Keeping up humidity.

[Ian Hall]

Is 60% humidity a suitable level for a Grammostola rosea 'red phase' or is it unessercery?

[Emily Nicholls]

Sounds fine to me. I don't worry with any sort of humidity for my G. rosea's, they have very well ventilated tubs, a wide shallow water bowl, and bone dry substrate, and that seems to be fine!

[James Box]

that doesn't sound a bad level. as Emily says they prefer it on the dry side, so anything higher might be annoying...though i'm sure they have ups and downs in the wild.

[Ian Hall]

Could you suggest a good dry substrate?

[Emily Nicholls]

Coir/coconut fibre/eco-earth/forest bed... that stuff! Although you have to soak it to expand it, if you stick it in the oven for a bit to dry it out (or let it dry naturally, it does take a while though) then it will be fine. That's what I use with all of my spiders.

[Peter Lacey]

Simple peat & play sand mix would be fine for G. rosea.

[Kurt Baird]

Could you suggest a good dry substrate?

This stuff, keep all my T's on it!

[Stanley A. Schultz]

Is 60% humidity a suitable level for a Grammostola rosea 'red phase' or is it unessercery?

They thrive in one of the world's driest deserts! For a juvenile or adult, 60% Rh is like making you sleep in a wet bed.

Keep your rose in a completely dry cage. No damp substrate. No misting. Keep a water dish with water and the obligatory rock in the cage for if and when it gets thirsty. Stop stressing over your rose.

If it's a baby with a leg span of less than about 3 cm you should keep it like all other babies, namely in a container with slightly damp substrate. You should keep a second unused container handy but completely dry. Check your baby rose carefully and often for mites. If you find any mites, dampen the substrate in the spare container and switch the rose to it ASAP. Clean the infested one and set it up dry with fresh substrate in anticipation of the inevitable infestation.

Also, visit www.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html for more information.