# T. Blondi missing fangs... update.



## Ace_Man (Apr 18, 2008)

I posted before in questions and discussions, but I figure it's better here. My 2.5" blondi's last shed wasn't good. He lost both fangs, and is having a heck of a time eating. People on here helped me out a little, although everyone thinks you should kill or mash the food up. But he WILL NOT eat something that is dead, doesn't move, or from a dropper (well he did drink a little but it was almost nothing). So I use legless crickets with a sliced abdomen. He seems to be interested in them alot, and still struggles with trying to eat them. I'd say he's the next T that I have that's due to shed soon. Even though it's probly like a month. Still hoping for the best of course...


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## Ace_Man (Apr 18, 2008)

Oops. Meant to post these --v





March 21st





April 1st


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## kupo969 (Apr 18, 2008)

I honestly don't think the missing fangs are the only problem. That substrate will definitely hurt your T.


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## Trav (Apr 18, 2008)

Wood chips are bad.
Cedar can actually kill a tarantula.


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## Atrax1207 (Apr 18, 2008)

Poor lil' guy, hope he makes it. Yea, you should really remove those wood chips, they are not good for your T'.

Bye, Atrax


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## Lucara (Apr 19, 2008)

swap to peatmoss and pump up the humidity.


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## Drachenjager (Apr 19, 2008)

Ace_Man said:


> Oops. Meant to post these --v
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Houston, we have a problem.

man, with a species known to have bad molts, having that "stuff" for a substrate is about useful as the space shuttle removing some of those ceramic tiles from the underside of a wing before reentering the atmosphere.

Get some peatmoss, and do it fast. You need to keep them pretty moist too. many people believe that drier conditions aggravate the bad molts.


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## scar is my t (Apr 19, 2008)

poor little guy.i thought that a tarantula would die without its fangs but it likes like he will make it.good luck hope he makes it


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## Ace_Man (Apr 21, 2008)

Man that sucks. I don't think they are cedar chips, but I know they don't stay moist very long. I spray my tanks once or twice a day, and none of my other T's have ever had probs. The stuff is almost wet when you take it out of the bag though. 

Couple of my tanks have something else, not sure what it is, but it looks nothing like that. I always tried to stay away from dirt and stuff cuz it's so messy and sticks to the sides of the tank. AND, I'm not very good at transporting these guys from one container to another. 

My P. Regalis has the same substrate in a 10 gallon tank and I would never even dream of taking the whole lid off. He's 6" inches long and fast as lightning... almost got out once too, and I'm not too big on handling. 

Is there ANY T that this stuff is OK to use with? Cuz if not I have ALOT of work to do.


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## cacoseraph (Apr 21, 2008)

if you REALLY don't want to get rid of the chips and as long as that wood is not from cedar/pine/aromatic type of trees you could take and buy a bunch of coconut fiber and then mix up the wood chips you have with the coconut fiber to allow the blondi to burrow if it wants. i would suggest half burying a large flowerpot or something that will give the spider a hide option also. but if you do continue to use them they are a danger to your spdier via abrasion or impalation. that is probably a word.

it would probably be best to scrap the wood chips or see if you got a buddy with a snake or somethign that they are more appropriate for, though


but you really should find out what kind of wood it is.  i believe it was gphx on here that did an ~experiment growing mealworms or something on some kinda aromatic wood... the first generation that was living right on the chips had all kinds of deformities and stuff...


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## Ace_Man (Apr 21, 2008)

well... I have a snake. But anyway... the coconut fiber stuff IS what's in a couple of my other tanks. The wood chips was what I was given over a year ago for my g. rosea when I bought it, and it is fine. Maybe if I just take out most of the chips and cover with something else. Then it may be safer and easier on me. I don't know much about individual species' humidity needs. Other than t. blondi is high and greenbottle blue (couldn't remember scientific name) is low. We'll see...........


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## PhilK (Apr 22, 2008)

I reckon if you can't bring yourself to do basic stuff like substrate changes you shouldn't be owning Ts.

Get over your little problems and buy some peat to house your Ts on. Who cares if it sticks to the sides and is messy and your scared of your Ts? Man up and accept the responsibility of owning a T or sell them. Myt wo cents.


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## pato_chacoana (Apr 22, 2008)

Well said. Either you give them the best proper care there is or you don't get into this hobby at all. Also you can't be afraid of your pets!


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## ThomasH (Apr 22, 2008)

So ace man, what the heck were you thinking? You know the substrate doesn't hold humidity and your Theraphosa blondi needs it to molt but you don't switch substrates. T. blondi's and P. regalis's are for advanced keepers, I don't even consider myself advanced enough, much less a guy that doesn't know you shouldn't use wood chips and is too afraid to take a top of a P. regalis tank. Man, I am very disappointed in you what you are doing is just short of animal abuse. 
I wish your animals good luck.


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## ErinKelley (Apr 22, 2008)

Man you guys are harsh, I didn't see anything in his post that says he's not going to change it.

Ace man, I think the more tarantula keepers out there the better.  As with any other animal, exotic or not, environment is #1 in the list of care and requirements.  As someone above stated, the missing fangs are not as much of a worry to your blondi as his substrate is.  You can probably find a huge bag of plain old peat moss fairly cheap at your home and garden stores.

Make a spider catching cup with the top third of a 2liter soda bottle, take a stiff piece of cardboard and scoop your spiders that way.  Use a big cup or scoop to put the peat moss in your tanks so ya dont make a mess and remoisten the peat in there if you need to.  Remember that if you can squeeze any water from the dirt it's way too wet.

Also it would be a good idea to research each species you have.  Know at least what continent they are from and what kind of habitat they live in.  Dont let anybody keep you from asking questions either.

Good luck!


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## smof (Apr 23, 2008)

I do find it kind of amusing how some people on this site seem to take personal offence to seeing someone keep a T in a way they deem unacceptable. Keeping spiders is not an elite club 

Ace Man, T blondi are notorious for bad molts and losing fangs, so don't feel too bad. Quite a few people have had success getting their blondi through to their next moult after losing fangs. I agree you should switch the substrate, if only to give the spider a burrowing option. If you really want to use the chips (if you are SURE they're not toxic) then put them in an arboreal T's cage, then they won't spend any time on them anyway.


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## smof (Apr 23, 2008)

BoaConstrictor said:


> So ace man, what the heck were you thinking? You know the substrate doesn't hold humidity and your Theraphosa blondi needs it to molt but you don't switch substrates. T. blondi's and P. regalis's are for advanced keepers, I don't even consider myself advanced enough, much less a guy that doesn't know you shouldn't use wood chips and is too afraid to take a top of a P. regalis tank. Man, I am very disappointed in you what you are doing is just short of animal abuse.
> I wish your animals good luck.


like this... lmao, who made you president of the T keeping hobby? Animal abuse, seriously? You think this guy doesn't sound like he cares about his animals? Sometimes this forum makes me roll my eyes so hard I pull a muscle


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## Ace_Man (Apr 23, 2008)

Okay. For ONE... I'm NOT afraid of being bitten, but of losing the T under something or it getting hurt. I know how fast my ornamental is, and I've heard of them getting out and not being able to catch them too easy. I mean, my greenbottle is nowhere near as fast as the ornamental and when I was first putting it in it's tank, it touched the bottom, was up the side, and out before I could even think. So I take caution. The Ornamental and my Thai Giant Centipede are the only things that I would rather not get out of their tanks. And another thing is, by saying, "I have alot of work to do" anyway... Most of my other tanks do not look like this one. They are full of rocks and plants and burrows that are covered in thick web (as spiders tend to do sometimes). I would hate to destroy all of them just because everyone thinks my substrate is toxic, and if it was, I would think at least one or two would be dead by now. My dad kept three g. roseas (years and years ago) in one tank split into three. He had them on sand with no decorations in the tank but a plastic cup with a wet sponge in it. Also with a large red heat lamp blasting down in it at all times. These things are all not recommended, yet they lived a very long time. I have seen 17 molts out of my 9 T's, they all went perfect until this one. Alot of other people have this problem with blondi's too, and obviously have no idea why it happens. ANYWAY, I went to the pet store today and got some new stuff. It's supposed to stay moist alot longer than the chips. And if anyone cares about anything other than slamming me with unkind words... the blondi is still doing fine and is eating. Good day...


