On Sunday I came into possession of two “pink toe” tarantulas (fairly sure they are A. avicularia) and two P. imperator by way of a family friend. I was told that they came with cages and complete setups and that they were no longer wanted, so I could just have them. I should’ve known that meant something wasn’t quite right, but I accepted since I’ve owned Ts in the past and figured that scorps wouldn’t be that much harder to care for. I was expecting four tanks, and instead I was presented with two 5gal tanks. I was initially astonished, so I asked if there was anything else that went with them and I was told that this was it. The woman mentioned that she had never seen the tarantulas web that much in the tank. I took a closer look and realized I had just been given a mated pair…
The female is webbed into a corner of the tank where she can roll the sac up and down while the male appears to be guarding her. He will move around the tank from time to time, seemingly checking on the conditions, then go back to the female’s corner and either sit on the exterior of her webbing or at the base of it. And of course the person who owned them had no idea how to create an arboreal tank setup, and her attempt at a terrestrial setup is abysmal. Maybe an inch of coconut fiber covering the floor. I have never bred Ts before but I don’t really want to destroy her egg sac. I’m also not sure if I should remove the male or let him continue guarding her. I am guessing that the sac is about 2-3 weeks old. The woman said she’s had them for years so I am inclined to think that the Ts were bought as slings or very close to sling age. They’ve lived together this entire time so I don’t know what their aggression levels are towards each other. I don’t intend to let them mate again so I will be placing one of them in a new enclosure once the time is appropriate. Also, the webbing extends to the lid of the enclosure, so I can’t remove the lid without destroying part of her web “cocoon”.
As far as the scorps are concerned, they have a similar, pitiful tank setup. I read the thread about how to make a scorp tank and I will be doing that asap, but I’m not sure if I should keep them together. I’m guessing that they are also male and female due to the size difference, but I don’t know anything about sexing scorpions.
Questions:
Should I remove the male T from the tank now, or wait until later?
Are there any signs that the female T will exhibit when the sac is close to hatching? When should I remove the slings and what is the best way to do that? I will be buying deli cups for them.
What size tank is appropriate for two scorps if I DO keep them together, and if I don’t, do I need to upgrade them to larger individual tanks, or could I just buy another 5gal and separate them?
I have a 40watt “night glo” moonlight lamp that is made by exo-terra. It’s intended for reptiles, but is this appropriate for the scorps?
What kind of heat apparatus should I buy for the scorps? Should I go with side heating or aerial heating?
Any other suggestions or input, including other websites that have good info, would be very much appreciated. I live in North Florida in the panhandle. It’s always humid.
The female is webbed into a corner of the tank where she can roll the sac up and down while the male appears to be guarding her. He will move around the tank from time to time, seemingly checking on the conditions, then go back to the female’s corner and either sit on the exterior of her webbing or at the base of it. And of course the person who owned them had no idea how to create an arboreal tank setup, and her attempt at a terrestrial setup is abysmal. Maybe an inch of coconut fiber covering the floor. I have never bred Ts before but I don’t really want to destroy her egg sac. I’m also not sure if I should remove the male or let him continue guarding her. I am guessing that the sac is about 2-3 weeks old. The woman said she’s had them for years so I am inclined to think that the Ts were bought as slings or very close to sling age. They’ve lived together this entire time so I don’t know what their aggression levels are towards each other. I don’t intend to let them mate again so I will be placing one of them in a new enclosure once the time is appropriate. Also, the webbing extends to the lid of the enclosure, so I can’t remove the lid without destroying part of her web “cocoon”.
As far as the scorps are concerned, they have a similar, pitiful tank setup. I read the thread about how to make a scorp tank and I will be doing that asap, but I’m not sure if I should keep them together. I’m guessing that they are also male and female due to the size difference, but I don’t know anything about sexing scorpions.
Questions:
Should I remove the male T from the tank now, or wait until later?
Are there any signs that the female T will exhibit when the sac is close to hatching? When should I remove the slings and what is the best way to do that? I will be buying deli cups for them.
What size tank is appropriate for two scorps if I DO keep them together, and if I don’t, do I need to upgrade them to larger individual tanks, or could I just buy another 5gal and separate them?
I have a 40watt “night glo” moonlight lamp that is made by exo-terra. It’s intended for reptiles, but is this appropriate for the scorps?
What kind of heat apparatus should I buy for the scorps? Should I go with side heating or aerial heating?
Any other suggestions or input, including other websites that have good info, would be very much appreciated. I live in North Florida in the panhandle. It’s always humid.