caught in the act!!!

skadiwolf

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May 6, 2003
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well, for the FIRST time EVER i saw my A. avic eating a cricket. i finally realized she was eating when i saw that she was leaving little cricket carcess-balls.

however, this was THE moment for me! |D i hope you guys enjoy!

excuse the fact that the sides of the tank have water stains on them. :/ i mist the tank so...yeah. i'll wipe that down soon.

 

skadiwolf

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oh btw, i never realized until a week or so ago that the bottoms of the A. avics feet were irridescent! that is amazing! it's very obvious in this picture and almost looks opal-like.

i assume this is a common thing, but what causes this? is it teeny tiny hairs since they have a metallic sheen or is it the skin of the T?

this simply fascinated me. are other avics also like this and does anyone have any pics demonstrating it?
 

pelo

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Apr 16, 2003
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Hey Skadi..nice little avic...If you use distilled water for all your watering needs,especially misting...you won't get any water spots.Distilled dries clear which means no cleaning/wiping of the plastic/glass for water spots anyways.You'll be able to see your youngster a lot clearer.....peace...
 

Mojo Jojo

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Originally posted by skadiwolf

excuse the fact that the sides of the tank have water stains on them. :/ i mist the tank so...yeah. i'll wipe that down soon.
I think that you will have better luck just buying a new aquarium or tank or what ever setup you are using. What you are actually seeing is hard water deposits -- aka mineral deposits. So far I haven't found anything that is able to get it off.

I use filtered water to mist, and don't have that problem anymore.

Jon
 

SpiderTwin

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Mar 17, 2003
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Hey Skadi,
It's fun to watch them eat, but seeing the initial catching of the prey is an awesome sight. T's are so fast and seem to know exactly where the prey is before pouncing on it.
 

Godzilla2000

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Mar 14, 2003
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My Avic, Pandora is a beast when it comes to feeding time. She fairly launches herself at any crickets that are dumb enough to enter her web. If she's wandering around on the walls of the tank, she does a superfly leaping off the wall, grabbing the cricket and rolling onto her back to eat it. She really starting to cram crickets because she's going into pre-molt right now. It's quite funny to see her flying at these hapless crickets.
 

atavuss

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Re: Re: caught in the act!!!

Originally posted by Big Dragonfly
I think that you will have better luck just buying a new aquarium or tank or what ever setup you are using. What you are actually seeing is hard water deposits -- aka mineral deposits. So far I haven't found anything that is able to get it off.

I use filtered water to mist, and don't have that problem anymore.

Jon
IME, if the mineral deposits are pretty severe then they will not clean off well.......if the mineral deposits are mild then try soaking with vinegar, usually vinegar will disolve the deposits. rinse with plenty of water if you decide to try the vinegar.
Ed
 

Palespider

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Originally posted by skadiwolf
oh btw, i never realized until a week or so ago that the bottoms of the A. avics feet were irridescent! that is amazing! it's very obvious in this picture and almost looks opal-like.

i assume this is a common thing, but what causes this? is it teeny tiny hairs since they have a metallic sheen or is it the skin of the T?

this simply fascinated me. are other avics also like this and does anyone have any pics demonstrating it?
Not sure what causes the irridescent color on the foot pads, but most arboreals seem to have it such as Poecilotheria. I also noticed that my Usambara (escapee) has it as well.

Jim B.
 

skadiwolf

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the irridescense is awesome. well, i might just move my avic then, after all, i was thinking of getting another one to put in there and i'd like a bigger kritter keeper. she's about 3" so not teeny. :) she's got plenty of room but with another i want to make sure they are both VERY happy and have PLENTY of space.

yeah, i love watching my other Ts catch prey...one day perhaps i'll see this one. ;)
 

Palespider

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Originally posted by skadiwolf
the irridescense is awesome. well, i might just move my avic then, after all, i was thinking of getting another one to put in there and i'd like a bigger kritter keeper. she's about 3" so not teeny. :) she's got plenty of room but with another i want to make sure they are both VERY happy and have PLENTY of space.

yeah, i love watching my other Ts catch prey...one day perhaps i'll see this one. ;)
Tarantulas are very aware of their surroundings (especially arboreals) and usually know when you're around and will wait till you turn your back before they will feed. Just try and open their lids as quietly as possible so you won't disurb them and set the cricket (or whatever munchies you/she preffers) gently inside the cage and sit back and watch quietly.
(I usually pop their lids about 15 minutes before I feed them and grab a chair) and reclose the lids without snapping them shut. This way you make the least amount of noise possible when you reopen it. (WATCH FOR ESCAPEE'S!!)

This technique has worked for my super-ultra-mega secretive H. maculata ;) My A. avicularia will usually eat in front of me.

You will probably have to dim the lights a little or a lot, also. Especially for an H. maculata, or pokie.

Good luck!
Jim B.
 

skadiwolf

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thanks. :) i know she only hunts at night so that's how i caught her in the first place. (grin) i was so pleased with myself.

however, that picture is probably one of the worst i've ever taken in my life. :/

i apologize!!! lol.
 

luther

Arachnodemon
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Apr 8, 2003
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In England it's well known that you get the best results by cleaning your windows first with a plain wet cloth and then dry them with newspaper. Try this on a tank with mineral deposits from misting. No expensive products required.
 
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