Haplopelma lividum anyone keep them?

[ornithoctonus]

Hi

Hi there I do agrre with you a bit Adam its just I have'nt had grate luke with pet shops when I sead I was going to start a anti pet shop sight I was taking the mik but I will stick to my guns on this there are a hell of a lot of bad pet shops out there more than there are good ones but its a shame its this way when you have people like mike and others trying to change it. There is one good pet shop about 15 m. away from me but its hard to get to becouse I dont drive but out of all the pet shops I've been to they seem to have a idea what there doing its called Whivale if thats spelt right I by and sell to them from time to time. But theres one down the road from it and the spider are in a bad way there keept in the rong way and there about 20/30/crikets in there tanks which hae been there for ages the spiders are all ways dieying from sheding problems becouse they dont spray or give them enouth water. And the reptiles are some thing ells the water in the tanks look like they have'nt been change for weeks or months. But this is not all pet shops its just sad to see that there are still quite a few of them out there any way like I sead I'm sorry if I offended any one who runs a decent pet shop thanks.

[Larry Loos]

Escape proof enclosure for H. lividum

I hope this will help someone that may be looking for an inexpensive, sterile, lockable, clear plastic alternate to glass to keep your tarantulas in.

I needed a container for my H. lividum female that was safe, modifiable [is that a word?] and obtainable if it worked out and I needed others. Wally World [Wal-Mart] had just what I needed. I chose the Sterilite brand of plastic storage containers. These had a very secure locking system and were of an adequate range of models to suit any need imaginable. These make an excellent enclosure. The model I chose was the Sterilite “showoff” series model 1896. This model had the size I needed for a spider with a maximum size of 5” full-grown. The size of the container I chose for my enclosure was-14 & ¼” L x 9 & ½” W x 12 & ¼” H. This would allow for 8” of substrate which is more than enough to burrow.

Modifications included a 5 & ½” diameter hole cut into the center of the top effectively removing the handle. Never use the handle. I have a drawer full of them.
I covered this with common welded galvinized three sixteenths inch metal screen. Do not use common mesh screening material used for doors. Their appendages have claws that can get caught in the fine mesh and then you both have a problem. Secure it to prevent escapes. This must be secure, as Cobalt blues are great escape artists. This T will be able to squeeze through anything your thumb can fit through or perhaps less! beware.

Next, I cut a 1 and ½” hole to one side on top of the lid in which I inserted a 3” piece of PVC plastic pipe about 1 and ¼” in diameter and silicone that into place securely and capped it with a PVC cap. That effectively gave me a drop tube for introducing prey items safely.

Lastly, I drilled a hole on the same side in the front side on top of the lid in the corner that was just larger than 3/16” in which I inserted a small funnel similar to the type used to fill Coleman lanterns. On the underside of the lid I attached a length of common airline tubing as used in aquariums to the drop tube of the funnel that goes straight down to the water bowl.

Result: I now can introduce prey items and add water without opening the lid to do so. This is safer for the spider and me. The Cobalt blue is lightening fast and one must experience it to believe just how fast they are. This is possibably one tarantula that will run toward you rather than away from you, I don’t want that on me for any reason.
Additionally, this setup would allow her to settle in without being stressed by me opening the lid to introduce prey items and water her.

Additional benefits: the large screened cover allows for excellent ventilation, which is necessary to prevent mold, mites, proper air circulation and ability to mist as needed. Cobalts and L. Parahybana need a higher moisture level to stay happy-and a happy spider is a non-aggressive spider..

This has worked very well for me and I have had her in there for some time. Lastly, the other benefits are that if dropped this cannot break like glass. It is lighter in weight than a glass tank, cheaper at $4.17 as opposed to $9.95 for a ten gallon glass tank and, the lid for a glass tank costs more than the tank itself.. There is something wrong with that picture.

The site for Sterilite Plastics is as follows: http://www.sterilite.com/index.html
From there, go to: storage, then “showoffs” and for my model I used you can see the model 1896. There are of course others that may suit your purposes better or perhaps not at all but they worked excellent for me and the lids are totally secure.
I hope this helps someone in need of good solid workable containers for your Cobalt blue.

[Larry Loos]

Isopods in the enclosure

In addition to the above post one enclosures for the Cobalt blue tarantula, one might introduce a few Isopods into the enclosure as a clean up crew. That might help eliminate a mite problem in the future.

Isopods also known as ballybugs, sow bugs and the like will scavenge and eat any remaining parts left over from lunch such as leg parts etc. They could help reduce the future problem of higher humidity levels and the introduction of crickets.
Crickets are the main intorductory factor in mite infestations. You feed crickets, you have higher humidity? you could have a problem in the future even though i never have, preventive measures are always better than emergencies. these can be collected from the yard or country side.

