This thread is meant to be a guide to caring for various species of tarantulas. This is not just a beginners guide, this thread will also help those who already have experience when looking into a new species to add to their collection.
B. hamorii care
At least a few times a month regardless of what forum you are on, someone will ask the age old question of: "How do i take care of my B. hamorii?" Well, this care guide will answer that question.
NOTE: This guide may also apply to similar red legged Brachypelmas, most if not all grammostolas, US Aphonopelma species and a few others.
Species: Brachypelma hamorii ( former Brachypelma smith which is now the name of the former Brachypelma annitha)
ENCLOSURE:
B. hamorii, like the entire Brachypelma genus are terrestrial, which means floor space is more important than height. When buying an enclosure, the ideal size for the enclosure should be about 2.5x the legspan of the tarantula.
for slings it is best to house them in condiment cups and homemade acrylic sling enclosures. You could also use pill vials, as they are just the right size, however the one issue that many keepers have with pill vials is that the sling is more likely to spend all of its time burrowed. Condiment cups don't allow for much burrowing, which may be a plus for those who want to see their slings often. If given the chance B. hamorii will burrow. You can rehouse your B. hamorii into its juvie enclosure when it hits 1 1/4" DLS. A sling enclosure should have dry substrate (deep, dry substrate if you have an enclosure with a bit of height, such as an acrylic enclosure or a pill vial), a hide if you can fit one in, a water dish if you can fit one in, if you cannot fit a water dish in the sling enclosure, pour a few drops of water on one side of the enclosure.
Juveniles can be housed in deli cups, homemade acrylic enclosures, and select sterilite containers. Juvies may still burrow, but individuals vary. Once your B. hamorii hits 3.5-4" DLS, you can rehouse into its adult enclosure. A juvie enclosure should consist of deep, dry substrate, a water dish, and a hide if you can fit one in the enclosure.
Adults can be housed in 5-10 gallon glass tanks, however, make sure to get rid of the screen and replace it with plexiglass. Kritter keepers are affordable, clear and sometimes stackable options for enclosure that work perfectly and give plenty of room to burrow if your tarantula is so inclined. Homemade acrylic enclosures work as well. Plastic shoe box containers are the ultimate cheap, space saving, and effective enclosure. While room to burrow won't be there in most cases, the height is eliminated and the B. hamorii would be more likely to use its hide, but this species very rarely burrows or hides as an adult, unless near a molt. A perfect B. hamorii enclosure has deep, dry substrate, a hide, and a water dish.
FEEDING:
B. hamorii are decent eaters, but not the most ravenous. Feeding slings regardless of species is always a concern for new keepers, but in reality, it is actually not as hard as it serms. A lot of keepers may feed their slings live pinhead crickets and roach nymphs, others will feed their slings prekilled prey, such as crickets (legs of adult crickets make good food items for slings), roaches, mealworm parts and superworm parts. Mealworm and superworm parts are probably the best food items to give any sling. Flightless fruit flies used to be common food items, but they make horrible feeders as they have zero nutritional value as far as tarantulas are concerned. As juveniles and adults you can switch to all live prey such as mealworms, superworms, crickets and roaches. NEVER feed things like mice, rats and lizards to your tarantula, as it will be mesey (ask people who raise snakes how messy it can get).
MOISTURE:
As stated above, B. hamorii like things on the dry side. For slings a full water dish if possible or a few drops of water on the substrate. For juvies and adults, a water dish is all that is necessary.
NEVER track humidity regardless of species, as it is irrelevant to tarantulas in general (the term is as well). While moisture is important humidity is not, humidity gauges are a waste of money. That money you spent on a humidity gauge could've been used to get more tarantulas., not to mention all humidity gauges are inaccurate.
HEATING/TEMPERATURES:
If you are comfortable, more than likely your tarantula is as well, however if you need to use supplamental heating, a space heater with a timer or your home heating system set to 75-80° F are all that is necessary. If you want to use a heat mat there is really only one way to do it, but that will be described later. Never use heat wire, tape, rocks, lamps unless far away from the tarantula enclosure and facing a window. All temperatures are the same regardless of heating method. Do not stress over constantly measuring temperature, a slight drop or rise in temperature.
GROWTH RATE:
B. hamorii are slow growing regardless of temperature and frequency of feeding.
TEMPERAMENT:
Docile, skittish, however individuals do vary with some being very defensive.
