# Liphistius ornatus care



## thebronzedragon (May 8, 2019)

There is a Liphistius ornatus for sale on Tarantula Canada and I can't for the of me find info on care. If anyone could help it would be greatly appreciated. The main info i'm looking for is:
- Habitat set up
- Size
- Venom Potency
- Skittishness 
- Any special/ unusual info.


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## dangerforceidle (May 8, 2019)

@basin79 keeps at least one.  They are very fast and obligate burrowers, and you'll likely rarely see them like most trapdoor spiders.  Feeding times are a blur.

Lots of substrate depth, not sure on moisture requirements.


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## basin79 (May 8, 2019)

thebronzedragon said:


> There is a Liphistius ornatus for sale on Tarantula Canada and I can't for the of me find info on care. If anyone could help it would be greatly appreciated. The main info i'm looking for is:
> - Habitat set up
> - Size
> - Venom Potency
> ...


I bought a tiny sling last year. So small it was kept in a sling pot for a few moults. They don't require a lot of room as being trapdoors they live in their burrows. Obviously they need a good depth of sub. Mine is probably about 2.5-3cm leg span now and I use about 4 inches of sub. 

Skittishness is N/A as they live in their burrows only coming out for a fraction of a second to snatch prey. 

Here's a video of mine so you get the idea.

Reactions: Like 5 | Wow 1 | Love 1


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## thebronzedragon (May 10, 2019)

basin79 said:


> I bought a tiny sling last year. So small it was kept in a sling pot for a few moults. They don't require a lot of room as being trapdoors they live in their burrows. Obviously they need a good depth of sub. Mine is probably about 2.5-3cm leg span now and I use about 4 inches of sub.
> 
> Skittishness is N/A as they live in their burrows only coming out for a fraction of a second to snatch prey.
> 
> Here's a video of mine so you get the idea.


Wow, thanks for the info! Do you know how big they can get? On Tarantula Canada it says that they are about 1/6" right know. I was thinking a pill vial would be a could enclosure for a while until it outgrows it but what do you think would be a good sized enclosure after that?


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## basin79 (May 10, 2019)

thebronzedragon said:


> Wow, thanks for the info! Do you know how big they can get? On Tarantula Canada it says that they are about 1/6" right know. I was thinking a pill vial would be a could enclosure for a while until it outgrows it but what do you think would be a good sized enclosure after that?


Unsure on their adult size. I had mine set up in a sling pot feeding on the smallest hatchling crickets. 

I'm now using a tub about 4 inches in diameter.


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## thebronzedragon (May 10, 2019)

basin79 said:


> Unsure on their adult size. I had mine set up in a sling pot feeding on the smallest hatchling crickets.
> 
> I'm now using a tub about 4 inches in diameter.


Sorry, I don't know what a "sling pot" is.


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## basin79 (May 10, 2019)

thebronzedragon said:


> Sorry, I don't know what a "sling pot" is.


They're what tarantula slings are posted out in and used for small slings as temporary enclosures. They're 3cm in diameter. So in the video below you get an idea at just how small mine was. That's a 3cm sling pot.


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## thebronzedragon (May 10, 2019)

Jeez, that is small, I use about 3 cm delicups or pill vials.


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## schmiggle (May 10, 2019)

Wikipedia says female body lengths are 9-29mm for the genus as a whole, so I would guess not more than 50-60mm legspan for the largest species? I think they're extremely slow growing.

Reactions: Like 1


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## thebronzedragon (May 11, 2019)

schmiggle said:


> Wikipedia says female body lengths are 9-29mm for the genus as a whole, so I would guess not more than 50-60mm legspan for the largest species? I think they're extremely slow growing.


Yeah, I messaged TC and they said they didn't know the adult size but the female they had a couple of years ago was abot 2" in leg span.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## arachnodad93 (Jul 19, 2019)

I'm getting two 1/2" liphistius ornatus slings Wednesday from Fear Not Tarantulas, any advice for a trapdoor spider noob would be appreciated. I was planning on using two modified Parmesan cheese containers to house them.


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## Mr Tom (Jul 30, 2019)

Basin79  I have one on order and I have seen your video before some great slow motion shots... But what king of substrate do you use if you could answer this that would be massive help thank you. because I know there are a few things out there and  a few mixes people use and with them borrowing you need something that's going to stick and keep shape...
I was planning on using a mixture of soil and coconut husk or is there something else I could use...
Thank you....


