Care of Tiny Ts

Dennis Cada

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 2, 2016
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49
At a reptile show last weekend I bought 4 tiny Ts, an Avicularia versicolor, a Psalmopoeus reduncus, a Brachypelma albopilosum, and a Pterinochilus murinus. Two of them are about half an inch, one is a quarter inch, and the last is so small it came in a vial about the size of my baby finger only half as long.

Then when I got home it dawned on me that I really didn't know how to take care of the things! I have had 7 adult Ts for the past few months which appear to be doing at least fairly well but I've never had anything quite this small. I've seen a few posts here which indicate I'm not doing too badly so far and they should still be OK. I've transfered two of them into small critter keepers and the other two into clear containers about the size of small margarine tubs. I've put water in small bottle caps and I've been feeding them flightless fruit flies.

I've seen that the fruit flies are a good choice but the water is not necessary. My questions are:
What should I be using for substrate? Does it REALLY make a difference? How can I provide heat for these small containers, now that the temperatures are dropping? What can I expect in the next few months? Is there anything I should be watching out for?
 

JumpingSpiderLady

Arachnobaron
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Jul 29, 2016
Messages
342
Substrate: coco fiber is fine, some substrates are bad, like wood chips. Some are better for burrowing. I just got an albopilosum sling and it does like to burrow! Coco fiber works fine.
Heat: just heat the room. Space heaters work well if it's a cold room. Be sure not to get a really cheap one though. I've had them kick on and never click off. Lucky it didn't burn the house down.
Food: I offer mine prekilled and they take it just fine, all are growing nice and plump.

I only recently got my slings, so it'd be better to let others answer the what to expect questions.
 

DeanK

Arachnosquire
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Jun 16, 2016
Messages
81
What kind of Kritter Keepers? The gaps in the lids can be enough room for some slings to escape
 

cold blood

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Two of them are about half an inch, one is a quarter inch, and the last is so small it came in a vial about the size of my baby finger only half as long.

I've transfered two of them into small critter keepers and the other two into clear containers about the size of small margarine tubs. I've put water in small bottle caps and I've been feeding them flightless fruit flies.

I've seen that the fruit flies are a good choice but the water is not necessary.
I assume the reduncus and avic are the larger of the 4. They should be in 16oz deli cups with a leaned piece of wood...the avic should have plants around the mid to top of the wood, reduncus should be mid to bottom with the plants.

The other two should be in either vials or condiment cups. The albo should be kept on slightly damp substrate, the obt can be kept dry with just a dribble a week onto their webs (while extremely hardy, theyre an arid species that does better under dry conditions, even when small).

NONE of your slings are large enough for a KK, even the smallest ones. 1.75" minimum, you could push it at 1.5", but any smaller than that and its a real escape risk for the sling.

FFF, while a great supplemental feeder for tiny slings, are not good to feed exclusively. Plus they can be a pain to deal with. Its far easier just to feed pre-killed prey or just a cricket leg or head or diced up mealworm....more nutritional as well. With pre-killed you can feed slightly larger meals, which means less feedings to fill them up...its also very easy to tell if the food's been eaten as well as retrieving it from an often small enclosure, especially if its webbed up like the OBT will be.

Add water dishes as soon as the enclosure size allows...for the Psalm and avic, that's now. Having one just makes things easier.

Enjoy the slings, its very rewarding to raise slings from 2i into adulthood.
 

Dennis Cada

Arachnopeon
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May 2, 2016
Messages
49
OK, this is the present setup. Note that the Brachypelma albopilosum and the Avicularia versicolor are in the KKs and they are quite small with narrow air slots. The Psalmopoeus reduncus is in the same container I bought it in and the Pterinochilus murinus is in the round container. The Psalmopoeus reduncus was actually in a condiment cup in that container when I received it. Would the square container on the far left with the built in tiny air holes be better for any of them? I got two of them with crickets inside which have since gotten eaten by my adult Ts and scorpions.

Note that I don't usually keep them on the terrarium with the corn snake but I put them there to do the pictures.

103_1627.JPG 103_1629.JPG
 

Cavedweller

Arachnoprince
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Mar 23, 2011
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The Psalmopoeus reduncus was actually in a condiment cup in that container when I received it. Would the square container on the far left with the built in tiny air holes be better for any of them?
Yeah, that square box should work well, I use old food tubs like those for my slings. I don't trust tiny Ts in KKs, they're good at squeezing through small spaces.