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## pato_chacoana (Apr 24, 2008)

Just want to add something here. That an animal survives under lousy environment conditions does not mean that it's well kept in captivity. Yes a dog could survive in a small cage with food and water for years but it's not so cool as he will suffer all his life. This is an extreme example of course....
So, don't take this personal, but the thing is that you can learn how to keep your animals the best way possible.... And you would have to deal with taking out your Poecilotheria of your enclosure, because some day you'll just have to. It's actually not so difficult, I've done it many times and even handle sometimes my adult regalis, not recommend to handle them though  

Kate, it's true that you don't have to be anything special to keep spiders, but I think you have to know how to deal with them and ''control'' them. I personally don't understand why people who doesn't naturally LOVE tarantulas have them as pets. But that's another story.....

As Mikhail and I always say... This is MY opinion  

Pato.


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## smof (Apr 24, 2008)

I love my pokie. Doesn't mean I wanna get it out its enclosure any more often than is absolutely necessary. And he's only 2 inches big, lol.


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## Ace_Man (Apr 24, 2008)

my p. regalis/indian ornamental is 6" with a bad attitude... And for goodness sake, freakin wood chips aren't making the spider suffer. If it was, it would web it up, and it's NOT. So go elsewhere with your 'opinions'.


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## Nightshade (Apr 24, 2008)

If I were you I would quit misting the T. blondi. If I misted mine, I'm pretty sure he would stridulate and bare his fangs at me.

If you have a substrate like peat moss, coco fibre, potting soil/black earth, you can just pour water directly into the substrate. Covering over the substrate with a layer sphagnum moss helps to counteract any white mold spots from the moisture. 

My juvenile male T. blondi seems quite content with his setup. He has a 12" clay pot to hide in and a water dish similar to yours. I water his substrate least once a week. I've had him for almost 2 years now and he's molted 4 times without any problems.

Not trying to bash you for your Ts or the way you keep them, but if the pede and the ornamental are causing you real difficulties when you have to do maintenance, maybe you should consider trading down. When I brought Blondi home I promised myself I would trade him in for something smaller and easier if I couldn't handle him. 

Personally, I've always loved the look of pokies, but their speed and their venom and my limited experience with arboreals (1 year of keeping H. maculata, 6 months keeping P. irminia, one failed attempt at raising an A. avic sling, another failed attempt at raising an S. calceatum sling) are holding me back from getting any.    

Just my 2 cents. I hope your T. blondi recovers.


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## Ace_Man (Apr 25, 2008)

i haven't actually had to do maintenance with those two. I just use two tools thru the small openings on the lid and I have actually remodeled the entire tank like that. I can get crickets out too. But most people in their right mind would make sure that an 8" centipede didn't get on them or escape. He eats fine and his tank is fine... so is the ornamental. Thanks for the concern.


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## citizen_smithi (Apr 25, 2008)

Woah this is quite the springer show aint it? Listen mate, i'm sure you keep ya T's just fine and they're all healthy apart from the bad blondi molt which prob isn't your fault anyway. But having said that, it's surely best to have put it on the most recommended substrate for it's species regardless of how well other species have done on it before, for instance just coz my smithi is happy in the dry enclosure it has, I wouldn't use the same exact set up for a seemani jst because it worked with a desert species.

But anyway, I hope the blondi does well next molt and for the record I think you got an undeserved and overtly rude response in this thread, why can't people just be polite about it?

Peace.


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## crpy (Apr 25, 2008)

WOW, sorry about all the crap you been taken ACE, some poeple seem to forget they came through the same door, hang tough in the web man
crpy


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## Skullptor (Apr 25, 2008)

I am pulling for your T to make it. 

When I started in this hobby over 20 yrs ago, I was given a book on keeping T's back in 1987. The book is Tarantulas: A complete introduction by Al David. The author suggests using gravel and sand as ideal setup options. Almost every photo has a T on what we now see as not so ideal substrate. On page 58 the author has a smithi on less than 1" of gravel. You can see the glass bottom of the tank showing through in spots. He has a real cactus in there, thorns and all sitting in a small pot unsecured. :wall: 

Everyone of these things are considered a no-no today. So IMO your dad is totally forgiven for doing what was considered acceptable at that time. but we have learned at lot since your dads time. I think some are out of line in what they are posting. I think armed with more information on this, you would be willing to change for the health of your T's, so slamming is completely unnecessary.

May I suggest to use some kind of tool that holds substrate, and dump a few scoops in on top of the wood? You can do this with minimal chance of escape and provide immediate comfort. 

again, good luck with your T.


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## pato_chacoana (Apr 25, 2008)

ppppsss, infraction? I only answered to his kind post which WASN'T removed....didn't mean to counter attack.


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## citizen_smithi (Apr 25, 2008)

pato_chacoana said:


> ppppsss, infraction? I only answered to his kind post which WASN'T removed....didn't mean to counter attack.


Hey,I got one too and all I did was stick up for him and when repeating what someone else had said, I censored the word - infraction!

I guess rules is rules though eh, but tough though I thought but gotta think of the kiddies I suppose


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## Lucara (Apr 25, 2008)

As far as my opinions on this..when multiple tarantula keepers all give you the Same advice...theres probably a reason for it. Its not like peat moss will break your bank its $2 at Walmart and you can reuse the chips for one of your arboreal species.
I kind of think of it like rabbits. A LOT of people keep their rabbits on those cages with the metal or plastic grates on the bottom. Obviously your rabbit isnt going to die from sitting on a grate its entire life but the fact that it would be more comfortable on something flat and solid would make your rabbit far more happy. Your T's wont die from sitting on wood chips their entire life but the fact that they will most likely be more comfortable on peatmoss or dirt of some sort should make you think twice. 
Try standing on a metal grate for a week. Its really going to get uncomfortable after a while. Try standing on woodchips for a week. Same thing Lol. Thats just my 2cents. =D No harm, no foul.


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## ajwilki (Apr 25, 2008)

*Hate to see suffering*

Sorry about your T.  I know I would freak if anything happened to my Rosie.  I hope recovery is swift and sure!  I do agree with the wood chips, they are actually not real good for snakes either because they can get stuck in their scales.  I actually bought bedding specifically for tarantulas at an exotic pet shop.


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## ThomasH (Apr 25, 2008)

I don't think my post was extreme at all. If someone took out all your teeth and your only livelyhood was catching prey with your teeth and eating with your teeth than would you think of it as abuse? I am NOT an expert I just started in October but in my first minute of research I found that you DO NOT use wood chips for any spider. This person did the wrong thing and it was painfully obvious what to do but he didn't do it. That may not be abuse by definition but it is at the very least considered neglect.


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## Ace_Man (Apr 25, 2008)

NEWSFLASH PEOPLE!!!!!!!! I said earlier in the thread that I bought new substrate. GEEZ.


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## Ace_Man (Apr 25, 2008)

I started in December 2006 with T's, and already knew some stuff before that. I do know that if a T is uncomfotable with what it is standing on, it will cover it with web, which he has not done. And more recently (since I haven't put the new stuff in there yet) I put some of the coconut fiber substrate in there. It was mostly just dirt, but he is still standing on the side with the wood chips... who is it exactly that asked the T if it was uncomfortable anyway?


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## Nightshade (Apr 25, 2008)

I wasn't trying to be preachy with my earlier post. I've been keeping Ts since September 2005 and between then and now I've had 6 sling deaths, so I'm not in any position to know it all.  

I can only speculate because my S. calceatum died (got stuck in it's molt in the fall), but if it had grown to 6" I think I would definitely have traded down for another less venomous arboreal. Even though it never reached 2" in size, I just couldn't control my nerves when I had to feed/water/do maintenance. 
I wouldn't try again with that species until my H. maculata is finished growing.

The first "difficult" T I got was an H. lividum sling. It grew nicely for two months, then I rehoused it and it died a week later. A month or two after that happened I got another sling and it's grown into a healthy juvenile female.

Sticking with your more difficult inverts gives you valuable experience, but in my opinion there's no shame in backing down from a species if you're not comfortable keeping it. That's all I meant. 

Lol, I'm sure I'll never feel experienced enough to share my apartment with an 8" pede.

I don't think Ts webbing is a sign that they're uncomfortable with what they're standing on. Mine scale the walls or sit on top of their hides if they don't like the substrate. When I see a recently rehoused T webbing, I take it as a sign of success.

The bark chips would be more useful as T substrate if you put them through a blender and then mix them with the coco fibre. A mixture of both is closer to the T. blondi's forest floor environment than just one or the other.

The substrate I'm planning on using for my T. blondi's final enclosure is a combination of peat moss & or coco fibre, potting soil, blended cypress bark chips and sphagnum moss on top.


