P. irminia rehousing

[Stu Macher]

After my P. irminia's last molt, she outgrew her enclosure. I'm thinking about moving her right into a 8x8x12 nano tall. The enclosure in the pictures is 4x4x8 so I don't see any sense in putting her in a 6x6x9. I don't think a larger enclosure would be an issue because I drop food right in the webbing/entrance to her dirt curtain.

I'm not sure how big she is. Maybe 3-3.25" Or maybe a tad smaller. The orange is coming through on the toes now and she doesn't have any orange bands on her legs, so she's getting there.

Should I rethink the larger enclosure? I have 1 gallon mainstay containers that would work as well. I just have a fully furnished exo that has been waiting for a resident, and this opportunity presented itself.

Sorry for the screenshot pics. Whenever she leaves her hide I don't take pictures, I take video. That way I can revisit when she barricades herself again lol

 

[fcat]

How long has she been in there? I'm surprised she hasn't webbed much.

In theory they are excellent hunters, has that been your experience?

Usually the concern is being able to find food and a water dish.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

I see a web sock there. They grow so fast, I’d move her into the larger enclosure. Mine at 3” was in 6x6x9, but was headed to final adult enclosure after next molt or two.

 

[viper69]

As long as you can make sure it eats it’s fine

 

[8 legged]

8 x 8 x 12 is fine now (and forever). Try to give it a real hide.

 

[Stu Macher]

How long has she been in there? I'm surprised she hasn't webbed much.

In theory they are excellent hunters, has that been your experience?

Usually the concern is being able to find food and a water dish.

I got her as a sling in the beginning of October. I had her in a 3x3x6 then moved her into a 4x4x8.

She made a dirt curtain in both enclosures, and that's the extent of her webbing. But inside the curtain is an elaborate web tunnel.

I would say she is fairly lazy hunting wise lol She won't leave her hide to chase down prey. Unless it's basically on top of her she will wait. But, again i have no issue getting the food close to her. I have another prolific hunter that is the same way, oddly enough

 

[Stu Macher]

As long as you can make sure it eats it’s fine

The P. rufilata was not tracking prey in the new enclosure, later found out she was in premolt. Nearly doubled in size. She is very shy but likes to stay out at night in the bottom corner right above the substrate. I've been using xl tongs to drop dubias in the corner when she is in her hide and she snatches them up. Her abdomen is now back to being plump. My P Met just molted too. Many of my T's are molting, idk if it's a seasonal shift or what but it's pretty cool.

 

[fcat]

would say she is fairly lazy hunting wise

I have one like that, that's why I said in theory I know she's active because she webbed a good mess of her enclosure. And she drops food boluses in her water dish But I don't want to get complacent...it only takes one time for her to change her ways. So I make sure she's down towards the base of her hide before I drop anything in. And I do drop! Because they can jump! Wouldn't want her to break a fang on the tongs or me when she runs up them!

My other one neutralizes all threats the moment they land.

Keep this in mind for the next enclosure. I assume the 8x8x12 will have a mesh lid that needs to be replaced with an acrylic sheet with holes? You could plan ahead by drilling a feeder drop hole directly over where you're positioning her hide? That's my plan... And it's obviously not something I'll have to worry about with my good hunter.

I set their enclosures up identically, so I really don't think it's not to her standards when the other appears to be content. What I read was to place foliage towards the base of the hide, near the side exit(s). Like where your girl made hers towards the water dish. If you were to spin her box around 180 and look at the "front," you'd want to place it there, not on the back side. Another theory, you might see them more when they feel less exposed. She will gather bits of moss and leaf litter to make her curtains with if you provide them. At least it breaks up the monotony of brown walls

 

[Stu Macher]

I have one like that, that's why I said in theory I know she's active because she webbed a good mess of her enclosure. And she drops food boluses in her water dish But I don't want to get complacent...it only takes one time for her to change her ways. So I make sure she's down towards the base of her hide before I drop anything in. And I do drop! Because they can jump! Wouldn't want her to break a fang on the tongs or me when she runs up them!

My other one neutralizes all threats the moment they land.

Keep this in mind for the next enclosure. I assume the 8x8x12 will have a mesh lid that needs to be replaced with an acrylic sheet with holes? You could plan ahead by drilling a feeder drop hole directly over where you're positioning her hide? That's my plan... And it's obviously not something I'll have to worry about with my good hunter.

I set their enclosures up identically, so I really don't think it's not to her standards when the other appears to be content. What I read was to place foliage towards the base of the hide, near the side exit(s). Like where your girl made hers towards the water dish. If you were to spin her box around 180 and look at the "front," you'd want to place it there, not on the back side. Another theory, you might see them more when they feel less exposed. She will gather bits of moss and leaf litter to make her curtains with if you provide them. At least it breaks up the monotony of brown walls

There's actually custom lids I buy from etsy that are made for exo's. The top is clear and there's side vents. You can also choose a feeding port option. They are made specifically for T's. They are a little pricey, but I know TCribs had a promotion going on where they are offering their own custom lids for exos. I only have 12 in my collection so I splurge a little more, but it wouldn't be feasible for a larger collection, not on my salary at least lol

I love my P. Irminia, she is quite a character and I love the dirt curtains and messes they make. I have a 1" P. Victori sling that is making curtains, messes, tangled webs, all over the place in the enclosure I have them in. Already an incredible hunter as well. I have them in a 3x3x6 and they have zero issues locating prey.

