new setup.

[Richard Simmonds]

Hi to all,
Just recieved my new Aphonopelma Chalcodes, And after the discusion the other day, have set her up with 100% Vermiculite, to see if the mite problem affects her. My B. smithi seems fine on peat so far, but one thing i have found out, how hard it is to spot the droppings and remains, Any clues. And have been looking for information on A Chalcodes, Not much found. Any help there would be good.
Also after setting up the two new tanks, the wife said she prefers the vermiculite, !!!!.

[Glen Feasey]

Great news on the new arrival, keep us posted on how you get on with 100% Vermiculite!

[Daniel Carpenter]

Hey Richard...i use a mix of Vermiculite and peat, the only reson i dont use 100% Vermiculite is because there is alot of talk about tarantulas not 'likeing' it ...but i have not had any problems with it, they move it alrite and stuff.
Although i do think a mix looks better than just Vermiculite ( only what i like though )
As to the droppings...tarantulas dont need that much cleaning out anyway ..i clean mine out once every year..and that seems to be enough ( i do remove the odd dead cricket now and agian as well )
Hope this 'kindda' helps
Dan.

[lee smith]

if you keep having mite problem it might be worth buying some british varietys of woodlice as the will eat the T poo and any missed bits of food remains.

i hope this helps

lee

[Richard Goram]

Can you buy them, or is it just as easy to collect them from the garden, and how many would you put in each tank?

[lee smith]

you can collect them from the garden, but you run the risk of contamination from outside eg.chemicals. there is a online shop that sells them as frog food http://www.dartfrog.co.uk/livefoods.html its the european species.

you would only need to put about 4-5 in the tank and they will take care of themselves, i would also advise putting a smal piece of slate or wood in one corner of the tank to keep as a wet spot for them.

[Colin D Wilson]

if you keep having mite problem it might be worth buying some british varietys of woodlice as the will eat the T poo and any missed bits of food remains.

i hope this helps

lee

I've used woodlice for ages now and they're a god send. after doing a little research i've established that they dont harbour contaminates or chemicals in their bodies as other inverts do, they dispel a good proportion in their own waste (as apparently most crustaceans do)
I would still purchase from a shop or go to a baron woodland to collect.
They will eat feces and leftover food items, and also from personal observation in my millipede tank....as a big bonus....mite eggs !!!

[mike halewood]

Do you find them all over the house though?? Or don't they seem to escape the T enclosures?

[Richard Simmonds]

Ok, and thanks to everyone for their help.

[Ray Gabriel]

How big is this chalcodies?


Ray

[Colin D Wilson]

Do you find them all over the house though?? Or don't they seem to escape the T enclosures?

They tend to stay in the T enclosure as i should imagine they're happy with the food and moisture.
I can't really say i've noticed any in the house apart from the normal one's walking into the kitchen out of the garden.

[Richard Simmonds]

Ray, i bought it beliving it was an adult, but its only about 75-85mm leg span.

[Ray Gabriel]

Depending on the area it commes from i believe they can vary in size.

Anyway, my first chalcodies i kept in my temperature contolled spider room and all it did for 2 years was "pet rock" impressions by sitting on its cork bark all day and night.

One day i needed some room in the heated room so i had to move some spiders into my living room which had a temperature drop at night. after 2 days in my living room the same Pet Rock A chalcodies had dug a burrow system and hid during the day and was out at night.

2 DAYS with a night time drop and i get some activity????

My suggestions for keeping this species would be to use a mixture of coir and sand to a depth of around 8inches and ensure there is no heating at night and let you spider doo what commes naturally.

You should also be aware that this species in these conditions can sometimes go of thier food for a couple of months at a time in thier "brumation" period (why do you think G. rosea dont feed for months at a time )

Just some thoughts, but i dont recomend vermiculite, to keep tanks free of mites etc is down to good husbandry.

Ray

[Richard Simmonds]

Thanks Ray,
Mine seems quite happy at the mo, hasn't eaten yet, but seems quite happy on 100% vermiculite. Have given her? about 100mm in depth but she has dug down in her hide out to about 75mm. Is out and about every couple of hours, sometimes just sitting at the front of her burrow, and other times sitting on top of the heat mat. Temp at the cold side of her tank about 72f and about 80f in the warm. When she arrived, there did seem some damage to her opisthosoma, or some coulor variation, thought it mught be close to a moult.??? (Light coulor, not black). Anyway have found some woodlice to go into the cage, so keeping an eye on the mite problem, or hopefully not.