Brand new T hobbyist! Introduction/Seeking advice

[cold blood]

I've raised a lot of different species of Avics from sling to adult. Your setup for the Avic needs to be adjusted. It is currently geared for a terrestrial T more than an arboreal T to be honest. There needs to be more cage furniture near the top, not a single stump and a few stalks pushing up from the ground. As it stands now you only have one main point for the T to reside. Invest in some cork bark tubes or slabs. Order in bulk to save money, plus cork bark is the most widely used mold resistant natural item people use in the exotic hobbies generally speaking. Avics will readily use cork.

If you aren't concerned about crickets drowning, then remove the stones, more water is better than less. Ts won't drown even TINY slings from drinking from a dish.

Regarding ventilation I find it very useful to put limited amounts of air holes on the top for Avics as they often form a canopy and/or tube. When they form a canopy that is where they will molt. When they molt they rarely come down to drink from a dish. You will have an near impossible time adding water to the canopy w/out holes from above without disturbing your T.

Some Avics won't drink from a dish at all, or worse, some IME stop using their dish, or only use it sporadically (while still needing water though).

With a T that size you will have to keep it hydrated with water, and not by food alone.

Get yourself a syringe with a blunt tip needle.

Rose sounds like it's acting normal. I've raised those from sling to adult as well.

Not sure you looked at the right enclosure, as the avic is indeed set up arboreally, even with the tub on its sde for added height.

 

[machinegunkev]

Grammostola rosea is not a webber, although she may lay some silk down in her retreat, when she is feeding, or right before molting.

Your Avicularia avicularia will eventually create a web retreat (either attached to the anchor points you provided or inside of the cork bark). However, it may be a few weeks before the Avic begins webbing in earnest.

A happy Avic will spend little or no time on the ground, so the substrate is mainly for aesthetics and to hold moisture if additional humidity is needed.

• You have condensation in the enclosure.
• You are growing mold.
• Your tarantula isn't doing well.

I keep my Avics in dry, well-ventilated cages (with a water dish in each, of course). I live in a humid climate, so there is plenty of ambient humidity.

If you live in a dry climate, or you are running the heat a lot (that dries the air), you can overflow the water dish a bit to moisten the substrate. This will increase humidity in the enclosure. (Do not let the substrate get sopping wet; if anything, you just want it to be a little damp.) There is no need to "mist" the cage.

It is far more important to make sure there is plenty of cross ventilation (and some top ventilation) to prevent the enclosure from becoming stuffy.

You may have already read this, but if not, don't put heating pads or heat lamps on your cages. If you are comfortable in the room with inside clothing (no coats or layers), the tarantula is fine. If the room is too cold, heat the room, not the cages.

Awesome info, thank you!!!

I was under the impression that rosea's laid web lol. So is it normal for neither of them to NOT be moving at this point? The Rosea's been in the same spot(in it's hide) for the past 2 days, and the Avic's been sitting on top of it's tree for the past 2 days. Neither of them has moved spots. Although they do change position, they'll face a different direction from time to time.

 

[machinegunkev]

Im so glad I signed up for these boards lol. SO much useful information.

 

[machinegunkev]

That rosea now, thats probably at least a decade old and at that size

Is it really at least 10 years old? Lol whoa!

 

[Crone Returns]

Wow. Are you okay? Never seen you reply this snarky...?
Op has started up quite allright imo, no need for this heavy sarcasm, i think....

I have a COLD, sinus headache from hell and I look like a drunk who's been on a 6 day bender. So yeah, I'm cranky, didn't mean to be mean.

Besides, I was channeling Poec

 

[Andrea82]

I have a COLD, sinus headache from hell and I look like a drunk who's been on a 6 day bender. So yeah, I'm cranky, didn't mean to be mean.

Besides, I was channeling Poec

Hope you feel better soon!
And ehm..by channeling Poec, do you mean he passed away? The man stopped posting suddenly, and i have no idea why. I am a bit worried something happened to him.
(Sorry for offtopic post OP)

 

[Crone Returns]

Hope you feel better soon!
And ehm..by channeling Poec, do you mean he passed away? The man stopped posting suddenly, and i have no idea why. I am a bit worried something happened to him.
(Sorry for offtopic post OP)

Don't know. But it seemed like a good idea at the time.