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## ThomasH (Apr 25, 2008)

I think we should all just let this thread die.


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## pato_chacoana (Apr 26, 2008)

I second that......


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## citizen_smithi (Apr 26, 2008)

Yep, webbing is not a bad sign at all - if it was wouldn't that mean that all GBB's hate EVERYTHING they live amongst? Mine have all webbed around and now sit happy as larry 24/7, I agree that it's a sign of a substrate an animal can and wants to settle into. I would think the contrast is a bad substrate would be one a T does nothing with at all, added to constant climbing and bark basking.

Oh and yeah, this thread has an uncomfortable vibe to it, so - nighty night.


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## arachyd (Apr 26, 2008)

If it would stay on topic I'd like to continue to read updates on how the T is doing. It is valuable information. From what I've read this isn't the first one to lose fangs and I'm sure it won't be the last. If it ever happens to one of mine I'd be glad to know what did and what did not help the T to eat.


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## Ace_Man (Apr 26, 2008)

This "problem" is being resolved. So there is no reason to ask me how my T's are being kept anymore. The blondi is fine so far, and his abdomen has actually grown. I am comfortable and confident that I know enough about my animals to keep them. I know other people who have had deaths and I have had none. BTW the blondi can climb the side and he does not, he is making NO attempt to escape this substrate whatsoever, so drop it. Anyway, I will use this thread only to update what happens with the blondi.


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## Ace_Man (Apr 27, 2008)

HERE! Happy now?

View attachment 71035


View attachment 71036


Well, I'm glad I was told to do this... although I didn't see the wood chips being as big a problem as some people thought. This stuff is like a sponge, I had to squeeze the water out of it before putting it into the tank. Most of the tanks I just covered in a layer (the centipede's is the bottom left and I did it all through two holes in the lid that are about two inches in diameter), but a few of them I actually removed the old stuff and replaced it. Great stuff. I only spray my tanks with the same water I drink (bottled aquafina), so now I shouldn't have to use as much of it.


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## arachyd (Apr 27, 2008)

I see speakers  . Please tell me you are playing the right music for them! Ts only listen to reggae. And get some more posters on those walls for heaven's sake! How are they supposed to chill out to Bob Marley with only one poster?!!   Sorry, couldn't resist  .


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## Ace_Man (Apr 27, 2008)

Wow, you are very observant. Unless you are talking about my 3 tier fan, there IS a large speaker behind it. If you saw that you're good, cuz I can't even see it in the photo. And I can see like ONE poster. Although all of my walls are covered in them... Napoleon Dynamite, SpongeBob, car posters, Lord of the Rings, all the way back to Star Wars Episode 1. The best one I have that the T's used to be in front of is.... Spiderman III (you know the one with venom lookin all evil on it.) I usually don't take old stuff down. I am moving out soon, and I will have an entire room for them, and maybe at least add one more. Any suggestions on my tenth and final T?


P.S. OOPS, staying on topic... The blondi ate some cricket today, and is laying on his new substrate like a brand new serta matress (if those are even comfortable anyway).

P.P.S. My T's have acquired a taste for metal music.


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## PhilK (Apr 30, 2008)

How are they meant to burrow with only 2 inches of substrate..?


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## Ace_Man (Apr 30, 2008)

Most of them have "caves". The ones that don't probably will when they get into a bigger tank. Also the ones that don't have them don't really even try to dig anyway. I do know that they WILL try to dig even if there is not much substrate. As one did before I gave him a little cave.

Update... kind of. The Blondi is looking kind of brown-ish. They turn like that when they are getting closer to molting right? Then they turn black after it. I think. He was black when he first molted.


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## citizen_smithi (May 1, 2008)

So far my little friends seem to enjoy monster magnet. But they are not at all getting into the chartshow, I think we understand each other. Also they seem to always come out when i'm watching Al Pacino movies.

That last blondi pic looks like it's not been long since it last molted, but what size is it at right now? Glad it's doing better, good to hear, and nice job on the substrates too.


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## PhilK (May 2, 2008)

Cave does not equal burrow. Anyway I hope your guy moults soon. I've heard that they put a rush on the moulting process if they have to regen things.


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## Ace_Man (May 2, 2008)

"cave does not equal burrow"? That doesn't make sense, they can go inside, web it all up in there and move the substrate around inside it the way they want. I'm sure it's fine. Anyway, he molted more than a month and a half ago. He's probably two and a half inches if that's what you're asking, I haven't got the exact length. Every day or so, I throw a legless cut-open cricket in. He's getting slightly bigger every time too. I'm hoping for him to molt within a couple weeks. Even my larger T's molt every two or three months. Only problem is, I have a week long honeymoon thing to go on. Hopefully someone else can make sure he doesn't go hungry.


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## 8ballphoenix (May 4, 2008)

Hey, thanks for keeping us updated. Every time I look at our blondi's tank, I think of your little guy. Congrats on honeymoon thing.


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## Rochelle (May 5, 2008)

PhilK said:


> Cave does not equal burrow. Anyway I hope your guy moults soon. I've heard that they put a rush on the moulting process if they have to regen things.


I've tried so hard to keep my advice to myself, since everyone else is so busy bashing you...
BUT;  your blondi likely incurred the fang loss due to low humidity during molt. A direct result of improper substrate and it's inability to produce it's desired effects.
If you intend to keep what are basically wild animals (even if CB) then you owe it to the animal to provide as close an approximation of it's natural habitat as possible.  Period.  You cannot call yourself a "Keeper" if you do not.
Anything less is a "Captor".... sorry. The truth is often impolite.
Learn all you can about your pet's natural environment and follow along. If you cannot, or will not - then you simply shouldn't own it.
T.blondi's need to DIG.....Not HIDE.
A proper burrow also provides optimum humidity. It knows what it's doing.  You spent quite a bit on the purchase of your sling; spend just a couple more dollars and provide it with DEEP substrate to burrow.
If you are too nervous to properly handle cage maintenance on something like a P.regalis; sell it to someone who can.
Or make friends with someone who has the nerve to help you. There is no shame in this. I have often asked others to help me with T's that scare the daylights out of me....and then I gained confidence and knowledge by watching them do it. Most of them I service and rehouse by myself, these days.
Good luck and I hope I have not offended with my advice. It was meant to help. T. blondi's are considered one of the hardest T's to keep successfully.


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## Rochelle (May 5, 2008)

If his substrate is properly hydrated and his waterdish is full; then a week long Honeymoon won't even faze him.
Congrats, BTW!!  :clap:


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## Ace_Man (May 7, 2008)

First off, the blondi is still doing well. He consumed an entire cricket (i think, because I can't find the body). His abdomen is still growing too. Also... slightly off this topic... but I picked up my 10th T today. A 2" A. Versicolor. 

READ FURTHER IF YOU WANT TO DISLIKE ME!! :clap: 

Anyway, Rochelle, or whatever... I established earlier on that my T's are fine. I'm not afraid of the P. Regalis. And I WILL NOT EVER sell, give away or get rid of my T's. They are not being 'tortured' as most people may think. I'm seriously tired of people getting on here telling me what to do and me having to explain myself every time. Sure, the new substrate helped, as far as me not having to spray as much. Other than that, you overly-obsessed people need to keep your comments to yourselves.


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## Truff135 (May 7, 2008)

Ace_Man said:


> First off, the blondi is still doing well. He consumed an entire cricket (i think, because I can't find the body). His abdomen is still growing too. Also... slightly off this topic... but I picked up my 10th T today. A 2" A. Versicolor.
> 
> READ FURTHER IF YOU WANT TO DISLIKE ME!! :clap:
> 
> Anyway, Rochelle, or whatever... I established earlier on that my T's are fine. I'm not afraid of the P. Regalis. And I WILL NOT EVER sell, give away or get rid of my T's. They are not being 'tortured' as most people may think. I'm seriously tired of people getting on here telling me what to do and me having to explain myself every time. Sure, the new substrate helped, as far as me not having to spray as much. Other than that, you overly-obsessed people need to keep your comments to yourselves.


