Pink Toe Tarantula care questions!!

[Raptorsnap07]

Hello fellow arachnid enthusiasts! I am new to the hobby and I just wanted to get a few questions answered before I get my Pink toe tarantula this week. My first question is that I live in Colorado and it gets quite cold here so my room gets cold. Much cooler than pink toe Ts thrive in. Would a small 25 Watt ceramic heater work to keep the cage warm during the winter. Question number 2. What is more important having good airflow or high humidity. I did buy a fogged for humidity but should I just do a water bowl instead. Or if I have a fogged do I even need a water bowl. Question 3. Should I keep a small cage for the feeder roaches so I don’t have to go to the reptile shops two to three times a week. Or should I just get roach food and a small cheap cage and every week go buy a few roaches. Thank you guys for answering my questions and welcoming me to the hobby

 

[Arachnoclown]

Hello, pinktoes need lots of airflow and low humidity. They also don't need to eat 2-3 times a week. Slings eat once a week juveniles can go every two weeks and adults two to four weeks. Any heat source on or in the enclosure will dehydrate the spider...its better to heat the room.

 

[Raptorsnap07]

Hello, pinktoes need lots of airflow and no humidity. They also don't need to eat 2-3 times a week. Slings eat once a week juveniles can go every two weeks and adults two to four weeks. Any heat source on or in the enclosure will dehydrate the spider...its better to heat the room.

Thank you so much for your reply’s but I still have a few questions. For instance Ive heard pink toes need 70 to eighty percent humidity and in Colorado it’s 20 percent. Also are you sure I can’t use a small low watt heat bulb because my dad might beat me if I touch the thermostat lol

 

[Gizalba]

Hello, pinktoes need lots of airflow and no humidity. They also don't need to eat 2-3 times a week. Slings eat once a week juveniles can go every two weeks and adults two to four weeks. Any heat source on or in the enclosure will dehydrate the spider...its better to heat the room.

Thank you so much for your reply’s but I still have a few questions. For instance Ive heard pink toes need 70 to eighty percent humidity and in Colorado it’s 20 percent. Also are you sure I can’t use a small low watt heat bulb because my dad might beat me if I touch the thermostat lol

Re humidity - Arachnoclown is I hear is a very experienced keeper, so is more likely to be right. BUT, I
can't help but feel that 'NO HUMIDITY' is misleading/bad advice? Surely they need some humidity in order to moult successfully?

'I did buy a fogged for humidity' - I agree that that definitely shouldn't be used. As I understand it the water bowl is the most important thing. I know in the past there has been bad advice to keep avics too humid, then that combined with lack of ventilation have caused them to die. So I think that is way Arachnoclown is strongly advising against humidity? However I have since read that it wasn't the humidity as such that was killing them - they are used to rainforests right? It was the lack of air flow combined with excess humidity. I have heard that 'air humidity' is quite important but by no means should it be 'wet' with condensation. I am so confused too, because the spider shop below, usually seem to be accurate with advice when I cross-reference, and they are recommending a significantly higher humidity for avics compared to the average recommendation for Ts. Are they wrong?

I have only been keeping Ts for 6 months Raptorsnap07, so I am going to link you to some youtube videos that seem to give the soundest advice and explanations overall and have a lot of experience behind them, as well as acknowledging that understanding is changing and improving all the time >

Although, Tom Moran does advise completely against using a hygrometer. I do use a hygrometer, to check the humidity doesn't get too high, if nothing else.

 

[Raptorsnap07]

the humidity system I bought for the cage has a gage on it so maybe I do a lower setting of humidity and the cage I’m getting will have a screen top so lots of air flow and I will put the fogged in the side with the water bowl so that excess moisture goes into the bowl and not on everything else. I’ve seen a lot of stuff about people saying humidity is super important and I’ve also seen people say that airflow is more important. The reason I think I will do a mix of both is because Colorado is REALLY dry. Like 20% humidity on a good day. So I think for my region having a fogger with a screen top for air flow is a good mix. Also just curious what type of substrate should I use.

