My Versi Sling is here!! Quick question

[Charlotte]

Hi Everyone,

My versi has arrived! omg it is the cutest most adorable thing I've ever seen! so cute! I am thinking of a name, I quite like skittles.

I think I have everything set up right, I have used a mix of coco fiber and vermiculite, I think it's nicely moist not saturated and doesn't drip any water when squeezed but can feel it's moist. about the same size as him/her

he/she has a nice little bit of bark to climb and I have put a spiderling water bowl in with him/her, my question is, is it okay to have the spiderling bowl? it is tiny about the same size as him/her.

Also the thermometer/hygrometer I got is way to big to fit in her jar, how shall I check the temp/humidity? I like to put them in the enclosures so I can regularly check but there's no way one will fit!

I had to screw in holes as my drill is broken and have now cut all my fingers, I hope he/she appreciates it!

 

[Fuzzball79]

Nice! They are gorgeous as spiderlings (and juves and adults, lol).
It's definitely safe to have a water dish, even a bigger one, spiders can't drown in clear water and it's good for keeping humidity up.
Personally I never bothered with hygrometers and/or thermometers. I just make sure the room temperature doesn't drop over night and for cold nights I have heat mats (with thermostats). You shouldn't need to keep it too humid anyway, as they live in trees which would naturally be dried out with the wind.
I would also add some fake plants even a twig for the sling to anchor its web on.

 

[Enn49]

I'm glad it's finally arrived safely.

There is some great advice on keeping Avics on here http://www.tarantulaforum.com/threads/new-avic-enclosure.5098/#post-42114

 

[Chubbs]

Don't worry about humidity, a water dish will provide all of the humidity they need. Avics do best on dry substrate in my experience, too much moisture often kills them.

 

[Entity]

Don't worry about humidity, a water dish will provide all of the humidity they need. Avics do best on dry substrate in my experience, too much moisture often kills them.

Chubbs i though Avics like a higher humidity. like 60 or 70%. the only way i can keep that is to mist my avic avics enclosure about every 3 days.

 

[Chubbs]

Chubbs i though Avics like a higher humidity. like 60 or 70%. the only way i can keep that is to mist my avic avics enclosure about every 3 days.

Too much humidity isn't good for them. Don't pay attention to the percentage, all they need is a water dish for humidity.

 

[Charlotte]

Chubbs i though Avics like a higher humidity. like 60 or 70%. the only way i can keep that is to mist my avic avics enclosure about every 3 days.

I thought the humidity had to be between 70-80? that's what the spider shop says and all the sites I've looked on? I just want to make sure I get it right as I don't want to loose it.

Skittles has a water dish and the substrate was slightly moist which will dry out. There are so many conflicting things about them it's hard to know whats right and wrong.

It is getting a little colder now so I think I will start putting the heating on for a bit in the room they are in, I do have a heat mat but no thermostat. There is a therm/hygrometer on the wall so I can check the room temp.

@Fuzzball79 where do you put your heat mat, at the back?

 

[Fuzzball79]

Yes at the back, I used to have it underneath, but apparently it doesn't benefit the spider that way. I must say, I hardly use it, because the spiders are in my living room where the dogs sleep, too, so the temperature wouldn't drop too far down anyway.

 

[Charlotte]

Yes at the back, I used to have it underneath, but apparently it doesn't benefit the spider that way. I must say, I hardly use it, because the spiders are in my living room where the dogs sleep, too, so the temperature wouldn't drop too far down anyway.

I suppose in the winter when you have heating on that would be enough then?

Also what do you do when you go on holiday? Do you have someone that looks after them? I'm going on honeymoon in December for a week and I don't know anyone that is comfortable feeding or changing their water.

 

[Enn49]

I do have a heat mat but no thermostat.

A thermostat is a must on a heat mat for your own safety as well as the Ts, some of them can start fires if they are not controlled by a stat.

 

[Fuzzball79]

I suppose in the winter when you have heating on that would be enough then?

Also what do you do when you go on holiday? Do you have someone that looks after them? I'm going on honeymoon in December for a week and I don't know anyone that is comfortable feeding or changing their water.

First of all congratulations on your wedding soon . TBH, we hardly go away on big holidays. I usually take my boys for a week in summer and my husband is ok with changing water, although he doesn't feed them, but that is not an issue for Ts (IMHO, they won't die if their water doesn't get changed for a week neither, they're hardy animals). If I was going somewhere in the winter, I'd probably just ask someone to make sure the heating is ok though (i.e. heat mats/stats working, no power cuts).

 

[Charlotte]

A thermostat is a must on a heat mat for your own safety as well as the Ts, some of them can start fires if they are not controlled by a stat.

@Enn49 the weather has been nice lately so I haven't used it yet, I will probably have to use it when it gets colder, I'll get a thermostat

@Fuzzball79 Thank you, time is going so quick! will my sling be ok without food for a week? I could ask my mum if I could take them there and I've got a pipette so if anything they can just squeeze some water in without even having to open the top. I think she'd be ok with two Ts but I can see my collection growing and I can't see her welcoming 10+ in her house she would be able to manage the heating as well. How long do you keep it on for? Obviously I don't want them to be in constant heat. I'll be phoning whilst I'm on holiday to check they're alright lol my little babies

 

[Charlotte]

Oh I forgot to ask, what size crickets are best for slings?

I got pinheads and slightly bigger ones as the pinheads I could barely see.

Also skittles seems to be ok, had a little drink earlier but no sign of making a web yet, is this normal?

 

[Enn49]

@Charlotte At the size yours is I would think it would be fine with a very small cricket rather than pinheads, you can always prekill one if it's reluctant to try live.

 

[Charlotte]

@Enn49 I just put a prekilled 1/4 cricket in and put it in the top of the cork bark, skittles found it and is now walking around with it. It's so cute she just pounced on it as if it was live.

I've added a little bit of plant so hopefully will see a web soon, how soon do they usually start making webs?

 

[Enn49]

@Charlotte Ha ha, next time you should be ok feeding live. As for webbing it varies as to how long but usually within a day or so. My little Avic webbed the night it arrived even though it had moulted in transit and lost 2 legs.

 

[Charlotte]

@Charlotte Ha ha, next time you should be ok feeding live. As for webbing it varies as to how long but usually within a day or so. My little Avic webbed the night it arrived even though it had moulted in transit and lost 2 legs.

Skittles just chills on the bark for a while and then seems to walk around mainly the top for a bit then back to the cork bark, I hope everything's set up ok.

Awwww on your little Avic loosing 2 legs poor little thing.

hopefully I will see a web forming soon.

 

[Charlotte]

@Enn49 does this set up look ok?

 

[Enn49]

@Charlotte It looks good.

This is my Avics container before I put the water bowl in.

 

[Charlotte]

@Enn49 Oh my goodness look at that little cutie!

Can't figure out why it's not making a web yet.

My drill broke so I put lots of holes in manually and cut all my hand, the lid is too hard to put holes in without a drill. So I've put loads around the sides,the lid has two openings which is handy. I'll put some holes in the top soon, do you think the holes I've already done will be enough?