Psalmos are such a fun genus. I honestly can't pick between them and pokies. They are very similar and both surprisingly hardy. 1 is wayy more forgiving if you get tagged as well.

Thanks for the suggestions!

In the new enclosure I loaded it up with spaghnum near her hide and I have a fake ivy plant next to the hide creating another wall. I found some pretty cool fake orchids that I may suction cup to the top corner to make her feel a little more secure.

 

[Stu Macher]

I see a web sock there. They grow so fast, I’d move her into the larger enclosure. Mine at 3” was in 6x6x9, but was headed to final adult enclosure after next molt or two.

8x8x12 it is. Thanks!

 

[fcat]

P victori seems to be the messiest in my experience!!! I just rehoused a little 2 incher and it took him 48 hours to rectify my viewing angles He's over there taunting my cambridgei like "Do you even psalmo, bro?"

 

[Stu Macher]

P victori seems to be the messiest in my experience!!! I just rehoused a little 2 incher and it took him 48 hours to rectify my viewing angles He's over there taunting my cambridgei like "Do you even psalmo, bro?"

Lol I actually bought a juvie cambridgei but they didn't make it to me alive unfortunately. But, the victori is definitely impressing me. Really bold and not easily spooked as a sling. When I turn the cage he runs to his hide but that's about it. How long did it take your little man to reach 2"?

 

[fcat]

The 2" victori I got in September and has grown from 0.75"

I have two more victori that are sac mates. One just matured around 3.75"...he never got moved out of his 4x4x8 juvenile enclosure because I wasn't expecting him to mature. He will stay in there until he gets shipped off for breeding, to discourage wandering. If brother does not mature I'll have to rehouse him. I got them June 23 at a little over an inch. Fast growers!

 

[Stu Macher]

Awesome. I'm always curious to where people send their males for breeding? I have some I'd like to send off if they turn out to be male, but I'm not well connected and the only spider admirers I know are on here lol.

That would also free up some more space for other species. I enjoy slings, but i kind of just want to stick to females and only buy confirmed females in the future. Definitely more expensive but I'm not a breeder so it doesn't really matter.

 

[fcat]

Awesome. I'm always curious to where people send their males for breeding? I have some I'd like to send off if they turn out to be male, but I'm not well connected and the only spider admirers I know are on here lol.

That would also free up some more space for other species. I enjoy slings, but i kind of just want to stick to females and only buy confirmed females in the future. Definitely more expensive but I'm not a breeder so it doesn't really matter.

You can post an ad here, there is a Spinder page on Facebook as well, the reddit page r/tarantulas has a discord too.

There are a few common terms I've seen, 50/50 on the slings, a loan, flat out sales. A lot of the pros here recommend flat out sales so you can avoid drama. On a loan, if you want slings or your male back (depends on the species and how long they live, if they are a GBB..kidding somewhat...the females are not nice to the males), then you'll need to pay for overnight shipping again. I wouldn't do that to your male unless it was getting shipped to another female, it's taxing.

I recommend you find someone trustworthy. If your goal is to get slings, money, or just allow them to fulfill their natural duty, you want to make they end up in decent hands because they deserve it, but also because there are humans with motive out there. For example I've been told to stay away from people locally because the "female are the male" and then they sell slings a few months later. Those are the people that stored my friend's tarantulas and then fell out of contact with him when he could pick them up a week later. Blocked him. Now they are tarantula breeders and they have little pictures of the moms on the display rack they have for expos, and they are his females. Every brachypelma, a bunch of pokies, his grammostola rosea they are literally looking for a mate for right now. It's sickening. But in the laws eyes they are just property. It's a matter for civil court to hash out, but those were his pets he raised from slings, that he asked someone to store while he moved. A week turned into a few years. I would be devastated.

I don't mean to scare you. Vet your recipients. That was a really long way of saying you'll never see your tarantula again, so do what you can to make the sunset of his legacy a good one.

 

[Stu Macher]

I'm sorry for what happened to your friend. I would go out of my way to expose that operation. I can't believe people are so heartless irl. Because keeping T's is somewhat niche, you're more inclined to trust someone who's in the hobby (at least I would be) naturally. Man, that sucks.

I'll definitely do my homework on that one. Thanks for that advice

 

[fcat]

Another terrible part is that it cuts out a lot of local breeding opportunities for my boys

If you're doing homework, I can't remember if irminia double clutch, I know cambridgei can...it's a lot of babies.

 

[Stu Macher]

I just looked it up, they can double clutch. I wouldn't be able to move that many slings. Goodness gracious everyone would be getting a freebie lol

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

You can also post on the boards in the invertsonals. Just make sure to go to the Classifieds tutorial and read the rules first. I just posted my MM irminia there.

 

[Stu Macher]

You can also post on the boards in the invertsonals. Just make sure to go to the Classifieds tutorial and read the rules first. I just posted my MM irminia there.

Thanks!