Just got a Goliath BirdEater. Need all the help I can get!

[SlimJ87D]

Thanks, I was starting to begin that the humidity thing was a little overated as well. It's around 75 average, and the soil, or the cocodust is really damp, I mean it's pretty well moistured, so I think I'll jsut leave it's bowl, I upgraded the size a little bit, about 1 inch diameter. Haven't seen it drink from it though. Why do the Goliaths need such a high Humidity again? because the soil is pretty damp, I figure it's more humid down there then it is up in the air, and the tarantula is going to be down there much more often.

 

[Mike H.]

Thanks, I was starting to begin that the humidity thing was a little overated as well. Why do the Goliaths need such a high Humidity again?


In my opinion they dont, like I said I keep ALL my spiders on the dry side including my blondi's, this is a debate that is constant, some keep them on the dry side with a water dish and some feel they need to be kept very moist, if you want my advise stop worrying about the humidity and let the substrate dry out some and enjoy watching your new spider...

Regards, Mike

 

[wolfpak]

i mist my blondi everyday. i think t. blondi loves it wet. cause mine would usually stay on the wet side of the enclosure.

 

[SlimJ87D]

My Goliath seems kinda docile, will it be more aggressive as it grows? Or do their Sling personality reflect their personality as an adult.

 

[wolfpak]

My Goliath seems kinda docile, will it be more aggressive as it grows? Or do their Sling personality reflect their personality as an adult.

mine too. i can handle it easily without it ever showing aggression :?

 

[SlimJ87D]

OMG... I am soooo lucky... I'm kinda scared. What happen was that it ate the other day, but didn't want to eat today, tiny crickets. I decided to take them out right away, because incase of a molt, and when I came home right now it was molting!!!

I sprayed the cage, misted, it with 3 sprays to help it molt. Any tips now? I don't wanna lose it. Also, if I get the molt, will you guys be able to tell if it's a boy or girl?

Edit: Add: Well He or She is just laying down on her side, is it natural for them to stay on their back after the molt for awhile? I know it's only been about 30 minutes after completeing her moult, I also had to help it by pulling the skin a little bit, and I was able to obtain the moult as well. Now I'm trying to see if it is a boy or girl.

 

[SlimJ87D]

I take back what I said about it not being agreesive. I picked up it's house to take the remaing piece of moult off of it's butt, and it attacked me viciously, and was going crazy, it was moving at a blink of an eye. But I learned my lesson, just leave it alone, I think it can take that piece off it's abdomen by itself... and now it's moving around stretching and stuff. It's currently green, but man can slings move fast.

Edit: ALso it's a girl I saw the flap, and I'm going to take pictures to make sure, but yes, the flap is there. From the front legs to the back, it's old moult is 3 inches. now it's probably about 3.5 inches

 

[king7]

when they are moulting you should leave them to it,during and after.they are more aggressive at this time to.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

I sprayed the cage, misted, it with 3 sprays to help it molt. Any tips now? I don't wanna lose it. Also, if I get the molt, will you guys be able to tell if it's a boy or girl?

Edit: Add: Well He or She is just laying down on her side, is it natural for them to stay on their back after the molt for awhile? I know it's only been about 30 minutes after completeing her moult, I also had to help it by pulling the skin a little bit, and I was able to obtain the moult as well. Now I'm trying to see if it is a boy or girl.

When moulting you should leave your T be and don't do anything at all to disturb it. IF a moult happens to take a day and nothing is happening I'd take a picture and post it here and ask for help.

Spraying during a moult doesn't do anything but possibly stress the T. The moisture you want has to be on the inside of the T, not on the outside, so preparing for moult with well hydrated feeders is the way to go.

I'm now wondering if you maybe stressed your T out during the moult so that it didn't have the peace to finish it so that some of the old skin got stuck, but it's a blondi we're talking about and moults seem to go wrong more often with that species.

But next time, just leave it alone and stay away from it. Normally T's can do the shedding without any help.

 

[SlimJ87D]

Ok, thanks guys. Right now the T is fine.

