to the Guests and Lurkers

[Jon-Paul]

Just mooching on the forum as you do and i noticed 12 guests!? Come on guys and girls join in if you have Tarantulas or are interested in them in any way join the forum and also join the society the journal is the best tarantula publication in the world (and in full glossy colour) by far so you get value for money and you have the esteem of being in the best and most prestigeious tarantula society in the world for 15 quid how bad's that!

(edit..... i was not paid or bribed or bullied in any way to make this post...... you can put the axe down now pete ............................ )

[Jas Lambert]

Ok, one of them may have been me! So I'd best say a big "Hello!" to everybody now.

I have been lurking for a while and only recently registered. Just bought a 4cm juvenile Brachypelma Emilia along to go with an Exo Terra 12"x12"x12" vivarium (opening glass doors at the front with a mesh lid) & bits I received for Xmas from the other half.

Now I guess reading the posts that this may be too large for the spider at the moment and it would feel more comfortable in a smaller environment? If so - what sort of size container would you recommend for a spider of this size? The heat mat I received is a Habistat 6" x 11" with 7 watts of power (part of the kit?) so I guess this would also need to be replaced with something smaller to regulate a smaller environment?

The Exo is now all setup with heat pad on the side with a piece of polystyrene on the outside of it. Mixture of orchid bark and vermiculite(sp.) 50/50), small shallow water dish and a retreat. But if the space is too big then I will dismantle it all again and wait until the T is bigger.

Am like a 5 year old on Xmas eve waiting for the postman! (Have wanted a T for ages!).

Thanks (and apologies for my 1st post being full of questions!)

Jason

ps - Have just joined as well. The journal is impressive!

[Jon-Paul]

Hey! nice one buddy, use your larger 12/12 with the heat mat at the back and use a smaller enclosure inside may be,use more or less of the heat mat on the back of the enclosure till the temp is right and constant, also a white polistyrene tile behind it makes the mat more efficient i find, really you should always get the tank set up and settled first if poss, get your thermometer in there and acheive a steady regulated temp,and then add the T when you have stablised its living temp, same sort of thing with tropical fish you wouldnt fill a tank up and bung 100£'s worth of fish in eh, as you gain experience you will be able to judge the spider to its enclosure. Id suggest with this kind of enclosure ( ive got a couple the black plastic framed things right?) is to put some cling film over the mesh this holds a better humidity and get as much substrate in as you can, mine like it like this i find,may be try keeping it in a large margerine/ice cream tub size container till it grows on or something similar its easier to keep the conditions right in something of that size for a small spider. Good luck enjoy your spider and learn as much as you can about them.

[Jas Lambert]

Cheers for the quick response. The Terra has a pre-formed polystyrene background that is about an inch thick. Does this need to be removed if I was to place the heat mat at the back (as it heats by infra-red)?

Everything was microwaved (just incase) and setup a week ago and with daily water changes humidity levels are holding at 70% and temperature is a constant 78 degrees.

Thanks again for the advice.

Jason

[Jon-Paul]

try it on the side, i heat my whole room (well i pay the bills!) as long as its not underneith as the spider will rearrainge its tank and burrow down unwittingly closer to the heat source. ive got some smaller heat mats somewhere if you need one, PM me your Addy and ill try to find them if you want one. Id drop the temp to 73/75 personally but thats just me, i find if they are on the lower side rather than the higher side they survive better at this size, as long as they are feeding and shedding well. I seem to remember in borneo the outside temp was touching 90 and up where the burrow temp was 75ish as a comparison and out of interest

[Jas Lambert]

Will invest in a thermostat then so I can drop the temp down (quickly scours eBay!). I guess in the meantime I could remove a section of the polystyrene backing tile to make the matt less effective. Very kind of you to offer the smaller heat matt- have PM'd you.

Thanks again.

Jason

[Jon-Paul]

just use less mat saves on thermostat. move it about giving more and less heat if you know what i mean.

[Jon-Paul]

Any way Jas dosnt it feel better to be out of the closet? lol we just need to get the others out now eh. JP

[Warren Beattie]

I'll bite.

For a long time I haven't been interested in expanding my collection, just maintaining those I have. But with the New Year approaching (and approached) I started doing the rounds of tarantula/invert related websites again, and decided I have a lot of spare shelf space. So I shelled out for an AF Brachypelma verdezi (the only adult spider I've bought, and the most expensive so far. Think there's a connection? ), among others, from the Spider Shop.

Add to that the multitude of other slings and roaches I'm about to buy (and a BTS membership renewal, after an absence of a few years), and my wallet might have to be rushed into intensive care. I keep murmuring the word 'investment' to it. I don't think it believes me.

Still, I'm fairly excited about getting new spiders, especially the B. verdezi, and an Australian tarantula! (Selenotholus sp. 'Glenelva') I've wanted something from that country ever since my one visit in which I saw a pretty little tan-with-black-femurs thing in a reptile exhibit (Selenocosmia, if memory serves. Which it rarely does). Imagine my surprise to see legal aussie spiders at the Spider Shop. I'm still expecting some kind of catch.
Anyway. Exciting to me. Probably not to most here, IMO. Hence my lurking. But you did ask.

[Simon Batten]

welcome to the people who have come out of the shadows

[Jon-Paul]

Ive started something now !! lol ,
this is what makes a forum, everyones views and knowledge no matter how trivial some people think some things are it all has relevance some where and to some one, everyone has different views and ideas get them out there knowledge shared is and important thing in my book, this hobby is an exclusive one its not every ones choice to keep "Big Spiders" so the amount of information we all share and imput to questions that is given can steeply increase everyones learning curve, and at the end of the day the more we all learn the better it will be for the spiders (which is our aim), theres no such thing as a silly question as there's always someone out there seeking the same answer but just wont ask to save embarrasment, these are the people can end up with unhappy or Dead spiders.
So welcome to the forum those who choose to step into the light!

[Ray Hale]

I dont know Jon, have you been marooned on a Island for the last few years. Did a passing ship see your smoke signal as you burnt the last of your back issues.LOL

Its good to have you back mate. Keep up the replies. Drop us a Pm. What are you keeping these days.

Journal on its way Jon.

See everyone there is life after the BTS after all.

[Jon-Paul]

By the way Jas i found a small heat pad needs a plug though PM me your addy n ill send it to you.... JP

[Jon-Paul]

I dont know Jon, have you been marooned on a Island for the last few years. Did a passing ship see your smoke signal as you burnt the last of your back issues.LOL

Its good to have you back mate. Keep up the replies. Drop us a Pm. What are you keeping these days.

Journal on its way Jon.

See everyone there is life after the BTS after all.

Its like being in the army once a soldier always a soldier lol
mainly B Smithi and the itchy gang but i have got a hankering for more, nothing like the amount i used to have but that can rapidly change !
Oh and burn back issues!!!!!! Never!!!!!!!!!!! mind you toilet paper was scarce on the island, only kidding its far too glossy ) Oh and i have the journal lovely jubbly cheers!

[Ray Hale]

Get your self some nice Asian Jobbies. You know where you stand with them.
(Normally the other side of a very thick door). I will expect to see you at Exhibtion sir.

Ray