A few newbie questions.

I am very excited to finally have a reason to post in this forum! I have been a lurker since September. I am going to be getting my first T very soon, hopefully this week. I will be getting a Rosie that I feel needs rescuing from a local pet store where I went to buy a house for my new T, and probably a Brachypelma species from a local breeder. I'm thinking probably smithi. My questions are,

1. Where do you guys buy coconut fibre? At pet stores?
2. In the care sheet sticky on Rosie's, it says to feed them a few crickets every two or three weeks. But on the forum I see that some people feed their T's several times a week. Any advice about this? For Rosies and smithi's.
3. Is a terra cotta pot on its side a good hide for these two? In separate cages of course!
4. Should I worry about them being able to see the natural light so they know when it is night and day?
5. Is $40cad too much for a six legged three or so inch Rosie?

Thank you all in advance for any advice you can give me. I am excited to meet my new pets. Thank you all for the informative reading and fabulous pictures that I have been enjoying for months. Merry Christmas!!

I buy coconut fibre (or coir) at the local chain petstores. Either it's bed a beast or something by exoterra. It's sold as expandable substrate.

You could also get it online, but you're in British Columbia, so I have no idea how well that work for you.

I don't think I'd pay that much for a 6 legged T. I don't know how that compares to US dollars though.

Welcome to the hobby!

Many people deal differently with their Ts. Some people feed every few weeks to every month, and others feed 2-3 times per week. It's been said that the more you feed your T, the faster it will grow, although I'm not sure how scientifically sound this statement is.

Terra Cotta pot is perfectly fine for a hide for both of these.

I use peat moss/vermaculite (50/50) substrate and it works fine. It was very cheap at Home Depot.

As for cost, I think a fair price for a G. rosea is usually about $10 - $15 USD. If it is sexed, a female will usually cost a little more. I paid $12.99 USD at a PetCo for mine. It was about 3-4 inches and no problems.

Some answers to your questions

First, welcome to the fold. As most everyone here, I am sure you will enjoy your new hobby and will quickly become addicted to it.

Lorgakor said:

1. Where do you guys buy coconut fibre? At pet stores?

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I can't give you an answer regarding coconut fibre, but I use peat moss exclusively. It is dirt cheap (pun intended), especially when you buy it in 2.2 cubic foot blocks. It is relatively mold and fungus resistent and it retains moisture well. You may want to consider peat as an alternative.

Lorgakor said:

2. In the care sheet sticky on Rosie's, it says to feed them a few crickets every two or three weeks. But on the forum I see that some people feed their T's several times a week. Any advice about this? For Rosies and smithi's.

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Personally, I think feeding them less is better. There have been several studies over the years that have shown that eating less prolongs life. Various labs studying longevity have shown this is studies using rats, dogs, mice and spiders. I feed mine at most a couple of crickets a week. Usually, I go on a two week schedule.

Lorgakor said:

3. Is a terra cotta pot on its side a good hide for these two? In separate cages of course!

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These certainly are good choices. I have the half logs in a few of my enclosures and flower pots in the others. I haven't seen my T's rejecting the flower pots. As a matter of fact, my C. fasciatum closed off most of the opening to the flower pot and now has just a small hole for an opening. She At times she will stay outside, others she like to hide in the pot.

Lorgakor said:

4. Should I worry about them being able to see the natural light so they know when it is night and day?

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You certainly don't want them in direct sunlight. However, it is probably best that they are at least exposed to the natural light in a room rather than put in a room without any natural light source.

Lorgakor said:

5. Is $40cad too much for a six legged three or so inch Rosie?

Thank you all in advance for any advice you can give me. I am excited to meet my new pets. Thank you all for the informative reading and fabulous pictures that I have been enjoying for months. Merry Christmas!!

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Sorry, I can't help you on that last one as I don't follow the Canadian taratula market. However, that seems a little high for a Rosie. In the states, $10, or even less, for an adult G. rosea is the norm.

Enjoy your Holidays!

Average price here is about $32.99. (this is before you feed your federal and provincial criminals of course).
You should be able to offer them $20 for a spider in that condition.
I wouldn't pay more.

Welcome!

Wow you guys have expensive rosies. I got my first one for 13usd and the next 3 for $4 each, all adult females.


I keep my T's on peat with some fake plants for a hide. They all seem to be pretty happy with the arangement and eat and moult normally. I have a T room that I keep at 80 degrees and 40% humidity.

I see G. rosea's for 20$ (or less) here all the time. As far as feeding, my G. rosea rarely eats, only for the 2 weeks after a moult does she eat, then it's about 3-4 months with virtually no eating.

I too use peat moss, but cocunut coir is a decent substrate IME. I used to use it until my collection grew to the point where it wasn't economical anymore.

Hope this helps
Mori

Washout said:

Wow you guys have expensive rosies. I got my first one for 13usd and the next 3 for $4 each, all adult females.

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As I mentioned on a couple of other threads, I got my first Rosie from Petco for $13.00 USD and the next 206 for nothing. My Rosie was gravid when I got her.

Thank you all for your welcome and your replies!

I think I'll go with a peat moss/vermculite mix. As for the Rosie, it is missing both the front legs. I figured $40 was too high, even if it had all its legs! I'd really like to save the little guy/gal though. I keep seeing those little sad eyes! (I know, it can't really be sad!) I'll offer them $20 and see if they take it. It is in such a tiny cage with only a semi-wet sponge. It has barely any room to turn around. I asked the guy if he knew the sex, he picked up the cage, looked at it for a second and then told me it was a female. Riiiiiiiight. Oh well.

