Ever Increasing Family

[mike halewood]

I thought I should post some ofmy new T's brought back from the show.
First up we have an adult female B. albopilosum



Thanks Sonny, I also bought a small juv versi but she retreated to the web fir now so pics to follow.

Next we have a N. chromatus, traded with Johanna for 3 pokie slings as I found them a bit too fast. This had to be the easiest rehousing I've ever done..



Here are 2 of the 3 Custom Aquaria tanks I came back with. You can see my A. versicolour is settling in, and has now webbed quite a bit insde the cork bark




Last and no where near least, and adult female P. regalis, absolute stunner and catching large hoppers is no trouble I've never seen a T move so fast. You could actually here the thud as she hit!!

Just waiting for her to find her way out



And after catching dinner last night.

[Johanna Turner]

Wowzers - that Regalis is lovely! I love my rufilata when it sits on the glass and I can see the stripey legs! Gorgeous!

I see you opted for the 'leave tub in, let her make her own way out' option. Good thinking! I transfered my 5 Pokies from the show with the end of a Bic razor (Blunt end!) as a 'Pokie Poker' (Forgot to bring my huge forceps into the bathroom with me!) and did it over the bath - they were very well behaved again!

Your curly is stunning mind, they're such cuteys!

Also loving the Avic Versi! You're 'most wanted' for a long time!

[mike halewood]

Im so pleased I bought another pokie, when she comes out at night!!! After catching 2 large hoppers last night she stayed out on the bark and did the funky dance!!!

The thing is, I now want more Pokies!!! lol Although I think i'll stick to bigger ones....

Mike

[Johanna Turner]

They are beautiful, I think that's why I have suddenly started to collect a fair few. My P, fasciata has moulted again and is pretty big now - will try and post pictures asap but she/he runs and hides whenever I ry and get a good look at her/him...!

[Nicola Dolby]

Lovely pictures Mike, especially the P. regalis. My A. versicolor has been walled up in web for a couple of weeks now going through the moulting stages. Almost forgotten what she looked like (at least I think its a she). You couldn't tell me who was selling those tanks could you? I wouldn't mind a few of those next month as I'm running out of space and those are better sized than the ones I usually get.

[mike halewood]

Since the first night the regalis only comes out in the dark, but when she does!!! watching her ponce on an unsuspecting hopper or cricket is incredible, and the force she hits with. I love to see pics of the fasciata if you can get them!!!

Thanks Nicola, the tanks are by Custom Aquaria, I have the number some where I'll post it when I find it!!! I bought them from the BTS show. I also bought a smaller terrestrial type tank for my AF B. albop..

[Nicola Dolby]

Thanks Mike, you're a star. If you want more Pokes and don't mind staying up at night to see them, try a P. subfusca. they like it colder and burrow during the day, coming out at night to hunt. I know they are a bit on the expensive side but they are a beautiful tarantula. Here's a picture of mine who moulted recently, I caught her (or him) on a rare daylight excursion.





If you want to know more about Poecilotherias and which would suit you best try contacting Ray Gabriel or Mark Pennell though, they'll give you much better advice than I could. Thanks again

[mike halewood]

I was actually looking at the Poecilotheria subfuscas at the show, they're very nice but possibly out of my price range atm.
The only thing I've found with the regalis is she likes to fill in her water bowl!! lol

[Nicola Dolby]

Spray water droplets onto the inside of her glass. In the wild they drink water drops off leaves and bark after rain, so she'll just think its been raining and you can watch her walking round the tank walls,.. drinking the water droplets. I do this twice a day, first thing in the morning and before I go to sleep. Giving the moss on the substrate a good spray at the same time, it solves the problem of humidity.I never use water bowls for my arborials.

[mike halewood]

Do you find you have a problem with mold or mites?? keeping the substrate damp...

[Colin D Wilson]

Mike, i'm with Nicola on the "no water bowl" in arborials and spray about the same sort of times for my two avics.

To keep mould, mites and springtails in check stick a load of woodlice in the tank (12 woodies for a 12 x 12 inch floor) make sure they're from a chemical free environment.

[mike halewood]

Cheers Colin and Nicola, I've been tempted to try the woodlice approach a few times. I used to have a link to a company selling them by mailorder but cant find it now. Can anyone recomend somewhere that I could order Woodlice??

Cheers

Mike

[Nicola Dolby]

There are special 'cleaning' woodlice, contact Richard Gallon as I think he has some starter cultures of these. Failing that try ordinary ones out of the back garden, I've been told these are just as good. The trick with avoding mites is good ventilation and keeping the substrate dryish. When I have juveniles in their cereal containers (method advertised by Ray Gabriel in the BTS journal (august 2006)) air circulation can be a problem and twice I've had to do an emergency rescue at the beginning of infestation. The spiders were big enoough to cope with adult tanks so I put them in early and they were fine. As for the adult tanks mine are 45cm long by 37.cm high by 30cm deep. I only put 3-4cm of soil in the bottom of the arboria ones, and the surface is completely covered with sphagnum moss. This retains water brilliantly so is great for humidity and only requires a spray twice a day. I try to be careful not to overdo it though. This is a picture of one of my P.formosa tanks (sorry about the quality). Hope this helps.