look out, theres a newbie about!

[jon stewart]

hi there everyone! newbie here! i recently got a t. blondi (i know, not the ideal 1st big spider - i like to jump in feet first!), and i was wondering if it would be ok to keep it on wood chippings as i already have 5 chilean rose spiderlings that seem to be thriving quite happily on them for the last 2 weeks. at the mo the blondi is on the peaty stuff that it came with, but ideally i would like to move it into a section of my large tank. the chippings are willow (not pine as that is obviously too sappy) and i dried them out in the oven thoroughly first to kill any mites etc then misted them well.

my second question concerns viewing my Ts. i keep a laaaarge tank in the outbuilding, partitioned off into many smaller sections for my various bugs heated with heatmats under the substrate, but because the outbuilding is cold a lot of condensation forms on the inside of the glass making it hard to see in. i dont like to keep opening the tops to wipe the glass as this compromises the interior temperature...
heating the workshop is not really an option. i was wondering if there was anything that isnt harmful to Ts that i could spray on the inside of the glass (like the fog-away stuff i spray on my motorbike helmet visor to stop it misting up).

anyway, appologies for the long 1st post, i look foward to being on here a lot now! cheers, jon

[matthew spooner]

hi jon and welcome to the forum. firstly, with regard to the substrate, i wouldnt advise using wood chippings, coconut bark or coir block is best really, maybe mixed with a little vermiculite. secondly, it isnt really a good idea to put heat mats underneath the substrate as it gives the T no choice but to be on heat, on the back or side of the tank is best. thirdly, i myself have considered what to use to stop condensation, and on thought, anything that you use on the tank could make it slippery and cause the T injury if it slipped off it when climbing and could also be toxic
i hope this advice is of some use to you and once again welcome to the mad house

[Colin D Wilson]

Hi Jon and welcome, hope you enjoy your stay.

As far as the substrate goes, wood chippings are really a no no in most peoples opinion, a natural option is always prefered (peat, compost, coir etc )
As a general rule terrestrial tarantulas should have the option to dig and make a burrow. The spiderlings may be ok at the mo but you may start to encounter problems when they get bigger.
I personally would give a T.blondi (if juvenile or larger) about 6 inches minimum of substrate to burrow in. (other members will be able give more specific information on the care of this species)

Ventilation is the answer to the condensation problem, i wouldn't use any form of chemical on a tarantula tank, just to be on the safe side.

Any further questions or advice you need...just ask mate, you'll get a good allround set of answers from members combined experience of the hobby

Colin

[Andrew Ferguson]

Hi Jon and welcome.

I have a B.smithi juvenile that I used to keep in a translucent food container. That would often condense until I put a lot more holes in the lid of the container.

I've since moved it into a little faunarium (see eBay or any of the online tarantula/reptile dealers) and as the lid is well ventilated, I've never had a problem since.

Hope this helps (from another newbie too )

[Peter Lacey]

As already suggested ventilation is the key, more holes in your container will make a big improvement. Your Chili rose will not like damp conditions as its natural habitat is in and around the Atacama desert. Having said that spiderlings aren't as good at reserving moisture within their bodies as their adults counterparts. However your T. Blondi will welcome the moisture as its one of the few that don't adapt well to dry conditions. For this reason you'll wish to promote condensation and perhaps include vermiculite and sphagnam moss in the T. Blondi enclosure. The one thing you'll need to watch out for is mites though as such moist conditions will encourage these. Grab some woodlice and keep them for a few weeks before putting into the T. Blondi enclosure. They will help reduce mites and fungus that might be a threat to your Blondi.
Wood tends to give off substances which can be harmful to insects, for this reason and because we don't know the effects of certain woods we tend to stay clear from those we have no experience of. We know cedar chippings are harmful, I have no idea about willow.
Of course all this is opinion and as you'll find on the net everyone has an opinion some of which is based on experience.

[jon stewart]

cheers people, very helpful! ive ditched the chippings in favour of coir for the t. blondie and sand/shale mix for the roses (my locusts and crickets seem to do well on sand/shale in the next compartment of my tank).

im a bit stuck on the condensation issue for the roses though, as adding too many airholes in the top will allow the heat to escape.... (the workshop is unheated and the air temp can drop quite considerably at night).

also, how can i tall the sex of my blondie? am i right in thinking they dont grow 'mating spurs'? if so is there any other signs?

cheers, jon

[Colin D Wilson]

Just to make 100% sure, sex it from the next moult if you can retrieve it intact ok.