Beginner here with some beginner questions

[tldqgks]

Hiya, I'm new here and....yeah ahha I've wrote a lot and I apologise ~_~"

So I've been into tarantulas for a few years now ("into" as in just youtube and occasionally researching really ahha) and recently, I've been seriously thinking about taking on the hobby. So I've been doing some research over the past few months on T's for beginners and how to take care of them, and I've came to a division of Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens and Lasiodora parahybana. I came to the decision of getting 2 T's instead of 1 is because I knew from the start I wanted a GBB. However, I came across the L. parahybana recently and really fell in love with it. I found out that it's also a good beginner T so I decided why not get both as I feel like I'm ready to take care of them.

So the GBB is going to be a 1.5cm sling and the L.parahybana is a 1cm sling. I've got the 25ml pots for the slings but also have 12oz and 16oz deli cups just incase.

For the GBB, I've got coco fibre and a tiny water dish as I know they like it dry. However, I hear some people say they still spray their substrate a little when they are slings so I'm not sure if I should just stick with the water dish or keep the substrate moist. Also, I know gbb's usually stay out in the open and web everything up, I'm just wondering if they do that as tiny slings as well or they like to dig a bit as I know a lot of other T's dig and burrow more as slings than adults do. One more thing is, am I able to pick up branches and sticks from my garden to put in as anchor points? Or is there any way to clean and disinfect them so I can put it in the enclosure? I'm going to cut up some fake plants/vines to put in as well.

I plan to give the L. parahybana dry substrate as well and a water dish as that's what I've found they like when I was researching. But I've also read people saying they like moist substrate as well, and some people keep one side of the enclosure moist and the other side dry. I was thinking I should probably moisten it up as well as they are slings but I'm not sure. Another thing is, I'm not sure what other substrate to give it or mix with the coco fibre as I know they will dig and burrow and have heard coco fibre is too loose and will collapse.

The last thing is, what to feed the slings? A lot of people on youtube feed their T's and slings different bugs. They also have colonies of roaches so I feel like its easier for them to have baby ones for slings or big ones for adults. However, since I don't have that many to have my own colony, I'm not sure if I should find tiny crickets or roaches or chop up bigger ones to feed them. I live in Scotland so live food is also quite limited especially when it comes to tiny bugs as the hobby isn't very popular here.

So.....I think that's all ahha apologies again for it being so long and I hope yous didn't mind ahha

 

[Minty]

Hello, I’m from Scotland too. Food isn’t limited, as you can order online from anywhere in the UK. Feed them small crickets or cut up worms. Slings will feed opportunistically. If you live somewhere more rural, you can order feeders online from TheSpiderShop or Amazon. There are loads of options, just search for them. If you’re near a Pets At Home, go there. They sell feeders, £2.50 a tub or £6 for three tubs. Most reptile shops will sell feeders too, depending on where you are.

Water dish or a small amount of damp sub will be fine for the C.cyaneopubescens.

Sticks from the garden can work, but make sure there are no sharp edges. Your T could potentially hurt itself on sharp edges. Not common but it can happen. Personally, I’d recommend buying some cork bark online and cutting it to size. Cork bark doesn’t mould, where sticks from the garden will. No need to disinfect cork bark either. To be honest, spraying cleaning sprays on sticks from the garden and then putting it near your tarantula could be asking for trouble.

You could even use chopsticks or the wee wooden coffee stirrers you get at Costa etc, for anchor points. Or you can order fake plastic plants for webbing points.


Coco fibre on its own is totally fine. It’s the only thing I use. Organic top soil from a garden centre is fine too, it’s cheaper than coco fibre too, but heavier.

Hiya, I'm new here and....yeah ahha I've wrote a lot and I apologise ~_~"

So I've been into tarantulas for a few years now ("into" as in just youtube and occasionally researching really ahha) and recently, I've been seriously thinking about taking on the hobby. So I've been doing some research over the past few months on T's for beginners and how to take care of them, and I've came to a division of Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens and Lasiodora parahybana. I came to the decision of getting 2 T's instead of 1 is because I knew from the start I wanted a GBB. However, I came across the L. parahybana recently and really fell in love with it. I found out that it's also a good beginner T so I decided why not get both as I feel like I'm ready to take care of them.

So the GBB is going to be a 1.5cm sling and the L.parahybana is a 1cm sling. I've got the 25ml pots for the slings but also have 12oz and 16oz deli cups just incase.

For the GBB, I've got coco fibre and a tiny water dish as I know they like it dry. However, I hear some people say they still spray their substrate a little when they are slings so I'm not sure if I should just stick with the water dish or keep the substrate moist. Also, I know gbb's usually stay out in the open and web everything up, I'm just wondering if they do that as tiny slings as well or they like to dig a bit as I know a lot of other T's dig and burrow more as slings than adults do. One more thing is, am I able to pick up branches and sticks from my garden to put in as anchor points? Or is there any way to clean and disinfect them so I can put it in the enclosure? I'm going to cut up some fake plants/vines to put in as well.

