Kormath's Ts

[kormath]

So we'll start this with a story of how I got into the hobby. I've probably posted this before but oh well

3 years ago or so my son started asking if he could get a T. I'm mildly arachnaphobic, I squish spiders just fine, but if i'm like sitting at my desk and see a spider. Then grab something to smash it with, and look back and it's gone, i get the creepy crawlies and can't concentrate well until i find it and kill it. So i kept putting my foot down and saying no to a T.

My son really really wanted one, so he worked with his school to do a study project on a T and got a grant to purchase one. He purchased a GBB, substrate, enclosure and decorations. Then came home the day it arrived and said "Dad guess what? I own a spider!" Of course i was upset he "went behind my back". But i'm so glad he did After watching the .75" GBB grow up over the summer i soon came to enjoy them. Technically this is his 2nd GBB. The first was injured the day after he got it at school. It had escaped the enclosure and while being put back in got spooked by the secretary walking in and screaming and got 2 legs trapped in the lid. It didn't make it unfortunately so the school replaced him with Marley, our current GBB and the star of our small collection.

So without further ado..... Heeeeeeree's Marley! He's ~2" and we think is getting ready to molt as he's spending all of his time in the hammock type webbing he built.

We first got Marley on May 30, 2015 and he's molted 4 times.

Next I bought Koby, my son's Boehmei as an early xmas present. He's 1/2" and is a pain in the butt so my son says. He's only eaten once since we got him on 11/24. I'm thinking he will be mine soon as my son is getting fed up with him and believes something may be wrong.

I'm hoping the shiny abdomen and the dark spot on top is a sign of premolt and Koby's behavior will change after so my son will enjoy him again. The low spot in the corner is where he's been starting to dig his burrow, or just digging.

My third specimen is my Vagans - RedRum 1/4" or so and eats like a machine. So fun to watch!! he's even starting to dig a burrow. On the other side of him he's dug up the "root" for the silk leaves.

Sorry for the fuzzy pic, it's hard to get the cell phone to focus on the lil guy, I had to take the next pic like a dozen times until i got a good focus lol

That's my collection for now

Coming next week!! A. Geniculata, G. Rosea, and B. Albo!! I can't wait!! I'll post pics of them when they arrive

 

[RedCapTrio]

Nice story for a start @kormath and we almost have the same kind of Ts! I don't have a G. rosea... yet.

How big is the boehmei's enclo by the way?

 

[kormath]

Nice story for a start @kormath and we almost have the same kind of Ts! I don't have a G. rosea... yet.

How big is the boehmei's enclo by the way?

He's in the juvie "terrestrial" enclosure from Jamies. It's 4x4x6 i believe. He started a burrow in it this weekend but we also found a mold spot in the substrate so we dumped it, cleaned it, and rehoused him with new substrate and decorations. My son removed the hide though hoping he'd create his own burrow. I'm thinking i should put it back in since he's just on dry cocofiber now. I have to drill it for more ventilation but didn't think of that until we got it back together and him inside. Didn't want to irritate him anymore than we already had.

I don't like that enclosure, with the front screen vent you can't put any more substrate in it than there is now. It'd be good for an aboreal if you drilled ventilation holes. I'll be going to town this coming weekend and will look for a better sized enclosure. Possibly the mini kritter keeper, it's 7"Hx4.5"Wx5"L That way he'll have more substrate to burrow in, better ventilation (after i drill holes) and more room to grow before i have to upgrade size and rehouse him again.

 

[Enn49]

Yours is a similar story to mine. My adult son got a P. vittata 2 years ago after many,many years of wanting a T (he's an adult now) and I fell in love and now have 40 of my own.

 

[Wayne harper]

I'm the same my son who was 7 wanted one so he saved his pocket money and had to keep a garden spider alive for a month. He managed and we now have 6 T's and I'm itching to get more.

