Anything important that I need to know about Haplopelma lividum (Cobalt Blue)

[BlueTrix]

Hi everyone,

I am new in here and also in Tarantula. I know it is not a good idea to start with a Cobalt Blue, but I really like its colour. Did anyone know what happen if I got bite by a Cobalt Blue, and also is it only female will have a nice blue colour?? Because in one website, it shows a male and female pictures, and only the female has a blue colour and the male is like grey.

Thx :?

 

[Washout]

First off cobalt blues are referred to as "pet holes" for a reason. They will never sit out in the open, and if you give them a shallow substrate and a shallow hide they will stress out and may die. So you have to provide them with ample substrate to dig a hole and burrow. They are also extremely agressive and cannot be handled. Their poison is not very toxic, instead when they bite you they bite multiple times. I would greatly suggest getting something you can actually look at as your first tarantula. Then a little down the road get a cobalt.

I keep mine in a dark room in a shallow container. So that I can go and look at it without it getting stressed. Basically I keep it in a tempature controlled closet.

My rosie is actually quickly becoming one of my favorite T's. It constantly runs aorund it's cage and digs little holes all over the place, and moves the plastic plants around.

 

[David_F]

BTW, it's Haplopelma. You'll have a lot better luck locating other threads by using the correct genus name.

 

[Rourke]

Anything important that I need to know....

Hi. Welcome to the boards!

YES, in fact; at least three things you need to know:

1. You have the name wrong. It's Haplopelma.
2. An inquiry of the form "I know I should not do this, but can you help me?" is unlikely to meet with an influx of positive responses.
3. There's a wealth of information on this site about H. lividum. It can be conveniently accessed >>>HERE<<.

Rourke

 

[metzgerzoo]

If color is the reason you want a cobalt, look for a different species that you will at least be able to see those colors. They are seldom ever visible and have nasty attitudes. Also, that blue is only really visible under the right light.

 

[jeffh_x]

my lividum dug right away after adding substrate and putting in a piece of cork bark..now she made long and deep tunnels that i get to see by the side of the cage.. her tunnels is a 'T' intersection which is quite visible at the near bottom of the cage..cool Ts..i do miss seeing her...

 

[Nerri1029]

I have been lucky

after having my H lividum for a month I've seen her 2 times

H. lividum are usually EXPENSIVE compared to other starter T's
require HIGHER TEMPS AND HUMIDITY than other T's esp for Canada

I just picked up a Costa Rican Striped Knee.. TIMID ( so not for handling )
BUT A GREAT T to watch.. VERY AGRESSIVELY attacks crickets..

It doesn't rate really high on the COOL amazing color side.. but still VERY cool on the overall looks ( not as boring as say a G. Rosea ) ( sorry G. roseas out there)


I wouldn't suggest the H. lividum for a first..

 

[jeffh_x]

pr u cud give it a hide..u wun see it in the day but when at night, they usually come out and roam around the enclosure..thats wat mine did..i gave her a plastic cup and buried it halfway..she modified it and webbed the entrance..well at least u get to see it during the night..it is a really nice T..

 

[BlueTrix]

thank you so much...
yeah... it's like 1:40 sth am when i posted this message... so type a wrong name... thx for correcting me guys...

 

[Rounder]

I'm fairly new to Ts myself, got my first this past August and I now have 9. I've gone to a couple of shows during this time and I've seen an adult female cobalt, the lighting was OK and it just looked dark in color, the blue wasn't able to be seen at all. At one time I was deadset on having a cobalt blue, but lately, I'm not sure I'll ever have 1. I've read posts of people not seeing theirs for 6 months. I have a b. smithi that has been tucked underground for nearly 2 months now and I feel like I only have 8 Ts instead of 9. You might consider a Greenbottle blue, or my latest favorite - Avic. Purpurea - amazing colors.

One other thing I thought I'd add, my first T was a Chaco golden knee - not the most colorful T out there, but when I got it (it was air mailed to me), and I opened it up and saw it (1.75" at the time) I thought it was amazing, the world of Ts opened up to me, it was no longer about just the colors, it was amazing just to sit and watch it explore its new environment. I originally thought I'd only have 1 or maybe 2 Ts, yeah right.

good luck.

 

[Pokie1]

If blue is the color you want, and you want to look at a spectacular T., look to Poecilotheria metallica. The most gorgeous spider in the hobby, IMHO
However, there is some anecdotal evidence to suggest that envenomations may be of medical importance-something to keep in mind.

A better starter T. with beautiful blue coloration might be Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (Greenbottle Blue). They are very attractive and are not "hot," but do have urticulating hairs.

Pokie1

 

[cdxrd]

How expensive should a .75" Poecilotheria metallica be? I googled and the first site I come across is selling these beauties for $325 a pop.

 

[Pokie1]

Pokies

Yep, $325 is what I have been seeing too. That is a heck of a lot of money for a sling, but then again they are quite rare and beautiful.

Pokie1

 

[shogun804]

why not the GBB (green bottle blue) great colors web builders and out all the time...id get that before a cobalt blue especially for my first T...IMO

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

I will have to agree with most and say an H. lividum is not a good choice a beginner. If you only consider color when choosing to aquire an animal, then maybe you should think about a Chia Pet. Haplopelma lividum will be extremely hard to keep alive and healthy and cause lots of stress for you and the spider if you don't have any experience keeping more docile and less picky tarantulas. And I'm sure that last statement will be correct if you substitute the words "spider" and "tarantulas" for any other kind of animal. Just don't be superficial with tarantulas until you're confident you can handle every species on the market.

-Lonnie