Keeping slings isn't particularly difficult, I think a lot of nervous beginners overcomplicate it. If they're too small for a water bowl, just moisten a corner of the substrate once or twice a week.
 

ratluvr76

Arachnodemon
Active Member
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Jul 12, 2014
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just a note, with T's this size, it's not a matter of IF.. but WHEN they escape. You can use the KK's when they hit 1.5-1.75' but for now, stick to condiment cups or deli containers. ;)
 

kooky

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Aug 4, 2016
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i not sure if im looking at the set up wrong but KK's arent very good for avics. There also doesn't seem to be anything for it to climb on, even thought its an arboreal t. Again not sure if im looking at the wrong enclosure, but if im not, you need to change the set up imo.
 

DeanK

Arachnosquire
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Jun 16, 2016
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81
The versicolor shouldn't be in a KK they're arboreal and need more height than ground space and lots of plants around the top of the enclosure to help it feel safe. Amac boxes or tall deli cups are a better choice
 

cold blood

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Yeah the avic is literally set up all wrong....it looks like a terrestrial set up:(


Everyone appears to be set up in homes that are too large.
 

Dennis Cada

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May 2, 2016
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49
Don't forget, when I set up those things I didn't know what I had! Note the labels on the side just says Ba and Av, I wasn't even sure if the Ba was right since the marking on the vial wasn't easy to read. Would the arboreal be climbing ALREADY? I still haven't seen one of the others. The vial was tiny, and when I poured it out there didn't look as if there was anything in it, so the T must have been like the size of a FFF.

How about feeding them diced up hornworms? I have a few I want to use before I lose. And, maybe a silly question, but where can I get deli cups? Cups from McDrinks are either paper, not transparent, or the openings in the tops are usually way too big.
 

Estein

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Feb 11, 2016
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Since you have adult Ts as well--before my little ones were large enough to take down their own crickets, I would give legs to them and feed the rest to my adult. Flightless fruit flies are a pain (IMO) but thankfully can be avoided. :)

Congrats on your slings and enjoy watching them grow!
 

viper69

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Would the arboreal be climbing ALREADY?
Confused...Why wouldn't an Avicl be vertical already? I haven't raised an Avic sling yet that sat on the sub for a minute and then went up.
 
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Dennis Cada

Arachnopeon
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May 2, 2016
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49
OK, an update on these: Yes. the two in the KKs did escape. :-( I think one got stomped by the roomie, who is terrified of spiders, but I found the other on a wall two days later. I put it into that square container on the left in the pictures, with the tiny holes, along with some substrate and 2-3 tiny crickets. I figured it was the Av because it looked bluish and was climbing to the top of the container. I had to leave for work so I couldn't set it up any better at the time. When I checked after work it looked as if it was dead, so I figured it was attacked by the crickets or went stir crazy because it couldn't climb. But when I went to clean it up today I noticed it was very much alive! So I got a vertical deli cup and put substrate, a piece of driftwood for it to climb on, and a cut up superworm in then put it in. I'll see when I get home but it should be fine.
Even though I still haven't seen the Ts in the round containers I noticed there was a bit of a web in one of them. :) I put cut up superworm into both of them as well.
 

Kodi

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OK, an update on these: Yes. the two in the KKs did escape. :-( I think one got stomped by the roomie, who is terrified of spiders, but I found the other on a wall two days later. I put it into that square container on the left in the pictures, with the tiny holes, along with some substrate and 2-3 tiny crickets. I figured it was the Av because it looked bluish and was climbing to the top of the container. I had to leave for work so I couldn't set it up any better at the time. When I checked after work it looked as if it was dead, so I figured it was attacked by the crickets or went stir crazy because it couldn't climb. But when I went to clean it up today I noticed it was very much alive! So I got a vertical deli cup and put substrate, a piece of driftwood for it to climb on, and a cut up superworm in then put it in. I'll see when I get home but it should be fine.
Even though I still haven't seen the Ts in the round containers I noticed there was a bit of a web in one of them. :) I put cut up superworm into both of them as well.
:banghead::shifty:
 

Andrea82

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Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
Why...
Why did you leave them in those KK, knowing it was wrong? Why did you leave an Avic in with crickets and without vertical climbing options. Why didn't you listen to advice given here?
Do you even care?
 

Ashley2070

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 22, 2016
Messages
41
So sad... please don't buy spiders let alone any living thing until you research it and understand how to care for it properly..
 
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