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## basin79 (Jul 30, 2019)

Mr Tom said:


> Basin79  I have one on order and I have seen your video before some great slow motion shots... But what king of substrate do you use if you could answer this that would be massive help thank you. because I know there are a few things out there and  a few mixes people use and with them borrowing you need something that's going to stick and keep shape...
> I was planning on using a mixture of soil and coconut husk or is there something else I could use...
> Thank you....


I just use moss peat.

Reactions: Like 2


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## RezonantVoid (Jul 31, 2019)

Damp cocopeat should be fine I'd assume

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## letranger (Dec 19, 2019)

loam soil is the best, cocopeat is poor choice for them


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## RezonantVoid (Dec 19, 2019)

letranger said:


> loam soil is the best, cocopeat is poor choice for them


I now have to agree with you after doing more research and retract my abkve statement. Im remaking alot of my rainforest trapdoor enclosures with clay now as they struggle to make proper lids in loose soil


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## letranger (Dec 20, 2019)

yeah, loam/clay fit the best for them

i still cannot get hold of some quality loam/clay so i am currently using a 40/60 mix of cocopeat and top soil similar to clay/loam i collected from nearby forest, not perfect but thankfully all of my grown on slings settled pretty well, i will attach some pics below 
_prepared for rehousing:_


_next morning:_




_2 days after the rehousing:_

Reactions: Like 3 | Helpful 1


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## woodie (Dec 20, 2019)

I keep mine fairly moist on a mix of clay(excavator clay), sand, coir and some leaf litter mixed in. and in deep vials I found in a craft store.
  There were reports of some with up to 4" legspan, From a keeper on here a decade ago that had an amazing communal set up with 8 adults on a clay/soil backwall covered with live mosses and ferns

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## woodie (Dec 20, 2019)



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## woodie (Dec 20, 2019)

Use tall containers for Liphistius and Apomastus sp.  Front short are for Aptostichus and Antrodiaetus sp.


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## letranger (Dec 21, 2019)

those will on the long run become too narrow, they also need some space to spread their tripwires

i do use tall container, and they burrowed all the way down

max size for ornatus is 3.5 - 3.8 cm body length so i doubt they can reach 10 cm leg span, but jarujini on the other hand can reach that size

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## woodie (Dec 21, 2019)

Yes, Those are just at small sizes. The Liphistius are going into a big communal later


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## woodie (Dec 24, 2019)

Initial background and moss plantings completed for future Liphistius communal

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## the liphistius guy (Jul 24, 2020)

I recently got a two inch female liphistius Jarujini. I was wondering if they are particularly vulnerable to fungal infections. I would also like to know how people are taking care of theirs, all I was told was to keep it in a container with substrate 5"/6" deep.


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## the liphistius guy (Jul 24, 2020)

I think my l. jarujini might have a fungal infection, what are some signs?


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## the liphistius guy (Jul 24, 2020)

I think my l. jarujini might have a fungal infection, what are some signs?


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## RezonantVoid (Jul 24, 2020)

the liphistius guy said:


> I think my l. jarujini might have a fungal infection, what are some signs?


Trapdoors are quite resistant the fungal spores, i have an entire sling colony with mold in it and not a single sling has died. They often live in wild conditions that are perfect for mold and fungus to grow in, but are fine, so i strongly doubt a specimen as large and healthy as that could have fungal infection. Their book lungs cant even breathe in spores


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## the liphistius guy (Jul 24, 2020)

thanks for the information! It is a fungal infection, and i'm treating it with betadine (it hasn't built a trapdoor or a burrow yet).


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## the liphistius guy (Jul 24, 2020)

RezonantVoid said:


> Trapdoors are quite resistant the fungal spores, i have an entire sling colony with mold in it and not a single sling has died. They often live in wild conditions that are perfect for mold and fungus to grow in, but are fine, so i strongly doubt a specimen as large and healthy as that could have fungal infection. Their book lungs cant even breathe in spores


thanks for the information! It is a fungal infection, and i'm treating it with betadine (it hasn't built a trapdoor or a burrow yet).


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## RezonantVoid (Jul 24, 2020)

the liphistius guy said:


> thanks for the information! It is a fungal infection, and i'm treating it with betadine (it hasn't built a trapdoor or a burrow yet).