 

[Gizalba]

Thank you so much for your reply’s but I still have a few questions. For instance Ive heard pink toes need 70 to eighty percent humidity and in Colorado it’s 20 percent. Also are you sure I can’t use a small low watt heat bulb because my dad might beat me if I touch the thermostat lol

Regarding the heat and avoiding upsetting your dad lol - I have heard that a portable radiator could be used, as long as you don't put it too near the tarantula, so indeed enough to heat the room but not the T directly. I have an oil filled one. I have heard that space heaters with a fan should not be used however, as the T will be upset by the air disturbance/wind.

 

[Raptorsnap07]

Regarding the heat and avoiding upsetting your dad lol - I have heard that a portable radiator could be used, as long as you don't put it too near the tarantula, so indeed enough to heat the room but not the T directly. I have an oil filled one. I have heard that space heaters with a fan should not be used however, as the T will be upset by the air disturbance/wind.

Ok that makes since. During the summer my room stays a good temp so I won’t have to worry about it then but during the winter is when it gets tricky. Thank you so much for the advice.

 

[Arachnoclown]

Thank you so much for your reply’s but I still have a few questions. For instance Ive heard pink toes need 70 to eighty percent humidity and in Colorado it’s 20 percent. Also are you sure I can’t use a small low watt heat bulb because my dad might beat me if I touch the thermostat lol

These numbers are from the local area where they're ancestors are from. We aren't dealing with wild caught Avicularia these days. They are all captive bred...probably right there in your state. Tarantulas aren't delicate flowers...they adapt unlike most reptiles which have heating/humidity requirements. These humidity numbers also don't reflect the humidity in the tree tops where there's a breeze. A water bowl in the enclosure works out to be perfect for all Avicularia.

Care sheets are worthless when it comes to humidity...its like someone saying a Eskimo can't live in Mexico without snow. Kinda silly huh?

 

[Arachnoclown]

Thank you so much for your reply’s but I still have a few questions. For instance Ive heard pink toes need 70 to eighty percent humidity and in Colorado it’s 20 percent. Also are you sure I can’t use a small low watt heat bulb because my dad might beat me if I touch the thermostat lol

About the thermostat....here's my two cents of heating. If you can't heat the room maybe your not ready for a Tarantula. All other forms of heating can and will fail...sometimes in the death of pet or fire. A heat bulb will kill your Avicularia without a doubt. Where is your spider supposed to escape the heat? Avics don't burrow.

Tarantulas don't really care for heat...they hide during the heat of the day and hunt in the cool nights. 65-70 degrees is perfect for Avicularia.

 

[Raptorsnap07]

Yes but a tarantula can’t live in Colorado in the wild. They still need humidity and heat requirements because if I were to let my tarantula go outside for the winter he would definitely die.

About the thermostat....here's my two cents of heating. If you can't heat the room maybe your not ready for a Tarantula. All other forms of heating can and will fail...sometimes in the death of pet or fire. A heat bulb will kill your Avicularia without a doubt. Where is your spider supposed to escape the heat? Avics don't burrow.

Tarantulas don't really care for heat...they hide during the heat of the day and hunt in the cool nights. 65-70 degrees is perfect for Avicularia.

I’ve heard that 25 watt bulbs only produce 70 degrees of heat. And if I put the heat bulb away from the tarantula not directly on it it should be fine right? Not to mention I will have a thermometer in the cage anyways so that if it gets to hot I can turn it off. During the day my room probably isn’t too cold but at night it gets to about 55 60 degrees in my room. If me a big warm blooded mammal gets cold then my Tarantula definitely will right?

 

[Raptorsnap07]

These numbers are from the local area where they're ancestors are from. We aren't dealing with wild caught Avicularia these days. They are all captive bred...probably right there in your state. Tarantulas aren't delicate flowers...they adapt unlike most reptiles which have heating/humidity requirements. These humidity numbers also don't reflect the humidity in the tree tops where there's a breeze. A water bowl in the enclosure works out to be perfect for all Avicularia.

Care sheets are worthless when it comes to humidity...its like someone saying a Eskimo can't live in Mexico without snow. Kinda silly huh?

