advice and opinions please

[Naython J]

im still quite a new comer to the hobby after only having only had my first spider a L.para 18 months ago and now having an avic avic for bout 6 months but...
i want to expand my collection and ive decided to start with a Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens as my next addition, i have done some homework about them and im just hoping to get a few more expert opinions on the best setup i should prep for hopeing for a juvenile but a sub adult female is what i expect to get.
i know they are heavy webbers and that they do quite like to climb even though they are not classed as aboreal, so what do you think

all help and advice is much appreciated

[Peter Roach]

A simple setup is best due to everything will be covered by webbing after a while.
A penpal or similar sized container with a substrate of dry peat or eco-earth, a few twigs or plastic plants for the webbing to get a starting point and your job is done.

[Naython J]

thanks yeah thats close to what i was thinking is one thing i want t ask aswell is,

is there any problem as too much room? as long as it aint got a falling hazard can your container be too big?

[Peter Roach]

Not as far as i am aware although I cant see the point in having a very large tank if the spider is only going to use a smal corner. I would use something like a 12in x 10in x 10in or slightly larger but this will depend on your budget and/or available space

[Naython J]

yeah sounds like i could stack a few of them better not tell the missus till i get back from the show with em lol, ive got a rather large glass tank my L.Para was in until he died cple weeks ago so ima save that for my next display T.

[Kate Arbon]

I keep my 2" GBB in a 10"x6" tank which is pretty big for his size, but it's so I don't have to rehome him again for the rest of his growth. He does fine in a big tank.

This is how I keep my two:

12" tank for 4" GBB


10" tank for 2" GBB



Dry substrate, and nice to give them stuff to web on. I've found as my guy has grown from a sling he does less and less webbing, but still goes a bit crazy before a moult. My juvie still likes to climb and hides a lot at the moment but my adult female almost never climbs and is on display all the time. I think their personalites change with their colours as they grow. Both are fantastic eaters and will stalk crickets around the tank. GBB are great spiders

[James Box]

great choice on a third spider heck...great choice on a first and second spider as well.
i'll just agree with what the others have said, my own experience is very similar, though my first C cyanopubescens (RIP due to a hungry female) webbed ALOT. was a beautiful job he did, too.
my second has webbed alot yet, but eats like a blackhole.
they are a beautiful and easy to look after species.

[Naython J]

My L.Para died recently too, but after a lil amatuer taxidermy he now has pride of place on my wall looks fantastic allspread out,great too know ill have him like that forever shame he not runnig around though still, i have heard with the gbb that they eat a hell of alot how often do you feed yours, i have seen maybe 3-4 locusts a week is about right if not a lil too much. what you think.

Cant wait till the show to get my new ones

[James Box]

mine had a slightly small abdomen, so i'm feeding him/her up a bit...through in about 6 crickets i think in about a week...won't usually feed that much, but just to get the size up a bit. will slow down, though. i don't think i'd ever feed him/her as much as 3 to 4 locusts a week, under normal circumstances.
not a huge T, and also...that's just way too much.

sorry to hear the para didn't make it

[Naython J]

cool thanks for the info

btw i have noticed quite alot that people seem to feed t's crickets more than locusts i dont think i have ever feed a cricket to my t's,

is there a reason why crickets are more popular than locusts or is it just down to availabilty/personal choice?

[James Box]

crickets are, from what i've heard, nutrionally complete. i don't know about locusts.
also, i find locusts may attract the bigger spiders, but they have scarely any more actual meat than a large cricket. they're all legs and wings, and both always get left behind.
but it is personal choice. for all i know locusts are equal in nutrional value, i'd just heard it specifically about crickets.

[Nicola Dolby]

A lot of the reason for people using crickets is availability. However meal worms are available and all sorts of other things. The problem with locusts is that when they get to a reasonable size the barbs on their legs can be quite dangerous to a tarantula. Thats why I only feed them to large adult tarantulas. Funny thing is my H. lividium, Suzi, loves them but my Poecilotherias tend to avoid them unless in a mood.