So both of these two look a little worse for wear XD still balding in areas, now turning an overall dull gray poor babies. But still eating around 1-2 nymphs (depending on size) a week. Doing amazing, just waiting for the molt to happen. I currently just did a complete spot clean and water change out, used fingers a couple times, and they just kind of tucked under the fake plants and watched general cautiousness but no care otherwise. I had to gently tap Espresso out of the way of the water dish going back. Both seem rather excited? nervous? now that I have cleaned things a bit... "more" I was doing small spot cleans, refilling waterbowls every day almost or when needed etc. But it came to that point where... that was no longer acceptable XD. Do any of you guys handle your T's at all? I have gotten some opinions from other people on a different forum but want to make sure it's a general consensus. I am ok not handling, but would like to... be able to move them onto my hand safely if they randomly get out etc. I don't care so much about getting bit as far as stressing them too much? Otherwise all the invert here are well. <3
 

Whitelightning777

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
2,565
Location
Baltimore MD
My opinion is that it's best not to do so without a compelling reason. In that case, especially with my scorpion, I lower her body temperature to about 50 degrees first to halt any aggression.

I only had to do this once to remove a string stuck in her mouth and tangled around 2 legs. Someone was trying to "go fishing" and she probably chopped the string off effortlessly.

Even if the T isn't biting or adopting a threat posture, the hairs really bother some people. Any critter can also just be having a bad day, which makes you have a bad day if you handle without realizing it.
 

kormath

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
3,565
Location
Idaho
So both of these two look a little worse for wear XD still balding in areas, now turning an overall dull gray poor babies. But still eating around 1-2 nymphs (depending on size) a week. Doing amazing, just waiting for the molt to happen. I currently just did a complete spot clean and water change out, used fingers a couple times, and they just kind of tucked under the fake plants and watched general cautiousness but no care otherwise. I had to gently tap Espresso out of the way of the water dish going back. Both seem rather excited? nervous? now that I have cleaned things a bit... "more" I was doing small spot cleans, refilling waterbowls every day almost or when needed etc. But it came to that point where... that was no longer acceptable XD. Do any of you guys handle your T's at all? I have gotten some opinions from other people on a different forum but want to make sure it's a general consensus. I am ok not handling, but would like to... be able to move them onto my hand safely if they randomly get out etc. I don't care so much about getting bit as far as stressing them too much? Otherwise all the invert here are well. <3
you'll get yelled at from some people if you mention handling T's (not here on this forum thankfully) and some think it's good to handle them. I handle the more docile in my collection. G. rosea, B. albo, B. hamorii, mostly. My son will handle a few others. Last night his D. pentaloris came out to say Hi when he went to fill its water. It's in premolt, so rather than being the spaz it usually is it just crawled onto his palm and sat there. We used to hold both our GBB's, well my son did anyway. Now she's just a moody wench and neither of us trust her enough to try. I haven't tried for quite a while, she hates me ;) My GBB will sometimes crawl out of hte enclosure during feeding or watering. Last time it did so it was chasing a roach and ran up the side and onto my hand before it realized the roach couldn't climb the acrylic wall ;)

I won't try and hold the A. genic, she's just too moody and defensive, nor the B. sabulosom, she threat poses and strikes at everything. This past weekend i had the lid open to her enclosure and a house fly landed on the top edge of the hide and then took off, barely missed being splatted when she slapped at it. She sat there in threat pose and kept slapping the hide. after a few minutes it got annoying, i tapped her water dish with the tongs to distract her, then she sat in threat pose at the water dish for a few minutes before crawling back in her hide.

I won't handle the G. pulchra either, it's too unpredictable. One day it will be calm and watch you clean the bolus and fill the water, next day it grabs onto the water dish and won't let you remove it to clean and fill.
 

Andee

Member
3 Year Member
Messages
44
Location
California
The babies still haven't molted. I have been moving and cleaning things without tongs currently, They honestly don't care. I keep catch cups nearby of course and tongs just in case they decide to be grumpy that nice, but if they are having an off night they personally go under the fake foliage and just watch
you'll get yelled at from some people if you mention handling T's (not here on this forum thankfully) and some think it's good to handle them. I handle the more docile in my collection. G. rosea, B. albo, B. hamorii, mostly. My son will handle a few others. Last night his D. pentaloris came out to say Hi when he went to fill its water. It's in premolt, so rather than being the spaz it usually is it just crawled onto his palm and sat there. We used to hold both our GBB's, well my son did anyway. Now she's just a moody wench and neither of us trust her enough to try. I haven't tried for quite a while, she hates me ;) My GBB will sometimes crawl out of hte enclosure during feeding or watering. Last time it did so it was chasing a roach and ran up the side and onto my hand before it realized the roach couldn't climb the acrylic wall ;)

I won't try and hold the A. genic, she's just too moody and defensive, nor the B. sabulosom, she threat poses and strikes at everything. This past weekend i had the lid open to her enclosure and a house fly landed on the top edge of the hide and then took off, barely missed being splatted when she slapped at it. She sat there in threat pose and kept slapping the hide. after a few minutes it got annoying, i tapped her water dish with the tongs to distract her, then she sat in threat pose at the water dish for a few minutes before crawling back in her hide.