How many molts does it usually take for legs to regenerate?

Lorgakor said:

Thank you all for your welcome and your replies!

I think I'll go with a peat moss/vermculite mix. As for the Rosie, it is missing both the front legs. I figured $40 was too high, even if it had all its legs! I'd really like to save the little guy/gal though. I keep seeing those little sad eyes! (I know, it can't really be sad!) I'll offer them $20 and see if they take it. It is in such a tiny cage with only a semi-wet sponge. It has barely any room to turn around. I asked the guy if he knew the sex, he picked up the cage, looked at it for a second and then told me it was a female. Riiiiiiiight. Oh well.

How many molts does it usually take for legs to regenerate?

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That guy was full of BS. First thing, get that sponge out of there.

I have a Rosie that was missing on leg and another leg appeared to be broken. After the first molt the broken leg was healed and the missing leg was nearly complete. One molt later and everything was fine. Well, except him being a mature male!! :wall:

Being from BC, I'm assuming you're referring to a pet store price (doh!). $40 is the norm but not for damaged good. Just tell him that people buy spiders for being 8-legged and that it's not gonna grow back it's legs! PM me to the location of this pet store if you're in the Lower Mainland. Lived there for a few years and I'm familiar with most of the pet store owners.

As for the other questions, I can only answer the one on coir. Used it for a brief period until it got too expensive (use peat moss now) and my only problem with it was that it tends to mould easily. Well more so than peat moss. Hit up a nursery or even your local Wal-Mart and visit their plant section, should be able to find a decent sized bale (not them lil bag with added plant food in it) at a good price.

If you're losing sleep over this rosy, I say go for it and try talking him down on the price. If not, leave it as it would only be more incentive for the pet store owner to bring in more T's, only to abuse and neglect them.

P.S. Fenris, Quorthon RULES!!!

$13 for rosies here. And if its only got six legs atleast tell him you'll only pay 6/8 the price he's offering. I use coconut fibre for some T's and Peat for some others. Never had any problems with either, although peat seems better for burrowing species. My t's never get natural light, when I wake up I just turn on a lamp in my room and go to school, and when I go to bed I turn it off. I try to give them some concept of day and night to go by.

Welcome to you Lorgakor!

A side note, a store here in Ont. is asking $60 Cdn.(!!) for a full grown female Rosie. She looks fantastic, mind you, but....!!!! Oh - it includes the Kritter Keeper. What a deal! LOLOL

Thank you everyone for your responses!
I have a new set of questions though. I went to a local 'breeder' tonight and ended up bringing home a B. smithi sling! It is about 1 1/4". I wanted a bigger one, but this was the only T he had that was suitable for a beginner. I took it home in a tupperware container that measures about 8" long by 5" wide and 2" deep. I think it has potting soil/peat moss substrate about an inch deep. He told me it molted about two weeks ago. So here are my questions.

1. Should I put a water dish in with it? Or should I just mist the cage for moisture?
2. Should I wait a few days to feed it? Or more like a week?
3. How often do they molt when they are this young?
4. Should I feed it on the same kind of schedule as an adult?

Any other advice you guys can give me would be most appreciated. I'm still going to get the Rosie too!!

I'd acutally put it in something a little bit smaller. I would think a 1 1/4" sling might have problems finding it's food in something that is 8" by 5".

I'd give it a water dish, you never know how thirsty they get sometimes.

Really wish I knew where you guys buy these rosies for $10 in the states... :wall: $25 seems more the average, at least in the northwest..

$40 CAD for a 6 legged rosie......hmmmmmm

Here in Ottawa Rosie's go for about $24.99 to $29.99, for a healthy juvi, or sub-adult. Sometimes on sale for $19.99 at local petstores. If this is your first maybe consider a heathier "T" to avoid some disapointment.

$40.00 is way to much, how much was this store going to soak you for a B. smithi??

Just my two cents...........

By the way I think there is a guy in Calgary, Red Deer I think, who may be able to ship to B.C quickly.

I bought the smithi sling from a private dealer for $100.00cad. It is missing one leg. I think I paid too much! It is my first one and I hope it does okay. So you don't think it is a good idea to get the Rosie? I was thinking of offering them $20.00 for it. Do you know a web site for the person in Red Deer?

Also, I was wondering what size container is good for a 1 1/4" sling? Do they need a hide and a water dish at that age? And how often do smithi's molt at that age? It molted two weeks ago according to the guy I bought it from. I haven't tried feeding it yet, but I did put water in with it.

G.ROSEA . what a wonderfull nature they have .
as with all my tarantulas i have been variating their supply of food lately .
i ration them for a few days or a week , then feed them for a couple of days then miss one or two . no routine just like nature . :razz:

The only guy I know in Red Deer dealing in T's is Walter Pacholko of Mice and Things (www.miceandthings.com) but he doesn't have any adult rosies only slings (probably only 2nd instar). Walter used to sell juvi-adult rosies at $20/ea. Got my first from him.

Try talking Robert (or wassit Albert) down on his price. I think anything from $15-$30 for an adult rosy is reasonable, this side of Canada.