Have a question about my arizona blonde

[Yowie]

So theres a bold spot on his Abdomen so hes getting ready to molt. Is there anything i should do to get Mr. Blonde ready so that he doesnt get stuck in his molt like my pink toe did??

 

[Drea]

It’s very rare that they have problems with molts. I have had tarantulas for 15 years and it hasn’t happened to once.

If the bald spot is still light in color and not dark brown or almost black, you still have time to wait. If your T is still eating, you will also have some time before a molt.

If the habit is correct for that species they shouldn’t have a problem.

A. Chalcodes do well in dryer habits. I do monitor the humidity in their enclosures. I keep it more dry on side and a slight moisture in a small corner. I keep my humidity between 40 and 50 for these and they do great.

Make sure the water dishes is full because water is absolutely necessary before and after a molt.

Other than that, they pretty much do their own thing with out an issue.

 

[Paul1126]

It’s very rare that they have problems with molts. I have had tarantulas for 15 years and it hasn’t happened to once.

If the bald spot is still light in color and not dark brown or almost black, you still have time to wait. If your T is still eating, you will also have some time before a molt.

If the habit is correct for that species they shouldn’t have a problem.

A. Chalcodes do well in dryer habits. I do monitor the humidity in their enclosures. I keep it more dry on side and a slight moisture in a small corner. I keep my humidity between 40 and 50 for these and they do great.

Make sure the water dishes is full because water is absolutely necessary before and after a molt.

Other than that, they pretty much do their own thing with out an issue.

As people with tons of experience have said constantly, monitoring humidity with tarantulas is pointless and can be dangerous.
I don't pay attention to any humidity numbers. If a species requires moisture I give them moisture... I do not track their humidity numbers.

 

[Drea]

As people with tons of experience have said constantly, monitoring humidity with tarantulas is pointless and can be dangerous.
I don't pay attention to any humidity numbers. If a species requires moisture I give them moisture... I do not track their humidity numbers.

I don’t believe it is pointless at all for some species while others don’t need much attention in that respect.

If someone doesn’t know what they are doing, yes it can be dangerous.

I am open to learning for information to improve so I am curious why you feel that it is pointless?

How do you judge when they need or don’t need moisture?

 

[Paul1126]

I don’t believe it is pointless at all for some species while others don’t need much attention in that respect.

If someone doesn’t know what they are doing, yes it can be dangerous.

I am open to learning for information to improve so I am curious why you feel that it is pointless?

How do you judge when they need or don’t need moisture?

As far as I am aware tarantulas do not benefit from a specific humidity number.
I'm sure @cold blood can answer this better than myself.

 

[Drea]

As far as I am aware tarantulas do not benefit from a specific humidity number.
I'm sure @cold blood can answer this better than myself.

I have read both sides of this debate. It truly depends on the species. Too much humidity will kill an Avic but my M. robustum will die without it. Some species are very hardy while others are very sensitive to the environment.

Hopefully @cold blood will be able to support the ideas you have so that I can learn something new.

Fortunately, the OP has a hardy species that can withstand a bit more fluctuations in the climate compared to others.

 

[Ungoliant]

I keep my humidity between 40 and 50 for these and they do great.

Ambient humidity can affect how quickly tarantulas lose moisture, but what matters most is the area immediately above the surface. I don't even bother measuring humidity; I just focus on substrate moisture. (Aphonopelma chalcodes should be kept on dry substrate with a water dish.)

I know some keepers have recommended trying to increase humidity before molting, but I don't think that is relevant. Desert-dwelling species like Aphonopelma chalcodes manage to molt just fine in their xeric habitats. What is important is hydration: that's provided with an accessible water dish.

Other than that, good advice.

Hopefully @cold blood will be able to support the ideas you have so that I can learn something new.

But its not needed....damp sub provides the thin layer of moisture they need for their book lungs... moisture content more than a half centimeter off the sub isnt relevant in any way....its ALL about the dampness in the sub, not dampness in the air.

Focus on dampness of sub, not humidity levels.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

So theres a bold spot on his Abdomen so hes getting ready to molt.

That doesn't mean it's approaching a moult, just that it has been kicking hairs, mine has had bald patches on her abdomen pretty much since I got her over 2 years ago and she's still yet to moult in my care.

 

[Yowie]

Lol ok guys thanks I'll take everything that was said into consideration

 

[cold blood]

o theres a bold spot on his Abdomen so hes getting ready to molt.

Bald spots are not indicators of impending molt, but only that the t flicked hairs.

What a bald spot does is provide visual access to the skin beneath. The darkening or blackening of this skin and eventually shiny appearance, these are indicators of premolt or an impending molt.

A. Chalcodes do well in dryer habits. I do monitor the humidity in their enclosures. I keep it more dry on side and a slight moisture in a small corner. I keep my humidity between 40 and 50 for these and they do great.

Utterly pointless.... the hygrometer would be better served as a paperweight on your desk than as a measurement of husbandry for your tarantula... humidity levels are completely irrelevant. Any tarantula can be kept by anyone in any ambient humidity situation without issue.

Tarantulas cannot get moisture from the air, so what's the point in measuring it?

I don’t believe it is pointless at all for some species while others don’t need much attention in that res

But it is...for moisture dependent species, its damp sub they need....not damp air.

If someone doesn’t know what they are doing, yes it can be dangerous.

