A few questions for the more experienced keepers.

[Dilbrain]

I have 2 questions that I would to hear your opinions on please.
1) I recently acquired a L. parahybana juvie about 5 inches,it was in a small holding tank.
My largest available tank is a little small for it, it has been in the tank for a few days. I have a T.blondi Juvie, about 3 inches. The Blondi is in a tank a little large for it. I was thinking of swapping the 2 T's into their respective tanks. Both tanks are clean, no build up of detritus is apparent.
Is it ok just to swap them or should I do a complete substrate change as well ?
2) A few of my T tanks are very close together, due to space, also some of them share a heatpad. Can the T's see through the glass into the next tank?
A few days ago I noticed the 9 inch Blondi was right up against the glass and seemed to be looking into the neighbouring tank which contained a 4 inch P.irminia who happened to be quite active at the time. It appeared to stop after a while, as if it had spotted the Blondi 'leering' in.
The Blondi has wandered over to the same wall a few times since then. The Irminia has remained in his hide......
Probably nothing of the sort, but I wondered?



Thanks in advance !

 

[GailC]

I'm not sure about changing cages, I have done it before but don't anymore.

Tarantulas are nearly blind so no, your blondi isn't a peeping T.

 

[spid142]

looking into tank

Well, just my opinion, I have my Ts all lined up one-against-another, and Ive never noticed them taking an interest in their neighbors. Dont know if they can, or not, maybe reacting to vibrations? As for re-using tanks for another T, I would strip the tank and thoroughly clean it first, dont want to spread anything between Ts, even tho its unlikely, if the tanks is maintained clean, etc. Just a good precaution to take.

 

[phil jones]

hi i change the substrate can you put some thing like paper or cardboard stuck on the side then one ( t ) can not see its next door neighbours

 

[Mike H.]

For the price of substrate I would clean the tanks out...


Regards, Mike

 

[wicked]

I don't think there would be too much of an issue with tank swapping. I would pull out any visible webbing or perhaps scrape off the top layer of substrate to 'clean up' a bit.

As for the seeing into other tanks, I have a story about an A avic.

I walked into my room one evening to find my male A avic bouncing from one side of his tank to the other and hitting the screening on the top trying to catch a moth that was flitting around the outside of the cage(12"x12"x18" Exo Terra). He most definately could 'see' the movement, how clearly he could make out what he was chasing I don't know, but he was going ballistic trying to catch that moth.
After a short debate on the evils of wild caught prey I tossed him the moth and he jumped, catching it in mid air.

My juvie Ts are kept in containers that are close together. I have not seen anything that would lead me to believe it stresses them out, but I do think they are attracted by active movement.

 

[cheetah13mo]

I've switch out a few cages with previous owners and I have not observed any uncomfortable behavior from the T's. They seem to settle in and make it their own nicely. Like Waldo said, nearly blind is right. They can see light and dark and thats about it. She could be senseing some kind of vibration of some sort. Are you sure their is nothing around that she can detect by touch?

 

[Dilbrain]

She could be senseing some kind of vibration of some sort. Are you sure their is nothing around that she can detect by touch?

It's possible, I'll have to check when I get back home.
Thanks for all your replies so far. I think I may switch the substrate as it's not exactly a big job. Love the story about the avic btw !

 

[bushbuster]

Hey Wicked, What do you name those spiders up there in Wyoming? Lonely? Frozen? Windy? lol lol My daughter just asked if you had Arboreyeehaw's lol

 

[ShadowBlade]

I walked into my room one evening to find my male A avic bouncing from one side of his tank to the other and hitting the screening on the top trying to catch a moth that was flitting around the outside of the cage(12"x12"x18" Exo Terra). He most definately could 'see' the movement, how clearly he could make out what he was chasing I don't know, but he was going ballistic trying to catch that moth.
After a short debate on the evils of wild caught prey I tossed him the moth and he jumped, catching it in mid air.

Tarantulas feel air movements of beating wings very well, which is probably what he was detecting.

