help needed with colbalt blue

[vincent winyard]

hi everyone i really need some sort of guidance with a colbalt blue. i see it in a local pet shop o couple of weeks ago and it was still there on sunday so i thought i'd take pity on the poor thing. to cut a long story short i've got it in a 12 by 12 by 12 exo terra tank with about 4 inches of substrate on the moist side not to damp though plus hide. it spent the first night at the top of the tank but haven't seen it since. i know there very aggresive and spend most of the time hidden away trouble is because i cant see it the situation i suspect is not a good one. how am i supposed to look after this t to the best of my ability if im on edge when i open the tank to do water changes and general tidying up. i dont want to part with it just need some help and tips thanks everyone.

[Jamie Cooper]

Hi Vincent,

I must admit, I panicked a bit when I first got one. I spent the first few days wondering if I was a bit out of my depth. Although I'm not a very experienced keeper, in my experience they are not the monsters they're portrayed to be. A few months later I bought another one and even tried my hand at breeding.

Mine seem quite happy for me to carry out tank maintenance, whether they're inside their burrows or out in the open. But they are very skittish and will happily bite, so just don't get too close!

You might want to consider adding another 2 or 3" of substrate. 4" is a little on the shallow side in my opinion. I house mine with 6 - 7" of peat/vermiculite (50/50) and both have burrowed down to the floor.

Hope this helps, good luck and watch your fingers!

Jamie

[krystophe lamont]

hmmm well, first the harsh bit, you really shouldnt buy any animal out of pity or impulse and you really shouldnt own anything you are not comfortable dealing with... now that aside on to the useful bit. realistically we all fall prey to impulse and pity purchases, so i sympathise. as for your current situation, well a day or two of zero activity and visability is nothing to worry about. i usually recomend giving any new pet (invert or vert) a 3-7 day period of as close to zero attention as possible. any animal will be stressed out with the catching/transport/re-housing procedure and needs to settle in.

your set up sounds fine, cobalts are diggers and like it on the humid side so you are doing the righ thing. a couple more inches of substrate wouldnt go amiss but is not critical. cobalts even when they are settled in can be very secretive so dont worry about it.

i personally own a lot of cryptic species so i am used to the empty tank pets! so dont worry, your T will come out when it is ready. as for getting over being on edge, well, thats up to you. observe the T and its surroundings as much as possible to get used to its behaviour and habits for one thing. move the whole tank to a more secure location for maintanence, in the bathtuub in a small bathroom for instance to simplify matters. it may sound stupid but take a couple of deep breaths and try to relax when you are about to interact with your T. and remember steady slow smooth movement... all... the... time... T are hard wired to home in on quick jerky movement so a shaky hesitant hand is asking for trouble! the most important advice i can give you is be observant and try to relax. always keep your T or its hide if thats where it is in you feild of vision when you are working on its tank. on the plus side cobalts are beautiful Ts and are worthwhile additions to any collection. lovely specimins and rewarding to own. congradulations! hopefully this ramble is useful to you.

[Peter Roach]

. . . . but haven't seen it since.. . . . .

I'll be very suprised if you see it. . . . . Ever ! ! ! !
If I did see a colbalt on the surface I would immediately think something was wrong.

i know there very aggresive

No they are not, they are DEFENSIVE. a big but subtle difference.

how am i supposed to look after this t to the best of my ability if im on edge when i open the tank to do water changes and general tidying up.

I would use a cut down coke bottle to cover the spiders hole if you are worried about its reputation. A coke bottle is ideal as it is easily squished to different shapes to cover different areas of the spiders container.

If you havent already got one i would suggest that you buy, beg, steal or borrow a pair of 10 inch forceps/tweezers to do tank maintanance.
My tweezers and cut down coke bottle are the 2 things that I cant do without, anything else can be substituted or done without but not these.

[James Box]

I'll be very suprised if you see it. . . . . Ever ! ! ! !
If I did see a colbalt on the surface I would immediately think something was wrong.


No they are not, they are DEFENSIVE. a big but subtle difference.