I don't quite understand the defensiveness you exhibit.  We "overly-obsessed" people are only concerned for the well-being of your animals.  For example, let's talk about rats.  Sure, they can be kept by themselves in a tiny one-level wire cage.  But, it's also a good way to make a very unhappy, neurotic animal.  The preferred method is to keep them in pairs at least with a huge cage with plenty of space, with toys and treats and daily interaction.  Which is the happier animal?  The one that "looks fine" or the one that is living as nature intended?
These animals did not ask to be put into our homes, *we* made that decision for them.  Therefore, it is our responsibility to give them the care they deserve.  You (generally-speaking) should not keep a t.blondi on shallow substrate.  Burrowing is in their nature, it's what they crave.  I can almost 100% guarantee you that if you provide it with deep, moist substrate, it will burrow.  Just because it will "hide" in a cave doesn't mean that that is what's best for the animal.  I have a proposition: give it the deep, moist substrate AND a hide, and let the _tarantula_ decide which it prefers.  If it chooses the burrow, well, you just made your critter even happier.  If it chooses to hide in the cave, then more power to you.  I would at least give it the option.  Does that sound overly-obsessed?  I sure hope not.  
This is a community, and we are all here to help.  Some may not give advice as gently as others but the fact still remains that it is our job to provide for these animals.  I do understand your frustration but on a similar hand, as a tarantula keeper, I can't help but feel slightly annoyed at your seeming unwillingness to take good advice when given.  That was not intended as an insult, just as what appears to be fact.  Sometimes temperaments can be difficult to judge through the screen of a computer, so there are times when we all take things that are said a little too roughly.  Just remember what we are *all* in this hobby for, the animals.
I think I have said everything that has needed to be said; I hope it does not fall on deaf ears. 
Take care, and I do wish your blondi the best.


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## arachyd (May 7, 2008)

I can understand the defensiveness. Insults and accusations were made against the op and from what I've read, people were warned about it. There has been plenty of reason to be defensive.


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## Nightshade (May 8, 2008)

*Search these topics*

T. blondi
T. blondi substrate 
T. blondi housing
T. blondi humidity
T. blondi caresheets
T. blondi injury
T. blondi broken fangs 
T. blondi pre molt

Best of luck to all your arachnids.


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## Truff135 (May 8, 2008)

arachyd said:


> I can understand the defensiveness. Insults and accusations were made against the op and from what I've read, people were warned about it. There has been plenty of reason to be defensive.


Initially, yes, but now after people have settled down and are genuinely trying to help, there's still defensiveness.  That's what I was referring to.


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## 357wheelgunner (May 9, 2008)

Ace_Man said:


> Other than that, you overly-obsessed people need to keep your comments to yourselves.


If you want a one way conversation, stay off of public message boards.


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## Ace_Man (May 14, 2008)

Well, I added a good bit more substrate in the Blondi's tank. Guess what? NO burrowing... How about that? Still alive though.


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## Talkenlate04 (May 14, 2008)

Ace_Man said:


> Well, I added a good bit more substrate in the Blondi's tank. Guess what? NO burrowing... How about that? Still alive though.


YAYYYYYYY


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## hairmetalspider (May 14, 2008)

Ace_Man said:


> Well, I added a good bit more substrate in the Blondi's tank. Guess what? NO burrowing... How about that? Still alive though.


T's are weird. Theu don't have a defined behavior but it IS a well known fact that Blondi' burrow. Just because it did not build an intricate maze that would make the Egyptian pyramids looks lame, doesn't mean it won't burrow in the future.

However, it's cool that your taking the iniative to make your Blondi's home a better place. So props for that.


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## crpy (May 14, 2008)

wow, Springer anyone?


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## Truff135 (May 16, 2008)

Ace_Man said:


> Well, I added a good bit more substrate in the Blondi's tank. Guess what? NO burrowing... How about that? Still alive though.


Give her some time.  My haplopelma lividum, which are known for their giant burrows, took about a month before finally settling in.  She cowered in a corner for the longest time.  What _might_ help (it helps some tarantulas but not always), is to give her a bit of a pre-made burrow.  I used a paper towel tube and shoved about half of it into the dirt, then removed it.  That way, they have a base and then can extend and dig around as much as they want.  What I also did was put a half-log hide on top of that to make her feel even more secure.  Once she had established her burrow, she shoved dirt into the half-log entrance and webbed that off, too (then molted shortly after).
I am not 100% sure, but I thought I had heard somewhere that sometimes blondi will find a previously-occupied burrow and move in, then give it their own "homey" touch.  So, giving her somewhere to start might just do the trick.
And please try to settle down with the remarks, we really are just trying to help you and your girl out.


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## Talkenlate04 (May 16, 2008)

The only thing I am going to add to this thread is I have a big blondi girl and she has NEVER burrowed or shown any desire to burrow.I have not even seen her pick up substrate before EVER!
 I raised her from sling, and she is now as of last night around 8.5-9" so IMO a burrowing setup for this species really is not needed unless the owner wants one.


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## Lucara (May 16, 2008)

I'm going to have agree with Talken on this. I've got 4 slings, a subadult, and 3 adult blondis and I've never had any problems with molts and I've never given them the substrate to burrow. They rarely use their hides either except to molt in.


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## Truff135 (May 16, 2008)

So where the heck did I hear about them being burrowers?  lol.....That's the problem, I read so many sites and stuff that I can't remember where I read it.  *sigh*
Well ace, if she decides not to burrow after all, sounds like she's not the only one  .  I do still stand by my opinion that it's wise to at least give her (and every tarantula for that matter) the option, so good job on that one! :clap: 
Do you have any pics of her right now?  I'd like to see how big she is.


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## Ace_Man (May 17, 2008)

Another thing, if a T was going to dig, it wouldn't 'know' that it's substrate was only an inch deep. If it wanted one it would still try. Out of 10 T's that I have, only 1 (b. vagans) has tried digging. Which was strange because it already has a nice semi-deep burrow. It dug a little bit in a corner then just abandoned the project. 

Not really anything new with the blondi, I just stocked up on crickets and fed him one today. I think he's still eating it. He's not huge, but he's an average-looking size. I can't WAIT until he has his fangs again. 

On the brighter side of things... my B. Smithi and my GBB both molted this week!!!


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## RottweilExpress (May 17, 2008)

My blondi juvie girl (4½ inch) hates sunshine (even indirect light) and light on her. When I gave her a burrow she zapped into it and has modified it since.

My 5" T. Apo's are the same. They'll be halfway out of the burrow when hungry but that's pretty much it.


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## jshadowstalker (May 18, 2008)

i've got 6 adult blondi's ...everyone's in 5 to 6 inch substrate....they never dig. they will use there hides i've given them but they have never done there own tunneling. i agree about spiders not knowing what depth substrate there on, when i get new animals and conflicting info on them. i keep them on shallow medium and wait to see if they dig, if they do they get more substrate. might be wrong way to house them but i let them show me what they want. On a side not i have 7 regalis and i'm scared of being bitten by all of them. i treat them like fish...i look,feed and very carefully do tank mantinence a couple times a year for them. I think because i fear there bite that maybe that makes me a better keeper because i'm very careful with them.i think that half my collection is beautiful yet dangerous...i have no need to prove my courage by holding dangerous tarantulas.


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## Ace_Man (Jun 9, 2008)

T. Blondi is still eating well, and is still getting fatter. Although very slowly. Suprisingly... no molting yet. It'll probably happen when I least expect it. 

Oh yeah... and some bad news. I moved my 10 T's, centipede, and snake to my new home with their own room. The night before I moved them, my adult emperor scorpion died. All other pets made the move well though. I bought a new little scorp soon after. The old fella is sittin in an alcohol grave now.


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## smof (Jun 9, 2008)

Sorry to hear about your emp but I'm glad the blondi is doing well. Sounds like s/he is gonna be just fine!


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## Ace_Man (Jul 12, 2008)

Alright, the T. Blondi finally molted. I was very happy... but it wasn't a great thing actually. As a matter of fact, he was better off without the fangs. NOW, he has no use of one leg, it just drags behind him. And he has a soft white spot on the underside of his abdomen. It looks like his fangs are back, but I don't know what will happen to his leg when he molts again. If he makes it to the next one with that soft spot.


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## Miss Bianca (Jul 12, 2008)

*una foto.*

any pics yet??


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## Ace_Man (Jul 17, 2008)

Seems to be doing okay, but I still don't know what will become of that soft spot, or what will happen to theleg upon molting again. 

And my A. Versicolor molted yesterday, I pulled the molt out and it's perfect. The little guy's almost as big as the blondi now.


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## Ace_Man (Aug 7, 2008)

Here's your darn pic. You can see that his leg is folded over. Anyway... he doesn't seem too bothered by it, he can still strike prey with lightning speed. I just hope it doesn't come off when he attacks. He seems to have control over the main joint from the body, but no others on that leg. He has actually been sitting with it down like the rest of them lately.


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## Tarantula_man94 (Aug 7, 2008)

other than the fangs missing, you might want 2 change the substrate. that could hurt your T.


