Some advice if you wouldn't mind?

[Vicky Child]

Hello folks. On Friday I should be getting my first Tarantula. A small B.Smithi from one of the sellers listed on this site. I thought that would be the best way to go.

It's been listed as small/medium so I've got it a smaller house to live in until it's big enough for the started kit I got from the spider shop. I've been doing my homework. I've bought and read the latest copy of the tarantula keepers guide so I think I've got the basics more or less covered.

So i have a few questions if someone has the time to help me out.

I'm assuming I'll only need a small amount of substrate in the bug box to start with, how thick of a layer would you suggest I put in? I have the block of coco fibre substrate the starter kit came with. Will this be OK or should I look at something else to start with?

Also, heating, it's rather cold in my house at the moment, so I'm assuming I'll need the heat pad on to keep my spid toasty warm and happy. Would placing the pad on the back of my large tank and then placing the small box inside that tank be sufficient, or do I need to put the pad under the box? I don't want to dry it out or over heat it.

It's should measure 1.5 to 2 cm (maybe a little more its small to medium, and medium in the description the lady gives is 2 - 4 cm) would you advise putting in a water dish for it at that size?

I plan on getting it a box of meal worms when it's settled in, killing them and putting in half of one per feed. Does this sound sensible? How often should I be doing this? I don't want to be starving or overfeeding. Nor do I want to give it crickets too early on (the speed of pinhead crickets puts me of) and it being overpowered by it's lunch.

I can shop for anything major I'm missing tomorrow so if there's anything you think I might have missed out on buying please let me know.

I thank you all in advance for any advice.

[Aaron Annal]

Hi Vicky,
First welcome to the site and to answer some of your Q's
I use the tubs the crickets come in for my spiderlings and fill them about half way with substrate i dont use coco fibre but imo it will be ok to use alot of other people on here seem to use it by wot i read.
I also think that putting the tub in the bigger enclosure with the heat mat on the back or side and tub next to there to give the T a choice to sit near the heat or not.
Again i dont always use a water dish for that size T but will keep an eye on it everyday to check it has a moist part of substrate but if you want to you can use a plastic milk bottle lid or similar to start with.
The next Q i cant really answer because i always use crickets for my T's but meal worms would be ok to feed wether to kill it first i'm not sure i dont with my crickets.
I have included 2 pics of the tubs i mean there is a 2cm b.albopilosum in there somewhere lol.
sorry about the size i couldnt upload them to the site.
I hope that helps and i'm sure you will get other advice aswell
Aaron

[Colin D Wilson]

Hi Vicky, welcome to the forum.

As Aaron says people keep their spiders in a variety of different ways but all give the spider it's basic needs to survive and thrive.

I take it the spiders coming from Virginia? her sizes are a little varied sometimes so you could get anything from 1.5 to 4/5 cm. saying this you dont see many people complaining of her sizes, spider quality and service so all should be good.

I personally would keep it in a cricket tub (assuming it's a large spiderling/small juvi) half filled with substrate (choice is yours but some people have found to be a little irritated by the coir type (similar to urticating hairs) we use peat moss (reclaimed if possible) for the majority of the spiders here)
A water bowl isn't neccessary, just wet a corner of the substrate occasionally and it'll be fine. if you do like a water bowl the a milk carton lid will be fine (pop some gravel in the bottom if the spiders a little one and you're worried it may drown (although they rarely do )
A large spiderling/small juvi would be able to take a mealworm with no problems, although i would vary the diet to simulate natural feeding habits if possible. feeding insects etc from the garden is a no-no because of chemical contamination (not suggesting you would do this but worth mentioning just in case ok)
heating from the side of the tub is always the option as spider will burrow naturally to try and avoid the heat of the day etc. If your home is cooler then placing the cricket tub in a heated larger tank is a good option (it'll almost act like an incubator) you can move the tub around within the larger tank to get the best heating. try to get a warm side and a cool side for the spider so it can regulate its body temp.

hope this help a little, post a few pictures if you wish in the pix section, it's always nice to see setups and spiders from newcomers to the hobby

[Vicky Child]

Hi guys, thank you for the welcome and the good advice as well.

I take it the spiders coming from Virginia? her sizes are a little varied sometimes so you could get anything from 1.5 to 4/5 cm. saying this you dont see many people complaining of her sizes, spider quality and service so all should be good.

Yeah the spider's from Virginia, I got the little house from her at the same time too. It's more or less the same size a cricket tub. I put my substrate and a little bit of the moss in I got with the adult kit just in case she wants to play hide and seek. I added a milk bottle lid as her water bowl, with a nice big rock in it so she can't go swimming and get hurt. She's about the size of the inside of the milk bottle cap, she's lovely and is showing her colours.

hope this help a little, post a few pictures if you wish in the pix section, it's always nice to see setups and spiders from newcomers to the hobby

I will do. In regards to photo's should you use a flash? I don't want to be blinding her.

She's been sitting right up at the side of the box where the heat mat is. I put the mat a bit high up, thinking that would be where it should go when there's substrate in the big tank. So I've put her on a box to get her nearer the heat. Hopefully she'll feel a bit more like having a wander then. The house has been really cold today though, she has my sympathy. Do you think I'm doing the right thing?

I have a friend with a lizard who loves his crickets, so I shall be borrowing one or two to squish and give to her when she's settled in. Is freezing or bashing them in the head the best way to kill them? They are massive in comparison to her so they'll need to be dead, otherwise I'll own a very privileged cricket.

I've been sat watching her for ages. She keeps very still then moves when I go off to do something else. I swear she's being interesting without me on purpose. I've called her Charlotte, and I know she can't be sexed yet, but if I call her she and give her a girls name then she'll have to be a girl, right? hehe

[Mark Shingleton]

hi,
not really an expert on this, only bieng in the hobby a year but i was led to belive tarantulas only take live food. you can pick up a box of smaller crickets for next-to-nowt. you get loads but stick em in a small enclosure with a bit of food and water gel and the majority live long enough to become breakfast. i was a bit short on food last week and thought the last surviving cricket a bit big for my hungry E.truculentus ( molly ) so had to snip the back legs of the cricket, i felt a bit evil but molly could eat without bieng injured in the struggle.
like your idea about give a girls name and it will be a girl i nemed my new river rust rump borris and turns out its female... maybe change the name to dorris