Brachypelma emilia, second T!

[Nightinghoul]

I finally gave in and got my second T, a Brachypelma emilia sling. I was wondering if anyone had any tips about care for this species. I've read a lot about them, but I'm still curious. Thanks!

 

[viper69]

I finally gave in and got my second T, a Brachypelma emilia sling. I was wondering if anyone had any tips about care for this species. I've read a lot about them, but I'm still curious. Thanks!

Feed it, provide water, don't handle it.

You really can't expect people to type a bunch of things for information that is readily available on the forum. In addition, I could sit here and type stuff and you MIGHT just know it all. SO, that's a HUGE waste of everyone's time, yours and most of all mine.

If you had SPECIFIC questions, that would be better.

 

[Nightinghoul]

Feed it, provide water, don't handle it.

You really can't expect people to type a bunch of things for information that is readily available on the forum. In addition, I could sit here and type stuff and you MIGHT just know it all. SO, that's a HUGE waste of everyone's time, yours and most of all mine.

If you had SPECIFIC questions, that would be better.

Oh, thank you! You just reminded me why I hate to ask questions on this forum. I either get really helpful info or someone who WASTED THEIR TIME typing a message that was nasty to begin with.

 

[Vanisher]

I can maybe help you! How big is the spider? Do you want advise on general care?

 

[Nightinghoul]

I can maybe help you! How big is the spider? Do you want advise on general care?

Thank you! It’s very small, still a tiny sling. But it’s my first sling and I wanted some advice on caring for slings as well as some general care tips about the species.

 

[Vanisher]

I would say for spiderlings, small containers with slightly moist substrate. For juveniles and adult, DRY sub and waterdish! For an adult female i would have a 12 inch long and 12 inch wide tank with 15- 20cm dry substrate (packed down) snd a corkbark retreat! This speicies digs often!

 

[Liquifin]

There's really no "specific" care for it. B. emelia is pretty much just like all the other brachy's. Care is almost exactly the same.

This speicies digs often!

Not really true in my experience. They do dig quite a bit as slings, but after the juvenile stage they are mainly out and about instead of digging.

 

[EtienneN]

Moist but not wet substrate. You should get by with overflowing the water dish like twice a week.

 

[Vanisher]

There's really no "specific" care for it. B. emelia is pretty much just like all the other brachy's. Care is almost exactly the same.

Not really true in my experience. They do dig quite a bit as slings, but after the juvenile stage they are mainly out and about instead of digging.

But in my experience they do! I had 2 femsles, one adult and one juvenile. Both dug straight down!

 

[Liquifin]

But in my experience they do! I had 2 femsles, one adult and one juvenile. Both dug straight down!

LOL, your's is complete opposite of my girl.

 

[viper69]

Oh, thank you! You just reminded me why I hate to ask questions on this forum. I either get really helpful info or someone who WASTED THEIR TIME typing a message that was nasty to begin with.

I think you misunderstand. Many of the things people do with T husbandry is NOT based on science at all. Some things are based one's personal preference, how lazy they are, how much money they have, what fits into their schedules, with little regard for the animal. BUT, you will never learn that in an answer, and you MIGHT read something and think "that sounds good", when in fact the only reason said person chose a particular process is because they are stupidly lazy and/or PLAIN STUPID.

I have been here a long time and I have seen may people post this question. and they get a myriad of answers leaving them more confused in the first place.

All of that information is already available here on the forum to begin with provided they take the time to read.

It makes more sense for the person to sift through all that known information, many of it "conflicting" such as "how often should I feed my sling" You'll get a ton of different answers, and in the abstract I can say almost all of them are right. How does that help the new person to read that, it doesn't.

BUT if a new owner reads that and comes back here after reading, presents the knowledge they learned, and then asks pointed questions, it's far easier to receive specific, and helpful information.

 

[Vanisher]

LOL, your's is complete opposite of my girl.

Yes my B hamorii never dug, and i had her 5 years+ But both my B emilia where pretty much petholes

 

[CrazyDane]

A hide and water and food thats all you need as viper type Its all What you like you most likey read the importen info

 

[Ungoliant]

I finally gave in and got my second T, a Brachypelma emilia sling. I was wondering if anyone had any tips about care for this species. I've read a lot about them, but I'm still curious. Thanks!

Basic tarantula care: Fantastic Beginner Tarantulas and How to Keep Them

Some tips on basic sling care: Condiment cups and deli cups make good sling enclosures. (Tarantulas don't need a lot of space; they like it cozy. It also makes it easier for you to check on the sling and easier for the sling to find its prey.) To prevent escape, make sure all holes are smaller than the tarantula's carapace.

Common substrates are plain topsoil (with no additives), coconut fiber, peat, or some mixture thereof. As the tarantula grows into larger enclosures, you will want to limit the vertical height (the distance between the top of the substrate and the lid) to not more than 1.5 times the tarantula's diagonal legspan. This is to prevent injuries from falls. (Large, bulky terrestrial species are particularly vulnerable.)

The main difference between sling care and adult care is that slings always need some moisture, because they haven't yet developed the waxy layer on their cuticle that prevents them from losing moisture through their cuticle. Once they develop this layer (1.5" or so), you can transition to the adult moisture requirements, which for this species is dry.

To prevent your sling from desiccating, just slightly dampen the substrate and limit ventilation. If you're running the heater, be sure to stay on top of the moisture level in the container, as it may dry out more quickly than you expect.

As for feeding, I give my slings small mealworms (with the heads crushed to prevent bites or burrowing) about twice a week. You can also use tiny crickets, roaches, or pieces of larger feeder insects (such as cricket drumsticks).

This sling is only 3/4" and is eating a tiny live mealworm.

All of the usual safety precautions apply (for example, pre-crush a mealworm's head). Some slings will take live prey, and you can offer something that is the size of the spider's abdomen or smaller. When offering live prey, make sure the sling actually kills the prey item; do not leave live prey unattended with slings.

If your sling is too timid to hunt, most will accept pre-killed prey. Just place all or part of a prey item in the container for the sling to find. This is also the safest feeding approach, as there is no risk of pre-killed prey injuring your sling.

Since the container will be slightly moist, you should remove any uneaten prey (or parts of prey) to prevent mold from growing. (Mold is often harmless in small amounts but is unsightly.)

Tomoran recently posted a helpful guide for people who are new to slings (long but worth watching, IMO):

 

[sasker]

I was wondering if anyone had any tips about care for this species.

You just reminded me why I hate to ask questions on this forum.

@viper69 just meant to say 'Could you be more specific?'

Don't worry about the grumpyness you get from time to time. It has distracted you from what his post actually said. If you consider your first post, you must admit your question is very generic and there is no way any of us can guess what answers you really are after.

There is definitely a willingness here to help you, just ask the right questions