Hello, Im new around these parts and (sniff) my T died today. Suggest replacement.

scaramanga · Feb 24, 2004

Ive had this little critter for about 3 months now, think he was 2 weeks old when i bought him. He was called boris and was a mexican red rump. God rest his soul.

I don't know if it was my fault but i also keep another spider (a brazillian white knee- audrey) and she has exactly the same conditions. I have a large tank with a plastic divider to keep them apart. For heat i have a 25W blue bulb that i have consealed except for a couple of holes that let light through. It seems to do the job and keep the temp between 22 and 25 degrees . I always keep the tank very moist and humidity around 70... Diet of brown crickets....

I think he died though stupidity. He would always hide away in the most stupid places, away from prey and his water pool.

Audrey seems to be fine, eats loads and is growing very rapidly.

I was wondering if anybody has any suggestions of my next tarantula? I want a species that looks unusual and maybe makes large webs. Temperament is not a problem is i don't handle them too much as im afraid of them escaping and one of my flat mates killing it :-(

rosehaired1979 · Feb 24, 2004

If you want webbing the best to get a Green Bottle Blue. They web everything. Or you get get a aboreal like a A.Versicolor as well. Sorry for your loss

Overmenneske · Feb 24, 2004

I agree with rosehaired. You should go with GBB. The colours are amazing, and the most webbed enclosures I've ever seen belonged to GBB's.

xanderTluv · Feb 24, 2004

May I suggest to romove the light source for heat! This can desicate a T rather quickly! You can see this for yourself just by putting your hand 12 inches from a lightbulb for about 5 minutes! As for keeping the substrate moist I would recommend just over filling the water bowl a bit when you fill it up! If they are spiderlings then keeping the substrate moist is ok! But in a larger tank it could cause some pretty bad mite infestations and mold growth!

I would also recommend the GBB they are stunning and web alot!
Or you could go with Ephebopus murinus, I just love this species they are beautiful and mine seems to web alot!

Sheri · Feb 24, 2004

Yes, it may have ben too humid for it but the brazillian tends to like ahigher humidity from what I have read... of course, this discussion seems never ending. It could have been any number of things I guess.
I would also suggest the greenbottle blue, although I have never actually seen one, I have done a lot of research and would like to get one if the breeder locally is successful this spring.

scaramanga · Feb 24, 2004

Im not really that serious a collector... yet. I assume a green bottle blue would be quite expensive and if my tank is not suited totall to the T I don't want my money wasted and another life

My Red rump cost me £8.99 and white knee £12.99, which i thought was reasonable. Im looking for a similar priced one. Webbing is nice though

About the bulb, its only a 25W one... Do you strongly suggest i get rid of it? Surely if i keep a larger water source in the tank that will be ok? Its also in a corner so the T has plenty of room to avoid it. It keeps the temp up and gives the tank a dim blue glow...

xanderTluv · Feb 24, 2004

Originally posted by scaramanga
About the bulb, its only a 25W one... Do you strongly suggest i get rid of it? Surely if i keep a larger water source in the tank that will be ok? Its also in a corner so the T has plenty of room to avoid it. It keeps the temp up and gives the tank a dim blue glow...

IME everytime I go to the local pet stores the're use lighting for a heat source, and the T's seem rather dehydrated! But these tanks are rather small and the T can't aviod the direct light. I suppose if yours can, that it would be alright considering its low wattage and not striaght white light. Maybe some others can give you a better opinion!

Are these spiderlings you have?

burnpile · Feb 24, 2004

Re: Hello, Im new around these parts and (sniff) my T died today. Suggest replacement

Originally posted by scaramanga

I think he died though stupidity. He would always hide away in the most stupid places, away from prey and his water pool.

Sounds like the enclosure may be too large as well. Search this forum and you'll find many posts regarding enclosure size.

scaramanga · Feb 24, 2004

My tank is - 56cm x 36cm x 32cm (with a plastic divider going diagonally), ive got about 6" of soil and substrate mix, far left of the tank has the bulb in a tube that lets very little light out. The top has foil so the heat will be vented up and reflected back. Ive got plants in there, cork bark, branches, hide aways, rocks....

There are plenty of hiding places so i wouldnt have thought that the size was an issue.

And yeah, Spiderlings... Or [sniff] spiderling. Audrey is about 3 months old now according to records and has a good 2" leg span.

xanderTluv · Feb 24, 2004

Originally posted by scaramanga
My tank is - 56cm x 36cm x 32cm (with a plastic divider going diagonally),

There are plenty of hiding places so i wouldnt have thought that the size was an issue.

And yeah, Spiderlings... Or [sniff] spiderling. Audrey is about 3 months old now according to records and has a good 2" leg span.

Oh yes size is an issue when your talking spiderlings! A big enclosure causes to much stress for the little guys! The vials they usually come in suit them fine till they out grow them! Im attaching a picture of something I keep my spiderlings in. It's a spice jar.

(edit) lol as you can see most pics are taken on my bed!

scaramanga · Feb 25, 2004

Surely if they have lots of small hiding places within the enclosure isnt that technically the same?

burnpile · Feb 25, 2004

Originally posted by scaramanga
Surely if they have lots of small hiding places within the enclosure isnt that technically the same?

IMO the benefit of a smaller enclosure is it allows the animal to easier find it's food and the keeper to adjust husbandry practices eaiser and faster.

G_Wright · Feb 25, 2004

Get a Greenbottle blue the are great

Overmenneske · Feb 25, 2004

Originally posted by scaramanga
Surely if they have lots of small hiding places within the enclosure isnt that technically the same?

Remember that this also provides the prey multiple hiding places.

rosehaired1979 · Feb 25, 2004

Well GBB slings normally run $25-$30. If you are looking for something in that specific price range another good webber is the P.Murinus (Orange Usambra Baboon) but they are nocturnal so it will hardly be seen.

wsimms · Feb 25, 2004

I would definitely get rid of the light. At most, I would use a small heating pad on the side of the tank, but I think that even that is superfluous. I also think a smaller tank would be better;all mine are 30 cm x 30 cm x 30cm (all terrestrial species).

W

luther · Feb 25, 2004

Scaramanga, I recomend you pop down to The Snake Shop in Sheffield and have a look at what Ts they've got. They might have something temptingly suitable and the bearded guy who runs it seems to know his stuff (IMHO). I thought it was a pretty good shop.

There's a good shop up here in Wakefield I could recommend too.

Good luck.

scaramanga · Feb 26, 2004

Well im currently based in Hull, im at uni here. Cheers for the reply anyways. I think in going to have a look at a local one here that i bought my last two from.

Oh, good news. Audrey molted!

sunnymarcie · Feb 26, 2004

Hello and welcome first off

I'm not going to recant everything that was said here if I can avoid it

Sorry for the loss, it happens to all of us sometime. If you do
a search with my username you will see what happened to
one of my T's.....don't care to explain it again.

As for a replacement T; the Gbb, Usambara, many others.
How about an A avic:?

I have 24 T's and think of myself as an addict so I can't pick just one

Can you post a picture of your tank?

scaramanga · Feb 26, 2004

Hello there. Yeah, i can certainly take a picture of it, its the hosting part... You know a good site that allows you to show pics on other sites. I used to use tripod and then they stopped. Maybe i could email them you?

Hello, Im new around these parts and (sniff) my T died today. Suggest replacement.

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