avicularia home question

[chris king]

a have a couple of avicularia ,which need there substraite replaced,but i am worried about wrecking there webs,
if there web are wrecked will they just rebuild, ?

[Colin D Wilson]

If you can change the substrate with minimum disturbance they will repair the webbing again.
depend on what type of enclosure you have them in as to how careful you can actually be in maintenance.
In tall tubs (type with the screw on lid) i find a spoon bent at right angles attached to a long stick enables me to scoop out almost all sub with only a little web damaged.

[chris king]

well thats the prob as i want to clean out the tub complete an wash it,an put fresh substrait in

[Ray Gabriel]

Why are you changing the substrate?

How old are the Avics?

Do they need re-housing?

Ray

[chris king]

hi ray,
it s full poo old crix etc, i am sure there tiny white things running around to
and because the tub its in 8inch long x 6.5 in high x 5in deep
the one that in that is 4 inch aprox

others are bit smaller,get to the substraite have old molts etc in but dont seem to bad

[Stanley A. Schultz]

... it s full poo old crix etc, i am sure there tiny white things running around to and because the tub its in 8inch long x 6.5 in high x 5in deep the one that in that is 4 inch aprox

others are bit smaller,get to the substraite have old molts etc in but dont seem to bad

Sounds like you need to invest in some better cages. Avics almost always want to build their nests at the top of their cage, so it makes sense to not use a cage that opens from the top because you're likely to damage their nest every time you feed them, do casual housekeeping, just look at them to enjoy them.

One of the best Avic cages I've ever seen was a 10 gallon (38 liter) aquarium stood on its end. The top becomes a side. The ends become top and bottom. (To avoid confusion, I'll now refer to the various parts in their NEW orientation.)

Use a commercial screen cover and hold it in place with a pair of super sized rubber bands (aka, rubber elastics, "elastomeric closures") from a stationary store.

Because the edge of the screen cover overlaps the edge of the aquarium, it will make the cage set a little tipped on a shelf or table. Fix that by placing a small square of wood under the cage to raise it off the table a bit.

Wedge a length of tree branch or bark diagonally against the back wall of the cage to coax the Avic to build its nest away from the cover (front/side). You can decorate it (use a hot glue gun) with a little moss or plastic plants if you wish.

Substrate isn't really necessary because the Avics seldom go to the bottom of the cage. If you want to use anything, cut a piece of cardboard to closely fit the cage's bottom (in the new orientation!), smear it with a little white glue and dust it with coarse sand, peat, coconut husk, little pieces of plastic aquarium plant, or even dried grass.

You'll need to install a large water dish both for humidity and for a place for the Avic to drink. (And, yes, at 3:00 in the morning, after everybody's been to bed for hours and there are no disturbances, the tarantula will sneak down once or twice a week to take a sip, then beat a hasty retreat back to its nest before something big and hungry can grab it!) You do know about keeping a rock in the water dish, don't you?

If you need to increase the humidity in the cage, cover the INSIDE of the cage cover with a little plastic food wrap. Fasten it with transparent tape. Leave the top 1/4 to 1/3 of the cover open for ventilation, less if you live in a particularly dry climate. Why the inside of the cover? Because, as the Avic relieves itself, it merely aims its rear end outward from its nest and squirts. Using a layer of plastic food wrap on the inside of the cover makes cleaning it a lot easier. Why cover the bottom 2/3 of the cage cover instead of the top? Because the Avic's waste is more likely to arc down than up!

Cleaning such a cage is simple. As soon as you disturb it the Avic will hide in its nest. Open the cage. Throw away the old substrate/cardboard. Wash the inside walls of the cage with wet paper toweling. If you're using a glass cage you can use a single edge razor blade to scrape pasted or dried waste from the glass, being careful not to damage the nest any more than necessary. Rinse everything by throwing small glasses of room temperature tap water at the inside of the cage walls. Wipe everything dry with a clean paper towel. Insert the new cardboard substrate. Clean and reinstall the water dish.

(Important!) Apologize to the tarantula for the disturbance.

Here is a drawing of sorts.



Enjoy your vertical, high rise tarantula!

[chris king]

Sounds like you need to invest in some better cages

thats what it came in,


anyway

thank you for that ,and a great idea too,however its has been rehomed in a 5ltre cereal tub

but this idea not wasted as it can be with other arboals i have as they get bigger
so thanks again stanley