Just rehomed by C. cyaneopubescens

[Kate Arbon]

(topic should say 'my' not 'by', obviously, lol)


My GBB moulted about a week ago and grew far too big for its tank (went from 5cm to 7cm which I was quite impressed by, not surprising considering how FAT he was for ages before) So today I moved him into a bigger tank.

In his old tank he'd made a kind of web 'pocket' behind a bit of wood, which made rehoming really easy. I discovered this trick when I rehomed him once before. Using tweezers you just pinch together the ends of the T's web tube, and lift the whole thing out with the T inside and put it into the new tank. I find he stays a lot calmer this way than if I try and herd him with a paintbrush because A) his movement is restricted by his own web, and B) I think he doesn't even really know he's being moved, because as far as he's concerned he hasn't left his tube.

Did look quite funny when I dumped him on the floor in the new tank tho, as he got all wrapped up in his own web.



And this is the first pic I've got of him in his new skin. He looks gorgeous now, so blue!



I sexed him from the moult (first time he hasn't shredded it) and he is definitely male, but I was 95% sure he was anyway from ventral sexing. It's a bit sad as obviously it's always nice to get a female, but this is my first T that I've raised from a sling and he has such a great character. I just hope I can get hold of a female before he hooks out. He's got a bit of a way to grow yet I think.

Wow I wrote a bit of an essay there, sorry. Oh well hope you like the pics anyway

[Peter Lacey]

wow! I'm so jealous. I want mine to molt, to look brighter, in fact I want more of these!
Yours is looking lovely but is quite bigger than mine, around 4cm.
What size tank is he in now and what conditions?

[James Box]

nice pics!
good method for moving as well. will have to try that with species that web alot. minimal stress for them.
well...that's apparently three of us on here now with male C cyanopubescens oh well...

[Tom Forman]

Kate those are some spectacular pictures and great advice and a beatiful looking GB.

I have noticed alot of people ending up with a male. I guess this species is more male predominant? Or it's just a big coincidence.

I'm also really hoping it is not the case that males are hardier than females. I started with 6 spiderlings of this species and yes I know you can't sex spiderlings but based on my judgement I labeled them either male or female. I decided I had 2 males and 4 females. Whatever the reasons ( I put it down to me not beeing that expereinced and stress), both the "males" died within the first 2 days.

Thinking about this a bit more, it would make alot more sense that I had 2 females and 4 males (more logical ratio) and thus did all my females die right at the start? I really hope not...

[James Box]

well definitely too early to tell, i'd say.
no one knows for sure why some slings are weaker than others.
i doubt it's the case that this is a male heavy species, if such a thing exists. i'd just put it down to coincidence. for those three of us that i'm aware possess males, there are probably loads that have females as well, just hiding somewhere

[Kate Arbon]

Peter, the tank he is in now is 26cm (10") long, and 15cm (6") wide and high. I have him on about 2" of bone-dry coconut coir with a flowerpot hide, two pieces of bark, a small waterdish (tho I have never seen him drink) and two bits of plastic leaves for my own benefit.

I realise that this a big tank for a spider his size, and I probably wouldn't put something like a Brachypelma in a tank this big, but I have no worries about this guy finding his food because he is the only one of my Ts who will actively track down and stalk crickets that are in his tank. I decided because of this to put him in a big tank now, and then I shouldn't have to rehome him again for as long as he lives, which will be better for him.

Also I gave him a fair amount of climbing height because he can't seem to decide if he's terrestrial or arboreal! I don't expect him to use the flowerpot at all right now, but it's there if he wants it when he gets bigger.

This is his new setup:






Hard to spot in these pics but look clooooser You can just see his little orange butt sticking out from behind the bit of wood on the right. I reckon he will make himself a nice tube web behind there until he gets too big for it. He's been in there being all grumpy since I rehomed him, I think he's still feeling a bit delicate from his moult.



Tom and James, thanks for the kind words about the photos and the spider I really love this little guy (I know we shouldn't have favourites but it's hard not to!) I want to get more GBBs, they are such great spiders to watch grow from slings. They will definitely be on my shopping list for the BTS show

[Leanne King-Smith]

Lovely spid Kate, and lovely pics. My GBB is about an inch and has a HUGE butt! My sis' GBB moulted a few days ago, and although isn't blue yet, the size difference is quite alot! They are lovely aren't they?

Love the set up btw, lucky GBB

[Peter Lacey]

Nice set-up, I always enjoy a set-up that has visual appeal, whether you can see the T or not. Hopefully yours makes himself at home in the open.

I had to attend to mine today as one of the sticks started growing mold/fungus. It was isolated and probably down to me overwatering but we tentatively removed it. The cyaneo wasn't too keen on the intrusion especially as we had to knock her lovely webbing down. She attacked the artists brush and gave us 2 flicking sessions LOL