I won't handle the G. pulchra either, it's too unpredictable. One day it will be calm and watch you clean the bolus and fill the water, next day it grabs onto the water dish and won't let you remove it to clean and fill.

I totally got yelled at. All I asked was what was the best way to go about it if necessary. I didn't even say I was planning on it if I personally WANTED to. I am completely used to not handling animals and inverts of all sorts considering the large amount of true spiders I have that are not species that handle EVER. I just looked at the responses... and was like... o.o... it was terrifying and I am one person who doesn't try to argue ever in forums where I am learning or anything. But it's like... come on... no need to jump down my throat for honestly asking something. I left the thread I think age ago and they continued picking for weeks afterward. .___.' It has made me generally uncomfortable posting in most T communities now.
 

IamKrush

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
1,729
Location
The arm pit of The United States
The babies still haven't molted. I have been moving and cleaning things without tongs currently, They honestly don't care. I keep catch cups nearby of course and tongs just in case they decide to be grumpy that nice, but if they are having an off night they personally go under the fake foliage and just watch


I totally got yelled at. All I asked was what was the best way to go about it if necessary. I didn't even say I was planning on it if I personally WANTED to. I am completely used to not handling animals and inverts of all sorts considering the large amount of true spiders I have that are not species that handle EVER. I just looked at the responses... and was like... o.o... it was terrifying and I am one person who doesn't try to argue ever in forums where I am learning or anything. But it's like... come on... no need to jump down my throat for honestly asking something. I left the thread I think age ago and they continued picking for weeks afterward. .___.' It has made me generally uncomfortable posting in most T communities now.
I'm ok with you doing what you are doing. Because when you get tagged it will have no affect on my life. But you will learn a lesson. I used to reach in to my versicolors home to to cleaning. Until one day i went to open is home and it jumped half way out the opening and stuck at it. Then when I went to feed it it tackled the tongs. Never get complacent with the Ts and be ready for anything.
Its funny seeing posts of people getting worked up and getting so angro instead of explaing things rationally
 

Andee

Member
3 Year Member
Messages
44
Location
California
This is correct, if I get bit it's my fault, no one else's, everyone has warned me, and I still do the cleaning the way I am currently. What I am more worried about is the animal than myself. I don't keep dangerously venomous arachnids or animals, and don't clean the enclosures of my more ornery and dangerous True Spiders, with anything more than tongs. Which reminds me I need to get some really long tongs soon for two of my True Spiders XD. They won't stop guarding their egg sacks unless hungry, which I assume means they are both fertile and healthy sacs. They are eating well and everything, but the eggsacks are down at the very bottom and I need to clean some huge... messes that can't be left there until the spiderlings hatched. So I need some good long tongs. Do you guys have any recommendations?
 

Enn49

Moderator
Staff member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Tarantula Club Member
Messages
10,889
Location
Malton, UK
@Andee No one here will have a go at you over handling, personally I don't intentionally handle but there are many who do.
 

Andee

Member
3 Year Member
Messages
44
Location
California
Poor Espresso is close to going through finishing the premolt stage and hitting the full on molt. It kind of terrifies me, but there's not much I can do other than what I am I think... Does me opening the enclosure at all to refill the water dish cause issues with prolonging a possible molt?
 

Enn49

Moderator
Staff member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Tarantula Club Member
Messages
10,889
Location
Malton, UK
@Andee Just remember Ts have been moulting for generations and most get through it without a problem. If you need to top up the water, try to disturb the T as little as possible although I've often moved a T's container only to find it in the middle of a moult and it's never seemed to bother them.
 

Andee

Member
3 Year Member
Messages
44
Location
California
I have slowed to topping the water about every three days, when I used to do it about every day. I currently don't need to do it as often because of temperatures. But I have to move the entire deli to top it off. So I am glad it's not nearly as hot and dry so I can hopefully let the little settle. It's just not even my True spiders have gone through molts yet (most of them I get either full grown or older so molts are more slow). It's just nerve wracking, I realize it will probably get easier later on... but ugh. First few times will be horrible I am sure XD
 
Top