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price for a probable male T stirmi about 5"dls

Whitelightning777

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Rick's fish and pet in Frederick has one in the usual crappy conditions in a critter keeper, bone dry being annoyed by a roach. The molt was taken out this time but last time it was still in the cage but no roach. This was about 3 or 4 days ago.

Is it risky to purchase a tarantula before it's hardened up?

The price is $115. He doesn't know how to sex them and doesn't understand why sexing Ts is so important. I feel sorry for the poor thing. I'm very confident that I can control heat and humidity because I have a method and routine for this.

If I get it, I'll keep it like my pamphobeteus but 3 to 5 degrees hotter and at 65 to 70 percent instead of just over 50 or 55 percent. Another words, 83 to 88 degrees.

I'll have to double check tarantula keepers guide but I think those are the right numbers.

The tarantula appeared to be cold and was trying to climb and line up with the light source.

The only thing is that I'm not sure I have enough room for a 15 to 20 gallon tank.

Any thoughts?
 

Whitelightning777

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It's real real leggy. I saw it climbing up the glass and I could see no fold of any type in sight of both front book lungs. Most tarantulas would be fully grown at that size. Frankly I'd be shocked if it was female.

The store doesn't allow photos. Besides if Rick thinks it's worth more, he'll Jack up the price big-time.
 

Arachnoclown

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Males will have a patch of dark hair above the vent...for $115 I'd buy it male or female. Temperatures don't matter with this breed...good airflow and wet moist substrate is the key. Much different then a Pamphobeteus.
I keep mine in exoterras but they are pricey. The cross airflow is great but you need to modify the screen top...not for climbing but for humidity. You can use sterilite tubs also...probably the best for someone learning how to keep this breed. Standard fish tanks will be a nightmare for someone just learning to keep these...poor airflow, stagnant soil, and mold.
 

Metalman2004

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Wait a minute, a pet store will not allow photo's? Sounds pretty fishy to me (fishy, get it). I wonder what he is trying to hide?

In the age of PETA I don’t necessarily blame some pet stores for this policy but it is a little over the top maybe.
 

Metalman2004

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Online I’ve seen juvie males for $80. Add in next day shipping and you’re easily over $115. Worst case scenario you paid regular price. Best case scenario you get a female!
 

Whitelightning777

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Wait a minute, a pet store will not allow photo's? Sounds pretty fishy to me (fishy, get it). I wonder what he is trying to hide?


Trade secrets, doesn't want the competition to have knowledge of his prices or they'll undercut him etc.

It literally is fishy, at least several hundred freshwater and marine ones for sale.
 

Whitelightning777

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Online I’ve seen juvie males for $80. Add in next day shipping and you’re easily over $115. Worst case scenario you paid regular price. Best case scenario you get a female!


I'd say that there's a, maybe 25 percent chance at best of it being female. In comparison to my L Klugi, the body is slightly smaller but the leg span is an inch larger, after her latest molt right now.

The guy acts like a sling, nervous active and climbing the walls. His cage is far too cold and far to dry for the commonly quoted requirements, 65-80 percent humidity, 78 to 88 degrees out similar from caresheet to caresheet.

I guess if it's a decent deal, it might be worth picking the big guy up. Jamie's has a juvenile that's about 1.5-1.75 inches for 95 dollars. It might be worth picking up.
 

Whitelightning777

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Males will have a patch of dark hair above the vent...for $115 I'd buy it male or female. Temperatures don't matter with this breed...good airflow and wet moist substrate is the key. Much different then a Pamphobeteus.
I keep mine in exoterras but they are pricey. The cross airflow is great but you need to modify the screen top...not for climbing but for humidity. You can use sterilite tubs also...probably the best for someone learning how to keep this breed. Standard fish tanks will be a nightmare for someone just learning to keep these...poor airflow, stagnant soil, and mold.

Flexible plastic sheeting like for binders and paper locks the humidity into a cage very efficiently. The biggest thing is that once in a while they fall off the top or fall into the enclosure if you put them in the underside, nothing a wee bit of electrical tape won't fix.

I've got a vacant enclosure 12x24x6. The problem with that is that it was originally for 22 scorplings living communally. If the stirmi flips on its back to molt, the molted skin will impact the roof and may halt the process.

One thing I can do as an option is to make a very small air scoop just like the ram air on a Camaro, one it at the wall and soon a fan at the wall. This produces a wonderful gentle ventilation that makes the air inside smell fresh even after a week. It was one of my experiments. In any event I can control the humidity and temp to less then a 10 percent deviation within any enclosure possible. It'll aggravate everyone, doubly so because it works.

It works be nice to recycle it but not really the right thing to do. It would be great if small sling enclosures can be made to fit, instant heat cabinet just add Saran wrap + half an inch of vermiculite to stabilize humidity.
 
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Whitelightning777

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Got him!!

Now to set up the enclosure, see y'all in a few hours.

Testing

Testing

Testing....
20180513_115856.jpg
20180513_115858.jpg
 

Whitelightning777

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Ok guys. Good news. I got him. I started by putting in sopping wet first layer of substrate which was the incident creature feature stuff plus vermiculite, then a wet later of peat, then a moist layer of peat then a lightly misted layer of coca fiber.

The reasons are that mold is a concern with high humidity and peat is highly resistant to mold, but tarantulas much prefer to walk on coca fiber. This way everyone wins.


Here, I skip a step with the release string with hilarious consequences!! They have to be taped and then tied like a loop that lifts the lid straight up.


Here mini me is dazed and confused. His previous home was a critter keeper with 1/4" inch of substrate and a critter keeper he could barely turn around in. He's cold and wandering aimlessly, but will settle in. This guy is a deep rich almost English Rolls Royce of brown. It doesn't show up in film.

The water dish is deep and huge, big enough for a cat. That way the humidity stays up and he can't flip it over that easily. The dish is seated on the glass.
 

Whitelightning777

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I was a little leery of the urticating hairs, wasn't sure what the reaction would be.

It turns out that he's pretty calm and laid back. Occasionally something will startle him but mostly he stays on the cork bark in the rear right corner behind the water dish.

By some sheer coincidence, it's around 79 degrees in that area at all times.

I offered food but he didn't eat yet. Probably takes larger ones longer to settle in then slings.
 
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Whitelightning777

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Here, he's exploring his new home.



I'm thinking about adding frog moss and trying for a good ventral shot. If that black dot is always that pronounced in the males, it should be easy to find.

Getting a female for $115 of course, would be the deal of a lifetime. I remember looking at him before through that gritty catch cup they had him in, nothing there no furrow no spot nada zip zilch.

I hate to bother him more.

Here's another pic I got by laying my phone just right on the screen and zooming it.

T stirmi mini me hanging out 3.jpg


He's basically been at that location ever since.

T stirmi mini me hanging out 1.jpg
 
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