Just got a Goliath BirdEater. Need all the help I can get!

[SlimJ87D]

So far, this is what it's living in. As you can tell, it's a youngling, so I need many many tips. I have it in the coconut substance and poored two cups of water in teh substrate and mixed it up. It's about 2.5 inches high. I also sprayed the sides all around. I can tell he's or she's about to molt.

Sorry about the pic, but it was done with my phone.

[SlimJ87D]

It hasn't moved for about an hour in this position. I have the Humidity at 85%. I think it's going to molt. It's still alive because I moved it into the cage not to long ago.

[Satanika]

What kind of help exactly are you looking for? Do you have a specific question?


Debby

[SlimJ87D]

Well I'm looking for any advice. and I mean any. I love Tarantulas, and I want to make sure Cheebis lives. (Lol... I named him/her Cheebis, becuase of Homer when he says jeebus). Well if he/she molts, for sure I need help with sexing it. It's not moving, so it's getting ready to molt right? Or can it be settling in form the 120 mile drive... Well I hope it's ok, i don't want it dying form stress.

[Satanika]

If this is a sling, you will not be able to sex it just yet. Just because it is not moving, does not necessarily mean that it is going to molt or that anything is wrong either.

Without a specific question, most people will not know what kind of info you are looking for. As far as any advice at all, I will suggest doing a search.

Good Luck!

Debby

[Sheri]

How do you know it is going to molt?
First off, with a sling that small I typically use a smaller enclosure. For blondi, I dig a real burrow, using some a fabricated tube to support the walls. I find they do much better actually being within the soil as compared to a hide that is provided.

This means you have to add substrate.
Additionally, they are incredible eaters - taking food sometimes even the day that they molt.

Ensure it is hydrated, it looks fine, and the stress shouldn't be enough to kill it unless temps were unreasonable during transport, or if it went too long without water.

Blondi is reputed to be a little more moisture sensitive than others.

Don't worry about sexing this molt - they grow fast. You'll soon have a larger shed to work with.

Hope that helped.

[wolfpak]

i thought they are slow growers

[SlimJ87D]

yeah, they tend to grow real fast dude.

Well thanks for the advice. I'm gonna move him into a 20 gallon, and make a 8 to 12 inch barrow for em Once he's full sized though, so probably a smaller barrow when he's like a teenager.

I think it's going to molt, becuase it's bald spot on it's but is greyish. Also It moved into the small closure I created it. Temperature is around 85 right now.

Questions, Should I feed it small crickets or full sized ones? You can see the bottle cap and get the idea of how big it is. Is the 20 gallon tank good? It's about 30 inches long, 20 inches High.

[Sheri]

It could probably take full size crix, but if you have access to smaller ones, this is better. Those big crix can be nasty - not worth the risk.

Also, a bald patch is NOT indicative of an impending molt. A bald patch simply means that the spider has kicked hairs - likely in defense to some perceived threat.

What does indicate however is the darkening of the skin that the bald patch allows you a window of.
Once it turns black you know it's close.

I am sure if you fed her right now, she'd eat no problem.

20 gallon is fine once she/he is mature.

You might still want to consider the burrow idea for right now - it allows them to regulate humidity and temp to an extent and a much more natural look.

[SlimJ87D]

Oh, ok.

Well the man I bought it from said that it's almost ready to molt as well becuase of the dulness in it's color compared to it's usual color, and the bald spot too.

[Cirith Ungol]

The colour yours has is the same my juvenile has had for a relatively long time now, so I wouldn't nessessarily say that that is an indicator of an upcomming moult.

Just to make sure i'm gonna tell you: the urticating hairs of the T.blondi are some of the most "ugly" ones found in the T-business. So my recommendation to you is that you work with some type of rubber gloves when you do maintenance. If you get hit by them or get them on you in some other way you'll feel it for many days to come. It's very unpleasant to say the least.

[SlimJ87D]

Thanks. Well he's seems adjusted to his new home, I just taped the glass to check his/her cage and it quickly, and I mean quickly disapeared into that plastic bowl. I think it likes the bowl, it's been hanging out around there. When can I try feeding it?

Edited: Good news, I just fed it right now. It's offely fast, will it always be this fast or will it be slower when it gets older. becuase when I threw the cricket in, it immediatly ran into the bowl, i was scared that the Tarantula would be afrad, but when I flashed a light inside, it was already eating the cricket which is 1.5X times it's abdomen.

[M.F.Bagaturov]

If You would like for general info on Theraphosa spp. try this..
http://www.tarantulas.tropica.ru/eng...heraphosa.html
Also, 'cos as it's important - be sure the humidity is a high enough in enclosure for You T. blondi!
It rather fast-growing usually tarantula.
Hope this helps. And good luck!

[SlimJ87D]

This is also my old Rose Hair, I gave it to my friend as a gift. How is it doing? The base area has gotten really red since I've last seen it and the abdomen has a bald spot, it was like that when I had it too.

Well about the Goliath again, in it's bowl it dropped the cricket there. What should I do to get it out? The left overs of it's outershell. Well I don't wanna disturb her/him... I already had to pinch out a live cricket that it didn't eat... so yeah, I feel like I traumatized it for it's whole life. But now it's cleaning its fangs currently.

[Vanisher]

Well I'm looking for any advice. and I mean any. I love Tarantulas, and I want to make sure Cheebis lives. (Lol... I named him/her Cheebis, becuase of Homer when he says jeebus). Well if he/she molts, for sure I need help with sexing it. It's not moving, so it's getting ready to molt right? Or can it be settling in form the 120 mile drive... Well I hope it's ok, i don't want it dying form stress.

Relax! dont worry. I would worry more if the spider walked about all the time.! Sitting still is a normal behavior in tarantulas, most of them anyway! About the humidety: just keep the substrate moist. CHEERS!!!///Johan