Pink Toed Tarantula Habitat Suggestions and Feeding Help?

[Hunter1134]

So I plan on getting a Pink Toed Tarantula soon. It is my first and thought it would be nice to start with an arboreal species. I think I have everything I need. I have a Zoo Med Naturalistic 12 x 12 x 18 tall terrarium, a cork tile background, a medium piece of driftwood (Cured, ect.), a small Zoo Med Cork Round, Coco Husk, Exo Terra Plantation Soil, fake hanging leaf vines, water bowl, Orange Cube Cricket Diet, Cricket enclosure, (Soon to have crickets), and plume moss.

What else would a pink toed tarantula's habitat need? A heat mat? I was thinking of getting one, but my house stays around 75 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit.

Thanks )

P.S. ** How often would you feed your Pink Toed Tarantula and how much? I was thinking once a week and as much as s/he can eat . . ?

 

[Nada]

No need for a heat mat. Room temp is fine for most tarantulas. Feeding wise, 1 prey item a week(1 cricket or roach) is plenty.
It probably won't even eat that frequently if it is an adult. Just make sure you remove any un-eaten prey items after 24 hours.

 

[Hunter1134]

Thank you! It is good to get answers like this !

I can't wait to get started in the invertebrate hobby!

 

[BigTGirl93]

Thank you! It is good to get answers like this !

I can't wait to get started in the invertebrate hobby!

It is a awesome hobby to get started in! I spend most of my days off popping my head in and out of my room watching my T's, and when there really active like spinning, or hunting, or just being a T is so neat to watch! Welcome to the tf! I have a Pink Toe T and that was my first T, I got Aragon two months ago and boy oh boy I am IN LOVE! These T's are great beginner T's, they very docile, and have a nice temper. There not hard to care for at all, and they have sassy attitudes haha! It sounds like you have everything you need for your first T and its really good that you have done your homework! About the feeding Kenny is correct Aragon ate like once a week on a regular basis. Right now I believe he is in pre-molt because for the past week he has been refusing food. And I dont have a heat pad for him and he is as comfy as can be! Your on the right track and I really think you should get a Pink Toe! There awesome! I just got a Pink Salmon Birdeater and a Chaco Golden Knee sling. Fullhouse! Haha

 

[Hunter1134]

Wow! So many different species! I hope for my next one after this to be a Chilean Rose Hair
With any animals, I always like to start at the intermediate level so I can get a grasp at taking care of them at a higher level.. Pink Toed's I think are in between Easy and Intermediate. And thank you for the moral support for starting the hobby! And yes, I always make sure I am fully prepared when taking in an animal under my keeping.

 

[BigTGirl93]

Yes I love the Birdeater! And always admired the Pink Toe. Rosies are great T's also and really cute! I haven't had one of those yet but the next one I get is going to be a Rosie, everyone has one!

 

[Hunter1134]

I know, a lot of people have them! I really just wanted something different as well for my first T. Do you have any tips for when I get started?

 

[BigTGirl93]

I know, a lot of people have them! I really just wanted something different as well for my first T. Do you have any tips for when I get started?

Well your enclosure set up sounds great! And you know about feeding now. One other thing I can tell you is to keep the substrate damp, once a week I spray Aragon's enclosure lightly to keep it a little damp and humid. You kind of have to find your T's fine like with spraying because you don't want to over do it and make it dripping wet, but you don't want your substrate to get dry and sandy either. It also ties in to their natural tropical habitat found in Columbia. So with your decorative enclosure and light mist will make your Pink Toe comfy at his new home. Very important though to never spray at your T! They will get irradiated quickly or frightened. And I'm sure your know this but when your first get your T and bring him home and put him in his enclosure, make that re housing as stressful as possible for him/her. After I rehoused Aragon I put him in my room with the lights dimmed and door shut for a couple of hours, and occasionally checked up on him, the next day I started spinning and exploring his new home! it's a good feeling!

 

[Hunter1134]

I plan to do all of that of what you just said! Plus, I live in Georgia, so keeping the humidity up won't be as hard as I thought!

 

[BigTGirl93]

Your awesome! Goodluck with your Pink Toe! Enjoy him/her! Put up pics I would love to see it!!

 

[Hunter1134]

Thank you! I will most likely post pics in a week or two, I am almost done preparing !