I would use a cut down coke bottle to cover the spiders hole if you are worried about its reputation. A coke bottle is ideal as it is easily squished to different shapes to cover different areas of the spiders container.

If you havent already got one i would suggest that you buy, beg, steal or borrow a pair of 10 inch forceps/tweezers to do tank maintanance.
My tweezers and cut down coke bottle are the 2 things that I cant do without, anything else can be substituted or done without but not these.

+1
a happy Haplopelma lividum is one you don't see, from everything i've been told...they are shy creatures and quick to defend themselves. aggression is something different.

[krystophe lamont]

I'll be very suprised if you see it. . . . . Ever ! ! ! !
If I did see a colbalt on the surface I would immediately think something was wrong.


No they are not, they are DEFENSIVE. a big but subtle difference.



I would use a cut down coke bottle to cover the spiders hole if you are worried about its reputation. A coke bottle is ideal as it is easily squished to different shapes to cover different areas of the spiders container.

If you havent already got one i would suggest that you buy, beg, steal or borrow a pair of 10 inch forceps/tweezers to do tank maintanance.
My tweezers and cut down coke bottle are the 2 things that I cant do without, anything else can be substituted or done without but not these.

this is pure genius!

[vincent winyard]

cheers for that jamie what you say seems to put it in prespective. i guess in a nut shell these t's demand absolute respect. i did get a good look at it before i put it in the tank and i must say it is truely stunning. i guess im just going to have to figure out how to go about adding more substrate thanks again jamie.

[vincent winyard]

hi there krystophe thanks for your reply.like i said to jamie if i can figure out a way of doing it i'll add some more substrate im sure i can manage one way or another after all i do want to do whats best for the spider. and what you say about being calm i have no problems with that where my other spiders are concerned it,s just that this is my first old world tarantula so i guess im just being very extra carefull lol. i have been in the tank topping up the water and a light spraying and i felt ok with that i suppose i'll get more confident as time goes bye. anyway many thanks for your help krystophe it does help when it's all been put in to prospective thanks again.

[vincent winyard]

thats a good idea pete i use a plastic cake bowl with a lid to catch any runners or if anyone shows attitude lol. but like i said to someone else this is my first old world tarantula so this is a whole new ball game to me. i think being very carefull and giving the upmost respect is whats needed o and sharp eye sight. and your right to say about these t's deffending themselfs and not to presume there aggressive i do apologise thanks for your help pete.

[Peter Roach]

An idea for adding more substrate is to put a small cut down bottle over the hole (smallest water bottle sized ? ) and fill in the tank with the extra substrate around it. Dont forget to tamp it down firmly ! . . . . .Simples LOL

[vincent winyard]

cheers pete i'll give it a go

[Tony Boylin]

I got a big Female cobalt and it lives under her log in a shallow divet (not a burrow ) and has never rushed at me when i reach in to take out her water dish or to lift up the log to take a peak at her ( thank god ). all i can add is, if you can takes yours out and dig the burrow for it that way you can have it so the burrow is on the side of the tank so you can see it! Hope all works out for you.

[vincent winyard]

sounds like yours is well behaved tony lol. it would be great if mine turned out like yours but if not that's not a problem. that sounds a good idea about digging a burrow for it but it all boils down to being able to take her out of the tank with a bit of luck that shouldn't be to much trouble. anyway thanks for your help and advise tony.

[Tony Boylin]

No worries m8. To get mine out i put a tub over it and slide the lid under it! Or you could just put a tub over it at one end while digging at the other! Hope all goes well!

[Nicola Dolby]

Vincent, there is a lot of hype around lividium spiders, the only bit that is 100% true is their beautiful colour!
They are very photophobic and only get aggressive if they are nervous and can't get back to their burrow. Usually if concerned they will freeze rather than lash out until they are certain you are a percieved threat (then come the threat postures, dummy "strikes" etc.) and only after will they bite. of course if you catch them off guard they might bite first. I think most of the issue is to do with the fact that they are big and stocky, Whereas I have found the smaller, thinner males to be far more "assertive". However they are a nocturnal burrowing species so too much disruption might stress them. Best keep her humid, well fed and watered and get a torch if you want to see her often!!