Not to mention this example is dumb because humans are warm blooded and can change our body heat depending on the weather. Tarantulas can’t. They are cold blooded and have adapted over millions of years to live in the environments they live in. Not to mention if you have a person who is used to dry climate and cold air and you put them in a humid and hot place they are going to be worn out because they are not adapted to it. And vice verca

 

[m0lsx]

Heat pads if you need to use one. Keep it away from the substrate & make it cover only part of one side. Like that your tarantula can move away from the warmth. The fact that temperatures are X, Y or Z in the open where your T comes from, in the wild. Does not mean your species of tarantula lives in the full sun, they like warm, shaded places in general.

Sometimes I wonder how many T's are killed by the misleading term, humidity. Forget the term humidity & think substrate. A moist, but not wet, substrate makes the air more moist. A dry substrate adds no extra moisture to the air. The air is a result of your husbandry, not a separate issue. Make the environment right & the air will be right.

 

[Arachnoclown]

Re humidity - Arachnoclown is I hear is a very experienced keeper, so is more likely to be right. BUT, I
can't help but feel that 'NO HUMIDITY' is misleading/bad advice? Surely they need some humidity in order to moult successfully?

'I did buy a fogged for humidity' - I agree that that definitely shouldn't be used. As I understand it the water bowl is the most important thing. I know in the past there has been bad advice to keep avics too humid, then that combined with lack of ventilation have caused them to die. So I think that is way Arachnoclown is strongly advising against humidity? However I have since read that it wasn't the humidity as such that was killing them - they are used to rainforests right? It was the lack of air flow combined with excess humidity. I have heard that 'air humidity' is quite important but by no means should it be 'wet' with condensation. I am so confused too, because the spider shop below, usually seem to be accurate with advice when I cross-reference, and they are recommending a significantly higher humidity for avics compared to the average recommendation for Ts. Are they wrong?

View attachment 52375

I have only been keeping Ts for 6 months Raptorsnap07, so I am going to link you to some youtube videos that seem to give the soundest advice and explanations overall and have a lot of experience behind them, as well as acknowledging that understanding is changing and improving all the time >

Although, Tom Moran does advise completely against using a hygrometer. I do use a hygrometer, to check the humidity doesn't get too high, if nothing else.

Typing error....it was supposed to read low humidity, not no humidity. Cant edit it...that feature was taken from us a while ago.

 

[m0lsx]

Yes but a tarantula can’t live in Colorado in the wild. They still need humidity and heat requirements because if I were to let my tarantula go outside for the winter he would definitely die.

I live in the UK & we have no tarantulas in the wild here either. But I do not use extra warmth with my T's.

A friend of mine lives in Arizona, where my chalcodes comes from. And a few years ago a female prisoner was left in an open, unshaded area of an Arizona prison for 4 hours. She died as a direct result. My point being the fact that Arizona, the UK or Colorado has temperatures or humidity of a certain level. Does not mean it is a good thing, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for either us or them.

If you room is warm enough for you, it is warm enough for your T. But if you feel cold, then yes, you will need extra warmth. But take care as extra warmth can kill T's, as they need space to escape it, when they want to. And NEVER, EVER, put a heat pad under a T's enclosure. That is a certain way to put your T's at risk, as many burrow to escape heat & thus they get cooked when a heat pad is under the substrate.

 

[Lentulus]

Not to mention this example is dumb because humans are warm blooded and can change our body heat depending on the weather. Tarantulas can’t. They are cold blooded and have adapted over millions of years to live in the environments they live in. Not to mention if you have a person who is used to dry climate and cold air and you put them in a humid and hot place they are going to be worn out because they are not adapted to it. And vice verca

The point is that if you can thrive living in your bedroom, so can the T. The other one you missed is that the T you’re getting has been raised here in the states, not in the place of origin. The relocated Eskimo, for example, is a native Californian now and doesn’t feel “worn out” spending the day at Disneyland.

We have T’s in the wild where I live. It gets into the low 40’s here and even snows/hails once in a while.

I don’t think it’s cool to ask for help and then tell someone their example is dumb...especially when they’ve raised tarantulas since the early 80’s. Maybe, they just might know something.