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## desertdweller (Aug 7, 2008)

Aw poor thing looks so thin.  No fangs to eat with sure can put a crimp in one's eating.  It must be such a helpless feeling just having to watch and hope it all turns our all right.  I sure hope it does for you.

My P murinus girl lost her fangs last molt and amazingly enough she still gets the cricket!!  Holds it in her mouth, god knows how but she is managing.

Sending good eating thoughts for you T.  Make that good walking ones too.


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## Ace_Man (Aug 7, 2008)

tarantula man: I had wood chips in with him and now I have Eco-Earth, which is just some dirt and coconut fiber that holds moisture well. This is optimal substrate. Maybe you should do some research on substrates.

desertdweller: He molted already, read the rest... his fangs are back and he's had four large crickets, the leg problem came from the new molt.


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## Newyork (Aug 7, 2008)

I'm glad to hear that she's molted. I hope that leg doesn't give her any trouble. The substrate looks perfect to me. Everyone has there opinions about what works best though, so of course they have to comment. Good luck with your T.


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## Ace_Man (Sep 8, 2008)

*pix on page 1 and 5.*

Recap... Blondi molted for his 2nd time in my care, getting partially stuck in it and losing his fangs. Gave him living, legless crickets with abdomen cut open, and he ate them without much of a problem. Couple months later he went through his long awaited molt. Only to get stuck in it again. Fangs were back but he lost use of one leg. 

Now... I went into the animal room to find he had ripped off his unusable leg somehow. I had nothing to fix the problem...

It's been almost a week without it and he has had no problems, and has not slowed down at all. He's nice and fat, and I've added a good bit more substrate to his tank. I have also been keeping it alot more moist than before. He's only about 3.25" now, so hopefully he will get back the leg eventually. I will post pictures if I can get some good ones.


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## Rogier (Sep 9, 2008)

Saw your last picture, the substrate looks far too dry. If you would investigate the habitat of the blondi you would notice everything is moist or wet. Everything! Humidity needs to be very high, and also ventilation because of the sensitiviness of the blondi (mould for instance). The trick is a very deep, 8 - 10 (adult) inch deep peat substrate which is kept moist. the good thing is that you don't need to water it every week because peat holds so much water and releases it a long time before it is getting dry.

You keep experiencing problems with your blondi, so may be it is time to put your ego on a shelf and *wake up and realize* that you have still not attained a good environment for this blondi, and pick up all the excellent advice these people giving you here.

Not trying to be harsh (ok a little to get your attention  ), just trying to help.

Best regards,
Rogier


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## Ace_Man (Sep 9, 2008)

He will be moved to a bigger tank sooner or later where the substrate can be deeper. But for now I can only get it so deep. STILL, if you have ever seen this product (Eco-Earth), it is compressed when you buy it. It's the size of an average brick, but it will soak up every drop of a gallon of water. It holds moisture better than almost anything I've ever seen. And as I said, I've been keeping it much more moist since the pix on here. I knew that T. Blondi's had to be moist, I guess I just didn't realize exactly how moist. Although the night before his second bad molt that he got really stuck in, I just happened to soak his whole tank more than ever. It still happened. Never had probs with my other 9 T's.


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## hasani1408 (Sep 12, 2008)

your blondi's leg should be fine next molt. I'm glad everything else seems to be going well.keep us posted on how things are going. good luck.
as far as people bashing on here. you should be happy to help ppl and educate them so they learn from mistakes. being rude will only make inexperienced ppl stop asking ?'s. and lead to more T's not being taken care of properly.


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## Ace_Man (Sep 13, 2008)

the leg can regrow in 1 molt???


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## Protectyaaaneck (Sep 13, 2008)

cedar wood chips lol...

:wall:


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## Ace_Man (Sep 29, 2008)

I completely changed the blondi's tank, it has nothing but Eco-Earth in it now. I poured the water onto the substrate, and it is very wet in there now. He's really fat and lost most of his hairs. Looking forward to next molt.

P.S. - They weren't cedar chips.


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## Strix (Sep 30, 2008)

Glad to see your blondi got his fangs back and is fattening up.  I wouldn't worry much about the loss of his leg though, especially if there is no hemolyph leaking. Good luck on your next molt. 

As for not wanting to risk opening your P. regalis tank I understand that.  If I know a species I have is fast, defensive or just plain irritable I will ask my friend who is also into T's and has a hell of a lot more experience then me for help in transferring or cage maintenance.  I frankly don't care if I get bit either (it come with the hobby sooner or later) but I'd rather not see one of my T's get hurt because of my inexperience in working with faster and more defensive species.

There were a lot of rude posts in this thread and unnecessary attacks on your keeping habits.  While a certain substrate may be better as long as the T's don't seem to mind it is the OP's decision to keep it on whatever he wants.  

It is ridiculous to demand someone change something when from what I gathered his Tarantula's were doing fine on it. Still eating, not climbing the sides to escape it, etc.  Substrate comes down to personal choice and the best we can do is kindly offer our opinion and why a certain sub would be much better rather then saying "use this now" and flaming and ripping the guy apart.

The OP took the initiative and did change out the bedding and was still flamed.  Which is sad and shameful because the T community is a seemingly small community and people screaming at the top of their lungs about what someone is doing wrong only hurts the community and gives newcomers a real bad impression of the community in general.  Like I said if you find something can be changed for the better then offer the suggestion and explain why but don't try and cram it down someone's throat.


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## cjm1991 (Sep 30, 2008)

Just because a T is eating and looks ok doesnt mean that its happy and comfortable in its enclosure, and that causes stress for the T. Dogs live in terrible conditions and are alive and eating, but you dont consider them happy do you? There are so many problems with woodchips for high humidity T's its kind of staggering. ( by the way im not flaming you or telling you what to do, im glad you took the good advice and changed its substrate) But Blondi's need alot of humidity as they are moisture dependent T's(without it they die pretty quickly). Woodchips dont hold humidity good, the T cannot burrow well in it, and wood tends to mold in high humidity. It is just saving you alot of time and aggrivation by changing it. A good and easy way I found to hold humidity and control it easily to use put folders on top of the tank. You can adjust how much airflow and moisture that escapes this way until you find the perfect spot to keep it at the right humidity.


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## DDaake (Sep 30, 2008)

*Blondi?*

I can't believe nobody noticed...... That's not a t. blondi. I'd say it's a t. apophysis. Roughly same care though. Get rid of any chips in any t. enclosure. If the t falls the chips will impale the abdomen and likely die. 

My blondi's enclosure- Plants around the edge to provide a soft landing incase of a fall. Also over 12" of substrate to help with humidity and allow for any earth moving. As well she has a hide 10" wide and 16" deep. Here's some pics.





This is a 9-10" Female T Blondi


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## Ace_Man (Sep 30, 2008)

I bought the T from botarby8s.com, before kenthebugguy took over that site. The dude was doing it for many years, I don't think it was a mistake, it's a t. blondi. And I have a hard time believing that wood chips can impale any T just from falling on them.


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## cjm1991 (Sep 30, 2008)

I gave you a few very important reasons why not to use them, not accusing or flaming, but they are a bad idea. The chances of a woodchip puncturing a T is small, but a sharp thin chip is all it takes. You can never be to careful.


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## DDaake (Sep 30, 2008)

*T. Blondi!!*

I've owned many t. blondis, slings to adults and never seen pink feet on any of them. T abdomens are delicate. A fall on an upright wood chip will puncture the abdomen.


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## ShellsandScales (Oct 1, 2008)

smof said:


> I do find it kind of amusing how some people on this site seem to take personal offence to seeing someone keep a T in a way they deem unacceptable. Keeping spiders is not an elite club


You're right its not an elite club but it is a priveledge. Too many people purchase animals without doing a little research and finding out what their requirements are. It'd be like keeping freshwater fish in a salt water tank. Or keeping a forest tortoise on aquarium gravel. Not very humane. And with T's their requirements are so minimal that there really is no excuse.