 

[Kymura]

Love this little thread, its interesting to me how everyone decided to keep T's
I can never get my stupid iphone to focus correctly either kormath and dont have a digital camera.
Your pictures came out nicely. Looking forward to more ^*^

 

[kormath]

Love this little thread, its interesting to me how everyone decided to keep T's
I can never get my stupid iphone to focus correctly either kormath and dont have a digital camera.
Your pictures came out nicely. Looking forward to more ^*^

I'm looking to get a less expensive SLR or DLR camera this spring. I take enough pictures i need a decent camera. Then watch out lol i'll go crazy with it

Here's one more. Redrum has been digging away all day, i'm hoping that means he's getting closer to molting i know i keep saying that but i want to see his first molt!

I caught him on the way out of his burrow. When he's inside you can just barely see his abdomen, he's maybe a half in under the substrate now and is piling all the substrate from the burrow into the corner i usually moisten for him. I've tried getting a pic of him in the burrow but every time i go near it's like he's hungry and knows i'm the feeder lol He is so fun!!

 

[Kymura]

I'm looking to get a less expensive SLR or DLR camera this spring. I take enough pictures i need a decent camera. Then watch out lol i'll go crazy with it

Here's one more. Redrum has been digging away all day, i'm hoping that means he's getting closer to molting i know i keep saying that but i want to see his first molt!
View attachment 12521
I caught him on the way out of his burrow. When he's inside you can just barely see his abdomen, he's maybe a half in under the substrate now and is piling all the substrate from the burrow into the corner i usually moisten for him. I've tried getting a pic of him in the burrow but every time i go near it's like he's hungry and knows i'm the feeder lol He is so fun!!

Good, when your really good at it you can come take pictures of mine, Ill make coffee and sweet rolls for everybody

 

[Wg25]

Yours is a similar story to mine. My adult son got a P. vittata 2 years ago after many,many years of wanting a T (he's an adult now) and I fell in love and now have 40 of my own.

I love it!!! always makes me smile when I hear it! Hahaha gives me hope that my mother or one of my sisters can maybe get pulled into the hobby! Hehe

 

[Wg25]

I'm looking to get a less expensive SLR or DLR camera this spring. I take enough pictures i need a decent camera. Then watch out lol i'll go crazy with it

Here's one more. Redrum has been digging away all day, i'm hoping that means he's getting closer to molting i know i keep saying that but i want to see his first molt!
View attachment 12521
I caught him on the way out of his burrow. When he's inside you can just barely see his abdomen, he's maybe a half in under the substrate now and is piling all the substrate from the burrow into the corner i usually moisten for him. I've tried getting a pic of him in the burrow but every time i go near it's like he's hungry and knows i'm the feeder lol He is so fun!!

Awesome T's Kormath!

 

[kormath]

I love it!!! always makes me smile when I hear it! Hahaha gives me hope that my mother or one of my sisters can maybe get pulled into the hobby! Hehe

unless they have bad arachnobia i'd say work them in gently. That's what my son did to me well not so gently, it was more like a push into the deep end lol.

Oh and good news!! Ken confirmed the 2 slings i ordered yesterday are both newish hatchlings (is that what you call them?) the g. rosea and b. albo are both 1/4". So the few mini kritter keepers i ordered can sit in the closet for a year or so till they're needed My son isn't going to be happy, but i'm loving it!! He was so adamant about not getting a T under 1" 'cause he doesn't want to wait years for their colors and size. This is really going to steam him lol. He was hoping they'd be more the .75" like when he got his GBB. I like the small ones, they're fun to watch!!

 

[kormath]

more good news!! I think Redrum is starting his molt He's been in his burrow for the last 2 days now and when i peeked in it looked like he was upside-down. Maybe just digging again or maybe i'm just wishing See if you can tell.

I rehoused Koby. That enclosure sucks for ventilation and he was on bone dry substrate trying to burrow in the corner. I dampened the substrate just enough it would pack and created a starter burrow for him. I only used half the bottle this time so he could dig deeper if he wanted. I also drilled ventilation holes on each side so hopefully that will help. He's fat as a pig also and went straight in to his new burrow.

Straight to the burrow he went!

And then there's Marley
It's been 3 months since he molted last and he's beeng hiding in the corner in his web for the last week or 2 and won't eat. I think he's premolt also, his colors look darker and he's fat lol

My son think's Marley just molted, but we've both studied his web extensively though the enclosure and can't see anything to indicate he had.

