Avicularia Versicolor avoidable high sling death rate.

[Paul Welsh]

Hello everyone.On Tuesday 2nd October,I shall be the proud owner of 3 new tiny slings.An Avicularia Versicolor,a Grammastola Pulchra and a Monocentropus Balfouri.The reason I am posting this,is due to a worrying conversation I had today with the guy who owns our local reptile centre,and has a wealth of knowledge with regards to Ts.Apparently,there are many many people who are new to the hobby who add substrate to their A.V sling's,which causes mite infestation when water is introduced to it,hence killing the sling.Whilst the fact that this beautiful T should have NO substrate whatsoever is well documented in Stan's fantastic book THE TARANTULA KEEPER'S GUIDE,I thought it may be a good idea to mention it on the forum,and possibly avoid any upset to anyone new to the hobby through losing their pet,and,obviously preventing the early demise of some of our little friends.Thank you for reading,and please feel free to correct me if I have provided any info which seems untrue.

[Jamie Cooper]

Hello everyone.On Tuesday 2nd October,I shall be the proud owner of 3 new tiny slings.An Avicularia Versicolor,a Grammastola Pulchra and a Monocentropus Balfouri.The reason I am posting this,is due to a worrying conversation I had today with the guy who owns our local reptile centre,and has a wealth of knowledge with regards to Ts.Apparently,there are many many people who are new to the hobby who add substrate to their A.V sling's,which causes mite infestation when water is introduced to it,hence killing the sling.Whilst the fact that this beautiful T should have NO substrate whatsoever is well documented in Stan's fantastic book THE TARANTULA KEEPER'S GUIDE,I thought it may be a good idea to mention it on the forum,and possibly avoid any upset to anyone new to the hobby through losing their pet,and,obviously preventing the early demise of some of our little friends.Thank you for reading,and please feel free to correct me if I have provided any info which seems untrue.

Hi Paul,

Nice choices!

You will notice that the setup requirements of Avicularia versicolor carries a wide range of opinion. Spiderlings in particular have a reputation of being very hard to care for. Some experienced keepers have no luck with them while others have no problems whatsoever.

Personally I've had few problems with this species, but perhaps I've just been fortunate. I bought 6 spiderlings a few years ago. One died the day I got it and another died during it's first moult about 4 weeks after I got it. With that in mind and the fragile reputation they seem to have, I was concerned that the other 4 wouldn't make it. But 3 years down the line and they are doing just fine.

Some people keep Avics on moist substrate, some on bone dry with mixed results. I personally think that as they reach juvenile/sub adult size they become far more tolerable to different conditions with regards to humidity, but as spiderlings they are slightly more delicate and depriving them of moisture is not a good idea.

In my opinion, I wouldn't recommend keeping a spiderling of this species with no substrate whatsoever. Keeping the substrate a little moist is not going to guarentee you a mite infestation - far from it! I've been keeping douzens of spiders in these conditions and only ever had one mite situation that turned out to be nothing serious.

I keep mine on a substrate mix consisting of peat/eco earth/vermiculite. I find this substrate holds water well without making the conditions damp. I've added springtails to my enclosures that act as a cleanup crew keeping things nice and clean.

I hope this has been of some help to you. I'm sure there will be others who will disagree with the way I do things, but it's worked for me and other keepers too.

Jamie

[Paul Welsh]

Hi Jamie.Cheers for the reply.Very interesting.Do you use a heat source of any kind for your slings?

[Jamie Cooper]

Hi Jamie.Cheers for the reply.Very interesting.Do you use a heat source of any kind for your slings?

Hi Paul,

Yes I use an oil filled heater to heat my T room. It comes on at 8.30am each day and heats the room to around 24 C. It goes off at 6.30pm and the temperature then slowly drops to around 17 - 18 C, depending on what time of year it is.

Jamie

[Paul Welsh]

Thank you Jamie.I'll make sure I post what I have done with regards to the slings,and update.Thank you very much for taking the time to reply.

[Peter Roach]

There are so many things wrong with this so I'll separate them individually and then address them as i see it.

the guy who owns our local reptile centre,and has a wealth of knowledge with regards to Ts.

I have found that many so called 'experts' in the local reptile shop are just the opposite. They may have a good general knowledge about keeping tarantulas which may seem to the beginner to be extensive but it generally isnt. A jack of all trades and master of none is a good saying that may or not apply here.

Apparently,there are many many people who are new to the hobby who add substrate to their A.V sling's,which causes mite infestation when water is introduced to it,hence killing the sling.

Absolutely and totally a big smelly pile of poop. (Add a few swear words before during and after this)

I've heard a few strange and so called facts before but this has to be the worse so far. !!!

1) There is nothing wrong and everything right about adding substrate to a slings tub.
2) Adding water does not cause a mite infestation. A constant wet or damp substrate and dead prey insects will however cause exactly this.
3) Unless the avic slings are on the substrate (highly unlikely unless its dead) and the mites are in plague proportions then this just isnt going to happen.

Whilst the fact that this beautiful T should have NO substrate whatsoever is well documented in Stan's fantastic book THE TARANTULA KEEPER'S GUIDE,

Does it really ? I must admit although I have 2 editions of this excellent book I've only skimmed though them and havent read about this and i'll have to go back and try and read this section (which section or page is this information on ?)

