Introductions!

[Peter Roach]

Welcome to the forum Jonathan

Only 5 T's in the final collection.
I'm wondering if you can actually keep such a small number without going mad.
I know I couldnt, I think that i would need psychiatric help if I only had a few

[JonathanSmith]

Just a quick hello!

Newbie to the forum so thought I would introduce myself....

jonathan smith, 24, have in my collection a adult female b.smithi, juvi p.regalis, spiderling obt, spider suntiger.

Hoping to get one final spider in march then my collection is complete

spiders has been a facination of mine for ever since I can remember but whilst I lived at home I was never allowed one so the day after moving out of my parents house I went to fetch Mary (b.smithi). She was intentionally the only one I planned on having but I caught the bug (pardon the pun) and hey no my and my girlfriend have a small family of them along side a Harvey Dog (Bassett hound cross cocker), bearded dragon and tortoise...oh and the fish tank

anyway enough about me, nice to meet you all and hopefully learn some tips and tricks about spider keeping from you all.

[Mark Knowles]

Thanks Mike

[M Bills]

Re: Introductions!

Hello everyone. Ive been hoping to join for a while. I have 2 s/a & 4 slings. I started off with a G.rosea. All are new world & am looking into old worlds next. Also I hope to become a fully paid up member ofthe BTS soon.Thanks

Welcome to the BTS Mark


Sent using a mix of mind control and magic.

[Mark Knowles]

Thanks- I was only going to get one( smithi) got the rosea, stuck with that a while, then got a pulchripes sling & the rest quickly followed. Still havent got a Smithi so havent finished yet! In the meantime though Im looking at a P.murinus & P. regalis.

[Peter Roach]

Hi Mark
Welcome to the most addictive hobby of all time

[Mark Knowles]

Hello everyone. Ive been hoping to join for a while. I have 2 s/a & 4 slings. I started off with a G.rosea. All are new world & am looking into old worlds next. Also I hope to become a fully paid up member ofthe BTS soon.Thanks

[David Hughes]

Hi

I started with my first Tarantula, a Chile Rose a year ago. I now also have a Brazilian White Knee, Salmon Pink sling and today collected a juvenile Avic SP and a B smithi sling.

I can't believe how addictive this is becoming. Happy new year to all

David

[Peter Lacey]

If you google Rick West you'll find a great picture of their habitat - dry scrubland with low lying bush and cactus. Its searingly hot during the day but each morning the dew will appear on the webbing before the sun arrives to bake everything
So, I apply a little moisture to the webbing and substrate until they reach juvenile stage at which time I don't bother too much with water, the occassional squirt doesnt seem to be appreciated and keeping them moist at juvenile to adult stage seems to be the kiss of death.

[Rob Logan]

Thanks Kate , Peter -
Im not sure if its grease marks or just swirls in the plastic from the flash but it shouldn't be moisture! I no longer mist the bottom half of the viv, I drizzle in a bit of water, and most the top half (where the t is not!)
I use an integrated temp / hygro gauge made by Mitsubishi, and took temp and humidity reads every hour or so for the first week and every day since, keeping it around 50-65 (after topping up the water it gets high quickly as its so small so I tend to top the water up then leave the top off for a bit so its never too much of a change in climate!
the red thing is a pebble from Venezuela I was given as a gift, thought it rather apt to grace his viv! He does have a tiny cap to drink from though I may have been filling it when I took the pic! Having said that its mo where near as wide as a milk bottle top, its about the same depth, as I was cautious of either the t or his food drowning.... Would it be better to have a wider dish? I keep it topped up ( I generally do this daily if needed, as the viv is small I didn't want to generate unwanted moisture with a larger dish but I may have been over cautious?) I shall try and add some pictures when I carry out a little clean up later!
My Gbb was acting rather unsociably for about a week pre moult, then I came home from work about six pm and he was just sitting under his moult, apparently cleaning his legs? Sadly did not get to witness the actual moult, despite watching for hours in the days leading up to it!
As yet no food has been taken, but then until this morning it stayed in the webbed retreat only venturing out to web, presumably until the exoskeleton hardened up?
there seems to be great variation on the care sheets for GBB slings regarding substrate etc, I opted to dry my substrate more than I would usually but not allow it to get dusty, so I can moderate the humidity with greater ease, keeping it 50-65 is my general plan but other than after misting the lid its rarely over 60- I have seen care sheets recommending up to 80? What is the general rule with GBBs? I figure it would reflect its homeland which is quite sandy and fairly dry from what I understand? (My knowledge not being that great when it comes to geography...)?
kind regards as always
Rob

[Peter Lacey]

Whilst I agree it does look a bit moist and GBB do prefer it dry, I always find it important to provide a level of moisture for young tarantula, and in GBB's case I keep it off dry until they are about 1.5 - 2". Young tarantula's body do not have the water retention abilities of the juveniles
I'd probably remove any stones/rocks and replace with more elevated twigs.

[Kate Arbon]

Congrats on the moult, Rob. Did you get to see the process? I got a GBB sling 3 weeks ago which is in premoult but being very stubborn and not getting on with it.

From that pic of the viv it looks like there is quite a lot of moisture in there. I might be seeing it wrong but if not, GBBs like to be kept fairly dry so may be a good idea to let it dry out a fair bit. Also what is the red thing in the top corner? Looks a bit like a sponge (presumably for drinking from?), which if so ditch it and just put in a small waterdish (milk bottle lids are ideal). Sponges just encourage bacteria and fungus and other nasties. It could just be a pebble of course in which case ignore me!

[Rob Logan]

The freshly moulted skeleton, and the GBB in his micro viv shortly after removing the moult.

[Rob Logan]

Hi all!
Firstly, a big thanks for putting me straight on the differences between P Metallica and AV!
Secondly, a bigger thanks for all your help advice information and encouragemenet - My wonderful GBB sling has now sucsesfuly moulted!
(Pictures attached!)

I have now removed the moult (as pictured) ad shall likely mount it as a keepsake...

Incidentally, on the lighing issue, i have switched my red LED Lamp for a blue moon glow bar, and this seems to cause no disturbance at all, yet everytime the red lamp comes on, the spider shuffles back under cover....

Many thanks as always!




Rob

[richard looker]

Morning all. Thought I would say hello.

Returning hobbyist. I was into T keeping more than 20 years ago. I started again this spring. My collection so far:

Pamphobeteus Platyomma
Avicularia Versicolor
Lasiodora klugi
3 x Poecilotheria ornata
2 x Poecilotheria metallica
5 x Hapolopus sp. (Columbia) pumpkin patch (large)
Ephebopus cyanognathus
Brachypelma boehmei
Tapinauchenius cupreus
Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (GBB)
Cyclosternum fasciatum
Pamphobeteus Ultramarinus
Lampropelma violaceopes
Ceratogyrus marshalli
Heterothele villosella x 2