# A. Aviculari Pictures (My First T)



## Dillonslayer (Mar 4, 2016)




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## TheInv4sion (Mar 4, 2016)

You need an arboreal setup bro. You need your enclosure to have more height than length/width

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Sarkhan42 (Mar 4, 2016)

Along with the need for an arboreal enclosure, bark chip substrate is a no go, it has potential to be really bad for the tarantula.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Austin S. (Mar 4, 2016)

Yes. Arboreal container. Get rid of that bark, it could end up causing harm to the tarantula. Use coco fiber, or eco earth.
Heres an example of the type of set up that would be suitable.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Helpful 1 | Love 1


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## Dillonslayer (Mar 4, 2016)

Austin S. said:


> Yes. Arboreal container. Get rid of that bark, it could end up causing harm to the tarantula. Use coco fiber, or eco earth.
> Heres an example of the type of set up that would be suitable.


It's crazy when I bought the substrate it specifically said tarantulas on it is that bark bad for all ts or just Arboreals... and the tank I have now isn't a permanent solution I just had a 10 Gallon tank actually I have a lot of them...


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## Dillonslayer (Mar 4, 2016)

For now you don't think he/she will be happy with what he has to climb on? He can basically go anywhere in the enclosure from the branch thing... and the leaves are sturdy he likes to climb in them!


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## Dillonslayer (Mar 4, 2016)

I've noticed hell climb from top of hide to branches than to the leaves


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## Andrea82 (Mar 4, 2016)

You NEED an arboreal enclosure. Your setup is wrong,and Avicularia are not very forgiving of such mistakes. 
And the bark chips have to go,no matter what it says on the bag. 
Why didn't you research the species before buying one? You can't just buy something and drop it in whatever tank you have laying around. 
Search the forum for arboreal enclosure, and adjust your setup.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Austin S. (Mar 4, 2016)

Dillonslayer said:


> For now you don't think he/she will be happy with what he has to climb on? He can basically go anywhere in the enclosure from the branch thing... and the leaves are sturdy he likes to climb in them!


He is new at keeping tarantulas, lets give him a break. We all started somewhere and have all made mistakes on the way.

Just because he is climbing all over the place, does not mean he is happy. It could mean the opposite, and it is stressed out trying to find somewhere to hide, but nothing is offered for a hiding place. Avicularia genus settle behind things. Once they find a suitable place to hide out, they will make a silk retreat and for the most part, you will not see them wondering around.

I'd suggest for the time being, is that you go purchase a kritter keeper, med-lrg size. Flip it vertically, and put a cork bark slab slanted vertically towards the back of if, a water dish towards the front, on the ground, and a plant. Keep the humidity up around 50%. Mist the enclosure lightly once a week, but always make sure the water dish is clean, and full.

The tank you have it in now offers too much ventilation. That, plus the bark it is housed on will dry things out extremely and you will have a dead tarantula in a matter of time.
If you have any questions, we are here. Don't hesitate to ask.


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## Dillonslayer (Mar 4, 2016)

H


Austin S. said:


> He is new at keeping tarantulas, lets give him a break. We all started somewhere and have all made mistakes on the way.
> 
> Just because he is climbing all over the place, does not mean he is happy. It could mean the opposite, and it is stressed out trying to find somewhere to hide, but nothing is offered for a hiding place. Avicularia genus settle behind things. Once they find a suitable place to hide out, they will make a silk retreat and for the most part, you will not see them wondering around.
> 
> ...


Haha thanks for being the most helpful person so far... it's crazy like everything I read online so far before finding this forum has seemed to be wrong... and when I say he moves back and forth it's mostly over time like in the mornings vs nights... the substrate will be gone today but the tank is another issue... will he survive in that tank or is that a threat for him too


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## Austin S. (Mar 4, 2016)

Dillonslayer said:


> H
> 
> Haha thanks for being the most helpful person so far... it's crazy like everything I read online so far before finding this forum has seemed to be wrong... and when I say he moves back and forth it's mostly over time like in the mornings vs nights... the substrate will be gone today but the tank is another issue... will he survive in that tank or is that a threat for him too


Never trust google for information such as this, or anything imo, hah.

