Question regarding A. Avic

TheHonestPirate

Arachnoknight
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So I have a few A. Avic slings that are my first webbing species, do I throw prekilled prey into their web? Also I was told to put some moss into the enclosure, I should be wetting the moss every day correct? I have proper cross ventilation, no holes at the top. Two have made a web and one has just hungout near the top of the enclosure making it difficult to do maintenance but not impossible of course! Is there a reason two have a web and one does not?
 

Poec54

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The best way I've found to keep Avic slinsg is a 16 oz deli cups with 2 or 3 rings of small holes around the upper sides (they need fresh air and cross ventilation). An inch of dry substrate, a piece of cork and/or plastic plant for anchor points for spinning, and a small water bowl (lid from 16 oz water bottle). I use this for slings 1/2" to 2 1/2". Then I move them up to a 32 oz deli cup, everything else the same.

Once they spin a silk sheet/tube, I can put 2 or 3 small crickets in at a time and the spider can come down and catch them when it wants. When the spider is going to shed, it seals up the silk and the crickets can't get in. Great system. No need to use pre-killed.

To open deli cups, I peel the lid open and use forceps for maintenance (take out water bowl and boluses), and a spray bottle to refill the water bowl. No reason to take the lid entirely off.
 

TheHonestPirate

Arachnoknight
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The best way I've found to keep Avic slinsg is a 16 oz deli cups with 2 or 3 rings of small holes around the upper sides (they need fresh air and cross ventilation). An inch of dry substrate, a piece of cork and/or plastic plant for anchor points for spinning, and a small water bowl (lid from 16 oz water bottle). I use this for slings 1/2" to 2 1/2". Then I move them up to a 32 oz deli cup, everything else the same.

Once they spin a silk sheet/tube, I can put 2 or 3 small crickets in at a time and the spider can come down and catch them when it wants. When the spider is going to shed, it seals up the silk and the crickets can't get in. Great system. No need to use pre-killed.

To open deli cups, I peel the lid open and use forceps for maintenance (take out water bowl and boluses), and a spray bottle to refill the water bowl. No reason to take the lid entirely off.
So i could put a roach in there and they will catch them when they are ready? I tried putting a waxworm in and it just ended up burrowing. Also the three enclosures are practically identical, could it just be that the sling that isnt makig a web just hasnt settled in properly? Ive only had them a week and a half now.
 

Ellenantula

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So i could put a roach in there and they will catch them when they are ready? I tried putting a waxworm in and it just ended up burrowing. Also the three enclosures are practically identical, could it just be that the sling that isnt makig a web just hasnt settled in properly? Ive only had them a week and a half now.
Mine has very little substrate -- nothing could burrow and actually be hidden.
Like a cat behind a curtain with tail sticking out, um yeah, I can see you.
 

Ellenantula

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Lol whats the point of the sub then?
For looks, honestly. A disguise for wayward poop that misses the wall.

The plain unadorned bottom looked horrible! I bet she has a coffee scoop's worth of sub total in her enclosure (upside down clear plastic container thingie) so really the lid wouldn't hold much anyway.
 
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Poec54

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Lol whats the point of the sub then?
Every tarantula should have substrate. It anchors the cage decorations and water bowl, facilitates maintenance of assorted wastes (of spider & prey), and provides a cushion for falling spiders; even arboreals slip once in a while.
 

tarantulashack

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for food I give mine baby meal/superworms(live) ive had no luck with pre killed. for substrate I use damp vermiculite. for housing the tall baby food jars with lots of little holes drilled in the sides for cross ventilation(kinda a pain). for them to web on I use artificial leaves and most but not all mine web, hope this helps :p
 

eldondominicano

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Every tarantula should have substrate. It anchors the cage decorations and water bowl, facilitates maintenance of assorted wastes (of spider & prey), and provides a cushion for falling spiders; even arboreals slip once in a while.
Just to clarify I hope you knew I was making this comment out of sarcasm ;)

---------- Post added 03-27-2015 at 11:54 PM ----------

For looks, honestly. A disguise for wayward poop that misses the wall.