ACE: Just because animals were kept a certain way in the past improperly does not make it ok to keep them that way now that we know better. Just like baby turtles used to be sold all over in little bowls with a palm tree. That in no way met their needs and thousands upon thousands of turtles suffered a long slow painful death! People still to this day ask if they can get a turtle for a bowl when we know now that it is extremely cruel. It is so easy now with the internet to get the info you need to properly take care of your animals. I'm not trying to come down on you or anything I just don't like to see how their needs can be dismissed so easily because someone did it that way in the past or you would feel bad about changing their homes and giving them the proper substrate. It's not just about mulch being toxic because I'm pretty sure you've got cypress mulch there which is not toxic like cedar. But the T's can also be physically damaged from the rough texture of the mulch. It may take a long time for an "accident" to happen or for the constant rubbing of that substrate to cause some damage but why wait for it to happen when it could be very easily prevented in the first place. As far as the blondi it sounds like now you are keeping it wet which is not good either. Humidity and the substrate being completely soaked are two different things. If you can squeeze a handful of the eco earth and water is dripping out then it is too wet. This can promote mold and bacterial growth. It's kind of a delicate balance to keep it very humid but not too wet and can be tricky. Thats one of the reasons they are considered an advanced T. Just a few tips. You might want to run a search on the boards for blondi and just read all the info that comes up. That way you can get a lot of advice from different sources on a variety of topics for that species without feeling so "attacked" for lack of a better word. People on here can be a little rough but they are just concerned about the best interest of the T and only can go off of the information that you post for them to see. Good luck with you collection.


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## Protectyaaaneck (Oct 2, 2008)

sorry i retake my previous post....not cedar wood chips, but wood chips either way.  I know you have changed the substrate since then but seriously, take peoples advice here and listen to it.. also what business do you have owning a T when you dont know how to properly care for it in the first place...do some reading. 

I'm happy that the blondi has its fangs back.


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## Godzirra (Oct 2, 2008)

Ace_Man said:


> Okay. For ONE... I'm NOT afraid of being bitten, but of losing the T under something or it getting hurt. I know how fast my ornamental is, and I've heard of them getting out and not being able to catch them too easy.


I know what you mean, i have a P.Striat - that is very VERY fast, i had to get my husband to help me remove him from his tank so i could deal with a tank issue i had.

When i went near the tank every time -- he would go nuts and run like crazy, it was scary to me, because i did not want to cause harm to him or have him run off into an area where it would be difficult to retreat him. Such as vents  and under the stove. I also have very shaky hands.

When my husband went to handle and transport - it was docile as an avic.
I was like what the heck!! He's always so confident with bugs and has no fear.

What i learned is that you need to build the confidence to handle them (not necessarily with your hands), and come up with a strategy on how to go about it all, how to deal with situations where they might get out of hands.

Glad wrap, chopsticks & jars can be your best friends.


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## xhexdx (Oct 2, 2008)

DDaake said:


> I can't believe nobody noticed...... That's not a t. blondi. I'd say it's a t. apophysis.


You know, as I was reading this thread, that's exactly what I was thinking...I was hoping to be the first to point it out but oh well, you beat me to it. :}



Ace_Man said:


> I bought the T from botarby8s.com, before kenthebugguy took over that site. The dude was doing it for many years, I don't think it was a mistake, it's a t. blondi. And I have a hard time believing that wood chips can impale any T just from falling on them.


I didn't realize your opinions were of more value than other people's opinions, many of them have more experience than you.  I personally have been collecting tarantulas since 1998.

And maybe instead of using an excuse like 'he was doing it many years so he's right', try searching around.  Look at pictures.  Maybe that'll exercise that brain of yours.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/the.tarantula.store/gal-T.apophysis.jpg

Look like your spider?  I think it does.

Ryan, what do you think?  Anyone else?

Ace, you have said in your earlier posts that you know how to keep tarantulas.  You know their care requirements, etc.  Then, within the last page or so, you said you knew they needed it moist, but not *how* moist.  So you're contradicting yourself.

Maybe two subsequent bad molts were just in the cards, but your pictures make it obvious that your spider is not being kept the way it should be, and logically it is more likely the bad molts were caused at least in part by the poor environment.

Yes, I have read this *entire* thread, so you don't need to tell me you have replaced the wood with Eco-earth, etc.

And by the way, once it dries out, it doesn't re-compress.  In case you figured it was still moist because it was still 'expanded'.

My two cents.  I hope I don't get an infraction for it.  Wouldn't be my first. 

And, for the record, I do hope that T. apophysis does well and regenerates the leg.  Yes, they can regen in one molt after losing it/casting it off, but it had to have been lost shortly after a molt so the tarantula has that extra time to regenerate it before the next molt.  Also, it will most likely not be 'full' when it regenerates.  It'll be there, but it will be much skinnier and not as strong until the following molt.

Best of luck!

--Joe


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## cjm1991 (Oct 2, 2008)

I hope that ends this thread. Joe could not have posted a better reply.


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## Ace_Man (Oct 3, 2008)

xhexdx: 

I like how you use quotes to mock what I say... I emailed the retard twice and both times he said he was 100% sure it was a blondi. The third time I gave him the address to this thread and he saw the pix. And he says "Okay... it's an Apophysis." He has no more T's and I'm sure Ken the bug guy isn't going to give me a blondi. So I'm stuck with this stupid thing, maybe I should just let it die next time. I didn't feel comfortable with buying on the internet, but I wanted a blondi so bad that I finally did... see what happens? I'm sick of everyone telling me what I'm doing wrong, I really don't care anymore... "Too wet, too dry, too hot, too cold, it's the wrong substrate no matter what I have in there, substrate isn't deep enough... FORGET IT.... I'll just do whatever the heck I feel like doing, and you people can just DEAL.


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## cjm1991 (Oct 3, 2008)

{





Ace_Man said:


> xhexdx:
> 
> I like how you use quotes to mock what I say... I emailed the retard twice and both times he said he was 100% sure it was a blondi. The third time I gave him the address to this thread and he saw the pix. And he says "Okay... it's an Apophysis." He has no more T's and I'm sure Ken the bug guy isn't going to give me a blondi. So I'm stuck with this stupid thing, maybe I should just let it die next time. I didn't feel comfortable with buying on the internet, but I wanted a blondi so bad that I finally did... see what happens? I'm sick of everyone telling me what I'm doing wrong, I really don't care anymore... "Too wet, too dry, too hot, too cold, it's the wrong substrate no matter what I have in there, substrate isn't deep enough... FORGET IT.... I'll just do whatever the heck I feel like doing, and you people can just DEAL.


Do you feel like a big tough man now.  You just dont know how to take in information and just argue. You dont deserve any pet at all sense you cant even take care of one T. I truely feel sorry for your T.


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## Fingolfin (Oct 3, 2008)

^ Thats pretty unnecessary...

He has explained himself quite a few times, and there are some people on here that would rather take potshots than listen to what he has said. I'd be frustrated too. He likes tarantulas! Great, help him out instead of exasperating the situation...


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## equuskat (Oct 3, 2008)

I would rather have an apophysis than a blondi anyway, but that's just me!


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## cjm1991 (Oct 3, 2008)

Fingolfin said:


> ^ Thats pretty unnecessary...
> 
> He has explained himself quite a few times, and there are some people on here that would rather take potshots than listen to what he has said. I'd be frustrated too. He likes tarantulas! Great, help him out instead of exasperating the situation...


Obviously we tried to help him and failed. Did you read hi most recent post? Id say we are definately not the problem


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## xhexdx (Oct 3, 2008)

Ace_Man said:


> xhexdx:
> 
> I like how you use quotes to mock what I say... I emailed the retard twice and both times he said he was 100% sure it was a blondi. The third time I gave him the address to this thread and he saw the pix. And he says "Okay... it's an Apophysis." He has no more T's and I'm sure Ken the bug guy isn't going to give me a blondi. So I'm stuck with this stupid thing, maybe I should just let it die next time. I didn't feel comfortable with buying on the internet, but I wanted a blondi so bad that I finally did... see what happens? I'm sick of everyone telling me what I'm doing wrong, I really don't care anymore... "Too wet, too dry, too hot, too cold, it's the wrong substrate no matter what I have in there, substrate isn't deep enough... FORGET IT.... I'll just do whatever the heck I feel like doing, and you people can just DEAL.


And this is why you should not own tarantulas.  You obviously don't care about their well-being.

I suggest you grow up.


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## Botar (Oct 3, 2008)

Ace_Man said:


> xhexdx:
> 
> I emailed the retard twice and both times he said he was 100% sure it was a blondi. The third time I gave him the address to this thread and he saw the pix. And he says "Okay... it's an Apophysis."


For the record, I didn't come here and look at the pictures until just now.  I said "Okay... it's an Aphophysis." because I have no desire to argue the point with you.  This "retard" knows enough to know a couple of people identifying a T from a picture does not change the identification provided by the breeder.  Your experience and knowledge in this matter is evident by your own posts.  I feel no need to defend mine, but wasn't going to let you skew the facts in regards to what I have said or done.

