Chromataplema (Green bottle blue) Care? Opinions?

[Dragondrool]

So I'm new to the arachnid care world, but tarantulas and other bugs/inverts have always been a deep passion of mine. I had recently gotten a pink toe (her name is Demeter) and I fell head-over heels for tarantulas, and now I need more...

I'm looking for a tarantula that lives in a dryer habitat that digs and is relativity docile. I don't handle my tarantula unless I need to move her. They're fragile so touching them makes me nervous, I don't want to hurt them by accident since my hands shake and have occasional spasms. So I was introduced green bottle blues by my significant O, and I'm in love.

I looked at their care sheets and I have an extra heating pad and the requirements. But what's your opinions on them? I think they're gorgeous, and I don't mind a skittish T, since I don't plan on handling. Do they dig a little? The terrarium I have is around 8 gal vertical. It's a left over crested gecko baby tank that I don't use. I'm not looking for arboreal/tropical tarantulas just yet, so I'm planning on filling half of the tank with ecoearth for it to dig, or just to chill in.
Nothing is set in stone right now so I'm open for suggestions. I love digging tarantulas, so if you have any suggestions I'd love to hear it

 

[Nightshady]

GBB is my personal favorite species. They don’t dig. They are semi-arboreal, and they prefer a more arid environment. I just make sure to have a full water dish and that’s it for humidity.

They prefer a habitat with a lot of anchor points as they are prolific webbers. They are mildly skittish but not defensive that I have found. They are fantastic eaters, passing up a meal only around molt time.

An eight gallon tank would be big for even a full sized one, although IMO I think they do fine in a tank slightly bigger than what you would put other T’s in.

I highly recommend them. They are also almost always out in the open. I have a hide for mine and it’s never used it.

 

[Venom1080]

No, they tend not to dig. They aren't semi arboreal either, they just tend to web up everything. Up, down, doesn't matter.

Look into Aphonopelma seemani. They dig, like a little humidity, and are gorgeous as well. Not as much though.

That's a okay size for a adult. Which will cost you quite a bit. Sling and juvis will do fine in deli cups and Sterlite tubs/kritter keepers till they're large enough.

Nice to see fossorial fans. Burrowers don't get enough credit.

 

[Nightshady]

They aren't semi arboreal either, they just tend to web up everything. Up, down, doesn't matter.

Not sure what the exact technical definition of semi-arboreal would be, but I don’t think that saying they are pure terrestrial is an accurate description.

Mine always hangs out on the highest structure in its habitat. True, it’s an experience of one, but you always hear people say they are semi-arboreal and mine sure fits that description.

 

[Venom1080]

Not sure what the exact technical definition of semi-arboreal would be, but I don’t think that saying they are pure terrestrial is an accurate description.

Mine always hangs out on the highest structure in its habitat. True, it’s an experience of one, but you always hear people say they are semi-arboreal and mine sure fits that description.

Sorry. "they're not semi arboreal IMO".

What about a spider that tunnels like crazy, yet climbs and isn't on the ground often? Lampropelma, Omothymus, etc fit that semi arboreal catagory perfectly imo.

 

[Nightshady]

Sorry. "they're not semi arboreal IMO".

What about a spider that tunnels like crazy, yet climbs and isn't on the ground often? Lampropelma, Omothymus, etc fit that semi arboreal catagory perfectly imo.

I’ve seen my GBB on the ground only a few times in the months I’ve owned it. Maybe that will change when it becomes an adult. Will keep you posted haha.

 

[DanBsTs]

Nice to see fossorial fans. Burrowers don't get enough credit.

indubitably good sir Quite so.

 

[Jonroe]

I would hardly call the little shrubs and dry bushes in the GBB's natural habitat trees. That's what makes semi-arboral debatable imo.
They are found inside dead trees, webbing up brush work and so on in arid, mountainous regions.

From the pictures I've seen nothing there stands taller then 4 metres, not like the dense forest Poecilotheria is found in (south indien, sri lanka) for example.
I'd call them shrub-boreal.

€: And sorry I can't contriube anything useful to you op, it's 3 am where I live and can't sleep. So feel like posting fluff..

 

[Mirandarachnid]

They may not dig, but IMO the webbing is just as cool. I love seeing how the enclosures change day-by-day.

Clover

• Mirandarachnid
• Jan 20, 2018
• 1

And just look at that face. That was 11 days after bringing it home. Once it finished that superworm, it decided it was still hungry and picked up an uneaten worm it hid under some webbing

You should get one. Or four.

 

[ediblepain]

A heating pad is not something a captive tarantula needs, and can even be dangerous. Good luck. Welcome to the addiction!

