I am a beginner and I think I made a BAD choice.

[SteveIDDQD]

Except for the mesh lid it looks acceptable to me, it could be better with deep substrate, but it's not a terrible job at all.

I would say that Ts are very simple and easy to care for, try not to over think it and panic, or beat yourself up.

Even if you do have a male, it's a great T that will be around for a few years at least, so enjoy it.

I would either cut the mesh off the lid and get someone handy to glue drilled plastic sheet to it, and then put more of the same substrate in. Done.
Or get a large KK/exoterra faunarium and fill it 3/4 up with substrate. Your T will be happy with either.

 

[Asgiliath]

Let me just say, good in you for coming HERE and asking questions. This place will be invaluable to you as a new keeper. I can tell you’re receptive and want the best for your spider. Good luck!

 

[AnnaMCC]

People have mentioned topsoil and how to be sure it's free of additives/fertilizers/pesticides/pollutants. In case you didn't know, because I sure didn't know at first, topsoil is different than potting soil. In the beginning, I got so frustrated when I could never find plain additive-free potting soil! D'oh! lol But there are other options too, as mentioned by others, like coco fiber and peat or any mixture of the three are safe and popular. I don't keep fossorials so I don't have to worry terribly much about burrow integrity, but I'm sure others with fossorial experience will let you know what they like.




I know it can be hard to figure out which places are providing good information when you're new and don't yet have enough knowledge and experience to judge what's good and bad info. So in addition to this place...

If no one has mentioned it yet, another resource out there, amid all the misinformation, is Tom Moran with Tom's Big Spiders. He has a blog with articles, a podcast channel through BuzzSprout, and a YouTube channel. He covers a wide variety of in depth content in a style that I think you'll relate to. He is one of the few sources out there with information I trust, and it might make a good addition to the information you get here.

He has a husbandry video on your species, I linked it below. He also has other resources concerning his thoughts on housing, substrate, feeding, all kinds of stuff.

Welcome to the world of tarantula-ing!

Ohh thank you! I watched some of his other videos before, but I didn’t know he had one on the A. Seemani. It is kind of frustrating, but I’m glad I have people to help

Let me just say, good in you for coming HERE and asking questions. This place will be invaluable to you as a new keeper. I can tell you’re receptive and want the best for your spider. Good luck!

Thank you

 

[TriMac33]

I don't keep fossorials so I don't have to worry terribly much about burrow integrity, but I'm sure others with fossorial experience will let you know what they like.

For my K brunnipe, I have used coco fiber and as long as it's packed down and kept a bit damp, not soaked, the integrity of their burrows is just fine. Also, make use of a small piece of cork or smooth wood, even leaf litter to also help the burrow hold.

 

[VermillionFox]

Totally off the wall question, but Highland Village petco? If yes, I'm pretty sure it was a female and very healthy to boot.

 

[Kitara]

Thank you for replying. I’m really scared because I don’t know the age or sex of the tarantula. If it’s a male, I’m kind of out of luck because it’s an adult and I just purchased it a few days ago. It’s a zebra knee.

Yeah it happens. My daughter bought her first T from Petco too. Hooked out a month later. She is 14 and she beeeegged me for a T. I said no a lot of times and she wore me down. She had (has) all the worries and fears that you do. She cried when he hooked out. That said, you are on the right road. You'll be ok and so will your baby. You're reading, you're learning, and you want to do good by your baby. If you want another girl your age to talk to about Ts send me a message and I'll hook you up.

 

[Nightinghoul]

My first T was a stripe knee - I used to get really stressed because of her behavior but she just took an incredibly long time to settle in. Give your T PLENTY of substrate and just give it time! Try not to worry if it's exploring/climbing. It will get used to the new home eventually.

 

[CommanderBacon]

You accidentally got an awesome starter Just as others have said, don't beat yourself up about it too much. You're doing your best, and you're willing to learn, and that's cool. I think you'll make the best decisions for your spider.

I picked up an A seemanni in Feb and just put her in a cheap 15qt storage bin with 7 inches of substrate, since this species likes to burrow. I actually love Reptisoil and use it almost exclusively, so if that's what you got, I really think it's fine. If not, you can mix what you bought in with topsoil or cocofiber or whatever. I would be inclined to use denser substrate for this species, since it likes to burrow.

It might take a while for your spider to settle in, and that's okay. Mine took 4 months to even start to burrow! So just let her do her thing and don't worry too much. Feel free to check in with the folks here on AB if you have any questions.

If you need to move her into a better accommodation, don't worry so much about stressing her out in the move. You're doing it for a good cause. She'll get used to her new environment sooner and be happier there with more room to dig.

 

[Chaos4eva]

Welcome to the hobby I feel like you some times so don't be so hard on yourself. We have great guidance and lots of people that want to help us new guys. I just finished my rehousing for my new
A. seemanni
I'll post a pic of what I did..

 

[cold blood]

stripe knee...ugh...*face palms*

 

[Chaos4eva]

stripe knee...ugh...*face palms*

Ok ... What did I missed?

 

[Lokee85]

Ok ... What did I missed?

Common names--like Stripe Knee, Pink Toe, etc.--are often used to describe multiple species and can get confusing as to which species is actually being referred, so most people use the scientific names to avoid the confusion of common names. A stripe knee is an Aphonopelma seemanni or A. seemanni for short.

 

[cold blood]

Ok ... What did I missed?

Its not just you...the term has been used a few times in this thread...stripe knee.

Common names are confusing enough, but some of them, like stripe knee, are so broadly generic that they have little to no meaning....I mean the term applies to so many different species its anyone's guess what's being referred to.

A. geniculata, N. chromatus, N. coloratovillsus, E. murinus, A. seemani, G. pulchripes along with a bunch more less common in the hobby...all share that common name in one place or another.

Saying you have a stripe knee when someone asks the species, is like someone asking what kind of car you drive, and you telling them, "a red one".

 

[Chaos4eva]

Common names--like Stripe Knee, Pink Toe, etc.--are often used to describe multiple species and can get confusing as to which species is actually being referred, so most people use the scientific names to avoid the confusion of common names. A stripe knee is an Aphonopelma seemanni or A. seemanni for short.

Oh ok got it! Tks

Its not just you...the term has been used a few times in this thread...stripe knee.

Common names are confusing enough, but some of them, like stripe knee, are so broadly generic that they have little to no meaning....I mean the term applies to so many different species its anyone's guess what's being referred to.

A. geniculata, N. chromatus, N. coloratovillsus, E. murinus, A. seemani, G. pulchripes along with a bunch more less common in the hobby...all share that common name in one place or another.

Saying you have a stripe knee when someone asks the species, is like someone asking what kind of car you drive, and you telling them, "a red one".

Ok tks for the clarification. I'll start using the right names.

 

[CommanderBacon]

Common names are confusing enough, but some of them, like stripe knee, are so broadly generic that they have little to no meaning....I mean the term applies to so many different species its anyone's guess what's being referred to.

To be fair, though, they did mention Petco, so it was a 95% chance it was an A seemanni. I think we all got what they meant XD

 

[atraxrobustus]

Bird eaters as a rule tend to have rather veracious appetites- so as for feeding, it might be about time to feed. Given their weight, I wouldn't expect them to be prone to climbing on the top of the enclosure (neither my T. stirmi nor my T. blonde do this sort of thing), BUT the mesh lid needs to go as this is a major risk for any tarantula that needs to be eliminated.