Doubt about A. Geniculata

[Braulio Paz]

Hi everybody.

I am about to receive an acanthoscurria geniculata sling but I have to leave the country for 9 months, so my mother will take care of my animals.

My question is: should I buy a larger enclosure to prevent it from outgrowing a small one? I don't want my mother panicking because the T has grown so much or it flying to get its food whenever she feeds it.
I've researched and this is a pretty fast growing species and I won't be here in summer, so I expect it to grow quite a lot.

Thank you in advance.

 

[mack1855]

Ok..why would you get an animal that requires care,when you know your not going to
be around to care for it.
Would you get a kitten/puppy,knowing your not going to care for it,asking someone
else to take care of it?
Cant get my head around this.Why??? Get it when you return from your trip,whatever.

 

[cold blood]

Wouldnt it be more responsible to buy the sling in 9 months, when you are back home.

 

[EulersK]

That enclosure will be absolutely massive for a sling - even a year from now it'll be a mansion for that spider. Large enclosures are discouraged for many reasons, but in my opinion, the biggest issue is the possibility for escape. Large enclosures, of course, are made for larger animals. Manufacturers don't need to worry about an 1/8" gap when making an enclosure that size, but you better believe a sling can easily slip through that. So no, I wouldn't use that enclosure.

What I would do is house it properly and just sparingly feed it. Ensure it has access to water and is being kept semi-moist of course. But feed it infrequently. This will basically keep it from outgrowing the enclosure until you get back. I'd personally feed it once every 3-4 weeks and call it good. I'd personally push it to every 5 weeks, but at that point you'd need to start to worry about moisture intake. If your mother keeps up on ensuring proper moisture levels, then it would be fine.

For an enclosure, look into the tall Amac boxes. They're pretty readily available online. This species will burrow as a sling, and a tall Amac boxes would work perfectly because there are no gaps for the spider to squeeze through. You'll need ventilation - just melt holes with a hot pin or drill the holes (melting preferred, I've chipped a few of these boxes when I try to drill).

 

[Braulio Paz]

Ok..why would you get an animal that requires care,when you know your not going to
be around to care for it.
Would you get a kitten/puppy,knowing your not going to care for it,asking someone
else to take care of it?
Cant get my head around this.Why??? Get it when you return from your trip,whatever.

Wouldnt it be more responsible to buy the sling in 9 months, when you are back home.

I absolutely understand you. I'm not going abroad on vacation, that's why my mother agreed on taking care of my animals. I'm not pushing her.
Regarding the sling, the hobby in my country is not that popular, yet. I am buying it now because I don't know whether I will have another opportunity like this or not.

That enclosure will be absolutely massive for a sling - even a year from now it'll be a mansion for that spider. Large enclosures are discouraged for many reasons, but in my opinion, the biggest issue is the possibility for escape. Large enclosures, of course, are made for larger animals. Manufacturers don't need to worry about an 1/8" gap when making an enclosure that size, but you better believe a sling can easily slip through that. So no, I wouldn't use that enclosure.

What I would do is house it properly and just sparingly feed it. Ensure it has access to water and is being kept semi-moist of course. But feed it infrequently. This will basically keep it from outgrowing the enclosure until you get back. I'd personally feed it once every 3-4 weeks and call it good. I'd personally push it to every 5 weeks, but at that point you'd need to start to worry about moisture intake. If your mother keeps up on ensuring proper moisture levels, then it would be fine.

For an enclosure, look into the tall Amac boxes. They're pretty readily available online. This species will burrow as a sling, and a tall Amac boxes would work perfectly because there are no gaps for the spider to squeeze through. You'll need ventilation - just melt holes with a hot pin or drill the holes (melting preferred, I've chipped a few of these boxes when I try to drill).

Thank you sooooo much for your help, really appreciate it.