Measuring it just for the sake of curiosity of course will do no harm, but if someone measuring notices it going up very high or down very low it will almost certainly cause and alteration in that person's husbandry, which can in fact be very detrimental in the long run and sometimes even in the short run.

So it rains several days and the humidity jumps to 85% in the surrounding air and in the enclosure, natural reaction is to respond to this. Conversely turn the space heater and furnace on in the winter and that number may drop to 10% again causing unnecessary panic and alterations from the keeper, which is completely unnecessary and could cause problems.

How do you judge when they need or don’t need moisture?

For a species like this one, moisture will never be a requirement. For species needing damp substrate, it's as simple as adding water when the substrate dries out. There is and never will be a set schedule that will work for all, as every individual location will have its own and humidity which will change how much and how often water needs to be added.

Too much humidity will kill an Avic but my M. robustum will die without

This is not correct, too much moisture isn't what kills avics, too much moisture in conjunction with a lack of ventilation is the main killer. And your robustum doesn't need the humidity, it needs damp substrate.....keep it simple.


Look at it this way if specific numbers of humidity or humidity at all were a requirement for certain, any, or all species, people in humid environments such as the Philippines, should struggle to keep tarantulas that require a dry environment.... they don't. Just the same people living in dry desert climates should struggle to keep moisture dependent species alive....they do not, as is they merely need to keep the substrate damp.

Look at my location in Wisconsin, half the year it's drier than the Mojave Desert the other half of the year it's more humid than Florida, yet I have no trouble keeping any species alive regardless of their requirements even though they're all kept in the same room under the exact same conditions.

The only difference is the addition of more water in the dry winter and significantly less water in the humid summer for the ts that require moisture.

For something like this chalcodes, you could have 88% humidity and have zero problems as long as the sub remains bone dry.

 

[Drea]

Bald spots are not indicators of impending molt, but only that the t flicked hairs.

What a bald spot does is provide visual access to the skin beneath. The darkening or blackening of this skin and eventually shiny appearance, these are indicators of premolt or an impending molt.



Utterly pointless.... the hygrometer would be better served as a paperweight on your desk than as a measurement of husbandry for your tarantula... humidity levels are completely irrelevant. Any tarantula can be kept by anyone in any ambient humidity situation without issue.

Tarantulas cannot get moisture from the air, so what's the point in measuring it?



But it is...for moisture dependent species, its damp sub they need....not damp air.



Measuring it just for the sake of curiosity of course will do no harm, but if someone measuring notices it going up very high or down very low it will almost certainly cause and alteration in that person's husbandry, which can in fact be very detrimental in the long run and sometimes even in the short run.

So it rains several days and the humidity jumps to 85% in the surrounding air and in the enclosure, natural reaction is to respond to this. Conversely turn the space heater and furnace on in the winter and that number may drop to 10% again causing unnecessary panic and alterations from the keeper, which I completely unnecessary and could cause problems.



For a species like this one, moisture will never be a requirement. For species needing damp substrate, it's as simple as adding water when the substrate dries out. There is and never will be a set schedule that will work for all, as every individual location will have its own and humidity which will change how much and how often water needs to be added.

This is not correct, too much moisture isn't what kills avics, too much moisture in conjunction with a lack of ventilation is the main killer. And your robustum doesn't need the humidity, it needs damp substrate.....keep it simple.


Look at it this way if specific numbers of humidity or humidity at all were a requirement for certain, any, or all species, people in humid environments such as the Philippines, should struggle to keep tarantulas that require a dry environment.... they don't. Just the same people living in dry desert climates should struggle to keep moisture dependent species alive....they do not, as is they merely need to keep the substrate damp.

Look at my location in Wisconsin, half the year it's drier than the Mojave Desert the other half of the year it's more humid than Florida, yet I have no trouble keeping any species alive regardless of their requirements even though they're all kept in the same room under the exact same conditions.

The only difference is the addition of more water in the dry winter and significantly less water in the humid summer for the ts that require moisture.

For something like this chalcodes, you could have 88% humidity and have zero problems as long as the sub remains bone dry.

I love your knowledge. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience.

I am a little disappointed in all the time I have inherently wasted over the past 15 years by this practice. On the flip side, everything else was on point and I never gauged the moisture/ or lack of moisture in the substrate based off what the reading says.

Thank you for throughly answering this. You have a great spider brain.

 

[FrDoc]

I love your knowledge. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience.

I am a little disappointed in all the time I have inherently wasted over the past 15 years by this practice. On the flip side, everything else was on point and I never gauged the moisture/ or lack of moisture in the substrate based off what the reading says.

Thank you for throughly answering this. You have a great spider brain.

Point of correction: you have not wasted 15 years. You have grown in experience. Our lives are improving on past foundation, foresaking what doesn’t work and building on what works.

Maybe one other point, spiders don’t really have substantial brains. Consequently, your remark about @cold blood, weeeeeeeell......

 

[Drea]

Our lives are improving on past foundation, foresaking what doesn’t work and building on what works.

That just got written down on my teenagers to do reminder board.

Well said.

Consequently, your remark about @cold blood, weeeeeeeell

I kind of want to pick @cold blood top water technique fish brain too.

 

[cold blood]

I kind of want to pick @cold blood top water technique fish brain too.

I'm vastly more knowledgable about fishing than i ever will be with inverts...lol....ts are great, i love them...but fishing is life.

 

[Teal]

So theres a bold spot on his Abdomen

Bold spots usually handle molts well on their own. It is the timid spots that usually need help.