Heteropoda sp. David Bowie., sling

[Tarantula Trooper]

Hello all, Bout to get my first huntsman spider sp. David Bowie! I know their fast,arboreal, and need humidity! Mine will be a tiny sling and was wondering if anybody has raised one of these guys from a sling? Any tips, housing needs beyond humidity etc,etc, would be greatly appreciated. Nothing beats advice than from those who have been there, done that and with the mortality rate of slings from these guys any and absolutely all advice will used to hopefully grow to adult this lovely new addition to the T collection. Only true spider I will have at this point to go with my one scorpion that's the odd ball. Thanks to all!!!

 

[Josh]

I've not kept this one but I am eager to learn more about them!

 

[Tarantula Trooper]

Got this tiny guy and I believe I got a bit lucky on the re-house!! As soon as I pulled the tissue stopper out so was this microscopic spider at the speed of light! She stopped on the sling Tarantula Crib I thought about housing it in but thought better and rapidly made it a little dram vial it's enclosure! Stayed put up till we started trying to get the tiny bugger in the vial and at first wasn't having any of it but leapt in and all was good! I believe I got lucky! Considering how fast and tiny l know I'm lucky!! This thing will test me anytime I fed or water or anything! Should be an interesting ride!! Ts forever!!!

 

[Tarantula Trooper]

Hadn't garnered much attention, but so far after feeding this tiny thing a Hydei fruit fly that was bigger than it spotting the little thing got easy cause it's abdomen is quite a bit bigger! I truly believe the Malanogaster , I think, species of flightless fruit flys would have been a better choice. But he/she took that big little fruit fly it seems no problem! The dram vial with no vent holes is holding serious humidity so every day I vent with the lid while watching the little bugger! It's usually on the lid so I tap it down. If anybody gets interested...lol

 

[Gizalba]

Hi, congrats on your speedy little guy! I have never kept that species but I have kept a Heteropoda venatoria from a tiny sling to adult. Do you have a picture of the enclosure? It defo needs vent holes. I think with vials people usually use a notice board pin to poke tiny holes into the lid. However I don't personally use dram vials anymore as I feel they still don't supply enough ventilation or cross-ventilation unless you use a soldering iron to melt holes into the sides too. I don't have a great amount of experience having only raised one so hopefully someone with more knowledge can chime in!

Below is what I used for my sling but I don't know if you have them in the US? I did still have to tape netting onto the vent holes as I was scared the sling was small enough to get through them. However this enclosure worked really well to feed through the hatch at the top top prevent escaping! And I could also use a pipette to drop water through it onto moss to keep the humidity up. He did grow fast so then it became easier to find a suitable enclosure with front-opening as they do like to try to escape upwards!

https://thespidershop.co.uk/product/arboreal-keeper/

 

[Gizalba]

P.s. Below are some videos from Dave's Little Beasties - might be helpful with different arboreal sling enclosure ideas. In the first he actually uses a fruit fly pot I think with the sponge as feeding hatch and ventilation. I also grew a Cupiennius salei from sling to adult and found the care/speed very similar to the huntsmen.

 

[Tarantula Trooper]

Thank you for your feedback as it is truly appreciated. I watch Dave regularly and you have jogged my memory about the fly pot and will soon re-house into something of that nature. Just how tiny and fast these guys is amazing! You think your ready and yeah! Already a learning experience indeed..lol. I'm manually venting the pot it's in a few times a day and what it's in as small as it is truly is still hard to spot..lol. I first seen though and had to give it a go! As I'm typing it's about to be T feeding night so I'm all fired up!!! Thank you so much again! Happy Spoodering!