The plain unadorned bottom looked horrible! I bet she has a coffee scoop's worth of sub total in her enclosure (upside down clear plastic container thingie) so really the lid wouldn't hold much anyway.
Living in my area of the north country it gets pretty dry in the winters, so I have an inch for sling Avics and maybe two for Adults depending on the size of the enclosure. I use it to help add humidity
 

cold blood

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So I have a few A. Avic slings that are my first webbing species... Also I was told to put some moss into the enclosure, I should be wetting the moss every day correct? I have proper cross ventilation, no holes at the top. Two have made a web and one has just hungout near the top of the enclosure making it difficult to do maintenance but not impossible of course! Is there a reason two have a web and one does not?
A. avic are one of the least webbing avic sp.....my male webs all day, the female rarely does. Some web, others just don't web too much.

No, you shouldn't be wetting the moss daily. Let it dry, once its dried out, add moisture.

Make sure you've got a small water dish in there, too.
 

TheHonestPirate

Arachnoknight
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A. avic are one of the least webbing avic sp.....my male webs all day, the female rarely does. Some web, others just don't web too much.

No, you shouldn't be wetting the moss daily. Let it dry, once its dried out, add moisture.

Make sure you've got a small water dish in there, too.
Do you think they can handle small mealworms better than terrestrial spexies can?
 

cold blood

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Do you think they can handle small mealworms better than terrestrial spexies can?
I don't exactly know what you mean, terrestrials don't really have much of an issue with a meal worm, your avic will handle them fine as well. I prefer waxies personally...with them you can get them to turn into moths, which are like t candy.
 

TheHonestPirate

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I don't exactly know what you mean, terrestrials don't really have much of an issue with a meal worm, your avic will handle them fine as well. I prefer waxies personally...with them you can get them to turn into moths, which are like t candy.
I was told mealworms have large jaws that can easily kill slings
 

awiec

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I was told mealworms have large jaws that can easily kill slings
waxworms are a bit different and if you let them turn into moths they cannot harm your spider. I usually open my lid halfway and use tongs, prey usually ends up on the web just because my versi is a big webber. I've seen it come down from the web and grab prey from the bottom, all of my current avics are pretty voracious eaters so I don't worry about them too much. If you still want to offer worms, just crush their heads, plain and simple.

edit* safari is not very tarantula board friendly, it hates not being able to spell check me
 
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Ellenantula

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Lol whats the point of the sub then?
Just to clarify I hope you knew I was making this comment out of sarcasm
Oops. I really did take it as a serious inquiry. My avic is so webbed up and stays up top 99.9% of the time -- it's nearly impossible to see her through all that webbing.
I figured you knew something I didn't re: heavy webbers, and so I started wondering if I really did need substrate for an avic.
All I could come up with was for looks and to disguise ugly stuff that might fall. lol

I never dampen the substrate for my avic -- she has a water bowl and room humidity is fine.
 

cold blood

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I was told mealworms have large jaws that can easily kill slings
Molting t's are the worry, one between molting won't have an issue eating one.....superworms are much more formidable than are mealworms. If you're concerned, just crush their heads prior to feeding...now they can't burrow and escape, harm the t in any manner, yet they still wiggle plenty enough to get a hungry t's attention.

If your t isn't near molting, its not something to even worry about.

Like awiec mentioned, wax worms are the safe worm alternative....and t's love them.
 

TheHonestPirate

Arachnoknight
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Molting t's are the worry, one between molting won't have an issue eating one.....superworms are much more formidable than are mealworms. If you're concerned, just crush their heads prior to feeding...now they can't burrow and escape, harm the t in any manner, yet they still wiggle plenty enough to get a hungry t's attention.

If your t isn't near molting, its not something to even worry about.

Like awiec mentioned, wax worms are the safe worm alternative....and t's love them.
I tried wax worms and they ended up burrowing unfortunetly. I guess i need less substrate.
 

cold blood

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I tried wax worms and they ended up burrowing unfortunetly. I guess i need less substrate.
Really??? I've literally never seen a waxie burrow in the substrate....how many days did that take?

Every time I put a waxie in it gets eaten immediately.
 

TheHonestPirate

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Really??? I've literally never seen a waxie burrow in the substrate....how many days did that take?

Every time I put a waxie in it gets eaten immediately.
Took a day. It was because the T was up on the side of the enclosure and probably didnt notice it in time
 
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