 

[chanda]

While at first glance purchasing a new pet immediately before leaving the country for 9 months seems irresponsible, I can't help but notice that OP's mother has agreed to care for his animals (plural) which suggests that she will already be caring for other pets, possibly including other tarantulas, so the addition of one more may not be that big a deal for her.

If he has a reliable person who is prepared to assume responsibility for his animals, including feeding, watering, or whatever other care is necessary while he's gone, then he's not really doing the animals any disservice. He's just inquiring about what he can do to make caring for this particular sling easier for his mother - which strikes me as the responsible thing to do.

Whenever I go out of town for a week or more (which I do several times a year) my husband takes care of my pets for me - but I leave him detailed instructions and do everything I can to minimize the work load for him.

After all, it's not like that sling is going to miss out on quality bonding time with him, like a cat or dog would. The sling will not imprint on his mom or fail to bond with him, just because he missed those few months of its life. They're spiders. They don't care who drops in the crickets or fills the water dish.

 

[Braulio Paz]

While at first glance purchasing a new pet immediately before leaving the country for 9 months seems irresponsible, I can't help but notice that OP's mother has agreed to care for his animals (plural) which suggests that she will already be caring for other pets, possibly including other tarantulas, so the addition of one more may not be that big a deal for her.

If he has a reliable person who is prepared to assume responsibility for his animals, including feeding, watering, or whatever other care is necessary while he's gone, then he's not really doing the animals any disservice. He's just inquiring about what he can do to make caring for this particular sling easier for his mother - which strikes me as the responsible thing to do.

Whenever I go out of town for a week or more (which I do several times a year) my husband takes care of my pets for me - but I leave him detailed instructions and do everything I can to minimize the work load for him.

After all, it's not like that sling is going to miss out on quality bonding time with him, like a cat or dog would. The sling will not imprint on his mom or fail to bond with him, just because he missed those few months of its life. They're spiders. They don't care who drops in the crickets or fills the water dish.

Thank you for your words and understanding the situation. And yes, I have a cat and three more tarantulas besides my colonies of feeders. I also will explain in detail what she is supposed to do.
I was just asking for help regarding the size of the little buddy's enclosure, because I don't want her to find the tarantula outgrowing the enclosure.

Sorry for asking for advice, I guess, I was worried about my pets and mother, nothing else.

 

[EulersK]

Sorry for asking for advice, I guess, I was worried about my pets and mother, nothing else.

Don't be afraid to ask for advice here. Just like in real life, you'll run into abrasive people. Unlike real life, we have an ignore button that you can utilize to mute people So long as you seek out advice and actually follow what the experienced keepers have to say, you'll be welcomed with open arms here. It's the people who ask for advice and then do as they please who deserve a bit of a cold welcome.

 

[chanda]

Thank you for your words and understanding the situation. And yes, I have a cat and three more tarantulas besides my colonies of feeders. I also will explain in detail what she is supposed to do.
I was just asking for help regarding the size of the little buddy's enclosure, because I don't want her to find the tarantula outgrowing the enclosure.

Sorry for asking for advice, I guess, I was worried about my pets and mother, nothing else.

You should not be sorry for asking for advice. That is what we are here for, and I'm sorry others misunderstood the situation and gave you a bad time about it.

It sounds like you're doing all you can to make sure the little guy is properly taken care of, and I can certainly understand your desire to purchase the spider when it's available, if getting another one nine months from now might be difficult! You are very fortunate to have a mother who is willing to take on your pets while you are gone, particularly for such an extended period!

 

[GDUB]

Depends on the size of the sling. Yes, for the tiny ones less than 1 cm, that enclosure is way too big. My three slower growing slings are in this size enclosure now, but they got moved up to this size after reaching about 2.5 cm.and two just molted again last week. The lizard picture photo-shoped into the enclosure would have to be quite small in reality, and the picture gives the impression that the enclosure is larger than it is. With that said, my three in those enclosures are not fast growing species, and my A. geniculata juvenile is not one of them. It molted three times in the first nine months I had it, and grew dramatically.

