New "instant T owner" and forum member

[Peter Parrot]

Hello, my name is Pete from south Wales. Yesterday evening I had an unwanted pet passed on to me. I know nothing of arachnids and their captive care so went on the hunt for information so as to make her (I am merely presuming it`s female, about 4.5" from tip of outstretched leg to other, possibly more) comfortable. Well now I have found the BTS!
Within an hour of her arrival in a rather dirty smelly little box complete with tacky/naff plastic skull, I had set up for her a 5 gallon glass tank. She looks like a chile rose to me, and was incredibly gentle as I transferred her easily to her new tank. I keep/breed a lot off reptiles/amphibians (which is why I suppose this person brought the spider to me) and had everything needed it would seem to make her comfortable here anyway, I just need some spider know how! Right, have I got this right please;- substrate is sterile peat 2" deep, moistoned until it just holds it`s shape when squeezed, a choice of two cork bark hideouts, a very shallow water dish, no lighting, no additional heating as the room she is in is 75f to 85f daytime and 65f to 75f night time. I have not bothered attempting to feed her yet but I have plenty of crickets/locusts/wax worms etc to hand when she is settled.
Before finding you, I have already received conflicting information (just like in the herpetology world!) but as I am CLUELESS with these animals as yet, I need some pointers from your members please. They (Chile Rose) burrow, they don`t burrow, need it dry, need it humid, need it hot, need it cold!
Once I am enlightened, I can see an interest/collection developing! Arachnid keeping, it would appear goes hand in hand with reptile keeping, because IF I have her set up correctly, to set her up as I have needed no purchase, everything was here already! I am delighted to discover this societies forum and fully intend to become a fully paid up member of the BTS. The meeting in May looks VERY interesting!
Sorry for the long winded introduction and expect lots of questions I am afraid!

[Mike Conabeer]

Hi Peter, welcome to the BTS forum & welcome to the world of arachnids!

In answer to your questions, the depth & type of substrate you have sounds ideal, if maybe a little on the damp side, Chile Rose are very tolerant of conditions but prefer to be slightly drier than some spiders with a relative humidity of around 60%, they tend to be more of an opportunist species than a specific burrower, so the cork hides you have provided will probably be used quite well! Diet wise they will accept almost any insect fare, but don't be surprised if he/she doesn't feed for long periods of time as this is quite common in Chile's!

Hope this helps & look forward to meeting you at the show in May!

All the best,

Mike.

[Mike Shaw]

Hi Pete,I've had a female Chile for about 18 month's.She definately like's it dry and does indeed fast for long periods.I don't spray her i just have a little spillage when filling water bowl.I Also i have the heat mat under only half the tank to give her a choice of temperature.Anyway hope this help's.Just shout for anymore advice.Well here she is.

[Peter Parrot]

Thankyou both for the welcome, and especially for the advice. So, basically dry it up a touch. Will do.
Any GOOD books to reccomend? I can see me getting bitten by the bug (hopefully not the spiders!) . Goliath bird eaters look interesting! All in good time! Mind you, If I can keep wild caught Kayuadi Dwarf Reticulated Pythons (VERY feisty) without so far getting bitten, I think I might be able to give some of the less "user friendly" arachnids a go in the future. We shall see. It`s great to feel a new interest coming on!

[Adam Walters]

Hi Peter,

Welcome to the BTS forum, and the addiction

I think it's safe to say that most people (including myself) will recommend the following book:

The Tarantula Keeper's Guide
by Stanley A. Schultz, Marguerite J. Schultz

Cheers,
Adam.

[Mike Shaw]

My favourite book a the mo is"The Tarantula keepers Guide"By Stanley A Schultz and Marguerite J. Schultz.Not only is it informative but its entertaining.I've got a bird eater(although they dont generally eat bird's).They are great to keep.Try a Lasiodora Parahybana they rock.

[Peter Parrot]

Thanks Adam & thankyou Mike. Well two reccomendations for the same book from Tarantula keepers, sounds like a sure thing to me.

[Peter Parrot]

I just had a look on a herpetology forum that I am a member of. There is an Inverterbrates section there and on it a member had posted some pics of his spiders. Really good photographs but what amazing looking animals. One was Cyclosternum fasciatum & another was Avicularia Versicolour. I thought that both were stunning. I imagine they are not beginner species, but does anyone here keep them? Have either of them been bred? Where are they from?
I did say there would be lots of questions!

[Adam Walters]

Hi Peter,

Can't comment on the C.fasciatum personally as I don't keep any, but they are apparently skittish and like to kick hairs....other than that nothing major in terms of aggression.

I certainly wouldn't hesitate to recommend an A.versicolor to anyone, beginner or not, the only concern is that they maybe a little skittish. They are found in Martinique or Antillies. Here are a couple of pics i've literally just taken of a male I placed in with my female this evening:




Cheers,
Adam.

[Peter Parrot]

Hi Adam,

Thanks for those pictures. Absolutely beautiful. So you may have spiderlings in a few months time then! Plenty of time for me to read up!
My other half is devoting an entire room over to reptiles for us at her house this year. Maybe I should design a walk in cupboard sized arachnid area. Does the Schultz book you kindly reccomended go over the basics of spider reproduction too?

Thanks again!

[Phil Messenger]

welcome to the BTS and the addictive world of spider keeping.

[Mike Shaw]

I does have a great section on brooding(looking after the eggs).Well it has great sections on all aspect's really.Anyway Here's a baby versicolor.

They are most definately one of the best looking spiders i've seen.

[Arachnosaurus]

Hi Peter,

Can't comment on the C.fasciatum personally as I don't keep any, but they are apparently skittish and like to kick hairs....other than that nothing major in terms of aggression.

I certainly wouldn't hesitate to recommend an A.versicolor to anyone, beginner or not, the only concern is that they maybe a little skittish. They are found in Martinique or Antillies. Here are a couple of pics i've literally just taken of a male I placed in with my female this evening:




Cheers,
Adam.

Nice set up!

[Adam Walters]

Does the Schultz book you kindly reccomended go over the basics of spider reproduction too?

Yes, there is a comprehensive section (37 pages infact) called 'The Well-Bred Tarantula' You can't go wrong for £7.19 @ Amazon.

Nice set up!

Cheers (bar the poop on the glass )

[Peter Parrot]

Phil, thanks for the welcome.

Mike, I looked up Lasiodora Parahybana, looks interesting!

Adam, off to the bookshop I trot.

That does look a nice set up. Is versicolor an aboreal species? It`s just the enclosure looked quite tall.

What set ups do you chaps use for multiple spider housing? I am not getting ahead of myself don`t worry, it`s just that seeing as I am designing the layout of a reptile room this year I may as well fit in room for arachnids in the future. I thought maybe a shelved cupboard type of affair?