noob tarantula keeper. i'm a total noob.

[racer 6]

did i mention i'm a total noob?

anyway, i purchased a 1-inch chaco golden knee.. love the color and shine on it..

enclosure is 2x4x5 inches, substrate's coco peat, has a water dish, and i live in a tropical country..

my problem is the shops around here are all superworms when it comes to feeds, and i prefer variation in diet..so i asked for some roaches from a friend. and there's my concern. are 2-inch long blaptica dubia roaches, um, edible for a tarantula this size?

and also, is my substrate ok? i've only ever had scorpions, so i'm predisposed to using coco peat..

thanks people..

 

[fatich]

himm if l were you l woud go for superworms,you can cut it half and give your T or kill superworm without cutting half than give your T. This size dubia may not be suitable for your T.

thank you
Fatih

 

[Hobo]

Cut up your big feeders, and stick em in the freezer. Thaw them out and feed as needed.

 

[racer 6]

i also have smaller dubia, like 1-inchers and less.. im concerned with the toughness of these things.. more than a week ago my tarantula ate a 1-inch dubia, but now it won't..

 

[Mattyb]

if you offer your T a roach that is the same size or smaller than she is, then she should take it. If she doesn't then stick with the super worms until she gets bigger.

 

[racer 6]

thanks..

and the substrate?

 

[dubias]

buy a few of those dubias (males+females), and start your own colony!
you will get 1/8in babies, up to 2in adults! that way you can feed your T!

 

[Ariel]

thanks..

and the substrate?

your substrate is fine., coco peat is acctually what a majority will reccomend, I use peatmoss but only because its cheaper.

 

[racer 6]

right, thanks..

well i got me a whole colony of dubias.. any tips on how to keep them from dying? because they do keep on dying, specially the young ones..the enclosure is, well, bad..3x3x5 inch plastic, no substrate..it's always moist, and i put a cardboard roll in there to serve as hideout..sometimes it's so moist that water actually puddles at the floor of the enclosure..well, hey, i'don't know what to do yet..resources are hard to come by in my side of town..please tell me what i need for this colony to prosper..

and also, i tried superworms..my 1-inch scorp could handle a big one off the box, so i decided to chuck one into the t's enclosure.. and, well, it burrowed. the worm burrowed. won't come out. what now? does the chaco golden knee species burrow as well?

 

[racer 6]

and also, my tarantula's started webbing the whole enclosure.. what does this mean?

 

[forrestpengra]

Webbing is good.

Pre-kill the mealworm and give it a segment, this should help prevent burrowing. If you give it right away it will still wiggle around maybe drawing attention from your sling.

Your roaches need something bigger and drier to live in. You will need to ensure some ventilation, this should resolve some of the humidity problems. Also they like it warm, 80-85F. Add Egg cartons or something they can hide in. You can feed a variety of things, ground up catfood, oatmeal, fresher fruits and vegetables. That particular species of roach is a slow reproducer so don't expect a self sustaining colony right away.

 

[Lucille]

A good noob gift to your T would be to promise yourself you will read 2 hours a day on this forum for 2 weeks or so. That will get your feet wet, and give you a bit of confidence in yourself as far a getting an idea of howto find answers here.

 

[ghordy]

Cut up your big feeders, and stick em in the freezer. Thaw them out and feed as needed.

Freeze them first, then cut them up. A lot less gooey!

 

[racer 6]

hey guys.. my T just molted yesterday.. very, very beautiful.

thanks for all the help.. i got what i need for now. i'll be using this forum for years to come, i guess.

 

[sean-820]

Buy some roaches and breed them. Untill you have babies to feed, you can just pre kill superworms and give it pieces.

 

[Mina]

Welcome to the hobby!!!! To start with the same substrate you use for your scorps is fine for your T. Second, you can feed Dubia to your T, either get smaller ones, or you can cut up a larger one. You have a Grammostola pulchripes, that means a slow grower, who won't always eat well. Grammostolas are just like that, so don't worry if your T won't eat. As long as it has water, it will be fine.
You said it moulted, right? Ok, now you need to wait about a week for it to dry before trying to feed it again. Watch it when you put the food in, if it doesn't seem interested remove the food.
As far as the worm goes, you should dig it out, a T that small most likely won't dig for it alone.