BTW, even the "experts" on this site are continuously learning from their T's, so there's no such thing as a dumb question. Don't hesitate to ask when you're uncertain about something.

 

[Braulio Paz]

and my A. geniculata juvenile is not one of them. It molted three times in the first nine months I had it, and grew dramatically.

BTW, even the "experts" on this site are continuously learning from their T's, so there's no such thing as a dumb question. Don't hesitate to ask when you're uncertain about something.

Thank you for the help.

As soon as I receive the sling I will consider the size of the enclosure. So, in those 9 months did your A. Geniculata outgrow the size of the enclosure I'm asking about?

 

[cold blood]

Thank you for the help.

As soon as I receive the sling I will consider the size of the enclosure. So, in those 9 months did your A. Geniculata outgrow the size of the enclosure I'm asking about?

It would outgrow a condiment cup in that time...it wouldnt outgrow a 16oz deli cup (or something of that size).

Oversize containers can also cause more hiding, less feeding and slower growth....but genics, due to their incredible appetite, should be less effected by a larger enclosure.

 

[SuzukiSwift]

Seen as your mother will be taking care if your Ts for 9 months (great mum by the way for doing that for you) she will likely get used to their mannerisms, speed, temperament, etc. Do you think she would end up being comfortable enough with them to perform a rehouse? Especially considering it would be for a smaller NW sling/juvie with venom that’s not strong.

You could prepare the slings current enclosure and then also prepare a larger enclosure for her to move it to when the time comes. In 9 months with regular feeding you could come back to a 3-4” genic, difficult to put a sling in an enclosure for a tarantula that size right now.

 

[GDUB]

Thank you for the help.

As soon as I receive the sling I will consider the size of the enclosure. So, in those 9 months did your A. Geniculata outgrow the size of the enclosure I'm asking about?

Mine was first in a small vial, no more than 1'' in diameter and 2.5" tall. It ate wingless fruit flies and scavenged on small gutted crickets. After the first molt, I believe it went into a small deli cup. By the second molt it was about 3.5" and I moved it into an 8"x8" ExoTerra enclosure. The third molt brought it up to 5" and I moved it to a 12"x12" ExoTerra. All in nine months! It slowed down over the winter/spring (normal), and finally just molted again. It's still reconstituting itself post-molt and I'm leaving it along until I see it move to another area of the enclosure. So, I can't tell yet how much larger it is, but it doesn't seem to be as dramatic as the three molts last year. Good luck with yours! Let me know how it goes.

 

[FrDoc]

Don't be afraid to ask for advice here. Just like in real life, you'll run into abrasive people. Unlike real life, we have an ignore button that you can utilize to mute people So long as you seek out advice and actually follow what the experienced keepers have to say, you'll be welcomed with open arms here. It's the people who ask for advice and then do as they please who deserve a bit of a cold welcome.

I actually “follow” the abrasive people! Seriously, as @EulersK referred to the “real world”, it has been my experience in that world that abrasive people have taught me the most in life (yep, here too), and dare I say literally kept me alive in some very precarious situations. Generally, abrasive folks really know their stuff and have little patience for silliness, or people who won’t listen. Unfortunately, in our day and age of relativism and perceived offense at every criticism, these (what I will refer to as direct) people are shunned by the ever growing population of whining men/women-children to the detriment of the reception of a ton of good information. I post this commercial in support of direct people because I hope the OP and many others will not ignore them, as they can teach you a lot in a very short amount of time.

This is an unsolicited member service announcement, and the views of this writer are not necessarily those of the management.

 

[mack1855]

Where were the abrasive people in regards to this discussion?
And what were the abrasive responses?

 

[FrDoc]

Where were the abrasive people in regards to this discussion?
And what were the abrasive responses?

I was actually replying to another post (quoted in mine). So, I actually believe the clarification should be asked of that contributor.