Advice from pet store strangers

[AnarchyQueen]

So tonight, I went in to just grab some supplies for my little sling, L.P. (short for Lasiodora Parahybana because it's too young to sex). I had the casual Tarantula-owner conversations that I usually have with the owners and stuff when it slipped that I haven't given my fossorial tarantula (Aphonopelma Seemanni) any water for about, give or take, 2 months. And I mean water bowl, I still pour some into the soil to keep her tank's humidity. A random dude then scolds me about not caring for my tarantulas properly and how "it's not right to deprive an animal of water because you're lazy"... I stood, stunned, and curious about how he came about this knowledge because I honestly haven't seen her for about 3 months because she has COMPLETELY buried herself for the winter, I have even dug out the front of the burrow to try feeding, but she refused and proceeded to bury herself All over again in a matter of 3 hours. All water, for about a month or so, kept just evaporating in the tank I got curious, so I asked how long he had been owning tarantulas and if, by chance, he only had either arboreals or terrestrial species....he never owned a tarantula or any arachnid a day in his life. But, REST ASSURED, HE HAS READ HIS OWN STUFF ON THE INTERNET, GUYS. NO WORRIES HERE

With that being said, What's the "best"/worst advice or scolding that you ever received from a stranger about your tarantulas?

 

[Teal]

If you're adding water to the sub, she could be drinking from it. Don't use the word "humidity"

I pointedly ignore/overtalk anyone at a pet store/expo that attempts to offer advice on caring for Ts. I've been at this for awhile and heard alllllll the inappropriate care over the years... I don't have time for that nonsense

 

[darkness975]

You still should give it a water dish even if it is buried.

We all call them LPs lol.

Not really advice that I have gotten since I am anti social and don't talk to people much in stores, but probably the funniest thing that has happened to me in a Petco was the 18 yr old kid working there overheard me explaining fish, reptile, and invertebrate care to a friend of mine as we traversed the store and he said "dude, you should apply to work here. You know more than everyone here including my boss." Hah.

 

[The Seraph]

With that being said, What's the "best"/worst advice or scolding that you ever received from a stranger about your tarantulas?

Probably the worst advice would be from a friend of my oji: "Oh, you keep spiders? Feed them salamanders! Will help make them big and strong. Maybe transfer salamander poison onto tarantula. Make it even more poisonous."

 

[viper69]

I got curious, so I asked how long he had been owning tarantulas and if, by chance, he only had either arboreals or terrestrial species....he never owned a tarantula or any arachnid a day in his life. But, REST ASSURED, HE HAS READ HIS OWN STUFF ON THE INTERNET, GUYS. NO WORRIES HERE

The person you spoke with is right, and you are wrong. Your T needs a water bowl. You never know when a T is going to be thirsty.

 

[AnarchyQueen]

Probably the worst advice would be from a friend of my oji: "Oh, you keep spiders? Feed them salamanders! Will help make them big and strong. Maybe transfer salamander poison onto tarantula. Make it even more poisonous."

This HAS to be my favorite reply! I can't believe they think that's how it works. As if Tarantulas are like poison dart frogs

The person you spoke with is right, and you are wrong. Your T needs a water bowl. You never know when a T is going to be thirsty.

Oh, she still has a water bowl in her tank, I just really don't fill it as much as I did when I first rescued her and she was still getting used to having room/sufficient substrate to dig and burrow I can see her burrow ALL the way around the tank because she kept to the sides/bottom. The closest she comes to the surface is just the bottom left corner of the tank. She refuses to dig herself out right now so I'm just kinda forced to hoping she is drinking water that leaks into her burrow. Which I've caught her doing a few times, including this morning there's no way I would EVER leave her without any water whatsoever, but her bowl, on the surface, that has never even been touched by her in over a year, still sits, patiently waiting for her to visit it

We all call them LPs lol.

I usually just Say LP when I'm talking about the species as well, it's better than saying the entire thing, although it does have a beautiful ring to it haha I just named it L.P. until I can actually find out the sex

 

[matypants]

Lol so by that logic I can skip offering a water dish to my G. Porteri since she is an arid species as long as I mist the enclosure?

 

[AnarchyQueen]

Lol so by that logic I can skip offering a water dish to my G. Porteri since she is an arid species as long as I mist the enclosure?