One word of caution is that any insects whether prey items or Isopods or whatever should not be collected from the yard in suburban areas due to the possible intorduction of pesticides and herbicides. Don't do it.. you can also do an online search for Isopods and buy them online as well. It is a compliment to the above enclosure setup. Do as you wish.

[Neil Richardson]

I tried using Isopod (woodlice) in several of my enclosures. Turns out my spiders like they as prey I dont think one of them survived past 2 weeks without being eaten.

[Dee Pluck]

I feel I now have to jump in & this is in a personal capacity NOT a committee capacity, but as someone who manages a rather large pet shop may I point out a few things to the anti pet shop league -
Mike.

What pet shop is this then ?????????????

[Larry Loos]

Isopods

Neil- interesting. I have not had any of the tarantulas that I keep even pay attention to any of the Isopods. Perhaps this simply shows that each as us, are individuals in their own ways. I still use these with sucess.

[Neil Richardson]

My pokies especially love them

[Larry Loos]

Attitude with a capital A!

A week ago I thought it would be a good time to transfer my cobalt blue twisted sister into the new trantularium that I had constructed sometime back. The substrate was now what seemed like a perfect moisture and texture. It was ready. I hadn’t seen this spider in at least two and a half months or more. For all I knew she might be dead in there.

I thought I’d use the bath tube after reading several posts about that being the easiest place to do something like this. Just thinking about the move caused me to become very nervous. I had never seen a threat display from twisted before. She had always been rather calm the times she had been out. But with all the posts about how crazed these could become at the drop of a hat, I was to say the least apprehensive big time.

I took her Sterilite enclosure into the bathroom and set it in the tub along with the new home. I definitely didn’t want to dig her out fearing that she would come out of there like something out of a horror movie, I thought the best plan of action would be to flood her out by pouring some water down her burrow tube. I had read that worked and was somewhat easier than digging the thing out. Sounded good to me. I got a large container of water ready and put a towel down under the door just in case.

I took the top off of twisted sister’s enclosure and immediately broke out in a sweat. I was so nervous. Her burrow entrance looked just like the gateway to hell. Very foreboding to say the least. I couldn’t believe I could be intimidated by a hole in the dirt. But I was. It was just sinister looking. Mind you, this is a measured one and one half-inch entrance that was not only solid and well constructed but just looked like some place I didn’t want to be around. To visualize this it looked just like the drain hole in a sink. It had an intimidation all it’s own just looking at it and knowing twisted was down there somewhere.

Ok, Got the capture cup? Check. Got the new housing there, got tongs? Check. Got the water. Just like a military operation I went through everything I had. I don’t know why. It was just a simple transfer right?..I was now sweating profusely. I couldn’t believe how nervous I was. This ain’t right. It made it all the worse. Ok, now I am hesitant because I don’t want this to go wrong somehow. I thought about if she could get out of the tub if it went that far. I didn’t want to get bitten by some crazed spider from Southeast Asia. I get the water and suddenly I feel like a drunk leaving a midnight choir. I’m shaking because I have read so much about this kind of thing that it affected my ability to keep steady.

I pour a little water down the hole and nothing. Now I am really nervous. Sweating bullets..I pour a little more down there. I am looking straight down the burrow tube and I can see a little light due to its construction in the corner that allows some light there. I keep expecting her to come into view, legs or something, but nothing. Now I felt like that either she is dead down there and I am going to have to dig her body out or, she has created some type of elaborate system down there and maybe she is cut off somehow and I am going to drown her as it seems like quite a bit of water that I poured in there. Where is she?..

Ok, let’s try this again. I am really nervous now. I pour some more water in the burrow entrance and suddenly she came out of that entrance like a circus performer shot out of a cannon! It was so fast that I didn’t see her coming. She came up out of the entrance at almost a coordinated moment! She was biting at the water, the air, everything! My God! It scared me so bad I fell back and almost bonked my head on the toilet behind me. Holly Cow! She was beyond angry. She was in the threat mode, legs flared, fangs bared and ready for action, ready for danger.
Now what do I do? This thing is not going to go easy. She is ready to bite whatever comes her way. I am now sweating the biggest alligator drops. I look like I have gone nine rounds with a heavy weight boxer and lost. There is no way I am putting my hand in there! She is frozen in time. Just waiting to bite the holy living crap out of me. Its like she knows I am there and is just waiting. Her body is at the most obscene angle. Almost looks as though she could fall over backwards. A contortionist could not have done a better job. She is going to need to see a chiropractor when this is all over, swear to god.

