# Theraphosa stirmi Care/Feeding



## Teds ts and Inverts (Dec 19, 2017)

I'm strongly considering getting a T. stirmi, and even though I'm fairly new to the hobby I feel that I spent enough time doing research and that I have enough knowledge on how to care for it. My real question for the care for this gargantuan spider is feeding. How often should you feed an adult, 1 or 5 times a week? And what size food items should I feed an adult? Adult crickets or those giant cave roaches? If anyone has or does own an adult Theraphosa stirmi could u guys gimme some help? It would be greatly appreciated!


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## 14pokies (Dec 19, 2017)

Don't believe everything you hear about these needing overly  hot and humid  enclosures.

The truth is they need moist substrate, not soggy and good cross ventilation.. Give them a nice dark, snug hide and water dish..  Temps from low 70s to mid 80s are acceptable.  This species is very easy to keep in regards to housing and care.

I feed mine ( both adults) once to twice weekly.. It all depends on the feeders that I have on hand.. My female usually gets one large tomatoe hornworm once a week. If I only have crickets on hand she gets 8-10. She is about nine inches and that amount of food keeps her nice and plump. My male is just about seven inches and is fed similarly a horn worm or half a dozen or so crickets. The only time I really offer a second meal in a week is if I ever have a ton of extra crickets in my feeder bucket(they rarely refuse a "snack"  )or if I'm fattening them back up after a molt..

I will add that they are deceptively fast for a heavy bodied terrestrial.. It's a good idea to allways use tongs when grabbing water dishes etc...

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 6 | Clarification Please 1


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## The Grym Reaper (Dec 19, 2017)

I'd think once a week at most would suffice, I've only recently got mine and it's still a sling but an adult should have no trouble duppying off a Giant Madagascan Hisser or a couple of dubia roaches/superworms or half a dozen lats/crickets.

As mentioned above, normal temps and moist (not soaking) sub with a good hide and large water dish should suffice for care, captive bred specimens are supposedly more drought tolerant than their wild caught counterparts but I'd still try to avoid letting things dry out too much.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## 0311usmc (Dec 19, 2017)

I agree 100% with 14pokies. I keep my female t.stirmi on moist substrate and I feed mine one large female dubai roach every 2 weeks, sometimes once a month if im working out of town. A very easy tarantula to keep, make sure you have plenty of moist substrate with good ventilation and a hide and your golden.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## beaker41 (Dec 19, 2017)

You definitely want to wear the gloves for any kind of interaction inside the cage, ie cleaning, dish removal, rehouse etc. These have nasty nasty nasty hairs.

Reactions: Agree 5


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## atraxrobustus (Dec 22, 2017)

What time of the day to they like to eat breakfast?

Reactions: Dislike 1 | Funny 1


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## Venom1080 (Dec 22, 2017)

atraxrobustus said:


> What time of the day to they like to eat breakfast?


Doesnt matter. I feed at 2am or 6pm. They don't give a .....


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## 14pokies (Dec 22, 2017)

14pokies said:


> Don't believe everything you hear about these needing overly  hot and humid  enclosures.
> 
> The truth is they need moist substrate, not soggy and good cross ventilation.. Give them a nice dark, snug hide and water dish..  Temps from low 70s to mid 80s are acceptable.  This species is very easy to keep in regards to housing and care.
> 
> ...


@atraxrobustus what do you need me to clarify for you?


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## atraxrobustus (Dec 23, 2017)

14pokies said:


> @atraxrobustus what do you need me to clarify for you?


I'm well aware that _T. Stirmi _isn't as problematic as_ T. blondi_ in terms of husbandry conditions, But from what I understand, this genus needs a bit more heat and humidity than most other genus out there in order to survive. From the way your coming across there, it sounds like your treating a tropical species as sub-tropical which makes me just a bit nervous.

Reactions: Disagree 1


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## 14pokies (Dec 23, 2017)

atraxrobustus said:


> I'm well aware that _T. Stirmi _isn't as problematic as_ T. blondi_ in terms of husbandry conditions, But from what I understand, this genus needs a bit more heat and humidity than most other genus out there in order to survive. From the way your coming across there, it sounds like your treating a tropical species as sub-tropical which makes me just a bit nervous.


Well your wrong( about a few things) so don't be nervous ..

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1 | Funny 3


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## Venom1080 (Dec 23, 2017)

atraxrobustus said:


> I'm well aware that _T. Stirmi _isn't as problematic as_ T. blondi_ in terms of husbandry conditions, But from what I understand, this genus needs a bit more heat and humidity than most other genus out there in order to survive. From the way your coming across there, it sounds like your treating a tropical species as sub-tropical which makes me just a bit nervous.


You have one guy with extensive firsthand experience with theraphosa, then you have random articles and videos on the internet. 

