New Curly Hair

[Paddy Pokorny]

I didn't want to make a whole new thread, but I just have a small update on her - and a few questions :P

There's 3 inches of substrate in there atm.. And it is quite dryish..
(Humidity is at 80% atm and I have sprayed the walls of the tank)
I've also her put in another room for the time being - As it's a lot warmer in there then my room (24c atm)

She's eaten 3 crickets so far this week.. But after eating her last one, she created a small hole in the corner of her tank, and thrown the remains down there (Which I've named her 'death pit' ) - But Is that normal? :S
I've also gotten rid of that plant pot, and swapped it with a smaller plastic pot, but she has yet to go in there
She only ever sits behind the plant, and currently sitting in her pit :S

My other question is with heatmats - I went to another exotic shop closish today, and they said that you should put the heat mat on the bottom of the tank (And that it should be 12x12x12).. But I thought it should be 1/2 the size of the tank and on the outside of the tank? (If it is, I'll most likely buy online from that website :P)

Sorry to be so stupid
Cheers,
Paddy

[Michael Peachey]

Give it some time she'll probably use it eventually. Seems to me like she's using the pit as a den area, because if tarantula's dont eat killed prey they 'save' it to eat at a later date and generally they do this in there den/hide area.

As for the heat mat i would ignore the advise of your pet shop for a starter, the local store near me gave me advise but not all of it was nessissarily correct and it was only untill i came on here that i was given good solid advise . Your right though, 1/2 size, and on the side

Humidity seems very good, and i wouldnt worry about the dryness because ultimately that is good, it goes a long way to prevent mights who thrive in moist conditions.

Temperature also seems ideal so all in all, your doing a great job. There is never a question too stupid to ask, to not ask a question you want the answer to...now that is stupid

Mike

[Mrs Linda Street]

Hi Paddy, I just thought I would say welcome to the forum, and it looks like things are settling down for you and sorting themselves out. That's good advice from Craig, as the tank is ideal for an Avic, and of course reducing the height for your T in case it should fall. And as Michael says, put your mat on the side or the back, and keep her around the 22-25c, and all should be fine. If you wanted to move her into a smaller tank and use that one for an Avic, Wilco's do a 12"x8"x8" approx. for £5 which would be ideal.

[Craig Mackay]

There is never a question too stupid to ask, to not ask a question you want the answer to...now that is stupid

Now they're is a great piece of advise in itself. Your spot on Michael

Sounds like your T's settling in well Paddy. Don't worry if she doesn't use her hide. It's quite likely that she feels safe and secure and doesn't feel the need to hide. At least she has the option though if she wants.

I think the reason a lot of petshops tell you to put the heat mat under the tank is because they usually know more about reptiles and reptiles need to bask to heat up there blood so it would be more important for the substrate to be warm. Next time you go to that petshop you'll be able to put them right, lol!

Linda, you've got mail

[Peter Lacey]

Hi Paddy, and welcome to the forum.
Honduran Curly Hairs - Brachypelma albopilosum require a little more humidity than most other Brachypelma species as unlike the dry conditions normally associated with this genus they come from the tropical rain forests of Central America and are often found near rivers. You'll find it hard to keep the humidity up in an Exo as its so well ventilated but like most tarantula these are very adaptable. My personal advice would be to block the vents at the back, fill the substrate up to near the door level and slope it up higher to the back. You might also wish to cover the back half of the mesh with a piece of acrylic.
Whenever adding more substrate of rehydrated coir, squeeze out any excess liquid and then let it dry out near a radiator or by pressing it between newspaper sheets.
Rather than spraying the sides which will only result in limescale marks, spray directly onto the substrate or just overfill the bowl. On some of my species I pour almost a whole bottle of water into the substrate if I find its in a completely dry state.
If your curly doesn't use the hide, don't worry, that suggests its comfortable with its surroundings.

[Craig Mackay]

As Peter says, you can cover some of the mesh with acrylic. Another solution is clingfilm or tin foil although the latter will be a bit more obvious and messy.

[Paddy Pokorny]

Thanks for all the tips guys ^^
I'll put some acrylic at the top to cover some of the mesh
And I'll just let her be then? She seems happy, so I won't bother her :P

Btw.. with heat mats, looking at that shop.. What size should I be getting?
http://www.thespidershop.co.uk/insec...oducts_id=1520 - 4x5"? To go in the middle of the right side of the tank or something? And should I get a thermostat?
http://www.thespidershop.co.uk/insec...products_id=90 - A good enough one?

I already have the 2 themometer/humdity level thingys.. But is there anything else I should get?

Cheers,
Paddy

[Anita Pile]

Hi Paddy,

So glad to hear you're both getting on well!

The mat-stat thermostats are great, it's what we've got with ours, and that's about a good a price as your ever going to find.

We've got the same exo terras as you and Lee at the spidershop advised a 5" x 11" heatmat, we've got it sitting lengthways , with the bottom of it just at substrate level, and the top comes just a couple of inches below the top of the terrarium. We've got ours set at around 75F and they seem to do quite well with that.

Hope this helps!

[Paddy Pokorny]

Thanks for the reply Anita

Thespidershop.co.uk doesn't have any 5x11 mats.. Or around that size Do you know of any reputable sites that would?
Sorry to be such a pain.. But it's just that ideally I want to get one tonight, so I can get it asap :P

http://reptilekeeping.net/catalog/pr...roducts_id=379 - ?

Cheers,
Paddy

[Mrs Linda Street]

Hi Paddy, try Livefoods.co.uk

[Paddy Pokorny]

Thanks Linda

Just bought a 6 x 11" heat mat & thermostat
So hopefully It'll come soon and i'll put it on once it gets here
^^

Thanks guys

[Mrs Linda Street]

Hi Paddy, Livefoods are ok, they are only about 4 miles away from us and they are usually quick with delivery.

[Anita Pile]

Sorry Paddy,

Only just saw your question, glad someone was able to help and you got one!

[Paddy Pokorny]

Sorry to revive the thread.. But I got an update with a few more questions :P

The heat mat came a few days ago, and I put it up on the side with the way Anita suggested.. And I keep it at around 25.
She has made a nice little burrow, with 2 entrances.. so it's a little cave she runs through :P But the problem is, on one end she's burrowed right to the floor of the tank - is that ok? It's only a very small part that is on the bottom, but still :S
(Also, could the substrate ever cave in on her? And would it kill her if it did? :/)

She was also sitting on the wall with the heat mat, which suggested she was cold.. So I turned it up by a degree.. And I just checked the thermometer and it said 30c! :S (Thing is, the thermostat is just above the heatmat - So could it disturb the real readings? :S)

Other then that she seems happy, loves her crickets and is still digging sometimes :P

Thanks!,
Paddy~

[Mrs Linda Street]

Hi Paddy, they will clear the whole floor area of the inside of their hides sometimes, and 22-25c is more than adequate. You will find most T's will go to the source of the heat, they can always move away if they are too warm, I don't think she will come to any harm, but 30c is too hot in my opinion.