 

[ilovebrachys]

These numbers are from the local area where they're ancestors are from. We aren't dealing with wild caught Avicularia these days. They are all captive bred...probably right there in your state. Tarantulas aren't delicate flowers...they adapt unlike most reptiles which have heating/humidity requirements. These humidity numbers also don't reflect the humidity in the tree tops where there's a breeze. A water bowl in the enclosure works out to be perfect for all Avicularia.

Care sheets are worthless when it comes to humidity...its like someone saying a Eskimo can't live in Mexico without snow. Kinda silly huh?

But @Arachnoclown.. Stan schultz said.. 

 

[Raptorsnap07]

The point is that if you can thrive living in your bedroom, so can the T. The other one you missed is that the T you’re getting has been raised here in the states, not in the place of origin. The relocated Eskimo, for example, is a native Californian now and doesn’t feel “worn out” spending the day at Disneyland.

We have T’s in the wild where I live. It gets into the low 40’s here and even snows/hails once in a while.

I don’t think it’s cool to ask for help and then tell someone their example is dumb...especially when they’ve raised tarantulas since the early 80’s. Maybe, they just might know something.

I wasn’t saying he was dumb I was saying the same example was dumb because even the Ts raised here I Colorado are still bred in terrariums with high humidity. They are still bred in similar environments to those of there native origin. And the Ts in your region are adapted to that. I’m trying to as effectively recreate the natural habitat of this T as possible because it makes no since that if my room is cold and dry that they would thrive in that because they have never been In environments that are cold and dry neither have they adapted to environments as such because adaptation takes many many many years. And again I didn’t say he was dumb I said the example was.

 

[Raptorsnap07]

The point is that if you can thrive living in your bedroom, so can the T. The other one you missed is that the T you’re getting has been raised here in the states, not in the place of origin. The relocated Eskimo, for example, is a native Californian now and doesn’t feel “worn out” spending the day at Disneyland.

We have T’s in the wild where I live. It gets into the low 40’s here and even snows/hails once in a while.

I don’t think it’s cool to ask for help and then tell someone their example is dumb...especially when they’ve raised tarantulas since the early 80’s. Maybe, they just might know something.

And again I am a warm blooded mammal that has thick skin and fatty layers to deal with the cold and I can wear a hoodie. This tropical T can’t regulate there body temperature on there own and doesn’t have the anatomy built for cold dry weather. Stop saying that if I can the T can’t because for instance I cannot thrive in the desert without food and water like many Ts can but they can. That’s like saying well if a penguin can thrive In Antarctic you can too. This T and me are built for different things.

 

[Arachnoclown]

I wasn’t saying he was dumb I was saying the same example was dumb because even the Ts raised here I Colorado are still bred in terrariums with high humidity. They are still bred in similar environments to those of there native origin. And the Ts in your region are adapted to that. I’m trying to as effectively recreate the natural habitat of this T as possible because it makes no since that if my room is cold and dry that they would thrive in that because they have never been In environments that are cold and dry neither have they adapted to environments as such because adaptation takes many many many years. And again I didn’t say he was dumb I said the example was.

I breed Avicularia...They're not bred in anything remotely close to the environment in which they once came from.

Notice the bone dry substrate....

Myself and many others for years have stated its easier to raise them on the drier side. Many newbies come here asking the same thing trying to replicate their natural environment. They generally all fail. Can you raise them like like their natural environment....sure, but your husbandry skills best be spot on. If you have to ask questions then your not ready for that quite yet.

 

[Raptorsnap07]

I breed Avicularia...They're not bred in anything remotely close to the environment in which they once came from.

Notice the bone dry substrate....View attachment 52386View attachment 52387View attachment 52388Myself and many others for years have stated its easier to raise them on the drier side. Many newbies come here asking the same thing trying to replicate their natural environment. They generally all fail. Can you raise them like like their natural environment....sure, but your husbandry skills best be spot on. If you have to ask questions then your not ready for that quite yet.

If you don’t mind me asking. What state do you live in? Or country.