# B. albopilosum setup advice



## jnfenrir (Apr 22, 2008)

Okay, first of all, here is the setup (B. albopilosum) I'm working with:







As you can plainly see, it's pretty plain.  

I'd like to dash the place up a bit with an artificial plant or vine, but I'm not sure what a good balance of space vs. cover would be for this species. I'm thinking about just attaching a single vine to the back wall of the tank and draping it down over the log. Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!


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## Talkenlate04 (Apr 22, 2008)

That does not look like a B. albo too me. I could be wrong though, the picture is far away. 

You can put the vines anywhere you want. Odds are if she is not ok with where they are she is going to move them herself!


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## jnfenrir (Apr 22, 2008)

That was premolt. She turned a totally different spider after that:







That's an old pic, of course. She's getting nice and fat these days.


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## gambite (Apr 23, 2008)

Looks fine to me. Mine has burrowed all the way to the bottom of the tank.


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## Talkenlate04 (Apr 23, 2008)

Anyone else think that looks off? Maybe I need sleep. GOODNIGHT!


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## EvilElvis (Apr 23, 2008)

Looks like a pretty good home for the little guy. everything seems to be just right for him.


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## Tuwin (Apr 23, 2008)

Jeff-ro is that you? sup dude.

I definitely try and spice up my cages for presentation. Unggy has tried to move her plants many times but can't seem to do anything but flatten 'em out.

I would add some stuff over the top of the hide and leave the other area open but i am sure she will have her way with the vines and move them all over.

One My little Smithi started to redecorate recently. Mainly filling up the water dish with dirt when ever it gets the chance.


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## arrowhd (Apr 23, 2008)

> Anyone else think that looks off? Maybe I need sleep. GOODNIGHT!


Looks like B. albopilosum to me.  What are you seeing that looks off?  

I keep both of mine setup pretty much like you do.


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## Talkenlate04 (Apr 23, 2008)

It almost looks like a L. parahybana to me. It might be the lighting..........


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## Moltar (Apr 23, 2008)

Talkenlate04 said:


> It almost looks like a L. parahybana to me. It might be the lighting..........


That's what I was thinking. b albo's have a lighter carapace and curlier setae on the legs.

Like this:







And this is a comparably sized L parahybana, He darkened up after the molt (freshly molted here) ans is now more uniform black like the pic above.







Either way, any decorations in a tank are solely for the benefit of the keeper unless the spider finds a use for them. You could put some sphagnum moss in there as ground cover in the corner near the log and it would probably get incorporated int the burrow in some way. Anything like plastic plants that you add will reduce floorspace making the enclosure effectively smaller to the t. That's not to say don't do it, just something to keep in mind.


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## maxi_kdu (Apr 23, 2008)

definitely not a B. albopilosum to me. Notice the "rings" on the joints. it looks 99% Lasiodora sp. to me.


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## jnfenrir (Apr 24, 2008)

Okay, here's a current pic, taken just tonight:







Still think it's L. parahybana?

I can definitely see where you guys are coming from. I have seen B. albos that look like that (darker carapace, no vertical stripes on the legs), but I've also seen L. paras that look pretty close as well.

The one major thing that makes me skeptical about it being L. para is actually where I bought her. I picked her up at a small pet store that doesn't even carry any inverts or reptiles. Someone had given her up there for "adoption". But you can't exactly stroll into the local Petco and pick up a 10" tarantula, which means it would have had to have been special-ordered somewhere, probably by a T owner with at least a little experience. My question is why that person, if getting rid of a T, would have brought it to a random pet shop that doesn't even carry inverts.

I'm not denying that it _could_ be L. para (it would certainly explain her skittish nature and disinterest in burrowing), but I do think the odds of that would be pretty slim, given the circumstances. I'd certainly be happy if it was though, so my fingers are crossed! Hopefully, this new photo will help solve the mystery.


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## citizen_smithi (Apr 24, 2008)

Here's how I decorated, my smithi hasn't moved anything around, just half a silk plant (i cut the rest off as it was too thick and she couldn't get the crickets/locusts through it), and you can buy the foam "rock" styrofoam backing, exo-terra sell it seperately though this came with it, but you could get some and cut it to size, and it looks good even without the plants.

But if you ever get A seemani don't bother - it'll ripped apart by the next morning, they're so nosey!

See what ya think anyways...






Here's the seemani's version before she moved in and did her thiang with the now ex-decor!






Hope that helps at all!


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## arrowhd (Apr 24, 2008)

Still looks like a Brachy to me.


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## jazaman (Apr 24, 2008)

jnfenrir said:


> Okay, here's a current pic, taken just tonight:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



It defo looks like a L. Parahybana to me......it`s a nice one!


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## Moltar (Apr 24, 2008)

jnfenrir said:


> Okay, here's a current pic, taken just tonight:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It is absolutely not a B albo. It may or may not be an L para. I'm not sure if the abdomen shape is right... B albo's only develop faint leg striping when they get older and even then it doesn't get pronounced. If you've seen one with bright striping it was probably a seemani or something.

I'm shocked when Petco or Petsmart get something right, not so much when it's wrong. L para's are pretty common now so it wouldn't surprised me if they had them for sale. Mislabeled is even less surprising.

Either way you have a great looking t. Enjoy it. If it is in fact a L para it's going to outgrow that enclosure within a couple of molts.

By the way, don't set up your container like citizen_smithi (sorry citizen) the vertical drop is much to high and thus dangerous. Your cage dimensions are perfect the way they are. Add a couple of plastic plants if you want but that's it.


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## EightLeggedFrea (Apr 24, 2008)

That's how I hose my G. rosea-lots of substrate depth (to prevent falls from climbing), a hide, and water dish. You really don't need any more than that but if you want to add some things then go for it.


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## NevularScorpion (Apr 24, 2008)

I think that is an L para too..


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