hi, query from a newbie

[dan hewitt]

hi all, great forum.
i just got a little red knee, about 11/2" from fangs to spinnerettes. i just wanted to make sure im doing things right before i make a mistake!
its in a 30x30x30 exo terra, with shredded coconut fibre substrate.
there seems to be a lot of conflicting advice on the best ways to set up, so i went with the one i was told in the shop, but im not sure now.
i have about 2-3 inches of substrate, almost dry, small heat mat underneath, and a wooden hide.
in the last couple of days since bringing it back home, it has spent most of its time at or near the top of the terrarium, and it hasnt eaten yet.
i was told it was a good eater and had eaten the morning i picked it up, weds, now saturday.
is there anything wrong with the setup? am i rushing the feeding? is there any reason why the T would be up top instead of on the substrate?
i thought about it being too damp, but on the first night it burrowed a tunnel and stayed there until i mistakenly thought it had escaped and gently excavated it out! an embarrassing mistake i wont do again, i was told by the shop they didnt burrow!
sorry if its a long post or full of daft questions but i dont want to ruin my new Ts life.
many thanks
dan

[mike halewood]

I have a Red Knee (Brachypelma Smithi) And Im still a newbie, only starting to keep T's since Christmas.

First thing I would say is Smithis like the substrate dry which may explain why its up on the side/top. She/He will come down more once it drys abit.
B. Smithis are oportunistic burrowers and given a hide may burrow under neath it. Mine hasnt burrowed at all yet.

I keep mine in an Exo Terra also and I've got the substrate as high as I can, right upto the door at the front and sloping up a bit towards the back.

Feeding wise you only need to feed them once a week, about 2 - 4 crickets depending on cricket size and the size of your T.
Mine is 3 - 3.5" leg span and takes 4 small brown crickets a week.

Im sure there will be more along shortly with some more responses.

Welcome to the hobby, Its very addictive, and Im sure you'll be ordering some more t's soon. I now (after 3 months) have 3 with 2 more slings on the way.

[Adam Smith]

An Exo terra 30x30x30 is too big for a juvenile they will be fine for a sub adult or adult but at that size should really be kept in smaller container which can be kept within the tank you have. A small plastic pet pal or deli pot, there are many numerous sized tubs to keep it in but at the moment the Exo terra is a bit big for a juvenile. For a t to be at the top of tank is not uncommon it may be exploring and not necessarily down to substrate being too dry, remember that B smithi come from dry regions. Food wise they will eat when they are hungry it depends how much they were fed while in the pet shop and if fed a high diet they may be full or could be just getting used to the surrounds, generally you give a week for it to settle before you feed it.

[Geoff]

i have about 2-3 inches of substrate, almost dry, small heat mat underneath

The reason your spider is at or near the top of the terrarium could be related to temperature. I suggest you first of all take a temperature reading on the substrate's surface; it's possible the heat mat may be making it too hot. If the substrate temperature seems okay take another temperature reading at the place where the spider is resting at the top. If the temperature at the top is significantly warmer than the floor of the terrarium it could explain why your spider prefers to rest there. It's very difficult to maintain a uniform temperature within an enclosure when the heat source is very close to it. Many spiders will gravitate to the warmest spot unless the substrate is overheated, in which case the reverse is true.

It's true that your tank is very much bigger than the space the spider needs but it's not something that's likely to adversely affect its welbeing.

[dan hewitt]

thanks for the replies. i understand that the tank is probably a little bigger tahn it needs, but surely in the wild they are not confined to a space the size of a small shoe box!
the substrate is not to warm, it does have a warm patch over the heat mat, but has cool areas too. the top isnt any warmer than the bottom so i guess it was just exploring, it has spent this evening around its hide so i guess no probs.
thanks again, lots of good info on this site!
dan

[Adam Smith]

Well generally tarantulas in the wild spend most of their lives in a burrow with a chamber the size of a soup bowl and rarely stray more than a few metres from the enterance of the burrow. The mature male being the more adventurous searching for a female. Obviously im not saying to keep your t in a cramped condition but in the wild their burrows are just that and sit at the enterance waiting for an insect to come by. As i say im still adamant that the 30x30x30 is still too big for a juvenile and should be kept in smaller pet pal within the tank till its grown a bit more till its sub adult. I have a sub adult male B bohemei which is huge and have it in a pet pal with 30x15x15 measurements and is happy and spends 90% of the time sat on the cork bark.

[dan hewitt]

well i have changed the terrarium setup on the red knee to one a lot smaller and it is now sat out on its hide. i think it was down to temp as the substrate was fairly cool to touch, obviously the heat mat wasnt strong enough to get through the substrate. i went to get another mat to put down the back of the tank, but while i was there i picked up a new container to try.
also picked up this!



very nice looking P. regalis. she is now in the exo terra and the B. smithi is in a 10x5x5 tank.
the one that started it all!

[Simon Batten]

welcome to the addictio....I mean hobby
one thing il say is never listen to the petshops advice its more often than not wrong, the heat mat should really be on the side and like Adam said it too big for her at this time a cricket tub would be fine, you seem to be keeping the substrate right though.

[Adam Smith]

A juvenile B smith and an adult P regalis not a bad start to a collection for someone new to the hobby. Two great choices there and the P regalis looks happy in the tank. You at the right place coming to BTS site. Also for more advice check out the tarantula store forum. www.the-t-store.co.uk

[Simon Batten]

thanks for the replies. i understand that the tank is probably a little bigger tahn it needs, but surely in the wild they are not confined to a space the size of a small shoe box!

in the wild though its survival of the fittest and out of all the tiny slings only a small percentage will survive where as in captivity you want to give your spider the best possible chance of survival even then some of them dont make it past spiderling stage.

The reason a bigger tank is not always advised is because tarantulas will find it harder to catch prey in a large area, its also harder to keep an eye on what they have eaten, I prefer mine in a smaller tub for that reason because I find myself worrying about if my tiny slings have eaten ok.