You can probably temporarily keep it in this tank, but you need to re do it. Put the mentioned dirt in it, and actually put some cork bark, or some kind of long bark in there, up against the two sides of that tank. Give him a few options to hide behind. To keep more humidity in there, you can place a towel over 1/2-3/4 of the screen lid.
Check here: http://arachnoboards.com/threads/enclosure-terrarium-pictures.48951/page-6#post-628212
to get some ideas. Look at post #108
Remember, this is an arboreal tarantula. Meaning it lives in trees


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## Dillonslayer (Mar 4, 2016)

Austin S. said:


> Never trust google for information such as this, or anything imo, hah.
> 
> You can probably temporarily keep it in this tank, but you need to re do it. Put the mentioned dirt in it, and actually put some cork bark, or some kind of long bark in there, up against the two sides of that tank. Give him a few options to hide behind. To keep more humidity in there, you can place a towel over 1/2-3/4 of the screen lid.
> Check here: http://arachnoboards.com/threads/enclosure-terrarium-pictures.48951/page-6#post-628212
> ...


Awesome thank you so much... I'm working in everything as soon as I'm or of class... thank you all for helping


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## lalberts9310 (Mar 4, 2016)

Setup for avicularia:

Avics can succumb very quick to husbandry errors, the correct husbandry is very essential for this genus.  

Enclosure: avics are strictly aboreal. You need more height than width, this will rarely, if ever come down to the ground. Usually a avic hanging out on the substrate is a bad sign. The enclosure should have adequate cross-ventilation (vents on the side, not top). Avoid mesh vents, as they have a tendency to get their tarsal claws stuck in them thus it's possible for them to dangle and lose a leg, or fall when it's leg gets free. There have also been instances where tarantulas chew through mesh vents. Your specimen is big enough for a permanent enclosure. I find these types of enclosures to be ideal for avics:

https://jamiestarantulas.com/image/catalog/adult acge arboreal.jpg

Provide a cork slab or tube, and lots of fake plants at the very top of the enclosure, for it to anchor it's webbing to. Provide a large waterbowl as well, with water, full at all times. (no, your T will not drown, they are covered in water resistant setae, so they don't break water tension, but rather float on it) No gel and no sponges. A water bowl will keep humidity in check and provide your T with a drinking source.

Substrate: those bark chips really belongs in one place only - the dustbin. Use eco-earth, or coco fibre, or peat moss. Or you can use a coco fibre/peat moss/vermiculate mix. I just use plain ol' peat moss for my Ts. The substrate should be on the dry side. Remember moist, stuffy cages kills avics easily. You can occasionally (once a week or so) dribble water straight into the substrate via eyedropper or syringe. The substrate can be around 2" deep.

Other general information: no heat mats or heat lamps. No hygrometers either. A full waterbowl will provide your avic with the humidity it needs. Don't mist for humidity purposes either. Misting for humidity has short lived effects. You can sprits some water onto the webbing once a week for drinking. Don't spray the tarantula directly.  

Feeding: you can give your T 2 large crickets once or twice a week. You don't have to limit your Ts diet to crickets only. The occasional mealie, super, waxie (remember to crush the heads of the worms 1st before feeding, to prevent them from burrowing) or locusts and roaches can also be fed. Please buy your feeders, don't give it wild caught prey. Never leave food in the enclosure uneaten for more than 24h. If it doesn't eat, remove the prey and try feeding again after a few days. If the abdomen I larger than the carapace, you don't have to fret if it refuses food.  

Molting: usually when Ts goes into pre-molt, they get sluggish, they lose their grip a little, they seal themselves off in webbing or their hide. They don't eat. If you suspect a molt, you are safer offering pre-killed. Remember that live prey can injure or even kill a molting tarantula. Molting tarantulas are very vulnerable and are unable to defend themselves. I your tarantula molted, wait at least a week before attempting to feed it again. Their new exo needs to harden before they can eat. A soft exo can be easily damaged by feeders, and soft fangs can easily damage trying to grab prey.  A good way to tell if it has hardened is the fangs will be black.  If it is red or white it has not completely hardened and you should wait.  They will also most of the time flip on their backs when they molt, so don't worry if it lies upside down in its webbing.

Hope this helps

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## lunarae (Mar 5, 2016)

I would suggest getting your hands on 'The Tarantula Keepers Guide' by Stanley A. Schultz and Marguerite J. Schultz. There's a lot of great info here on the boards but that book really does a great job bringing things together and they cover all of the important and essential information you need to keep your T happy and healthy. It's also great to have to reference if ever you're not sure about something and need a quick place to look for a reminder. I'd also try and get the latest one that says 'revised edition' on it.