 

[Kurt Nelson]

Humidity is not essential unless you're raising T's that are swamp dwellers or T's without water bowls. So chuck humidity out of your head its an over site. Second I think a 12x12x18 enclosure is a little too big. But if your T is finding its prey its fine. Other then that don't use a heat mat and everything else sounds great! Enjoy your eight legged friend!

 

[Neekl816]

i disagree with the humidity part for a pink toe i read they need 75% - 85% humidity and 74+ degrees to thrive I know mine didn't do a whole lot and also kept all closed up and didn't move until I raised my humidity and added an undertank heater.

 

[Kurt Nelson]

i disagree with the humidity part for a pink toe i read they need 75% - 85% humidity and 74+ degrees to thrive I know mine didn't do a whole lot and also kept all closed up and didn't move until I raised my humidity and added an undertank heater.

For one a heat mat is not a good source of heat. It can create hot spots which are not good for your T and could potentially burn them. Second they come from a humid area, it does not mean they need humidity. T's have adapted to survive in such climates. If they hadn't they would have been extinct by now. So no, you do not have to keep them humid. The only T's you really have to keep humid are the swamp dwellers. They cannot survive in dry climates like almost every other T can.

So all in all, a water bowl is fine for humidity, not to mention if you live in a dry climate, you open the tank to mist, by the time you close the lid your humidity has dropped drastically, and it's only temporary. So it's borderline useless anyways. A water bowl is a permanent source of humidity.

I don't mist any of my T's if they have water bowls and I see no ill effects. Even my Lampropelmas which thrive in 80-85% humidity do well without being misted.

 

[Hunter1134]

Thank you Kurt, I got a heat mat just in case, I won't use it unless it gets somewhat colder than usual during the Winter months. Glad to know having a T won't control my life xD

 

[Sabeth]

Right, one really nice thing about Ts is that they require very little maintenance; you can even go away for a couple weeks and not worry. As long as they have water, they're good.

 

[Hunter1134]

Awesome!

 

[Neekl816]

For one a heat mat is not a good source of heat. It can create hot spots which are not good for your T and could potentially burn them. Second they come from a humid area, it does not mean they need humidity. T's have adapted to survive in such climates. If they hadn't they would have been extinct by now. So no, you do not have to keep them humid. The only T's you really have to keep humid are the swamp dwellers. They cannot survive in dry climates like almost every other T can.

So all in all, a water bowl is fine for humidity, not to mention if you live in a dry climate, you open the tank to mist, by the time you close the lid your humidity has dropped drastically, and it's only temporary. So it's borderline useless anyways. A water bowl is a permanent source of humidity.

I don't mist any of my T's if they have water bowls and I see no ill effects. Even my Lampropelmas which thrive in 80-85% humidity do well without being misted.

With all due respect why would you force them to adapt when isn't the goal of the enclosure to make them comfortable with their original habitat? It would be much more comfortable with the humidity up but your call. Also an Under tank mat will not burn the "Arboreal" species to say this is very wrong considering that it doesn't burrow and almost never walks on the bottom they always stay up. owning alot of T's doesn't make this correct at all you need more research such as visiting websites like http://www.petbugs.com/caresheets/A-avicularia.html and http://www.animartpetstores.com/sites/default/files/pink toe tarantula.pdf and that's just 2 sites in less than 30seconds of research I would not listen to this rubbish about not needing Humidity for it for this guy does not know about this species specifically

 

[Nada]

Humidity is relative. If you live in Florida, you probably don't need additional humidity, that said many avics are humidity dependant.
Spraying however does not achieve humidity. Humidity is achieved by have a closed top, proper side ventilation and a water bowl over-flowed weekly.
@Neekl816 The care sheets you posted are very general. 75-85 % is a pretty big range and in my opinion Largely inaccurate. Very few species need humidity as high as 80%,Common Pink Toes (A.Avic) Thrive at 60% . Kurt is technically wrong when he says that they don't need humidity, but he is accurate in saying proper humidity can be maintained with a water bowl. Spraying doesn't create humidity, it creates wet.

 

[TJB13]

Another thing to think about is the accuracy of the hygrometer. I have a bunch in my t room not in tanks that all read different. Probably why you can get them for so cheap. Even the digital ones that cost more seem off. I stopped relying on them and use them as more of a basic guideline. I use water bowls...wet the soil then let it dry out. Sometimes there dry for a while and every ones doing fine.