Introduction and a question on substrate

[Meridian69]

Hello Everyone,

Back some 8 years ago, I used to be a keeper of lizards, with a strong fondness of monitors in particular. I always had a fascination with tarantulas as well and I ended up getting a rose-haired tarantula. I very much enjoyed it, but I was travelling for work a lot and my wife was not overly fond of taking care of my lizards and tarantula (She hated dealing with crickets FAR more than the spider). I eventually got rid of all my exotics, including the rose-hair.

A few weeks ago, one of the guys I work with brought in a greenbottle blue tarantula to the office, and I was stunned by how beautiful the animal was. I did some research on the GBB, prepared a small terrarium, and this last Saturday, purchased a 1” juvenile GBB. It is a beautiful spider, and I am really excited about keeping it. I am not travelling for work anymore, so the previous issues with keeping tarantulas has gone away. This forum has a ton of great information on it, and I am working on digesting it all.

However…. I think that my GBB has an issue with the substrate in the terrarium. I went to the Container Store, bought an acrylic high heel shoe box, drilled some holes in it, and filled it to about 2.5” with some Eco Earth. The Eco Earth substrate is really lose and spongy feeling to my hand, and the GBB does not seem to like walking on it at all. So…

Is this the right substrate to use?
Do I need to pack it down or something?
I left the Eco Earth bone dry, right from the bag. Do I need to moisten it?
Any ideas on something better for a substrate?

Thanks in advance!

PS. I already have my eye on a Brazilian salmon pink tarantula. This could be addicting…

 

[jen650s]

Welcome!

Yes, I would pack it down. However, C. cyanopubescens are prolific webers and none of mine ever seem to settle down until they cover everything and I do mean everything--substrate, waterdish, decorations, hide--in a mat of web. Even my little ones do this although not as much as my juvie and subadults do.

I used the binomial name not to be a snob as GBB is unlikely to be confused with anything else, but because many species of T have several common names or share common names with others and it is a good habit to get into :wink:

Once again,welcome aboard (and, yes it can be addicting)

Jennifer

 

[MikeInNC]

I rehoused a 2-2.5" GBB just last week in a Container Store high heel shoe box and packed in 2.5" of Eco Earth (great minds think alike )

My GBB seemed to dislike the enclosure for the first few days (hanging on side of enclosure), but after several days of peace and quiet has started sitting on the tree bark hide and - as of late last night - could be seen inside the hide.

I think it's an adjustment period thing. Both GBBs seemed unhappy with the smaller Container Store enclosures I first put them in (back in their 1.5" days), but they settled in, webbed up the joint, and seemed quite content. My advice, give your GBB time to adjust. It is usually recommended that you leave a T alone for 3 or so days so it has time to settle down before attempting to feed it.

I think your substrate might be low for a 1" sling as that leaves about 3.5 - 4" between the substrate and top of the enclosure (a big fall for small sling). I try for a 1.5x legspan distance from substrate to ceiling.....2x max. Also, that container is a LOT of space for a sling. You'll have to keep water close to the hide and watch when you feed it to make sure it can find its food. At 1.5" I put them in a Container Store acrylic box which measured 4x4x5 and that was more than enough room at that size.

As for Eco Earth (use the finely shredded Eco Earth that feels like potting soil, NOT the chunky variety - which is what I mistakenly purchased the first time), I baked it first (300 degrees for 60 minutes - JUST to be sure nothing else was living in it), I packed it firmly into the container to ensure that the surface would be slightly firm, and not a soft, fluffy pile which would be difficult for the T's to walk across.

I also made sure to wash out any containers with a mild detergent, with lots of rinsing afterwards, to remove any chemical residue which may be there from any processes used to create the container.

I'll be rehousing my other GBB tonight in the exact same sized enclosure as I described above (here's a pic from my first transfer)



Hope you enjoy your GBB! They're definitely fun to watch

-Mike

 

[Meridian69]

Yes, I would pack it down.

I packed it firmly into the container to ensure that the surface would be slightly firm, and not a soft, fluffy pile which would be difficult for the T's to walk across.

Thank for the tip. I will pack it down this afternoon.

I rehoused a 2-2.5" GBB just last week in a Container Store high heel shoe box and packed in 2.5" of Eco Earth (great minds think alike )

Nah... I cannot take credit for it. I got the idea from your post doing a search on the forums. Thanks for the idea.

Thanks gang, I appreaciate the responses.

 

[Peter Parker]

As you know as well as I do that monitor substrates need to be structurally sound for burrows. Much more precision goes into reptile enclosures as it is a requirement if you expect to be anything more than a amateur. Same concept in my opinion with tarantulas. One substance does not cover what an animal might encounter in there own real life habitat. I never use straight coco fiber with any t as it is artificial dirt. I do use coco fiber but always mix it with another material including potting soil, peat moss, moss, vermiculite, various aggregate. I prefer clean potting soils for it decomposing properties. Green bottle blues love moss. I use a mixture of 50/50 potting soil to coco fiber. I layer the top with moss. The moss will hold the humidity very well and help the green bottle blue cover the floor with web. I install a backdrop about 8" high so the GBB can climb. They are semi arboreal.

 

[Akai]

Keep their substrate bone dry. Also they like anchor points for webbing. You should add like small pieces of twisted grapevine or cork bark protruding from the substrate. I use grapevine or small pieces of driftwood. They will build a nice web canopy with these as anchor points and you can just drop prey items right on it and they have no problem tracking it down. :

 

[SamuraiSid]

I love watching GBB's web in mid air with long passes of their spinnerettes. Almost as hynoptizing as watching a real girl shake her hips