- Joined
- Feb 22, 2013
- Messages
- 3,292
Well, the Reptile Expo was yesterday, and we all know what that means. I took a few steps forward in terms of experience with my purchases, and I’d like some input on care. I don’t consider myself a beginner anymore, but that doesn’t mean some extra advice could hurt. As always, I’ve done my research on these guys, but it seems like there is always a tidbit of knowledge that I’m missing.
P. striata is my first pokie, and she is a sub-adult female at about 4-4.5” dls. I usually just do my transfers in the middle of a large room with plenty of open space – not for this girl. I went way back to the bathtub technique… turns out that she was the easiest transfer I’ve had in a long time. She’s a sweetheart, and I’m glad to see that. From what I’ve read, I need to keep her mildly humid, which is no issue at all.
N. coloratovillosus is, by far, the youngest tarantula I’ve ever bought at only its first instar. I know the routine – damp substrate, pre-killed food, the works.
P. cancerides was an impulse buy, as I was already over budget. This one seems fairly easy to keep, other than the aggression. However, there is a lot of conflicting posts about humidity on this one. All I can tell so far is that it is gravitating towards the damp corner of the enclosure, so there’s that. This one is probably 3rd or 4th instar.
And finally, my communal H. incei setup of three 2nd instar slings. This is the one I’m most nervous about… you know, the whole cannibalistic tendency of spiders and whatnot. I’ve got a fairly large enclosure (relative to what they need, it’s probably .75L in volume) with damp substrate and fake plants for them to web up. I keep reading over and over how easy these are to keep, but that doesn’t make me any less nervous. This is, by far, the one I’d like the most input on.
As always, I thank everyone for the continued help and advice I get on these forums! I'm able to hold my own in a conversation with breeding pros, and that's a nice feeling. I owe it all to you guys :biggrin:
And for your viewing pleasure, here is the P. striata in all her glory.
P. striata is my first pokie, and she is a sub-adult female at about 4-4.5” dls. I usually just do my transfers in the middle of a large room with plenty of open space – not for this girl. I went way back to the bathtub technique… turns out that she was the easiest transfer I’ve had in a long time. She’s a sweetheart, and I’m glad to see that. From what I’ve read, I need to keep her mildly humid, which is no issue at all.
N. coloratovillosus is, by far, the youngest tarantula I’ve ever bought at only its first instar. I know the routine – damp substrate, pre-killed food, the works.
P. cancerides was an impulse buy, as I was already over budget. This one seems fairly easy to keep, other than the aggression. However, there is a lot of conflicting posts about humidity on this one. All I can tell so far is that it is gravitating towards the damp corner of the enclosure, so there’s that. This one is probably 3rd or 4th instar.
And finally, my communal H. incei setup of three 2nd instar slings. This is the one I’m most nervous about… you know, the whole cannibalistic tendency of spiders and whatnot. I’ve got a fairly large enclosure (relative to what they need, it’s probably .75L in volume) with damp substrate and fake plants for them to web up. I keep reading over and over how easy these are to keep, but that doesn’t make me any less nervous. This is, by far, the one I’d like the most input on.
As always, I thank everyone for the continued help and advice I get on these forums! I'm able to hold my own in a conversation with breeding pros, and that's a nice feeling. I owe it all to you guys :biggrin:
And for your viewing pleasure, here is the P. striata in all her glory.