Here it is at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Tarantula-Keepers-Guide-Comprehensive/dp/0764138855

I have A. Versicolor (It's my personal first species dealing with and I'm rather new as well to the care of T's in general. I started with a 3rd instar sling back in September of 2015, it's still fairly young.) and I can attest you really don't need to spray in there to keep it humid. As long as they have a water dish they will get all the moisture they need that way. I've read a lot of things about how it seems more common for Avic's to end up dying due to too much humidity because there isn't enough cross ventilation to give it air flow. A lot of people hear they need humidity and start to over stress and over compensate, I was guilty of this as well but thankfully after talking to people who knew better then headed their advice changed what I was doing before my spiderling seriously suffered the consequences of my actions. I think while your just starting out sticking with just the water dish is going to be the better bet until you become more familiar with how to set up the enclosures and teach yourself how it all works when doing cross ventilation and the like before trying to really play around or stress with humidity control.

I also noticed your trying to get sexing advice on your T. If you use the flash on your camera sometimes it'll provide enough light. Or if you don't have flash, take a flashlight and shine it on the area, this can work better sometimes cause then you can see where the glare is going to hit already and adjust the lighting before taking the picture. Flash with a camera can cause you to have to take multiples to try and make sure the glare doesn't hit the area that needs to be seen. Natural light is also a lot better then indoor light I've noticed when it comes to trying to take a clear picture/close up of T's. But my enclosure is small and easy to move to a window temporarily to take pictures. If you were going to go for natural light to see if that helps I'd make sure it's in a glass or clear plastic container rather then openly handle it outside or by the windows. All the pictures I have taken have all been with just the camera on my phone and a little bit of creativity. I'd also look at other pictures where people have been able to give good solid opinions to the sex of different T's to get a better idea to exactly what area needs to be focused on and the kind of clarity needed to give a good ID.

Either way best of luck. ^.^


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## Speg (Mar 6, 2016)

If you get into any hobby you should immediately join the appropriate forum to speak with other hobbyists. I've kept saltwater fish/coral, dart frogs, tarantulas, collected coins, and all of these hobbies have good forums where you can get your information straight from people in the hobby rather than someone trying to sell you something. Pet stores do not do their homework and it's easy for them to say a few slick words and send you out the door with something you're not prepared to care for. You've joined the forum so you've got that going for you...now just make sure that you research a little before you make a purchase if you care at all for your hobby. 

Good luck!


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## Andrea82 (Mar 7, 2016)

> post: 2444408, member: 65823"]If you get into any hobby you should immediately join the appropriate forum to speak with other hobbyists. I've kept saltwater fish/coral, dart frogs, tarantulas, collected coins, and all of these hobbies have good forums where you can get your information straight from people in the hobby rather than someone trying to sell you something. Pet stores do not do their homework and it's easy for them to say a few slick words and send you out the door with something you're not prepared to care for. You've joined the forum so you've got that going for you...now just make sure that you research a little before you make a purchase if you care at all for your hobby.
> 
> Good luck!


Op is banned from ab due to some serious lack of respect issues

Reactions: Like 1


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## Dakota (Mar 7, 2016)

Dillonslayer said:


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Yeah, I made the same mistake 16 months ago with my first T, which was a Pinktoe as well. If you go to pretty much any pet store, you can get "Eco Earth Coconut Fiber", which essentially just dirt, and a very soft one at that.

I now keep my Avic Avic in an Exo Terra Vertical Tank, but with it being $80, it's not for everyone's budget.

I think a 10 gallon tank is perfect. Everyone here is saying to get a vertical tank, but my Rose Hair is kept in a 10-gallon right next to my Pinktoe's enclosure, and the Vertical tank is barely taller.

The height in the 10 gallon is perfect, and with the added benefit of the tank being longer, you can easily just move everything from this enclosure to that.

The only thing you'd need to invest in would be the dirt, other than that, the log is a chill hide, and the leaves are excellent. I have those same leaves in mine, and he loves to swing around on them 

tl;dr
The only thing I see wrong is the wood chips. Just get a soft dirt, and lean any wood or decor against the wall vertically so your T can climb. They live in the trees naturally  A ten gallon tank is fine in my opinion. My Pinktoe was happy in it, and after a few months I had some extra cash and upgraded to a higher-class terrarium.

Good luck with your T, it's my favorite one! So playful, so funny! 

EDIT: Damnit, too late.


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