Share one unique bit of advice!!!

x Mr Awesome x · Oct 21, 2009

I think that this could be an interesting thread. What I'm asking for is simple. Name one very valuable lesson or bit of advice you could offer the community that you personally learned first hand! No books, no friends, experts, etc. Just an experience that you learned from. I'll start:

Several months ago I received a beautiful A. versicolor sling as a freebie. First thing I did when I got it home was take it home and rehouse it. I had noticed during the rehousing that it was quite plump in the abdomen. Here's a pic:

So I yanked it from it's comfy little plastic cup that it was familiar and lined with webbing and placed it in it's new acrylic Michael's cube. It died the next day in an attempted molt. After talking to the seller we concluded that because the sling had spent a great deal of time webbing in preparation for a molt. It had neither the energy nor the web 'hammock' to molt properly.
So now I take the extra precaution of not removing a new T from it's established area until the next molt or unless I am certain that it has molted very recently.
your turn,
-ben

dantediss · Oct 21, 2009

Mine would be thinking i had a nice escape proof tank for my p. miranda...Til i realized wrong when somehow he was on my wall and his tank was forced open, Well new tank and thank you for locks

Teal · Oct 21, 2009

I learned that even if a T is holed up for THREE months and hasn't eaten or emerged... leave it alone!

I made the mistake of moving my P. lugardi female to a new enclosure (I was doing it with everyone) and now I think I've really disturbed whatever process she had going on... whether it was being in premolt or gravid.

Ariel · Oct 21, 2009

Even the most docile and calm T can flip.

I have 3" poss. female B. vagans who is extraordinarily calm and sweet but she unfortunately has a habit of knocking over her water dish. So one day I was filling up her water dish and she shot across the enclosure threw up an impressive threat display and smacked the water dish.

Heres my pretty girl:

Sterlingspider · Oct 21, 2009

It is way more pleasant (and downright easier) to care for a dozen tarantulas then a dozen crickets.

Get enough tarantulas to immediately eat all of the crickets you buy and you will be a much happier tarantula keeper.

Redneck · Oct 21, 2009

Sterlingspider said:
It is way more pleasant (and downright easier) to care for a dozen tarantulas then a dozen crickets.

Get enough tarantulas to immediately eat all of the crickets you buy and you will be a much happier tarantula keeper.

+1 This is what I have learned.. I HATE crickets!!

jayefbe · Oct 21, 2009

I'm sure everyone but the newest newbies know this, but it was a huge lesson for me in this hobby.

Do rehousings in a tub or a big open room with no place for the T's to hide. Rehousings used to stress me out, especially when your P cambridgei decides to bolt. But knowing that they'll only go a few feet at a time, and have nowhere to go makes everything so much easier.

Hobo · Oct 21, 2009

When feeding live adult female crickets to your Ts, snip off the ovipositor before throwing them in. Alternatively, keep them in a container with moist substrate until they finish laying before throwing them in.

Steve Calceatum · Oct 21, 2009

Lesson 1: Do Your Research before purchasing!!!!! My first T was bought on impulse, knowing jack about keeping a tarantula, or how many were available to the hobby. All I knew was "Rose-Hair." :wall:

Lesson 2: Tarantulas Often Vary From What is Expected!!! I've heard P. cambridgei was the calmest of the Psalmos.....mine is a super-mean one!!!! Pokies and OBTs are not as bad as they're made out to be, and even the most docile tarantula will bite. I have an S. cal that hides from everything, an OBT that runs from it's food, a C. fasciatum that never hides, a P. irminia pet-hole, and I have a GBB that thinks it's an OBT.

Finally, be prepared to to battle or shrug off alot of ridicule from friends, family, co-workers, etc. And always remember that any little spider with pink-toes has the power to change even the hardest heart!!!!

MissChelly · Oct 21, 2009

I don't have any good input since I'm currently in preps for my first tarantula, BUT... I think this topic is a wonderful idea. (and helpful to me too, might I add!)

Ariel: That picture is too cute!

thebugwife · Oct 21, 2009

Always keep an empty deli handy when transferring anything.

Ariel · Oct 21, 2009

MissChelly said:
I don't have any good input since I'm currently in preps for my first tarantula, BUT... I think this topic is a wonderful idea. (and helpful to me too, might I add!)

Ariel: That picture is too cute!

You can learn a lot from this forum, but one day I promise you, you'll have your own story to tell here.

And thanks, it's almost the perfect picture except for that obnoxious dog hair hanging from her leg. I'm trying to figure out how to photoshop it out of there.

arachna-nono · Oct 21, 2009

Hobo said:
When feeding live adult female crickets to your Ts, snip off the ovipositor before throwing them in. Alternatively, keep them in a container with moist substrate until they finish laying before throwing them in.

If you only buy a few at a time, don't hesitate to ask the person grabbing them for you to get only males. I have no problem suggesting this to my customers, and since I have 1,000-2,000 to pull from at any given time, it's not hard to come up with a couple bucks worth of males...

lilmoonrabbit · Oct 21, 2009

drying ecoearth (or any coco coir) in the oven is a PITA. As much as you may want to a lot in the oven at once to dry in bulk... just do many batches of very thin layers. Overall, the process goes much faster that way.

Tarantulas do things on their time, which is much different from our time. Let them do things at their pace, and don't worry yourself about it. If they don't want to eat, and they haven't eaten in a couple weeks... no need to worry. They won't intentionally do anything to hurt themselves, so just let nature take its course and they'll be fine.

Vaughn · Oct 21, 2009

jayefbe said:
I'm sure everyone but the newest newbies know this, but it was a huge lesson for me in this hobby.

Do rehousings in a tub or a big open room with no place for the T's to hide. Rehousings used to stress me out, especially when your P cambridgei decides to bolt. But knowing that they'll only go a few feet at a time, and have nowhere to go makes everything so much easier.

Added note for tub rehousing , if you wet down the walls you won't have to retrieve one off the ceiling . They stop dead in their tracks when they hit the water .

Moltar · Oct 21, 2009

Use a peat/vermiculite mix as substrate for spiders who like it moist such as Haplopelma, Theraphosa, etc. Coco fiber tends to mold when kept moist over time. Peat is slightly acidic and tends prevent fungal growth. However, once peat dries out completely it is more difficult to re-hydrate than coco so try to keep it a little moist.

Using isopods in an enclosure also can help prevent mold but it the coco takes off with mold/fungal growth the iso's won't be able to keep up.

Big Red TJ · Oct 21, 2009

Always wash your hands and clean around you working area when handling New worlds or rehousing them. (side note) T. blondi hair really isn't fun to get on you.

Julia · Oct 21, 2009

Sterlingspider said:
It is way more pleasant (and downright easier) to care for a dozen tarantulas then a dozen crickets.

Get enough tarantulas to immediately eat all of the crickets you buy and you will be a much happier tarantula keeper.

I love how you say, "get enough tarantulas to eat all of the crickets you buy" instead of saying, "don't get too many crickets for the number of tarantulas you have." :clap:

My advice: Never underestimate the potential speed of an agitated tarantula. Even the calmest specimen can suddenly get a burst of energy and surprise you.

night4now · Oct 21, 2009

$1

Find your local dollar store. It will be your very best friend!
Eventually they will know your name!

Abby · Oct 21, 2009

Buy some long tweezers so you can pick up poop or food bolus from the T's tank. It's better to reach with the tweezers into their tank than with your hand.

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