I plan to give the L. parahybana dry substrate as well and a water dish as that's what I've found they like when I was researching. But I've also read people saying they like moist substrate as well, and some people keep one side of the enclosure moist and the other side dry. I was thinking I should probably moisten it up as well as they are slings but I'm not sure. Another thing is, I'm not sure what other substrate to give it or mix with the coco fibre as I know they will dig and burrow and have heard coco fibre is too loose and will collapse.

The last thing is, what to feed the slings? A lot of people on youtube feed their T's and slings different bugs. They also have colonies of roaches so I feel like its easier for them to have baby ones for slings or big ones for adults. However, since I don't have that many to have my own colony, I'm not sure if I should find tiny crickets or roaches or chop up bigger ones to feed them. I live in Scotland so live food is also quite limited especially when it comes to tiny bugs as the hobby isn't very popular here.

So.....I think that's all ahha apologies again for it being so long and I hope yous didn't mind ahha

 

[Venomgland]

When I started and had a few slings. I was at the mercy of Petsmart. I would buy some small crickets and pre-kill them If they didn't have small crickets. I'd have to buy some large ones and just rip off a leg and give them the drum stick. If they didn't have crickets, which was often. I had to buy meal worms and cut them up.

 

[FrDoc]

Welcome! First, let me say it is nice to read of someone who has approached the hobby thoughtfully, and not as an impulse. The fact that you have asked questions here is also quite commendable. You have already received information from someone in your vicinity that is relevant to your locale. I would just throw out the suggestion that if you want to moisten the substrate in a slings enclosure (this will be particularly pertinent to your LP), that you use some type of dropper or syringe instead of spraying. Slings are small and you start spraying into their house you can get some real fear response, as opposed to the more controlled dripping of water. Even as slings GBB’s can be quite flighty. No reason in pushing the issue by hosing them down with a sprayer.

 

[FishermanSteve]

Personally, I like finding the wood I incorporate into my enclosures. I always bake the wood at a lower temp like 250 over the course of a few hours to kill anything foreign. Coco fiber will still work because ts will reinforce their burrows with webbing which holds it together and keeps it from collapsing. I think those are great choices too. A perfect mix of size, beauty and appetite!

 

[tldqgks]

Thank you so much for all the info!

May I also ask how should I care for the feeders? I see online people feeding them fruits and veg but I'm wondering if I'll need to feed them everyday? And will they need water or is moisture from the fruit and veg's enough?

I had a look online and it seems like they all sell crickets and worms in quite a big batch. Do they have quite a long lifespan? Since I will only have 2 slings, I don't think I'll need so much even if I feed them twice a week. I do also have a pets at home near me, but I don't really support them because I don't like the way all the animals are treated in there and how they do things.

 

[cold blood]

Thank you so much for all the info!

May I also ask how should I care for the feeders? I see online people feeding them fruits and veg but I'm wondering if I'll need to feed them everyday? And will they need water or is moisture from the fruit and veg's enough?

I had a look online and it seems like they all sell crickets and worms in quite a big batch. Do they have quite a long lifespan? Since I will only have 2 slings, I don't think I'll need so much even if I feed them twice a week. I do also have a pets at home near me, but I don't really support them because I don't like the way all the animals are treated in there and how they do things.

Get mealworms. You can store them in the fridge for up to 6 months. They will readily eat a small piece of carrot, but as they would be dormant in the fridge, they wouldn't need regular feedings.

They make great feeders for slings as you can just dice them into appropriately sized pieces...and being pre killed, you can feed a larger meal that will plump the slings in just a few meals.

nom nom (Nhandu chromatus)

• cold blood
• Jun 8, 2018
• 1
• brazilian red and white tarantula chromatus feeding nhandu nhandu chromatus sling

 

[tldqgks]

Get mealworms. You can store them in the fridge for up to 6 months. They will readily eat a small piece of carrot, but as they would be dormant in the fridge, they wouldn't need regular feedings.

They make great feeders for slings as you can just dice them into appropriately sized pieces...and being pre killed, you can feed a larger meal that will plump the slings in just a few meals.

nom nom (Nhandu chromatus)

• cold blood
• Jun 8, 2018
• 1
• brazilian red and white tarantula chromatus feeding nhandu nhandu chromatus sling

That was my plan at first, but I don't think my mum would allow me to use her fridge like that ahha

 

[Andrew Clayton]

That was my plan at first, but I don't think my mum would allow me to use her fridge like that ahha

You can do the same with superworms and IME they last just as long in some substrate In the same room or space as you’re Ts and you can purchase them from pets at home for about £3

 

[Ellenantula]

Superworms live a long time for me at room temp -- but I do feed them -- mostly carrot and apple. I have 3 left in one container purchased in April (plus I purchased another tub of supers a couple weeks ago). I need to feed off the April ones soon... in fact, I think I'll pull them out for my bearded dragon tonight -- a nice bedtime snack.