What are my tarantulas doing?

[twentyeggs]

So I have two 6-7" Goliath pink foot Ts. About a year and a half to 2 years old. I've had them both since they were the half the size of my pinky nail. I recently put them into a larger tank. I took apart the old tank and cut a piece of glass to make a partition in the larger tank so I don't have to have two separate tanks for them. They each have symmetrical living quarters. Well, i went from a terrarium with a grate top to an aquarium with a fish top, hooded light ect.. So the humidity jumped to like 90%. So took the top off and put the grate on to dry things up.

One of my Ts squeezed its way over the partition and into the other tank with the other tarantula. I don't know when it happened I just noticed out of the corner of my eye one of them running up the glass really fast which they don't do. I realized they were in the same tank. I quickly took the lid off grabbed the escapee and put it back on its side of the tank. I noticed the one that ran up the glass had a web still attached to the other T so I know they made contact of some sort. No one got bit.

Now they are acting really weird. The one whos side was invaded is very agitated. But its not threat posing with its fangs. Just reaching up like a pose and taking a step forward, reaching up again like its going to attack and taking another step forward. This was how it was walking around. The one that escaped is constantly trying to go back over the partition. It's been trying to get to the other side for 4-5 hours now which is extremely uncharacteristic activity wise.

I do not know what the sex of each T is. I am thinking they are male and female and trying to mate. What do you think? I am wondering if the male is trying to get into the females tank so make some sweet lovin, or if they are trying to kill the other.

 

[telepatella]

Let this be the subtle hint to get rid of the split-tank. Get 2 tanks. Voila

 

[Poec54]

They're not adults yet, mating is out of the question. Please DO NOT use dividers. Many T's have been killed by their neighbor squeezing through. It's a huge spoecies, get another aquarium, today, before you lose one. In the meantime, take one out and put it in something else.

 

[twentyeggs]

They're not adults yet, mating is out of the question. Please DO NOT use dividers. Many T's have been killed by their neighbor squeezing through. It's a huge spoecies, get another aquarium, today, before you lose one. In the meantime, take one out and put it in something else.

Dude, it was only because I put the grate on and it didn't fit like the tank top. With the regular top on it is physically impossible for them to get to the other side. It is from bottom to top front to back sealed. maybe a gnat can get though the top. Unless i were to repeat the same mistake they will be fine in the same tank.

 

[madad666]

my C faciatum sling marches around like that when it is looking for prey it has missed tagging first attempt so I'm guessing they wanna get at each other to make war not love.

 

[MikeInNC]

In life, everyone has two choices:

1. Learn from other's mistakes.
2. Learn from your own mistakes.

Learning from other's mistakes is a lot less expensive, frustrating, painful, annoying, aggrevating, bleedy, owie, stressful......

I would trust the advice of others who have a lot more experience than myself.

Just sayin'

-Mike

 

[captmarga]

If the "split tank" is made properly into two, with a top-to-bottom silicon sealed divider, and a hinged two-part lid that completely covers the partition, I can see it working. Then you simply have two tanks stuck together. If a T can get a foot through, it will try to get the body through. If it can lift the lid, it will get out or over. They you have one fat tarantula instead of two that are agitated.

Feed them heavy, but I'll say good luck anyway.

Marga

 

[Poec54]

If it can lift the lid, it will get out or over. They you have one fat tarantula instead of two that are agitated.

+1. That's how most fatalities occur: one squeezing over the top of the divider, while the lid has some 'give' to it. T's are strong animals with lots of time on their hands (tarsi actually).

 

[sugarsandz]

So I have two 6-7" Goliath pink foot Ts. About a year and a half to 2 years old. I've had them both since they were the half the size of my pinky nail. I recently put them into a larger tank. I took apart the old tank and cut a piece of glass to make a partition in the larger tank so I don't have to have two separate tanks for them. They each have symmetrical living quarters. Well, i went from a terrarium with a grate top to an aquarium with a fish top, hooded light ect.. So the humidity jumped to like 90%. So took the top off and put the grate on to dry things up.

One of my Ts squeezed its way over the partition and into the other tank with the other tarantula. I don't know when it happened I just noticed out of the corner of my eye one of them running up the glass really fast which they don't do. I realized they were in the same tank. I quickly took the lid off grabbed the escapee and put it back on its side of the tank. I noticed the one that ran up the glass had a web still attached to the other T so I know they made contact of some sort. No one got bit.

Now they are acting really weird. The one whos side was invaded is very agitated. But its not threat posing with its fangs. Just reaching up like a pose and taking a step forward, reaching up again like its going to attack and taking another step forward. This was how it was walking around. The one that escaped is constantly trying to go back over the partition. It's been trying to get to the other side for 4-5 hours now which is extremely uncharacteristic activity wise.

I do not know what the sex of each T is. I am thinking they are male and female and trying to mate. What do you think? I am wondering if the male is trying to get into the females tank so make some sweet lovin, or if they are trying to kill the other.

I'm wondering though, you said it only happened because you put the other lid on to dry out the substrate and that with the other lid it will be fine. My question is then, will it be way to humid again because 90% seems really super humid? I'd invest in a second tank to avoid 1. the humidity issue and 2. injury or death if this happens again when the tank gets humid and needs aired out.

 

[845BigRed]

I gotta agree with the get the other tank asap. I have a 7 inch Goliath comfortable in a 10 gallon (which you can get pretty cheap) and the woman over at net-bug informed me she kepts her's in a 5 gallon and its perfectly fine.

As far as what is it doing...Tarantula's speak with body language, it was probably warning the other one that it was on ITS property. Have you sexed them? I know they are still pretty young to be sexually matured but if they were both females, then I can clearly see this as being one T telling the other to get away from its property OR a female warning a male shes not ready (tho I'm pretty sure the female would just eat the male).

 

[EightLeggedFreaks]

Never mind misread