Botar


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## clam1991 (Oct 3, 2008)

wow dude i can understand getting mad for constant reaming but saying you'll just let it die proves everyones point that you don't care for this magnificent creature

hold in there lil fella


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## DDaake (Oct 3, 2008)

*Hey Botar...*

Glad to see you here. I used to buy from you as a kid when you'd come to Omaha. I've purchased many t's from you and was extremely sad to see that you'd stopped. Anyways for the record I've bought many t's from Botar and never had a problem with a single one. I wish Ace would just lay down the guard for a second and try to take some of this advice and use it. I've been keeping t's for over 15yrs and still have numerous questions to ask. And I'm honored to get the free advice that I'm given. No, you don't have to agree with everyone, but get some opinions and make your own decisions based on what you've learned. Being rude doesn't help and discourages anyone from giving you advice in the future. Please if you plan to be a T keeper take the advice and do what you will, but don't be rude, your just going to get negative responses from people who really really know what there talking about because there frustrated about being nice enough to help and getting negativity in response-NOT COOL-GOOD LUCK, I'm done here.

PS: The things Botar has done for the hobby we all enjoy is honorable to say the least. I hardly believe he deserves to b called a "retard" without him many of us wouldn't even know the hobby existed. Thanks Botar for poppin in.


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## Ace_Man (Oct 3, 2008)

You're right, he didn't deserve how I treated him. It's kind of like how everyone on here treats me. I listened to advice, and I'm not trying to act like I know everything, I've learned alot of new things from here. Just going through all this arguing and explaining just for people to humiliate me by telling me it's not what I thought it was is pretty frustrating. And no, I wouldn't just let it die... I'm not like that. I spent a half hour trying to carefully pull that T out of it's molt. I actually spend alot of time with all of them making sure they have everything they need. I really don't see why everyone has to be a jerk just because they think I don't know anything. Anyway... I wouldn't get rid of this T even if it isn't the right species. And if it isn't, then hopefully I'll eventually be able to get the right one. Sorry Botar, I spoke much too quickly about this, I was just really mad at the time. And I actually would still buy from you if I could.


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## Nightshade (Oct 7, 2008)

My T. blondi was a year and a month old when I got him and his feet were pink. After he molted twice he grew out of it. 

Did your spider eat the useless leg or did you find it in the cage?


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## Ace_Man (Oct 7, 2008)

they are actually more like tan than pink. I've looked over alot of pics and compared them to what he looks like now. I'm pretty sure it's a blondi. 

found the leg in his tank.


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## Ace_Man (Oct 11, 2008)

Well it has been exactly 3 months today since his last molt. He has stopped eating, looks really fat and dull, and has lost most of the hairs on his back.

I was borrowing my parents laptop when I posted the other pics. I just gave it back to them, so I'll have to wait to post new 1's till I get my own laptop. Which should be soon hopefully.

PS.... 5.25" M. Robustum recently molted, not sure how big now. Probably 5.75" - 6".


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## cjm1991 (Oct 11, 2008)

Just reading this makes me feel bad for the blondi.


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## arachyd (Oct 12, 2008)

I don't see why you feel bad for the blondi. Advice was given and received and changes were made.


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## Ace_Man (Oct 20, 2008)

Well he molted again and got slightly stuck in it. The humidity was very high, enough that water was dripping from the lid. It was 85 degrees and the substrate was soaked. He molted in a hole I dug last week. The old molt stuck to the underside of his abdomen, so I gently pulled it off with no damage done. Also, his leg did not regenerate at all. It looked like it was bleeding so I puttwo coats of New Skin on it. It's been over 48 hours and he seems to still be doing well.


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## Quickone4u (Oct 20, 2008)

Ace_Man said:


> Well he molted again and got slightly stuck in it. The humidity was very high, enough that water was dripping from the lid. It was 85 degrees and the substrate was soaked. He molted in a hole I dug last week. The old molt stuck to the underside of his abdomen, so I gently pulled it off with no damage done. Also, his leg did not regenerate at all. It looked like it was bleeding so I puttwo coats of New Skin on it. It's been over 48 hours and he seems to still be doing well.


I'm not 100% sure here but, doesn't the new growth take place after they've molted? Maybe should have given it a little time to see if it started to reginerate the leg some after the molt? It may have just needed a little time to start to grow once it had molted, like when they stretch out afterwords? I may be completely off here, this is just what I thought. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. In any case, I hope everything works out for you and your T, good luck.


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## Ace_Man (Oct 20, 2008)

If it's anything like the fangs, they were back as soon as he came out of the old skin. Pretty sure the molting process is the only way their body changes.


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## GailC (Oct 21, 2008)

New growth takes place before a molt, under the old skin. 

I wouldn't worry too much about his leg not regrowing yet, he is small enough that there is plenty of time for it to grow back. As long as he isn't bleeding and can eat ok then all is well in his little spidey world.


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## xhexdx (Oct 21, 2008)

How does he look?  Could you post a pic?

I'm very interested in the whole blondi/apophysis thing.  I'm wondering if he still is showing pink on his legs?

Thanks. 

--Joe


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## Ace_Man (Oct 21, 2008)

He looks very black and his legs look like they did before. But I still think they are more tan than pink. The Botar dude won't say anything back, but he was sure it was a blondi. I still haven't been able to get a laptop to post pix (this is a PS3), maybe I can post some from my parents' house if I get over there soon.


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## Ace_Man (Dec 30, 2008)

Been a while, the Blondi is still alive and doing fine. He's pretty fat and won't really eat anymore. I've been keeping it really wet in there all the time. A strange thing happened though. I mentioned that I dug a hole for him in the dirt and he molted in it... Well it wasn't long after and he filled it in... so that you couldn't even tell it had been there. I figured it caved in, or he did it by accident. So I dug it again and made sure it was nice and sturdy. He filled it in again! Has anyone seen this before? Especially a burrower???


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## Protectyaaaneck (Dec 30, 2008)

he doesnt want to burrow?


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## Pokerplayer (Dec 30, 2008)

Hey Ace

I hope u will end up with the right conditions one day and that the spider stops having bad molts.
It seems like u are doing the "humidity part" right now, but its still wont molt correct.
I dont really have an idea to what might be wrong in your case.
Some spiders might just be more sensitive within the same species, just like humans are not all the same.
Some are always sick, and some never gets sick.

But what i DO KNOW, is that it is not a blondi u have there, but a Apophysis like mentioned before.

Here is a VERY good tread to read and with lots of pictures.

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=37152&highlight=blondi+sling

Look for the pink feet.
That is the easy way to tell a blondi from a Apophysis when the are juv.

The good thing, even though u really wanted a blondi, is that these 2 spider looks pretty much the same when the are adult.
And thats why so many are beeing wrong when the are breedting this species


Good luck


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## billy28 (Dec 31, 2008)

Trav said:


> Wood chips are bad.
> Cedar can actually kill a tarantula.


HEY! my name is cedar!;P


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## Ace_Man (Feb 5, 2009)

*Pics.*

Finally had a perfect molt. No problems at all and he's lookin' good. He is about 4.25" now. I'll probably move him to the 20 gallon tank the next time he molts. Not saying it's a Blondi or an Apophysis... but here's pix I took about 1 or two days after molt. You can see his back right leg is regenerated now.


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## Thompson08 (Feb 5, 2009)

He looks good  Nice T. Went threw a rough life though


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## xhexdx (Feb 6, 2009)

Glad to see he's doing well.


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## Skullptor (Feb 6, 2009)

Way to go Ace_Man. I've been following this thread and it's nice to see the T doing well.


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## olablane (Feb 6, 2009)

WOOOOW!!! just read this thread. That T and you have been thru quite the ordeal. Im glad she/he is doing good. I have a 5inch apophysis-not saying yours is- and really enjoy her. She also has never offered to burrow even though she has 10 inches of substrate. Keep up the good work and enjoy!!!!


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## Nightshade (Feb 7, 2009)

Nice blondi.
Glad to see s/he's made a full recovery. It looks like it's still juvie size, maybe you can hold onto some hope it's female.


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## scar is my t (Feb 7, 2009)

nice and darn this thread will probally go to the abyss of forgotten threads soon =(


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## Pokerplayer (Feb 9, 2009)

Latrodectus said:


> Nice blondi.
> Glad to see s/he's made a full recovery. It looks like it's still juvie size, maybe you can hold onto some hope it's female.



