Newbie keeper with a c. Versicolor

[Pixychx]

Hello, I just got my first T. Have been following and doing research for a while. It's a versicolor sling. Picked it up from the san Diego reptile show on Saturday.
Went in intending on getting either a hamarii or a gbb and after checking all the booths and saw the versicolor I knew that was the one I was going to get. Somewhere I heard that they were hard to find so I wasnt sure they were an option, but here we are. Of course hoping for a female.
Also it seems like there's a random beetle in my bedding i saw the other day, and when i chased it with the tweezers it disappeared under the little rockhide I made and havent seen it since. Dont know if it was in the bedding in the cup it was sold in or in the cocofiber I already had.
Ive made some ammends to its habitat since I got it like by adding the dish to the top level and a few more plant pieces. Not even sure if the hide is necessary cus it likes this one spot halfway up the branch in the leaves. Starting the webbing there. It ate a small cricket yesterday (Sunday).
Not sure how often to feed it.
Excited to start this journey of keeping, as there were so many more species I was interested in, including true spiders.

 

[Entomologist210]

Nice setup, I just got into the hobby myself and picked up a Caribena versicolor as well.

 

[scooter1685]

Congrats on your new T! I loved my little versicolor. The colors are so vibrant at pretty much all stages of development.

 

[Pixychx]

Nice setup, I just got into the hobby myself and picked up a Caribena versicolor as well.

Thanks! The enclosures by HERPCULT, picked up the wood pieces also from the show, and glued them on. It's not corkbark, but it seems to suffice. The plant I picked up from Michaels and cut pieces off (made sure to fully wash in hot hot water with no soap). the stones I had leftover from a project (airplant garden that is glued on a picture frame glass that I took the backing off and hung to my wall), hot glued them as a little cave. The cocosubstrate I had leftover from my vanilla orchid plant. When I transferred the T into the enclosure it ran out and I ended up dumping the little condiment cup of substrate into new enclosure . I did this over a tote so it didnt run away and had my catch cup handy. Nearly had a heart attack. It was ready to get out of the cup for sure.
Also got a container of little crickets from Josh's frogs, and then the cricket keeper, a mister bottle, and tongs from LLLReptile. All had booths at the show. The sling is from SoCal Scales.
I was going to order the enclosure online from Jambers Critters as a kit (saw them on the Dark Den, and have been communicating with them through their etsy shop), but the show had everything I needed there so that was a better choice.

I've keep reptiles and other critters before, but I moved across the country and got rid of my supplies before the move so I had to start over all fresh.

Congrats on your new T! I loved my little versicolor. The colors are so vibrant at pretty much all stages of development.

That's what I'm really looking forward to, watching it change from the blue to the magenta as it gets older.

 

[NukaMedia Exotics]

Not a great first tarantula at that size, I would've gotten a bigger sling. I recently got 5 slings about that size and 3 have died in a month or so, and I've successfully raised a sling to adulthood that was a little bigger than these when I got it (and I have 50 other tarantulas of various species). Other people I know have similar problems with them at this size.

 

[Dev1lZ]

My Versicolor Sling is that size. If yours eats crickets, consider yourself lucky. Mine only eats flightless fruit flies. It loves it when I release a small swarm of them into it’s enclosure to hunt down one by one!

 

[Pixychx]

Not a great first tarantula at that size, I would've gotten a bigger sling. I recently got 5 slings about that size and 3 have died in a month or so, and I've successfully raised a sling to adulthood that was a little bigger than these when I got it (and I have 50 other tarantulas of various species). Other people I know have similar problems with them at this size.

That was the biggest of that species at the entire show. There was 4 total. 3 at the booth I picked it up at, and one at another booth. All little guys, but this one seemed the biggest by a tinge.
I've read about the risks and really hoping it doesnt go belly up. Prepared for the worst but hoping for the best. That's all we can do when they are that little.

My Versicolor Sling is that size. If yours eats crickets, consider yourself lucky. Mine only eats flightless fruit flies. It loves it when I release a small swarm of them into it’s enclosure to hunt down one by one!

How many does yours eat at once?
I checked with the booth and when they said they were on crickets already I was stoked.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Yeah, I'd ditch that rock hide thing on the ground, Aviculariinae like to web up high so all it'll do is act as a hiding place for feeders.

I've read about the risks and really hoping it doesnt go belly up.

They're not that difficult tbh, I've raised 3 of these and numerous other Aviculariinae from slings and the only deaths I've had were 2 from bad moults. I prefer to have some vent holes just above substrate level but that enclosure is still pretty well ventilated and it looks like you're keeping it mostly dry so you're already on the right track.

 

[Dev1lZ]

How many does yours eat at once?
I checked with the booth and when they said they were on crickets already I was stoked.

I usually release a swarm of about 7-10 into the enclosure. They are gone by the next day. I have seen it grab multiples because they are like gnats

How many does yours eat at once?
I checked with the booth and when they said they were on crickets already I was stoked.