Take your pick.

Reactions: Like 5 | Agree 1


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## Rittdk01 (Dec 23, 2017)

^^^^There are several members with T stirmi that have been thriving for years.  I would suggest taking their advice rather than random info on the web.  Or find a “my T stirmi is dying” thread and do the opposite.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Ran (Dec 24, 2017)

What 14pokies noted is the right husbandry for this species.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Arachnoclown (Dec 24, 2017)

Like 14pokies said tongs are a must....I'd like to add a long water syringe as well. This is a pic after he tagged my water syringe.  He charged out of his hide about a foot from his water dish in a blink of an eye.

Reactions: Like 3


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## atraxrobustus (Dec 25, 2017)

Venom1080 said:


> You have one guy with extensive firsthand experience with theraphosa, then you have random articles and videos on the internet.
> 
> Take your pick.


All I'm saying is that what Im reading here is totally differnet from everything else I've read on them...(and after all it would be unlikely that diverse sources would ALL be wrong.)  so Im not quite sure to make heads or tails of it, much less figuring out what I can and cannot do with this species as compared to the other New Worlds, to get an idea of what needs to be done diffrently aside from the standard line of things. From what I've read it appears that most keepers are driven off from _Theraphosa _because they are demanding as compared to others.



Arachnoclown said:


> View attachment 261401
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That indeed is an intersting pose in the pic.,, as to how you managed to capture that without getting bitten is rather impressive.


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## Arachnoclown (Dec 25, 2017)

atraxrobustus said:


> That indeed is an intersting pose in the pic.,, as to how you managed to capture that without getting bitten is rather impressive.


He actually sat there like that in threat posture for over 20 minutes...I had plenty of time after the attack to grab the camera. Not to mention all the stridulating that was going on. He's charged me many times before...running right up to the glass as I walk by his tank. I'm not sure but I think he thinks every movement is food (poor eyesight???). Attack first ask questions later mentallity.  My 10" female has never done anything like this to me...but I still don't trust her.

Reactions: Like 2


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## BoyFromLA (Dec 25, 2017)

Arachnoclown said:


> My 10" female has never done anything like this to me...but I still don't trust her.


My heart says: “Give her a chance.”
My brain says: “Not a chance.”

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Venom1080 (Dec 25, 2017)

atraxrobustus said:


> All I'm saying is that what Im reading here is totally differnet from everything else I've read on them...(and after all it would be unlikely that diverse sources would ALL be wrong.)  so Im not quite sure to make heads or tails of it, much less figuring out what I can and cannot do with this species as compared to the other New Worlds, to get an idea of what needs to be done diffrently aside from the standard line of things. From what I've read it appears that most keepers are driven off from _Theraphosa _because they are demanding as compared to others.


Well they're not. The tarantula keepers guide illustrates them as a unique class of spider called a "swamp dweller". That's where the confusion comes from I believe.

Moist sub. Water dish. Hide. And a generous amount of sub as they do sometimes burrow. 

Kept the same as a pamphobeteus, Megaphobema, etc.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Informative 1


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## Angel Minkov (Dec 25, 2017)

atraxrobustus said:


> I'm well aware that _T. Stirmi _isn't as problematic as_ T. blondi_ in terms of husbandry conditions, But from what I understand, this genus needs a bit more heat and humidity than most other genus out there in order to survive. From the way your coming across there, it sounds like your treating a tropical species as sub-tropical which makes me just a bit nervous.


They live in jungles where sunlight barely reaches the ground, coupled with the fact that they live in burrows where its even cooler means they DO NOT need high temperatures. Adequate temps for them are around 20-23C. Humidity should not be as high as some people make it out to be as well. Also, NO tarantula is "problematic'' - there are just people who do not know how to take care of them. Its that simple.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 3 | Informative 1


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## Teds ts and Inverts (Dec 28, 2017)

Thanks everyone. I placed an order for a 2 inch sling at jamies tarantulas and i feel much more confident in how I'm going to care for it. I'm using coco fiber sub mixed with sphagnum moss and a solid sized half a plant pot as a hide. I had a piece of cork bark in there at first, but it started to mold after about a week, so I just decided to trash it. The enclosure i have is a 10 gallon tank with most of the screen top covered with 2 layers of paper towel, to go along with a small heat pad on the side of the tank. i also have a nice sized water dish in there to go along with the plastic plants. I've also been watching Tom Moran's videos on youtube and he says the same thing that you guys have, he agrees that people over-complicate the husbandry for these guys. but as i said thank you guys for the advice!