What makes you certain that it is a fungal infection, and how does betadine treat it? Forgive my suspicious attitude, but applying chemicals to a spider, logically speaking, sounds like a terrible idea


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## the liphistius guy (Jul 24, 2020)

RezonantVoid said:


> What makes you certain that it is a fungal infection, and how does betadine treat it? Forgive my suspicious attitude, but applying chemicals to a spider, logically speaking, sounds like a terrible idea


I was reading from many different sites that betadine treats fungal infections on spiders. I have been doing it for 2 days now and the spider has been eating fine, and the mark doesn't seem to be spreading. Notice the irregular white patch on the third joint of the 8th walking leg.


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## the liphistius guy (Jul 24, 2020)

RezonantVoid said:


> What makes you certain that it is a fungal infection, and how does betadine treat it? Forgive my suspicious attitude, but applying chemicals to a spider, logically speaking, sounds like a terrible idea


I was reading from many different sites that betadine treats fungal infections on spiders. I have been doing it for 2 days now and the spider has been eating fine, and the mark doesn't seem to be spreading. Notice the irregular white patch on the third joint of the 8th walking leg.


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## RezonantVoid (Jul 24, 2020)

the liphistius guy said:


> I was reading from many different sites that betadine treats fungal infections on spiders. I have been doing it for 2 days now and the spider has been eating fine, and the mark doesn't seem to be spreading. Notice the irregular white patch on the third joint of the 8th walking leg.


To me it just looks like either poop or dried hemolymph, ive had many trapdoors arrive with identical spots on their limbs that come off when they molt. For fungus to actually anchor itself to the spider is very rare, although it might be more plausible considering its on the soft joint. I still personally dont think its fungus, especially since the spider seems to be behaving normally

Reactions: Agree 1


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## the liphistius guy (Jul 24, 2020)

RezonantVoid said:


> To me it just looks like either poop or dried hemolymph, ive had many trapdoors arrive with identical spots on their limbs that come off when they molt. For fungus to actually anchor itself to the spider is very rare, although it might be more plausible considering its on the soft joint. I still personally dont think its fungus, especially since the spider seems to be behaving normally


 Do spiders behave differently when they are infected, i thought that they behaved normally until the infection started to kill them?


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## the liphistius guy (Jul 24, 2020)

the liphistius guy said:


> Do spiders behave differently when they are infected, i thought that they behaved normally until the infection started to kill them?


PS: thanks for the help, I would hate to lose such a precious specimen.

Reactions: Like 1


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## RezonantVoid (Jul 24, 2020)

the liphistius guy said:


> Do spiders behave differently when they are infected, i thought that they behaved normally until the infection started to kill them?


If a spider is affected by chemicals or parasites, the first thing to go is their movement. What we call dyskinetic syndrome is actually a result of environmental contaminents, so if your spider is moving with lots of rapid, jerking, twitchy movements youll know something is wrong


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## RezonantVoid (Jul 24, 2020)

the liphistius guy said:


> PS: thanks for the help, I would hate to lose such a precious specimen.


I understand, we all want the best for both you and your spider. The only group of spiders ive kept that have ever faired noticeably worse with mold is Atracids. All of my various trapdoor genus tolerate small amounts of mold without any ill effects

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## the liphistius guy (Jul 25, 2020)

woodie said:


> Initial background and moss plantings completed for future Liphistius communal


Wow! I would live to see a liphistius communal. Ive seen them in the wild, and they don't seem too cranky towards each other.


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## the liphistius guy (Jul 25, 2020)

RezonantVoid said:


> I understand, we all want the best for both you and your spider. The only group of spiders ive kept that have ever faired noticeably worse with mold is Atracids. All of my various trapdoor genus tolerate small amounts of mold without any ill effects


I was also wondering, how many days does it usually for a trapdoor spider to build its burrow and trapdoor? mine still hasn't built hers.


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## basin79 (Jul 26, 2020)

the liphistius guy said:


> I was also wondering, how many days does it usually for a trapdoor spider to build its burrow and trapdoor? mine still hasn't built hers.


Took my Liphistius yangae sling 2 days. 3 or 4 days for my Liphistius sp Khao Luang sling. Although that little rascal ate a cricket before building a trapdoor. When I rehoused my Liphistius cf ornatus she set up shop within 24 hours. I did carefully remove her old silk sock and trapdoor intact too. "Planted" that in the new larger enclosure but it seemed she wanted to start a fresh.