 

[SlimJ87D]

On average, when can you start feeding the baby slings again? SHe's abou 3.5 inches big now, molted two days ago.

 

[shogun804]

well i have no experience with T blondi but your best bet with these would be to wait untill the fangs are a very dark red/black in color.

 

[Bob]

On average, when can you start feeding the baby slings again? SHe's abou 3.5 inches big now, molted two days ago.

Wait 7 to 10 days.


Bob

 

[SlimJ87D]

7 to 10 days? Isn't that for adults? because I know slings have to eat more, and T Blondis eat a lot, so I don't want it starving. Is it not 3 to 5 days for the young ones Well I know every tarantula is different, so I don't want to go on an on average, but specific information from someone that owns a T Blondi Sling around 3.5 to 4 inches.

 

[SlimJ87D]

Thank you all for all teh help I've gotten. It molted wednesday and I fed it today, it killed the cricket within the drop.

 

[lta3398]

I have a 9" girl, and she does fine if the humidity is a little low. I live in south Florida and it is usually pretty high here...but sometimes it does drop. And she hates wet substrate. She will climb the walls literally until I fix it. She also is not a big mover. When I first got her, that used to worry me, too, but you learn that that is just the blondi! She will stay in the same place for hours! I do have to clean her water dish every day to keep it clean, so make sure you pay attention to that! As was stated above, they do have a BIG appetite, even close to and after a molt. Mine has never turned down a meal yet, to be honest.Good luck with your new T, it is a great one. I love mine!

 

[Huk7]

If it helps, I can give you my experience:

I have kept blondi's for a number of years and currently have 3, one adult that I have had since a 1" sling and 2 sub-adults, again since slings.

Try to keep the substrate fairly dry (would you like to walk on damp ground with no shoes on all day??) I tend to spray the tank sides as and when I remeber, which equtes to about twice a week, this is very variable. I also always have a clean full water dish available.

I also believe that it is true regarding the myth of blondi's and humidity, but considering where they originate, they do really need to be kept in a higher humidity than say the Brchyelma species.

As for food size, I would tend to feed yours about half grown cricks, make sure the cricks are well gut loaded at least 24hrs before feeding to the spider and you won't go far wrong. From about 3" legspan, they will easily take adult crickets without a problem!!

As has also been said, leave it at least 7-10 days between moulting and feeding (gradually prolonging this as the T grows), it will not suffer at all, but will allow it to harden.

As for growth rates, FAST!!!!, my adult female is only 2 years old and about 1 or 2 moults off of adult size!!! She will now quite happily devour an adult mouse (frozen then defrosted, I never feed live)

Hope this is of some use.

Good luck with her!!

 

[SlimJ87D]

Thanks guys, that's awesome advice. Well I've been feeding her after 3 days of the molt because she's still young, I guess tehy harden much quicker. She's about 4" and eats them adult crickets like crazy. I just fed her one in the evening, night and in the morning today. She's stillg reen in color from the molt as well.

And I'm proud to say that she is a girl :

Yeah, the substrate is quite damp, but she only stays in the little bowl enclosure I created. After he next molt, should I replace the bowl with a wooden enclosure? the bowl actually works pretty well. Second, she leaves all her left overs and stuff inside the bowl too, I don't know why, but she hangs out in there all day, and since I got her, she moved straight into there, I guess she really likes it in there.

Thanks for the advice, I'll be spraying the sides now. The Humidity below where she is is around 85% when it drops to 78 I mist it, but I think it pisses her off when some of the mist touches her.

 

[Huk7]

The humidity sounds pretty good to me.

Regarding the enclosure, if it's a reasonable size for her and she's happy then leave it be, but if she's becoming a bit too big for it, half a flower pot sumbmerged into the substrate will be fine, just dig some of the substrate out to create a burrow. The flower pot will act as a solid roof to prevent collapse etc.

 

[SlimJ87D]

Hm, is there a picture that you can show me? I got an idea of what you want me to do, but I've seen peopel cut the corners off the pot and use that.