Reactions: Like 1 | Face Palm 1


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## Ant (Dec 29, 2017)

Teds ts and Inverts said:


> Thanks everyone. I placed an order for a 2 inch sling at jamies tarantulas and i feel much more confident in how I'm going to care for it. I'm using coco fiber sub mixed with sphagnum moss and a solid sized half a plant pot as a hide. I had a piece of cork bark in there at first, but it started to mold after about a week, so I just decided to trash it. The enclosure i have is a 10 gallon tank with most of the screen top covered with 2 layers of paper towel, to go along with a small heat pad on the side of the tank. i also have a nice sized water dish in there to go along with the plastic plants. I've also been watching Tom Moran's videos on youtube and he says the same thing that you guys have, he agrees that people over-complicate the husbandry for these guys. but as i said thank you guys for the advice!


2" inch sling in a 10 gallon tank?! I'm certainly no expert but you may want to be putting a sling that size in a smaller enclosure. Also, if a piece of cork bark is growing mould in one week, I think your moisture/ventilation ratios are WAY off.

Reactions: Agree 4


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## Venom1080 (Dec 29, 2017)

Post pics of your set up please. A 10 gallon is overkill till it's an adult.


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## Nightstalker47 (Dec 29, 2017)

Teds ts and Inverts said:


> Thanks everyone. I placed an order for a 2 inch sling at jamies tarantulas and i feel much more confident in how I'm going to care for it. I'm using coco fiber sub mixed with sphagnum moss and a solid sized half a plant pot as a hide. I had a piece of cork bark in there at first, but it started to mold after about a week, so I just decided to trash it. The enclosure i have is a 10 gallon tank with most of the screen top covered with 2 layers of paper towel, to go along with a small heat pad on the side of the tank. i also have a nice sized water dish in there to go along with the plastic plants. I've also been watching Tom Moran's videos on youtube and he says the same thing that you guys have, he agrees that people over-complicate the husbandry for these guys. but as i said thank you guys for the advice!


Agree with everyone here. Also don't cut corners on ventilation just to keep in moisture. I never recommend using glass aquariums for that reason with this species, you either have too much vent and not enough moisture or too little and stagnant air. You want to be somewhere in between.

I would recommend using sterilite tubs for Theraphosa.You can drill enough holes on the sides for ample ventilation, and the solid top wont allow for the moisture to escape too quickly.

Theraphosa really aren't any more problematic then the other large tropical NWs. Several inches of moist sub, good ventilation, cork hide and water dish. Nothing that complexe about keeping these, if you do it right that is.

Reactions: Helpful 1


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## Teds ts and Inverts (Dec 29, 2017)

"2" inch sling in a 10 gallon tank?! I'm certainly no expert but you may want to be putting a sling that size in a smaller enclosure. Also, if a piece of cork bark is growing mould in one week, I think your moisture/ventilation ratios are WAY off."

Yea I have had the cork bark for a while too which was something i forgot to mention and I've used it in a few moist enclosures before as well. And also the reason i have it in an enclosure of that size is that I've heard that Theraphosa grow like weeds so I want to have something that will support it for a while because of their ridiculously fast growth rate.

+Venom 1080 There it is. Also I apologize for the poor quality of the image, but I guess that's what happens when u haven't upgraded from ur iPhone 5 

Well I’ve had the stirmi for about 6 months now and it’s going strong! Setup has been effective so far. It’s molted twice and grown from 1 3/4 inches to about 2 3/4-3 inches. Growth rate and appetite is truly astonishing! Thanks again everyone for your input and advice! 

P.S. this was my first conversation/thread I made, so I apologize for not knowing how to reply to a post, lol

Reactions: Like 3


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## Rittdk01 (Jul 9, 2018)

Too much space from the ground to the top of the tank.  Also, some hard things for your spider to fall on.

A screen lid is a bad idea.  Can get a foot caught in that.

Keeping moisture in by limiting the ventilation to a small spot in the screen...Bad idea.  You are gonna fight mold the entire way or have no humidity at all if you unblock the screen.  Also, no cross ventilation with the glass tank.

Get a Rubbermaid container and drill holes in the top and sides.  I know your tank looks better than a Rubbermaid, but it's gonna be hard to keep your pal thriving with a normal tank.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Teds ts and Inverts (Jul 9, 2018)

Rittdk01 said:


> Too much space from the ground to the top of the tank.  Also, some hard things for your spider to fall on.
> 
> A screen lid is a bad idea.  Can get a foot caught in that.
> 
> ...


Yea, but my spider is taken to its hide and isn’t out in the open enough for me to worry about it. But, I know that this could change as soon as the next molt, and I was thinking, do you think that I could just buy a plexiglass lid, drill enough holes into it (to get appropriate ventilation), and make a custom clip built into the tank to hold it down? And I’ve been doing fine recently with preventing mold without cross ventilation in the tank, but like you said, I don’t want it getting its foot caught in the lid, so do you think my idea for a lid could work?