 

[Kymura]

Looks like its on its back but cant quite tell, my B.albo keeps me guessing keep thinking shes on her back but cant quite tell.

 

[kormath]

my son and I have been debating his position for a while now lol. I think he's on his back because it looks to me like his spinnerets are pointing up, when they're typically pointing down when they're standing and relaxed.

 

[kormath]

Koby and his.... obesity. Hopefully he molts soon it looks like he's ready to burst.

 

[bookac]

Good, when your really good at it you can come take pictures of mine, [emoji14] Ill make coffee and sweet rolls for everybody

I have equipment I want coffe and cookies [emoji14]

 

[Kymura]

I have equipment I want coffe and cookies [emoji14]

absolutely lol!

 

[kormath]

3 have arrived! Genic, Rosea, and the first B. Albo.


Actual pictures will be taken tonight when we unbox them in their new homes.

 

[Kymura]

awesome, looking forward to them

 

[kormath]

So.... here we go again!

Perfectly packaged and shipped, like we expect from Ken the Bug Guy. Love his service and specimens.

the 2 sling enclosures are sweet! The look like dried leaf spice shakers. Perfect for the slings i think
Here's the one for Blass, my son doesn't like that name anymore though so it's changing.

The substrate shipped with this had just enough moisture to pack it in the enclosure, and that was too much still for the G. Rosea, he wouldn't get off the fake plant. Luckily i had some dry substrate so we redid this one and removed the greenery. I'll have to get a picture of the new setup later.

My son unboxing formerly known as Blass. He likes the term unboxing. Not sure what you all call it but that works


And here's the monster formerly known as Blass Ken said they were tiny slings, maybe 1/4", I think he exagerated a bit on this one lol or maybe the b. albo is just a bit bigger than 1/4".

My son wanted his thumbnail there for size comparison. Here he is in his new home avoiding the substrate. He went down on the sub and immediately up into the fake foilage lol

We removed the foilage to take away his climbing and possible falling. after the dry sub he's been finding the nooks and crevices in the cork bark fun to explore.

My son's Genic enclosure, minus the Spagnum moss bed in the corner. we forgot to do that until the spider was inside. The Gatorade bottle cap matches the top of the kritter keeper almost perfectly in color My son didn't want the orange lid until he saw that.

The sub is fresh from a brick of cocofiber we got today also, along with the cork bark rounds. Moistening the brick to break it down into usable substrate gave it the perfect moisture I believe for Savage. And he's a beautiful spider. you see pics of these that others here have taken but you don't see the true beauty until you have one

And here is Savage, my son's 1.5" a. genic. I think he's closer to 2 or even more DLS but we'll have to wait for a molt to see for sure. First pic is Savage in his shipping container. My son opened it and said WOAH!! He's super excited I think this early xmas gift was a success.

Savage freshly unboxed he was really calm and slow moving the whole time through this.

Pics a little dark. Here he is again in his new home. He did a half lap checking things out then slipped into the small hollow space my son made under the cork bark and sat for a while.

The white there in pic is just reflection. I saw that right after i took it and thought WTF!? lol

Last but not least we have Moe!! my B. Albo, 1/4" but probably half again the size of formerly known as Blass.

Freshly unboxed in the tuperware catch container

Here we have Moe in his new home. I'm guessing he loves it. within 2 minutes of being in his enclosure he dug a burrow right behind the fake foilage and we haven't seen him since lol.

And here's one of Moe mooning us as he digs his burrow. Mostly he just pushed aside the loose substrate around the base of the plant. I'm sure i'll see fresh diggings soon

Oh i did take one of Savage with his moss bed. I'm still amazed by the markings on these Genics

All the new family members have settled in Savage has eaten 2 medium sized crickets, he didn't seem interested in the Dubai but i'll try one of those again in a couple days. The tiny little Rosea ate the smallest pinhead lateralis i had. And last i looked Moe was still too busy burrowing to eat the pinhead i put in his enclosure. If he hasn't gotten it in an couple hours when we go to bed i'll remove it and try again in a couple days.

SO HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!! And i got shipping confirmation from Jamie, Larry has been shipped and is on his way home