Sling Enclosure Forsting Concerns... Any Tips for a Solution?

[TheRedKnee]

Hey guys, just received my Red Knee sling today! Over the moon the sling arrived healthy!

I am concerned about my setup I currently have. I added the substrate making sure it wasn't too wet (when I squeezed it water didn't come out) and added some sphagnum moss which arrived already damp which is good.

For some reason I have quite a bit of frosting going on in the enclosure. Could it be condensation? It looks like the enclosure has steamed up.:

What is the solution to this? More airholes? Less air holes? Will it dry out eventually? My T hasn't climbed the sides or anything but hasn't burrowed either.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

@cold blood

 

[KezyGLA]

More ventilation (air holes) & Ditch the moss.

What species is it for?

 

[TheRedKnee]

More ventilation (air holes) & Ditch the moss.

What species is it for?

Okay so more air holes then. It is for my Mexican Red Knee

 

[TheRedKnee]

I'm gonna try upping the temperature in my T's room slighty. Was sitting at 70, hoping this will help

 

[Deeser]

I'm gonna try upping the temperature in my T's room slighty. Was sitting at 70, hoping this will help

That will help as well. I often see a bit of condensation in the morning in the more damp enclosures, when the temp is a bit lower, and it typically goes away throughout the day.

 

[TheRedKnee]

That will help as well. I often see a bit of condensation in the morning in the more damp enclosures, when the temp is a bit lower, and it typically goes away throughout the day.

Bumped up the temp to 75 and most of it went away. But as soon as the space heater turned off and the room dropped to 71 it started to come back. I can't keep the room at a constant 75 as it's winter. So should I try more airholes and hope that helps at 70 room temp?

 

[Deeser]

You should have more air holes anyways really.

When you increase the temp, the condensation is going back into the air in the enclosure, raising the ambient humidity, which is really not needed or beneficial for your red knee.

More ventilation will allow for more air exchange and reduce the overall humidity. Just keep the substrate slightly damp while in the sling stage and don't sweat a bit of condensation when temps are a bit cooler. You can even use it as a gauge for the moisture level in your substrate.

 

[darkness975]

Mexican Red Knee

Brachypelma hamorii

 

[Deeser]

Brachypelma hamorii

Unless OP purchased his T as B. Hamorii and specified it elsewhere, we shouldnt assume that's what it is based on the common name. Many of the red-kneed brachys have been labelled as Red Knee in the pet trade and unless the scientific name was specified upon purchase, it would be irresponsible to just assume, especially as a sling without properly IDing it.

B Smithi (prev B. Annitha) can also be labelled as Red Knee. We don't need any more brachy hybrids.

Plus its pedantic and doesn't answer the OPs question.

I do agree that its best to know the specific species name, but it serves no one to assume.

 

[Nightstalker47]

Unless OP purchased his T as B. Hamorii and specified it elsewhere, we shouldnt assume that's what it is based on the common name. Many of the red-kneed brachys have been labelled as Red Knee in the pet trade and unless the scientific name was specified upon purchase, it would be irresponsible to just assume, especially as a sling without properly IDing it.

B Smithi (prev B. Annitha) can also be labelled as Red Knee. We don't need any more brachy hybrids.

Plus its pedantic and doesn't answer the OPs question.

I do agree that its best to know the specific species name, but it serves no one to assume.

If OP used the Latin name from the start we wouldn't need to assume anything.

@TheRedKnee Please avoid common names, they just confuse things.

With that said this species does best in a drier enclosure, just moisten down one section of the sub rather then keeping the entirety of it damp.

 

[darkness975]

Since you guys like to hand out "dislikes" like hot cakes, how about someone answer the inquiry of what species @TheRedKnee has.

Any number of species can be a "red knee."

Plus its pedantic and doesn't answer the OPs question.

It adds to the necessary information to determine the best care for the species that was purchased.

 

[Deeser]

My dislike was for the way you interjected to simply write the species name without addressing the primary question.

Had you instead written something along the lines of "Assuming this is B. hamorii, you should do x y z. Can you confirm the Latin name of the species?"... Then I wouldn't have had any issue with it.

New hobbyists come here for information and may not be aware of the importance of Latin names. My cousin just bought her first t, a "red knee" as well, and hard as I tried to reach out to the pet store for information, we still dont know the exact species. People shouldnt be blamed for their ignorance when they are coming here specifically to learn.

 

[darkness975]

My dislike was for the way you interjected to simply write the species name without addressing the primary question.

Had you instead written something along the lines of "Assuming this is B. hamorii, you should do x y z. Can you confirm the Latin name of the species?"... Then I wouldn't have had any issue with it.

New hobbyists come here for information and may not be aware of the importance of Latin names. My cousin just bought her first t, a "red knee" as well, and hard as I tried to reach out to the pet store for information, we still dont know the exact species. People shouldnt be blamed for their ignorance when they are coming here specifically to learn.

Not quite understanding how you deciphered "blame" out of my post but moving on.

@TheRedKnee Tarantulas don't really like walking on moss. Just be sure you have enough open substrate for it to walk around a bit comfortably.

 

[viper69]

That white stuff is a known mold that kills humans and Ts be careful.

OR, it's just water.

 

[cold blood]

Brachypelma hamorii

Y'all can dislike all you want, but the t with the specific common name of Mexican red knee, is in fact, most often (and almost exclusively) referring to what is now called B. hamorii

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• cold blood
• Mar 26, 2017
• 8

formerly smithi

 

[Devin B]

Even if it isn't B. Hamorii, isnt the care for most of that genus pretty much the same? All the brachys I can think of at the moment have extremely similar, is there any that is an exception to that?

Anyways the enclosure definitely need more ventilation. Its just from whatever water is still in the substrate going into the air and collecting on the walls of the enclosure. Easy way to fix this is to heat up a pin or needle on the stove and burning holes into the enclosures. (After a temporary rehouse of course).

 

[Nightstalker47]

Even if it isn't B. Hamorii, isnt the care for most of that genus pretty much the same? All the brachys I can think of at the moment have extremely similar, is there any that is an exception to that?

Anyways the enclosure definitely need more ventilation. Its just from whatever water is still in the substrate going into the air and collecting on the walls of the enclosure. Easy way to fix this is to heat up a pin or needle on the stove and burning holes into the enclosures. (After a temporary rehouse of course).

B.vagans and B.abopilosum should be kept slightly more moist then the other brachys. But yes, their care is very similar.

 

[Devin B]

B.vagans and B.abopilosum should be kept slightly more moist then the other brachys. But yes, their care is very similar.

Okay thanks. I was just curious if there was any brachys that were way out of line with the others.

I guess if there was one that was way out of line it probably wouldnt be considered a brachypelma anyways.