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## letranger (Jul 26, 2020)

the liphistius guy said:


> I was reading from many different sites that betadine treats fungal infections on spiders. I have been doing it for 2 days now and the spider has been eating fine, and the mark doesn't seem to be spreading. Notice the irregular white patch on the third joint of the 8th walking leg.


don't treat your spider for fungal infection because it does not have one


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## the liphistius guy (Jul 26, 2020)

letranger said:


> don't treat your spider for fungal infection because it does not have one


Ive stopped.


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## the liphistius guy (Jul 26, 2020)

basin79 said:


> Took my Liphistius yangae sling 2 days. 3 or 4 days for my Liphistius sp Khao Luang sling. Although that little rascal ate a cricket before building a trapdoor. When I rehoused my Liphistius cf ornatus she set up shop within 24 hours. I did carefully remove her old silk sock and trapdoor intact too. "Planted" that in the new larger enclosure but it seemed she wanted to start a fresh.


Mine still hasn't even started building hers after 4 days, she's still eaten alot though.


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## Arthroverts (Jul 27, 2020)

the liphistius guy said:


> Mine still hasn't even started building hers after 4 days, she's still eaten alot though.


I've heard of some specimens not making trapdoors for a lot longer than that. Could be still settling in.

Thanks,

Arthroverts

Reactions: Agree 1


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## the liphistius guy (Jul 27, 2020)

Arthroverts said:


> I've heard of some specimens not making trapdoors for a lot longer than that. Could be still settling in.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Arthroverts


Actually, it appears she's making one now.


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## Marlana (Jul 27, 2020)

My Liphistius fuscus sling took 2 weeks to build one! It was absolutely tiny too. I was sure it wasn’t going to make it after a week with no burrow and not eating. It was so skinny too. But it did finally make one and now has molted twice!

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## the liphistius guy (Jul 27, 2020)

Marlana said:


> My Liphistius fuscus sling took 2 weeks to build one! It was absolutely tiny too. I was sure it wasn’t going to make it after a week with no burrow and not eating. It was so skinny too. But it did finally make one and now has molted twice!


Where did you get a L. fuscus.


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## Marlana (Jul 27, 2020)

Joe Rossi here on the forums has some or did last time I checked! I got mine from someone else but I’d recommend Joe over them


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## the liphistius guy (Jul 27, 2020)

Marlana said:


> Joe Rossi here on the forums has some or did last time I checked! I got mine from someone else but I’d recommend Joe over them


I couldn't actually get one since I live in Thailand (I like to look at what European and American spider shops have for fun), I just haven't seen fuscus as an option on any online stores.

Reactions: Like 1


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## BrothaJordan (Dec 1, 2020)

any tips on getting them out of the burrow? I want to change up the substrate.


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## the liphistius guy (Dec 1, 2020)

BrothaJordan said:


> any tips on getting them out of the burrow? I want to change up the substrate.


Pull the whole burrow out of the sub. Their silk is outrageously strong and will come out like butter.

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## BrothaJordan (Dec 1, 2020)

the liphistius guy said:


> Pull the whole burrow out of the sub. Their silk is outrageously strong and will come out like butter.


Okay, that is refreshing. I was watching videos of the someone doing that. It looked scary for the little guy so I wanted to double check here to make sure that is the proper way to do it without causing harm.


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## basin79 (Dec 2, 2020)

BrothaJordan said:


> Okay, that is refreshing. I was watching videos of the someone doing that. It looked scary for the little guy so I wanted to double check here to make sure that is the proper way to do it without causing harm.


DON'T just pull their web "sock" up. Chances are it'll just rip and then sub will fill their burrow. 

Why are you changing the sub in the first place?

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## the liphistius guy (Dec 2, 2020)

basin79 said:


> DON'T just pull their web "sock" up. Chances are it'll just rip and then sub will fill their burrow.
> 
> Why are you changing the sub in the first place?


The web sock trick i believe works for bigger ones, sorry!

Reactions: Like 1


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## BrothaJordan (Dec 3, 2020)

the liphistius guy said:


> The web sock trick i believe works for bigger ones, sorry!


I wanted to try a different substrate to see if it would add the "trip wire" on something it would be more comfortable with. That was the main goal. I will hold off for now.


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## basin79 (Dec 3, 2020)

BrothaJordan said:


> I wanted to try a different substrate to see if it would add the "trip wire" on something it would be more comfortable with. That was the main goal. I will hold off for now.


I recently rehoused my largest as she was trying to dig down further in her old enclosure.  She hasn't made any trip lines yet in the new one. 

Old.



New.


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