Rittdk01 said:


> Too much space from the ground to the top of the tank.  Also, some hard things for your spider to fall on.
> 
> A screen lid is a bad idea.  Can get a foot caught in that.
> 
> ...


And also I don’t want to get defensive, but the spots for the ventilation in the screen lid are bigger than they appear.


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## Teds ts and Inverts (Aug 15, 2018)

A quick little update. She (I think it’s a she) molted and is now pushing about 3 1/2-4 inches, still eating like a champ. The coffee brown coloration they have as adults is starting to come on, and the pink on her front four legs is starting to fade. I also drilled some holes in the side of the aquarium too for extra ventilation. Still need to replace the screen lid with plexiglass tho. So to put it simply, made a slight adjustment to the enclosure, and she is still thriving!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Nightstalker47 (Aug 15, 2018)

Teds ts and Inverts said:


> A quick little update. She (I think it’s a she) molted and is now pushing about 3 1/2-4 inches, still eating like a champ. The coffee brown coloration they have as adults is starting to come on, and the pink on her front four legs is starting to fade. I also drilled some holes in the side of the aquarium too for extra ventilation. Still need to replace the screen lid with plexiglass tho. So to put it simply, made a slight adjustment to the enclosure, and she is still thriving!


You need more sub, major fall risk in there for a 3'' juvie.


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## Teds ts and Inverts (Aug 15, 2018)

Nightstalker47 said:


> You need more sub, major fall risk in there for a 3'' juvie.


Yea I guess, but she’s closer to 4”, and even so, she is almost ALWAYS in her hide, and when she isn’t, she rarely ventures far from the hide. So I’m not worried about her taking a fall. Thanks for the advice tho, and I’ll definitely take it into consideration when she begins to come out in the open more often  

And, in case you’re wondering, almost all of the pics I take of her are after lightly encouraging her to come out.


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## Teds ts and Inverts (Nov 23, 2018)

Another update, lol, I’ll probably keep updating this thread until she’s all grown up. She just molted last week (confirmed that she’s a little lady, yay!). I actually underestimated the size of her before she last molted, as when I measured the molt, it was just short of 5 inches, and I now estimate that she is around 6 inches in leg span. Crazy to think that she was 2” just 10 months ago! Enclosure is still set up the same, haven’t had any fungal growth or mold issues since I drilled the holes inside of the aquarium, and she is most definitely thriving! I haven’t replaced the screen top with plexiglass yet, as I plan to house her into a 60 qt. Ziplock storage container when she hits around 7.5-8 inches. Thx so much to everyone who gave me advice on how to care for these guys, and I do apologize for being a little bit stubborn and choosing to set things up my way, as opposed to what is usually advised, but I guess it’s working out so far!  Truly appreciate it guys, and I’ll keep updating this thread


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## Paul1126 (Nov 24, 2018)

@14pokies advice is solid, follow that and your T will thrive.
Can confirm they are incredibly fast mine is still a sling, a seriously good feeding response and reacts to anything that moves.
I've never had mine kick hairs at me yet only bolt and hide. Pretty easy to rehome to just wear gloves and a jumper to cover your arms.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Mychajlo (Nov 25, 2018)

Teds ts and Inverts said:


> A quick little update. She (I think it’s a she) molted and is now pushing about 3 1/2-4 inches, still eating like a champ. The coffee brown coloration they have as adults is starting to come on, and the pink on her front four legs is starting to fade. I also drilled some holes in the side of the aquarium too for extra ventilation. Still need to replace the screen lid with plexiglass tho. So to put it simply, made a slight adjustment to the enclosure, and she is still thriving!


Quick question, how in the name of god did you drill holes in the side of a glass tank

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Teds ts and Inverts (Nov 25, 2018)

Mychajlo said:


> Quick question, how in the name of god did you drill holes in the side of a glass tank


Lol, it was quite time consuming, but I bought a specialized drill bit made for glass at Home Depot, and I poured hot water on the spot I was drilling to prevent the bit from drying out, and I drilled away! There are some tutorials on YouTube, and that’s where I figured out how to do it.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Teds ts and Inverts (Nov 25, 2018)

Paul1126 said:


> @14pokies advice is solid, follow that and your T will thrive.
> Can confirm they are incredibly fast mine is still a sling, a seriously good feeding response and reacts to anything that moves.
> I've never had mine kick hairs at me yet only bolt and hide. Pretty easy to rehome to just wear gloves and a jumper to cover your arms.


Oh yea I have the care down now, thanks for the input anyways You’ll realize how fast these Ts grow after it’s next molt! Mine was a 2 inch sling when I bought it, and it’s been 10 months, and it has molted 4 times, and grown to be 5 1/2 inches in leg span! Good luck with yours


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