There will be more care guides to follow with a general tarantula care guide to be created at some point within the thread. Typing these guides up takes a lot of time, but I will try to post one guide a week.
B. hamorii care
At least a few times a month regardless of what forum you are on, someone will ask the age old question of: "How do i take care of my B. hamorii?" Well, this care guide will answer that question.
NOTE: This guide may also apply to similar red legged Brachypelmas, most if not all grammostolas, US Aphonopelma species and a few others.
Species: Brachypelma hamorii ( former Brachypelma smith which is now the name of the former Brachypelma annitha)
ENCLOSURE:
B. hamorii, like the entire Brachypelma genus are terrestrial, which means floor space is more important than height. When buying an enclosure, the ideal size for the enclosure should be about 2.5x the legspan of the tarantula.
for slings it is best to house them in condiment cups and homemade acrylic sling enclosures. You could also use pill vials, as they are just the right size, however the one issue that many keepers have with pill vials is that the sling is more likely to spend all of its time burrowed. Condiment cups don't allow for much burrowing, which may be a plus for those who want to see their slings often. If given the chance B. hamorii will burrow. You can rehouse your B. hamorii into its juvie enclosure when it hits 1 1/4" DLS. A sling enclosure should have dry substrate (deep, dry substrate if you have an enclosure with a bit of height, such as an acrylic enclosure or a pill vial), a hide if you can fit one in, a water dish if you can fit one in, if you cannot fit a water dish in the sling enclosure, pour a few drops of water on one side of the enclosure.
Juveniles can be housed in deli cups, homemade acrylic enclosures, and select sterilite containers. Juvies may still burrow, but individuals vary. Once your B. hamorii hits 3.5-4" DLS, you can rehouse into its adult enclosure. A juvie enclosure should consist of deep, dry substrate, a water dish, and a hide if you can fit one in the enclosure.
Adults can be housed in 5-10 gallon glass tanks, however, make sure to get rid of the screen and replace it with plexiglass. Kritter keepers are affordable, clear and sometimes stackable options for enclosure that work perfectly and give plenty of room to burrow if your tarantula is so inclined. Homemade acrylic enclosures work as well. Plastic shoe box containers are the ultimate cheap, space saving, and effective enclosure. While room to burrow won't be there in most cases, the height is eliminated and the B. hamorii would be more likely to use its hide, but this species very rarely burrows or hides as an adult, unless near a molt. A perfect B. hamorii enclosure has deep, dry substrate, a hide, and a water dish.
FEEDING:
B. hamorii are decent eaters, but not the most ravenous. Feeding slings regardless of species is always a concern for new keepers, but in reality, it is actually not as hard as it serms. A lot of keepers may feed their slings live pinhead crickets and roach nymphs, others will feed their slings prekilled prey, such as crickets (legs of adult crickets make good food items for slings), roaches, mealworm parts and superworm parts. Mealworm and superworm parts are probably the best food items to give any sling. Flightless fruit flies used to be common food items, but they make horrible feeders as they have zero nutritional value as far as tarantulas are concerned. As juveniles and adults you can switch to all live prey such as mealworms, superworms, crickets and roaches. NEVER feed things like mice, rats and lizards to your tarantula, as it will be mesey (ask people who raise snakes how messy it can get).
MOISTURE:
As stated above, B. hamorii like things on the dry side. For slings a full water dish if possible or a few drops of water on the substrate. For juvies and adults, a water dish is all that is necessary.
NEVER track humidity regardless of species, as it is irrelevant to tarantulas in general (the term is as well). While moisture is important humidity is not, humidity gauges are a waste of money. That money you spent on a humidity gauge could've been used to get more tarantulas., not to mention all humidity gauges are inaccurate.
HEATING/TEMPERATURES:
If you are comfortable, more than likely your tarantula is as well, however if you need to use supplamental heating, a space heater with a timer or your home heating system set to 75-80° F are all that is necessary. If you want to use a heat mat there is really only one way to do it, but that will be described later. Never use heat wire, tape, rocks, lamps unless far away from the tarantula enclosure and facing a window. All temperatures are the same regardless of heating method. Do not stress over constantly measuring temperature, a slight drop or rise in temperature.
GROWTH RATE:
B. hamorii are slow growing regardless of temperature and frequency of feeding.
TEMPERAMENT:
Docile, skittish, however individuals do vary with some being very defensive.
There will be more care guides to follow with a general tarantula care guide to be created at some point within the thread. Typing these guides up takes a lot of time, but I will try to post one guide a week.
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