Of course not! My Seemanni still has water in her enclosure that she drinks from, just not her water dish, on the surface, which she hasn't visited in over a year I have never let any T go without water for longer than, maybe a day, when I had a really bad heat wave come through my city and I didn't notice it practically evaporate over night. I urge you to read my other replies

 

[matypants]

Of course not! My Seemanni still has water in her enclosure that she drinks from, just not her water dish, on the surface, which she hasn't visited in over a year I have never let any T go without water for longer than, maybe a day, when I had a really bad heat wave come through my city and I didn't notice it practically evaporate over night. I urge you to read my other replies

Yeah. I did. I can assume you never sleep or leave it’s side? It’s incapable of resealing the burrow perfectly? Can I assume you have a camera streaming to your phone? No? Doesn’t matter if you never saw it drink in an entire year. Now it doesn’t have the option because you decided in your infinite wisdom to remove it. At least I know enough to know when I’m wrong. C’est la vie.

 

[AnarchyQueen]

Yeah. I did. I can assume you never sleep or leave it’s side? It’s incapable of resealing the burrow perfectly? Can I assume you have a camera streaming to your phone? No? Doesn’t matter if you never saw it drink in an entire year. Now it doesn’t have the option because you decided in your infinite wisdom to remove it. At least I know enough to know when I’m wrong. C’est la vie.

But I didn't remove her bowl. It's still there, on the surface, with evaporating water, eating for her and of course I don't have infinite wisdom and know when I'm wrong. And actually I really don't sleep much, thanks for asking I've been clinically sleep deprived for over 4 years and her tank is literally right by my bed. She is checked on a lot throughout the day and night, and I sleep, maybe, 4 hours on average but your anger towards me seems to be based on things you believe about me that aren't true. I spend most of my day, when not in college, sitting next to her tank and studying. But I didn't realize my personal issue of sleep deprivation has to do with any of this considering my animals are all in very good health. Of course she is able to reseal it perfectly, but she doesn't seal with silk. Just dirt mounds. A mound that has looked literally the same exact way for over a month. That's a bit difficult to replicate. I can even go through several pictures of her tank and see that in case you want to pull up memory issue as well she is well fed, nourished properly, and has good habits, and seems relatively happy (if you can tell happiness from your T's) but maybe you know Phobia (my Seemanni) a bit better than I. I am glad there's others who stand up to protect/come to the rescue of tarantulas in this world. We need more of you guys, but C'est la vie, indeed, dude

 

[thebronzedragon]

@matypants, you are deliberately misinterpreting AnarchyQueen's words and simultaneously being very rude and condescending in the process. I do believe that yous should always have a water bowl if your enclosure permits one but if your T has been underground for a long time it is not as important. For example I have a Hadrurus arizonensis that has been six inches under its substrate for 5 months now. I very rarely fill its water dish as it has no way to get to it and is always in the bottom corner of it's enclosure, I do however poor water into the substrate occasionally to give it some hydration (I do know that scorpions and tarantulas are different but the principle still stands). Also this back and forth has completely gone away from the intended use of this thread.

 

[AnarchyQueen]

For example I have a Hadrurus arizonensis that has been six inches under its substrate for 5 months now. I very rarely fill its water dish as it has no way to get to it and is always in the bottom corner of it's enclosure, I do however poor water into the substrate occasionally to give it some hydration (I do know that scorpions and tarantulas are different but the principle still stands). Also this back and forth has completely gone away from the intended use of this thread.

Thank you I just wanted to have a fun chat about some ridiculous advice that others have heard about tarantula care

 

[viper69]

do you think wild tarantulas all have the convenience of well placed freshly filled water bowls right in front of their burrows?

Well of course they do! how do you think ExoTerra reached the idea of selling little bowls

 

[cold blood]

MOD NOTE

If you want to discuss water bowls, great, start a thread on the topic. If this thread continues to disintegrate, it will be locked. Play nice.

 

[AnarchyQueen]

Alright everyone, Who has more ridiculous advice stories?!
I remember when I actually got my seemanni, I had to pull about 4 dead cricket and 13 alive ones out of her tank when I got her home! And, add to make it even worse, she was in premolt!:wideyed: I was also told by the lady not to handle her ever because her bite could painfully paralyze my entire arm for about 8 hours straight. I tried to explain old world vs. new world venom to the woman; and while skeptically staring at her, she tried to pull up an online guide about the species that she read to back up her information (and failed miserably). I don't handle my tarantulas ever unless under extreme circumstance anyway, but it was still ridiculously wrong information