I think u postet in the wrong tread, cause there is no blondis in here ;P


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## ph0bia (Feb 9, 2009)

An interesting read... I'm always appalled when I see pet stores selling that for tarantulas. They cannot burrow in it, it does not maintain moisture (wet floor is different to moist enclosure) and it's rough and could potentially injure the T. Every time I see it I tell the pet store the dangers and advise them to offer an alternative (damn, how expensive is it to buy a sack of peat-moss and bag it up???). Glad to see you got rid of it.

As for the fangs, I once knew a family down the road from my old house who cut the fangs off their tarantulas to stop them biting. I'd not have believed it had I not seen it, B.Smithis clipped with toe-nail scissors. 

Yes, they were reported.

And yes, I'm a stickler for these things, happy to report maltreatment and to inform pet-stores of the problems. It makes me look like an arsehole, but at least I'm doing my bit for the poor spiders they're selling.

This is one of those threads that needs to be kept where newbies to the hobby can read it. That way people can really care for their spider, get one that is appropriate for them and treat it in a way that the spider will be happy.


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## Ace_Man (Feb 10, 2009)

Just figured I'd post this. 

From Botar (The guy I bought it from): "...it was purchased in a group of T. blondi slings... probably 100 or more and this is the only one in which there is any question.  I seriously doubt there is any way it could be a T. apophysis as I had not carried T. apophysis for quite some time and any breeder/supplier with T. apophysis would ask twice as much for them... which is why I didn't carry them.  There is a wide range of coloration possibilities with T. blondi and any taxonomist will tell you that proper ID from a photo is not possible."


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## CodeWilster (Feb 10, 2009)

Ace_Man said:


> Just figured I'd post this.
> 
> From Botar (The guy I bought it from): "...it was purchased in a group of T. blondi slings... probably 100 or more and this is the only one in which there is any question.  I seriously doubt there is any way it could be a T. apophysis as I had not carried T. apophysis for quite some time and any breeder/supplier with T. apophysis would ask twice as much for them... which is why I didn't carry them.  There is a wide range of coloration possibilities with T. blondi and any taxonomist will tell you that proper ID from a photo is not possible."


Mine came from him too, looks exactly like yours. Here's a "baby" pic:


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## burmish101 (Feb 10, 2009)

T. blondi are pretty variable as slings. It would be pretty hard for a dealer or wholesaler to mix up a T or 2 that are twice as costly. Once seen a kid at a reptile show that thought his normal ball python was a pastel


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## tarantulaholic (Feb 12, 2009)

Ace_Man said:


> View attachment 75869
> 
> 
> View attachment 75870



This is what a Theraposa substrate supposed to look like. I kept mine at 75-85% humidity. 
I also agree its not a Blondi but an Apophysis. Most people would rather have an Apophysis though since its more rarer than Blondis.


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## Ace_Man (Feb 14, 2009)

tarantulaholic said:


> This is what a Theraposa substrate supposed to look like. I kept mine at 75-85% humidity.
> I also agree its not a Blondi but an Apophysis. Most people would rather have an Apophysis though since its more rarer than Blondis.



Please check my last post... thanks.


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## Boogalingous (Feb 14, 2009)

From Botar (The guy I bought it from): "...it was purchased in a group of T. blondi slings... probably 100 or more and this is the only one in which there is any question.* I seriously doubt there is any way it could be a T. apophysis as I had not carried T. apophysis for quite some time and any breeder/supplier with T. apophysis would ask twice as much for them... which is why I didn't carry them*. *There is a wide range of coloration possibilities with T. blondi and any taxonomist will tell you that proper ID from a photo is not possible."*

you guys should actually READ these posts


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## Pokerplayer (Feb 14, 2009)

Boogalingous said:


> From Botar (The guy I bought it from): "...it was purchased in a group of T. blondi slings... probably 100 or more and this is the only one in which there is any question.* I seriously doubt there is any way it could be a T. apophysis as I had not carried T. apophysis for quite some time and any breeder/supplier with T. apophysis would ask twice as much for them... which is why I didn't carry them*. *There is a wide range of coloration possibilities with T. blondi and any taxonomist will tell you that proper ID from a photo is not possible."*
> 
> you guys should actually READ these posts



What do u mean by that??


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## Boogalingous (Feb 16, 2009)

What i mean is his breeder did not carry that species. Nobody knows everything. Just like people, cats, dogs, or whatever else nothing looks identical. I've seen other  T.blondi's that have pink and red in them and they grow out of it. Proper ID from a picture in NOT possible. Read the posts before you start judging the person.


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## Pokerplayer (Feb 21, 2009)

Boogalingous said:


> What i mean is his breeder did not carry that species. Nobody knows everything. Just like people, cats, dogs, or whatever else nothing looks identical. I've seen other  T.blondi's that have pink and red in them and they grow out of it. Proper ID from a picture in NOT possible. Read the posts before you start judging the person.




lol

u are a pretty funny guy.
If u couldent ID T`s from a picture, then this site was worth nothing.
It is done all the time in here.


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## Ace_Man (Feb 22, 2009)

Pokerplayer said:


> Hey Ace
> 
> I hope u will end up with the right conditions one day and that the spider stops having bad molts.
> It seems like u are doing the "humidity part" right now, but its still wont molt correct.
> ...


Notice the bottom of this post you put on here before. You are saying that it's hard to tell the difference between the two when they are an adult. But it's EASY to tell juveniles apart. You are saying that a breeder and a seller who've been in the business about as long as you've been alive CANNOT tell them apart, but YOU CAN? Okay.


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## Sterlingspider (Feb 22, 2009)

Just throwing this out here but.... sp burgundy perhaps?

You know... the ones that so far differ from blondies only in *having pink feet* as young 'uns and slightly darker and sometimes redder coloration as adults? 

The ones that aren't even necessarily a different sp from blondi? (or at least no one can get an answer on it either way more definitive then a future publishing date)

Just a thought.

*_hunkers down and waits for the ensuing crap storm_*


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## Pokerplayer (Feb 23, 2009)

Ace_Man said:


> Notice the bottom of this post you put on here before. You are saying that it's hard to tell the difference between the two when they are an adult. But it's EASY to tell juveniles apart. You are saying that a breeder and a seller who've been in the business about as long as you've been alive CANNOT tell them apart, but YOU CAN? Okay.



Yaa...thats what i say.
The must be drunk.
Try asking some of the "big guys" in Germany that keeps spiders and lets see what the say.
I give them 100 times more credit, then some random American, that thinks Skandinavien is the capital of Europe anyway.

Your "so called blondi" is still pretty young and therefore it has more then just pink feet.
It also have those light stripes on top og the legs, just like Apophysis.
Ofcause i cant be 100% sure its not a blondi.
But go check out the link i sendt u some time back in this post and look at ALL....i say again...ALL the pics.

Then u should know, that the chance of your spider being a blondi is like 5% and a Apophysis 95%.
Thats why i just say its a Apo.


Over and out


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## Boogalingous (Feb 23, 2009)

First of all I am not a man. I have seen other like this one if this breeder has been in business this long, then he is not wrong. Aren't T.blondi's NEW world tarantula's. That must mean there from here and not near Germany at all. All the pink on this spider is not pink at all, his camera is making it look like that. the T has light brown feet and brown hair. I've seen this T.Blondi myself. I do believe this thread was about this t's missing fangs anyway, if you weren't looking for a fight then why post here?


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## Pokerplayer (Feb 24, 2009)

Boogalingous said:


> First of all I am not a man. I have seen other like this one if this breeder has been in business this long, then he is not wrong. Aren't T.blondi's NEW world tarantula's. That must mean there from here and not near Germany at all. All the pink on this spider is not pink at all, his camera is making it look like that. the T has light brown feet and brown hair. I've seen this T.Blondi myself. I do believe this thread was about this t's missing fangs anyway, if you weren't looking for a fight then why post here?



LOL

U are not even worth the time :clap:


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## Ace_Man (Feb 28, 2009)

Pokerplayer said:


> LOL
> 
> U are not even worth the time :clap:


Then don't post here again. You have no idea what you're talking about.


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## Ace_Man (Feb 28, 2009)

*More Updates*

Noticed a spot on the underside of the abdomen, looks pink/tan with no hair. It's right in the middle, last time there was a small whitish one on the side. Not sure if it's a soft spot, but hopefully it'll go away next molt. When he does molt again I'm putting him in a 20 gallon tank.


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## Thompson08 (Feb 28, 2009)

Another problem eh? :wall:


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## Ace_Man (Jul 8, 2009)

Molted a while ago... moved him to 20 gallon tank. He's 5.25" now. No problems.


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