How do I get her out of there now? Oh boy. I should have never started this. Sh*t, I forgot to plug the drain! I get the drain plugged. I think that was just an excuse because I didn’t know what to do next. This sucks. Here I am a decorated veteran. I’ve faced off hundred plus pound alligator snappers in a remote swamp before and I am intimidated by a 5 inch spider. There is something wrong with this picture. I’m 1,200 times bigger than this thing. Who’s in control here? Me, or it? It is, without question.

Ok, I’ve got this capture cup I’ve built that is a rectangle Glad plastic thing with a wooden dowel screwed onto the top upright to form a handle. This shouldn’t be too hard. I have my hand away, all I have to do is put this over this spider quickly and I have her. Wrong!

I lower the capture cup down and then try and get her but she gets part way out from under it and now I don’t want to injure the thing and she is part way out from underneath it. I have to let her go and try again. Bummer.. When I lift the cup she goes banana! She bolts up the side of the enclosure and over the side and now is out in the open in the tub. I felt now completely scared to death of this crazed spider. Why did I buy this dumb thing when there were so many other choices? Never again. But, I’m stuck with this one.

This time I am successful at getting the capture cup over her but she is crazed inside there. One wrong move and she would love to bite me from now till dooms day. I reach back and find something to set on top of the cup so she can’t get out. I need a break! I feel like somebody beat me in my sleep. I wish I had never started this.

Now I realize that there is no way I am going to get twisted sister into an opening that is only a inch and a half wide deep and eight inches wide. What in the world was I thinking! I feel like Homer Simpson! Doh!..Forget this! I am going to put her back in the same thing she came out of, but now I have flooded her burrow and made a mess of things. Lucky for me I have a new bag of organic potting soil here at the ranch and I can use that. I take the container outside and let me tell you, the breeze felt good. In fact, screw that thing..never again. I go in and get the container, take it outside, dump it out, wash it out and refill with new potting soil and tamp it down firmly. I install the water dish and for all practical purposes I am ready..Aren’t I?? Yeah. Right. I go back in and prepare myself for this. These things are crazed just like every post I had read about them.

I proceed to slip an old phone book cover that I had cut off and put that under the capture cup. This time she didn’t react quite in the same manner. She had no choice but to walk up onto the cardboard. I get the mess picked up and bending the cardboard somewhat to get it to fit, slip the cup, spider and all off and onto the dirt and lifted that cup up out of there in record time. But, this time she did not react as crazed as she did when this whole thing started. I put that lid back on there faster than kiss a duck..now she is back in there and I need a shot of Crown Royal! Maybe two. I’ll never do that again. If I have to take her out again it will be with a vacuum cleaner! These are every bit as nuts as anything I have read about them. And to think..I sat not 3 feet away from a wild cobalt blue on the jungle floor at early dawn all those years ago.. What in the world was I thinking?..

[Greg Edwards]

Well that was an incredibly dramatic story! My H.Lividum is probably a moult away from being moved into a new tank and you've made me really look forward to having to do that.

Though, at least mine isn't an adult yet.

[Dennis Teh]

I got an adult from MTS, i dare not handle it due to it's reputation and temperment, but I have a friend with lividums are very docile and not as skittish

[Stewart Macgregor]

Larry that was a fantastic account that brought back many memories of tarantula transfers from the depths of my own bathtub...Although you made me feel lucky that my H. lividum transfer went as well as it did! All I did was lift the flower pot that it was hiding under in the tank I bought it in, and managed to bottle it straight away. She's now in a tall container with about 9 inches of substrate, but I won't have to transfer her from that anytime soon! I watched her catch a locust for the first time last night (I've had her for about 5 months now but never seen her hunting). There was real aggression in the way she struck at it. Lots of my spiders tend to be rather casual about hunting, ie they just "gather" the food up in their fangs. But this one...WHAM! She nailed it good and proper, and took it straight back down into the burrow.

Stewart

[Paul Claven]

I have no problems with pet shops myself but was just trying to point out the differences on costs online and pet shops and how it varies so much. As I mentioned before I purchased a juvenile for @ 40 and two half years later an adult of same species was 50 so prices have changed over the time due to availability.

Hi There

Just thought I'd mention that where I live in South Africa, we have limited access to Tarantulas and pay GBP17 for the honour of owning a Spiderling the size of an adult's thumb nail.

All adults are GBP90+ and any unusual ones are GBP150+.

I'd be interested to know what prices Spiderlings fetch in different parts of the world...

Paul