Question 1:
If the tank was recently set up, I won't clean out the substrate to switch the T's. But if its been many months, heck I just wash it out and start fresh for the next tarantula, its easier then when she's all settled in.
Question 2:
Tarantulas are extremely sensitive to vibrations, and can feel things walking nearby. Thats why males and females will communicate between different tanks with tapping. She might have heard the irminia making a bit of a commosion and was just checking it out a bit closer.

-Sean

 

[wicked]

Tarantulas feel air movements of beating wings very well, which is probably what he was detecting.


-Sean

If it was only happening at the top of the tank where the screen is, then yes, I would agree it was vibration from the fluttering wings, but he was also hitting the glass side of the tank where the moth was. No matter where the moth was on the outside of the tank, he(the avic) was hitting that spot with accuracy. Glass sides and screen top.

My B smithi doesn't know I have a cricket till it hits the ground. My avics practically snatch them out of the air when dropped. I have always felt arboreals had better sight than their ground dwelling counterparts. I think I remember reading a thread on the subject, but I don't feel like looking for it now. Just speculation anyway.


Bushbuster- I don't know about the spiders here, but the wind will suck the life out of anything.

edit-found a post by CodeMonkey dealing with eyesight. He talks about a pokie having larger eyes aligned farther forward. That is kind of what I was thinking of. Not saying avics see better than me (even with my glasses off ), but maybe just better than some terrestrial species.
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=85801&highlight=tarantula+eyesight

*yawn* What am I still doing up at this hour? See you all tomorrow.

 

[Amanda]

I would change the substrate, but that's just my opinion.

All but one of my Ts are terrestrial, and the kks are lined up next to eachother on the shelf. I very often notice two Ts sitting RIGHT next to eachother and/or appearing to stare at eachother through the tank sides. I also find that if one climbs the side wall of its tank, its neighbor will often climb the same spot in it's tank (like a mirror image). I've wondered if they are seeing eachother, or if it is merely a coincidence.

 

[wicked]

adding

Woohoo! I remembered where I saw the thread. There are some very cool pics too.

Eye arrangements-
http://atshq.org/forum/showthread.php?t=7537

edit- Oops, maybe we should start a new thread on this and try to pool our recourses instead of hijacking Dilbrain's thread. :8o

 

[ShadowBlade]

edit-found a post by CodeMonkey dealing with eyesight. He talks about a pokie having larger eyes aligned farther forward. That is kind of what I was thinking of. Not saying avics see better than me (even with my glasses off ), but maybe just better than some terrestrial species.

Yes, I do agree that arboreals have better eyesight then Terrestrials, due to their ability to jump accurately. But how much is the question, enough to jump accurately up to a moth? Probably more of a collection of both (and other) senses really...
Questions I can't answer, but some (cough..CodeMonkey..cough) might be able to chime in on.

edit- Oops, maybe we should start a new thread on this and try to pool our recourses instead of hijacking Dilbrain's thread. :8o

Very true, sorry Dilbrain.

 

[Dilbrain]

Hehe no Problem , great pics also !

 

[Inverted]

This may or may not matter but both tarantulas you are looking to re-house in the others respective home are both kickers of urticating hairs. Several tarantulas with this hair kicking ability will kick hairs around them on purpose as a way to thwart predators. I have never seen this as a potential problem but alot of these spiders never cross paths in the wild so I am not sure if they detect or "sense" these hairs left by other spiders and if it affects them or not. I always change the substrate when I move spiders into new cages. As for housing spiders close togther I have not seen any problems. I have a large, ever changing, collection that requires spiders to be door to door for lack of space and it does not seem to bother them at all.

 

[Dilbrain]

I've just changed the substrate and rehoused the Little Blondi and larger parahybana . Both seemed to settle quickly and both tucked into an introductory 'welcome' locust !
I have put up a few shelves and the P.irminia is now next to a smaller pokie tank with a heatpad obscuring both of their views of eachother.
I will take a few pics later and let you know if the irminia actually comes out at all [ now the peeping Blondi is elsewhere... ]
Thanks again for suggestions/opinions.

 

[phil jones]

i to like to put some thing between my ( t ) tanks e/g cardboard / colour paper / or as you have a heat mat so no more nosey ( t ) spying on their neighbours LOL +++ phil