Looking for help

[Nick Boitnott]

Hello everybody Im brand new to the hobby and bought a G. rosea after about a week of research from a pet store last thursday from bad condition from what i can tell (2 gallon critter keeper with dozens of crickets and recycled paper just barely covering the floor and no hide) they told me they had it about 2 weeks and its about 2-3 inches. I'm courious is it a juvie or a sub-adult? Also when i got it, it when right into the cave i provided and then a couple days later it just hangs out right infront of it or just around it. I've also read varying temps and humdity but it ranges between 70-80 degrees with a water dish and i moistened the substrate about 2 days before the humidity is between 60-70% I got it thinking it would almost dry out and a week later its still moist. So i gave it a cricket yesterday and it went into its hide and i havent seen it since i think it has burried into the substrate, should I lift up the cave and disturb the enviroment and pull the cave up and try to find it or not? Also is it normal for the rose hair to just stay in a general area and not the the hide? Ive read that some burrow or some are opertunistic burrowers? Or does it depend on the individual? Thanks in advance for helping me out
Nick

[Tracy Sherwood-Farnfield]

Poor little thing - sounds like you rescued it just in time. Oh and welcome by the way.

I have a rosea too, I have had her since Jan 08 and she is a youngish adult (called Ruby). I can only offer limited advice given my limited experience but you'll get loads of help here.

Chile's don't like it too wet/humid - let your substrate dry out a bit (adding an extra heat mat during the day for a day or two can help) and then only let one end get damp, I usually let the water bowl overflow a bit. They are not too fussy on temp either. Some here will tell you that at this time of year they do not use any additional heating but my house is really drafty so I have one small heat pad at one end of the tank which I leave on all the time and one larger one which I only put on during the day.

Mine has only recently (after her first moult with me) started hanging out in her hide (a flower pot) and has started digging a bit. she might just be settling and making herself feel safe, and reassuring herself that yes she can stay in this nice luxurious new location.

That is my limit I am afraid - over to all the experts - keep us posted though, I am sure she will be fine.

Did she eat the cricket you gave her by the way? I guess if she was kept with crickets she may be gorged and ready for a moult.

Does s/he have a name?

[Nick Boitnott]

Thanks for you input, I've named her Itsy Bitsy if it is a her im not too sure. Im also fuzzy on if she ate the cricket because about 5 minutes after i put it in there it went into the cave never to be seen again but i dont wanna disturb the habit too much to try and find it

[Tracy Sherwood-Farnfield]

hmm they do do that - head straight for the darkest spot! All the ones I put in head straight for the pot! I had one disappear through one of the drainage holes at the back for a day or so. If she is hungry - it's probably already gone - if not you'll see it eventually then you can liberate it

[Peter Lacey]

Congratulations on your new pet and welcome to the forums.
You've purchased a nice hardy species requiring minimum care or special needs, but best of all most tarantula keeper have or have had one, so lots of experienced opinions available.
Your G. rosea will happily live for 2 or 3 decades in normal room temperature with a shallow bowl of water providing humidity and a drinking source. They don't appreciate damp soil so let this dry out as they inhabit semi desert areas in the wild.
Feed it a cricket once a week, 2 if you wish, don't leave them in more than 24 hrs although that's really only an issue if its about to molt. I wouldn't worry about your crickets hiding, especially if they're hiding in the tarantula hide. I often find my tarantula getting an unexpected treat when the crickets decide to co-habitate, with the emphasis on ate!
You'll probably find the G. rosea doesn't hide too much, has some individual characteristics, and soon starts you thinking, mmm! perhaps I could get another

[Nick Boitnott]

Thanks for the reply and yes one does make me want another perhaps a more active species, maybe a pinktoe?

[Tracy Sherwood-Farnfield]

and soon starts you thinking, mmm! perhaps I could get another

Quite agree Peter, Ruby arrived with us in January and I am already thinking that May, might be a good time to take on a second..... Perhaps a brachy of some sort.

[jason holland]

yeah brachy's are great! my ... well i dunno if i can call it my tarantual any more... but my tarantula is a b. smithi. lovely to look at, great to watch eating, and always out on show. id say get another docile species first before you go to something bigger and harder to care for. get some experience first. id love to get a bigger t or a more aggresive T, but not yet.