Another so called fact which i think is totally wrong and cant think where Stan got this from and hopefully he will be posting shortly to defend this outrageous claim.

I usually buy between 10 to 20 Avic slings every year to grow on and sell after I have sexed them. At the moment I have 10 Avic versicolor's ALL with substrate, NONE with mites.

I thought it may be a good idea to mention it on the forum,and possibly avoid any upset to anyone new to the hobby through losing their pet

Cant say I agree with you here.
Anyone who has done a reasonable amount of research on keeping Avic slings and the problems keeping them will have found that everything that you have said above is just NOT true.

Thank you for reading,and please feel free to correct me if I have provided any info which seems untrue.

Oh yeah, dont you worry about THAT !!




Avicularia slings are not hard to keep IF a few simple rules are followed.

The MOST important rule and this is the one that most beginners fail on, usually because they have followed an idiotic care sheet on the internet or listened to a clueless shop worker.

VENTILATION VENTILATION AND MORE VENTILATION. If in doubt add MORE VENTILATION.

Ignore the so called 'facts' of Avic slings needing high humidity and daily mistings.

THIS is the main reason WHY Avic sling die.

High humidity and daily mistings provide one thing. Stagnant air.

PS. Did I mention that avic slings need lots of ventilation especially cross ventilation ?

Depending on the size of the sling container will depend on the depth of substrate but I usually have an average of 1.5 to 2 inches of substrate which can be coir, peat, topsoil, compost or a mixture of any of these. At this moment in time I am using a peat compost and top soil mix.

All of my arboreal containers have a ring of small holes a few MM above the substrate level and then more rings of holes every inch or two all the way to the top (cross ventilation) and them multitudes of holes in the lid or even a 100% mesh lid.

99.9% of the time the slings will make their web actually on or in the lid so do NOT worry when it is time for their weekly watering, they will repair the web in time for you to rip it up the following week. After a while they will make the web at a lower level so that it doesnt get partially destroyed on a weekly basis. As they are arboreal and rarely descend to the floor of the container, I wedge a few twigs across the top of the container so they can anchor their web easily.

If water is slowly dribbled down the side of the container it will get the lower level of substrate wet but the top layers will stay dry therefore avoiding any mites or fungus gnats living in the damp/wet substrate and providing a constant slow but steady evaporation and a low level of humidity.
Once the slings have made their web, I squirt a few ml of water onto the web once per week. I only use a syringe and NEVER spray or mist as this will disturb the slings more than anything i can think of apart from blowing directly on them.
Apart from dropping a small roach nymph or cricket on the web once or twice a week that is all thats needed.

Simples innit !

[Paul Welsh]

Yep !! Well....I asked for it !!! LOL ! Peter,thank you.When I've recovered from the battering,I'll post a reply !

[Peter Roach]

That wasnt a battering.
I was just tenderizing you a little LOL

[Paul Welsh]

Funny how I don't mind getting the mickey taken out of me when I've got the mickey taker actually helping me !!...A little like when I was at school,and,even though you thought the teacher was a little eccentric,and possibly condescending...you knew he was right !!! Cheers Peter !! Top man !!

[Peter Roach]

I'm not saying that I'm right (even though think I am) I was just saying that I thought that you was wrong !!!

The methods that I use raising Avics works for me and a few people who do the same or nearly so seem to have the same results as me.

High ventilation and a period of letting the substrate drying out between wettings seems to be the key in raising avics, so a weekly squirt of water and Bobs yer dad's brother

[Peter Lacey]

Peter's delivery is always a bit "fast bowler", but don't be stumped, he won't bowl you a googly

sound advice!

[Paul Welsh]

Hello Peter.I'm 100 % going with your advice.Thank you.The page in the T keeper's guide I referred to regarding no substrate is 247 under SUBSTRATES.Cheers Peter.Also,I'm well aware of the nonsense sometimes spouted by reptile centre staff,but this guy seemed adamant that this was the case,as he'd been told by an avic versi breeder,and that's why I needed clarification from someone such as yourself I admit I panicked a little,but I'm the sort of person who cares for others,and their pets,and I certainly shall not be changing THAT !!! Thanks again Peter.Kind regards.Paul.

[erickson.angeles]

thanks y'all i learn a lot :3 im planing of having a.versicolor

[michael connachan]

YES, VENTILATION, VENTILATION, VENTILATION, it's a must and substratum, I have never heard of any T being housed without substrate all good info from Pete. I have never b=had any problems with my avics including my A.Versicolor. Just by following some simple instructions which Pete has covered your Avics should do well.

[Paul Welsh]

Okay !! So,time for the update I promised regarding my A Versicolor after 6 months of ownership since she was a tiny sling....Firstly,I have kept her with NO substrate whatsoever.Only a little fake leafy branch to web to.I have dropped a few droplets of water to her weekly using a syringe ( NOT MISTING !!! ).I have fed her on crickets which she happily devours when she actually realises they are there !! She has just moulted successfully for the 4th time,and is an absolutely beautiful,and extremely docile T.I shall be re housing shortly,and shall then add coir substrate to her new enclosure,and update on her progress.Cheers all !