I usually release about 10 inside the enclosure for it to hunt down. I’ve seen it take 3 at at time. They are like gnats even to the sling. Gone within 24 hours. If you pick up a culture of them put a plastic baggie over the top to catch, then place inside a refrigerator for about a minute, which renders them inert. Then, pour them inside the enclosure. No muss no fuss-as they liven back up in a very short time.

 

[Pixychx]

Yeah, I'd ditch that rock hide thing on the ground, Aviculariinae like to web up high so all it'll do is act as a hiding place for feeders.



They're not that difficult tbh, I've raised 3 of these and numerous other Aviculariinae from slings and the only deaths I've had were 2 from bad moults. I prefer to have some vent holes just above substrate level but that enclosure is still pretty well ventilated and it looks like you're keeping it mostly dry so you're already on the right track.

*oh that was nervewracking* tried to take the cave out without disturbing the T, nope, freaked out and bolted. so catchcuped it in a deli cup, and was able to take the hide out. found out the beetle was a small dubia roach, So I left it in there, maybe it will find it hopefully, sooner than later now the caves out. little T is spastic, and then finally coaxed it onto the bottom of the deli cup so I could trap it in the condiment cup. just shut the whole condiment cup (minus the lid) into the enclosure. it came out of the cup to try and make a run for it, and then I poofed through the top holes and it ran down to the bottom substrate. I acted fast and took the cup out.

I also named the T 'Charlie' as a gender neutral name.

 

[Lorgakor]

Your setup is fine. The difficulties with versicolor tend to stem from not enough ventilation. Mist at least once a week, allowing droplets on the sides for it to drink, as well as moistening the substrate a bit.
When I setup a versicolor sling I allow for ventilation at the top, as well as cross ventilation at the substrate level. Don't worry about fruit flies, even a sling can take down a pinhead cricket.

Your ventilation looks good. Just don't keep it too wet. You need to find that balance between dry and too moist. Dribble water down to wet half the substrate while making sure there are water droplets to drink from, once a week is good.

 

[Kitara]

Nice setup, I just got into the hobby myself and picked up a Caribena versicolor as well.

Same. At an expo. On Saturday lol. Mine is a tiny little thing less than 1/2". I'm so worried about her every day, but I have read a ton so i think I'm ok. She is SO CUTE!

I just noticed when I took the picture that she is webbing. Yay!!

I recently got 5 slings about that size and 3 have died in a month or so, and

Nooooooooo no no no. Not what I want to hear.

 

[Pixychx]

Your setup is fine. The difficulties with versicolor tend to stem from not enough ventilation. Mist at least once a week, allowing droplets on the sides for it to drink, as well as moistening the substrate a bit.
When I setup a versicolor sling I allow for ventilation at the top, as well as cross ventilation at the substrate level. Don't worry about fruit flies, even a sling can take down a pinhead cricket.

Your ventilation looks good. Just don't keep it too wet. You need to find that balance between dry and too moist. Dribble water down to wet half the substrate while making sure there are water droplets to drink from, once a week is good.

Thanks for the confirmation
I didnt design this enclosure but I'll be sure to not keep it too moist. I live in San Diego which is technically a desert so very low humidity naturally as the norm, so there wont be too much excess that I have to compete with. Havent had to spray or water since I got *her* [crossing fingers it's a she], but eats small crickets voraciously.

Same. At an expo. On Saturday lol. Mine is a tiny little thing less than 1/2". I'm so worried about her every day, but I have read a ton so i think I'm ok. She is SO CUTE!

I just noticed when I took the picture that she is webbing. Yay!!
View attachment 321573 View attachment 321574


Nooooooooo no no no. Not what I want to hear.

such a cutie!! and your's is webbing way more than mine. I put the water bottle more at the top cus she hangs out more up there. I like how your enclosure opens at the bottom. Mine slides at the top and it seems like it wants to make a bolt for it which it did when I removed the hide. I'm quick with the catch cup but then the hard part is putting it back into the enclosure and it keeps trying to run out.
Spastic little critters.

Only did webbing in that tree part so far

 

[Vulksgren]

Yours is a tad bit bigger than mine, hopefully it will catch up for a bit since it's in pre-molt. (Picture in avatar, yours also has its colors out a bit more)

 

[WolfSoon]

I don’t have a lot of experience, but I’ve raised one large versi sling to maturity and one second instar sling to her subadult stage (devastatingly, she passed away from a bad molt at around 3” ).
Now I have 5 slings that have all molted once with me and are eating chopped mealworms. They’re just a joy to watch grow and will probably always be my favorite species.
This one made a molting hammock at the bottom of the enclosure and hasn’t bothered to move up yet, which makes feeding extra easy.

 

[Pixychx]

Was having a hard time with crickets hiding so I downsized the enclosure. Still pretty big, but this one I got an amac box from the container store and made sure to put lots of holes. Glued a cap at the top for a water dish. Charlie didnt spaz out and refused a cricket so I think Charlie's in premolt.



Back view