Some Questions about my New Brachypelma albopilosum

[ghool]

Hi all, I just got my First T today, a young (not a sling) female Brachypelma albopilosum. I did some research before getting her and thought I knew what to do, but I got some conflicting advice from the pet store.

My first question is about humidity. They told me they had been misting her twice a day, but I've read online that this species generally only needs their water bowl, the crickets they eat to get the required humidity. I didn't think this species required a high amount of humidity, especially not twice a day misting.

My other main question is to do with heating. I've read and seen that as long as I'm comfortable, then my T should be as well. Generally my room stays in the 65-80 range (some days it might get hotter in the summer). But they recommended I get a heating pad to place under her enclosure, which again, I've heard isn't the best ideas.

Any tips on this would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

 

[Vanisher]

Keep it on slightly moist sub and overflow the dish when it starts to dry out! This speicies can tolerate drier conditions, but i think they do best in slightly moist peat! I say peat, cos its what i use, but you can use soil ir coco fibre aswellKeep at 22-25 celsius

 

[ghool]

Keep it on slightly moist sub and overflow the dish when it starts to dry out! This speicies can tolerate drier conditions, but i think they do best in slightly moist peat! I say peat, cos its what i use, but you can use soil ir coco fibre aswellKeep at 22-25 celsius

Thank you! My room is basically that exact temperature, so I should be good on that front. I was overflowing the dish already so that's perfect too! I'm using coco fiber, but it's still somewhat moist from me rehydrating it, as I tried to not dry it out fully before putting it in her enclosure. Thank you for the advice!

 

[Justin H]

Sounds like you got the right idea... continue to ignore the petstore. Don't mist, don't use a heating pad, just overflow the water dish once a week. Your temps are fine... 65 to 95 is the range most species will survive. Don't worry about relative humidity numbers in this hobby.

 

[Vanisher]

Thank you! My room is basically that exact temperature, so I should be good on that front. I was overflowing the dish already so that's perfect too! I'm using coco fiber, but it's still somewhat moist from me rehydrating it, as I tried to not dry it out fully before putting it in her enclosure. Thank you for the advice!

Yes! Sounds alright! You dont need extra heat if your room is in this temp range! Its not the whole world if the sub is little on the moist side. It will dry out pretty quickly in the enclosure!

 

[PidderPeets]

Sounds like you got the right idea... continue to ignore the petstore. Don't mist, don't use a heating pad, just overflow the water dish once a week. Your temps are fine... 65 to 95 is the range most species will survive. Don't worry about relative humidity numbers in this hobby.

I personally wouldn't recommend once a week. More like an "as needed" basis. Depending on ventilation and the area you live in (and other factors such as time of year, etc), once a week could actually be too much. If I overflowed some of my enclosures once a week, I'd create conditions that are way too wet for my Ts. So that's just something to keep in mind

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I got some conflicting advice from the pet store.

Ignore pet stores and online care sheets, the former either don't know what they're talking about or are deliberately trying to sell you crap you don't need (like hydrometers/heat mats/spray bottles) and the latter are usually made by people who don't know what they're talking about.

I didn't think this species required a high amount of humidity, especially not twice a day misting.

Just keep the substrate slightly moist (they tolerate dry sub just fine but prefer a little moisture) by overflowing the water dish or pouring a little water directly into the sub and repeating when it dries out, I don't mist any of my enclosures ever.

I've read and seen that as long as I'm comfortable, then my T should be as well.

This is one of those weird "general rules" that I don't really like because it's too vague and not universally applicable. I'd be perfectly comfortable at temps that would be low enough to kill a tarantula whereas most tarantulas wouldn't even be phased by temps that I'd find uncomfortably hot.

Basically, anything between 18°C and 32°C is generally fine and they can tolerate lower/higher temps for short periods.