Sling Question

[Megs]

Headed to the Kansas City Expo next Sunday to pick up another B. Albopilosum. I was also thinking about getting a B. Smithi sling. I've never cared for a sling before so any advice would be appreciated. Enclosure, what size and type of food, heat and humidity. That type of thing. Thanks!

 

[Entity]

Just like a big one @Megs just on a smaller scale. They need dry sub. and a water dish and feed them food about the size of their abdomen or smaller. and ull be fine. and a size appropriate enclosure. a deli cup will work fine with plenty of ventilation.

 

[Zurchiboy]

B smithi slings like to burrow so should have a decent amount of substrate so they can burrow. Our smithi sling did fine eating small crickets you get at petsmart, Just make sure they give you the smallest of the smallest.

 

[Megs]

OK, thanks guys! I'm excited to actually raise my own T. My son has the rest of them so this will be my first. (My son is 10 so i basically take care of his too) And I think B. Smithis are beautiful!

 

[Phil]

OK, thanks guys! I'm excited to actually raise my own T. My son has the rest of them so this will be my first. (My son is 10 so i basically take care of his too) And I think B. Smithis are beautiful!

They are grest spiers.. I have a mature female but my daughter (9) is raising her first T, a B. Emelia. Held the little cutie for the first time last week. Pic below.

 

[Entity]

and @Megs if u think the spider might be in premolt or it is just really small, prekill the cricket. they have no problems with u doing the hard part for them.

 

[kormath]

My smithi sling hasn't burrowed yet. He's about 3/4" now. He crawls down into the starter burrow i made and cuddles up against the corner of the enclosure. Guess he thinks he's hidden there

Eats like crazy though. I use moist substrate for them to burrow in, mix of cocofiber and potting soil. seems to hold shape better than just one or the other. My juvie B. albo had burrowed out the whole bottom of his enclosure, except 1 little pillar near the entrance to the burrow where he climbed down. My son about had a heart attack when it collapsed on him. Took him a few minutes to dig his way out

 

[Zurchiboy]

The one I have is skittish when it comes to feeding. Just by opening the top it's kicking hairs and too afraid to eat. So just leaving the cricket or ****roach in their for a day it will usually eat it within that time frame.

 

[Entity]

Its funny how in your mind they r tough. but they are big babies....lol even with us helping them eat they r still too afraid to sometimes. Its amazing they even survive in the wild

 

[SpiderDad61]

OK, thanks guys! I'm excited to actually raise my own T. My son has the rest of them so this will be my first. (My son is 10 so i basically take care of his too) And I think B. Smithis are beautiful!

Good luck. I love my smithi and it's only 2" or so. Mine does not burrow at all but give it enough substrate in case urs is a burrower. I also cut a cup from those "motts" Apple sauces in 1/2 to create a hide and kinda bury part of it, and my smithi loves it. I do that for most of my slings and they love to start burrowing inside it, as the opening.

 

[Megs]

So,we went to the expo this morning but I couldn't find any B. Smithi slings. Plenty of bigger ones but I wanted to start with a sling. Anyway, I ended up getting a Grammostola pulchripes sling. He/she is TINY!! Hopefully this picture will post and you all can see it.

 

[Zurchiboy]

Congrats. thats a small T!!!!

 

[Megs]

Congrats. thats a small T!!!!

Yes! It's a tiny little guy! So hopefully we do ok with this one. I'm a little nervous about it. So far so good. I'm gonna try and feed it in the next day or two and see how it does. Wish me luck!

 

[Zurchiboy]

That looks smaller than a half inch. might have to use pre-killed crickets or fruit flies.

 

[Megs]

That looks smaller than a half inch. might have to use pre-killed crickets or fruit flies.

That's what I was thinking too! I just need to find a place around here that sells them.

 

[Zurchiboy]

Petsmart or Petco sometimes have viles for sale

 

[Megs]

Petsmart or Petco sometimes have viles for sale

Awesome, thanks!

 

[kormath]

Awesome, thanks!

Pinhead roaches will work if you can get them. Also small meal worms, cut them in half if they're a bit big, or watch them attack and get flipped over with a slightly large meal worm

 

[syzygy]

That looks smaller than a half inch. might have to use pre-killed crickets or fruit flies.

I'd never really done the pre-killed thing previously, but recently I had a bunch of small crickets and once I'd fed off the smallest I was left with ones that were too big for my 3/8" slings. I tried this and it worked perfectly. I just put the cricket into one of the small vials the T's shipped in and with one quick shake the deed was done.

 

[Megs]

Is there a trick to feeding them when they're this little? I tried giving it a pre-killed cricket with some tweezers but he wouldn't eat it. Kept turning away. Any suggestions? Maybe premolt? Abdomen is black and I'm not sure when he last molted.