 

[machinegunkev]

Hope you feel better soon!
And ehm..by channeling Poec, do you mean he passed away? The man stopped posting suddenly, and i have no idea why. I am a bit worried something happened to him.
(Sorry for offtopic post OP)

Take your nonsense else where , lol jk jk. Its alright I dont mind...

 

[Chris LXXIX]

I have a COLD, sinus headache from hell and I look like a drunk who's been on a 6 day bender.

 

[viper69]

I applaud your patience

As a result I will never do it again. I tend to buy faster growing species, or the female now. Though all the females I currently own, except for my smithi, AF E sp Red, and A. geroldi ( all 3 molt-confirmed female before purchase), were slings. One year I was really lucky and about 5 Ts in a row molted out female.

 

[viper69]

Not sure you looked at the right enclosure, as the avic is indeed set up arboreally, even with the tub on its sde for added height.

I saw it. I don't think there's enough climbing/hiding spots for an Avic. As it looked EARLY this morning even some of Grammo and Brachy would do well, minus the height. I looked carefully at the pics.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad start. I just think there should be more climbing spots for a container with a nice appreciable size. Otherwise the T hangs out on the walls or just that one stump.

 

[machinegunkev]

I saw it. I don't think there's enough climbing/hiding spots for an Avic. As it looked EARLY this morning even some of Grammo and Brachy would do well, minus the height. I looked carefully at the pics.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad start. I just think there should be more climbing spots for a container with a nice appreciable size. Otherwise the T hangs out on the walls or just that one stump.

Just got back from the store. I bought two pieces of round cork bark. Just gave them a wash, about to pop them in the oven for a few minutes before throwing them into the enclosure.

 

[Cassiusstein]

Just got back from the store. I bought two pieces of round cork bark. Just gave them a wash, about to pop them in the oven for a few minutes before throwing them into the enclosure.

Perfect! I've never had an Avic, or any arboreal for that matter, avoid webbing inside those. I have a bin full of em lol

 

[Venom1080]

the Grammie set up looks great, i'd ditch those rocks in the water bowl though.
as for the Avic, why so much substrate? an avic nearly never touches the ground on purpose, that sub is taking up climbing space. i recommend no more than a couple inches for avics. remove the rocks as well. you might want some more web anchor points in there as well.. i also prefer a little ventilation than that.
overall, really good for a beginner.

 

[machinegunkev]

the Grammie set up looks great, i'd ditch those rocks in the water bowl though.
as for the Avic, why so much substrate? an avic nearly never touches the ground on purpose, that sub is taking up climbing space. i recommend no more than a couple inches for avics. remove the rocks as well. you might want some more web anchor points in there as well.. i also prefer a little ventilation than that.
overall, really good for a beginner.

oh thank u for the tips i added another piece of cork bark to the opposite side, forming a V in the Avic enclosure. as for substrate i will remove some, although it will be a little while because I dont feel like disturbing my avic at moment since i just moved it in there a few days ago. I added another hide in the Grammastola enclosure, just an extra piece of cork bark that I had.

 

[Ungoliant]

So is it normal for neither of them to NOT be moving at this point? The Rosea's been in the same spot(in it's hide) for the past 2 days, and the Avic's been sitting on top of it's tree for the past 2 days. Neither of them has moved spots. Although they do change position, they'll face a different direction from time to time.

Grammostola rosea is known to be a pet rock. As long as she looks healthy and isn't in a death curl, I wouldn't worry about her lack of activity.

My Avics mostly sit in the same spot for hours too, just rotating position. Even when they are in "hunting mode," they are just waiting for food to come within striking range.

 

[cold blood]

Perfect! I've never had an Avic, or any arboreal for that matter, avoid webbing inside those. I have a bin full of em lol

Huh? You not only have an avic, but P. Cambridgei....both arboreals.

 

[Cassiusstein]

Huh? You not only have an avic, but P. Cambridgei....both arboreals.

Let me put that a different way

Every arboreal I own has webbed inside, and lived in corkwood tubes sorry for the mixup

 

[Cassiusstein]

P.s @cold blood I didn't see any of my the Cambridgei for a good week or two, only for all 3 of them to emerge very large, beautiful, and hungry thanks again, they're still the pride of my little collection

 

[Crone Returns]

I have a COLD, sinus headache from hell and I look like a drunk who's been on a 6 day bender. So yeah, I'm cranky, didn't mean to be mean.

Besides, I was channeling Poec

Just wait, cold blood, virus is coming your way....

Hey! Your first name is cold...