 

[Ungoliant]

I looked at their care sheets and I have an extra heating pad and the requirements. But what's your opinions on them? I think they're gorgeous, and I don't mind a skittish T, since I don't plan on handling. Do they dig a little?

GBBs are beautiful and hardy. (Unlike most slings, which are a boring brown, they are even cool-looking as slings.) As they grow, they go through several interesting color phases.

mine when he was a sling (gotta love that tiger butt):


GBBs can be quite skittish, and some have a reputation for being hair-flickers. (Mine never flicks hairs.)

Their urticating hairs are moderately bad, so you don't want to handle anything in the enclosure with your bare hands. (Using tongs for maintenance is a good habit to get into anyway.)

GBBs don't burrow or dig, so they don't need much substrate. What they do appreciate are tons of anchor points. Eventually, they will web every available surface, creating an intricate network of tunnels within.

My male's container after almost 7 months of living in it:

The terrarium I have is around 8 gal vertical.

That's a little oversized, but it's probably doable with enough anchor points. You might save that one for a fossorial or arboreal.

My GBB lived in a deli cup until he outgrew it. At 1.5", I moved him into the above small Exo Terra Breeding Box (8" x 8" x 5.5"). He is about 3.5" now and still has ample room in there.

Nothing is set in stone right now so I'm open for suggestions. I love digging tarantulas, so if you have any suggestions I'd love to hear it

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if there are any truly fossorial species that are more beginner-friendly, as many of them tend to be more defensive and/or have more potent venom.

Many New World terrestrials will burrow as slings but often outgrow that behavior when they get larger.

Aphonopelma seemanni (beginner-friendly New World) will often dig and burrow even as an adult, but not always. If you filled that vertical enclosure with lots of substrate and a seemanni, you might see some interesting results.

When you have some experience under your belt and are ready to get into Old World species, you have a lot more fossorial options. My first fossorial (and first OW) is my Ceratogyrus marshalli.

 

[cold blood]

I had recently gotten a pink toe (her name is Demeter) and I fell head-over heels for tarantulas, and now I need more...

I'm looking for a tarantula that lives in a dryer habitat that digs and is relativity docile.

A pink toe (Avicularia sp.) should be kept on the drier side. Nothing kills an avic faster than damp stuffy conditions, the exact stuff care sheets and internet lists claim is needed....they are wrong...ventilation however, something they never talk about in care sheets, is critical.

I don't handle my tarantula unless I need to move her

You never have to handle a t. There are many easy methods for transfer that do not involve touching....most use deli cups, some use the bag method. If we had to handle for things like that, owning old worlds would be much more dangerous and daunting...lol.

I looked at their care sheets

Don't...like ever...care sheets kill tarantulas.

No t needs specific temps, no t requires number specific humidity...in fact, humidity isn't even what should be followed...as a t cannot get moisture from the air, its pretty irrelevant. When you read a t needs high humidity, what it really means is that it needs damp substrate. Your ambient humidity (in conjunction with your ventilation) will dictate how much and how often you add water and re-dampen things.

I have an extra heating pad and the requirements.

Direct heating applications are dangerous. To use a heat pad, you would need to heat a larger enclosure, and place the ts enclosure within that larger one, this turns that direct heat into a safer secondary heat.

Your aim only really needs to be 70 degrees...the vast majority of ts are fine there. Many adults, especially NWs from Chile and North America, can tolerate temps into the 60s pretty regularly....an adult GBB would be fine with night temps in the high 60's

I think they're gorgeous, and I don't mind a skittish T, since I don't plan on handling

GBB definitely can be a skittish t...but they do not tend to be very defensive.

Do they dig a little?

Most don't dig much and prefer to web on the surface and under, up to and around items like plants , rocks or whatever. This essentially raises the flooring in an enclosure basically to the top of anchor points. This raising of the floor and subsequent tunnel system is why they're adaptability is often confused for semi-arboreal.

The terrarium I have is around 8 gal vertical.

That could be set up to work, although only for an adult...provided the enclosure still has adequate floor space....I'm not sure what 8 gal vertical means...8 gal is a measure of how much it holds, not the shape....If its really tall and thin, you wouldn't want to use it, keep floor space at a premium.

I'm open for suggestions. I love digging tarantulas

Maraca cabocla tend to do a lot of digging, and would be great for starting with. They can be skittish, but they aren't defensive, nor are they difficult to keep at all...and they are nice looking, too.

red head

• cold blood
• Jun 14, 2017
• 4

cabocla

B. albopilosum can do a fair amount of burrowing when young, although they tend to grow out of it...they are earth movers though, not necessarily burrowing, but constantly re-arranging and carrying around substrate. And a good beginner type.

curly hair

• cold blood
• Nov 4, 2017
• 1

I like how albos look in pics

G. pulchripes is in that same category, they like moving sub around and re-arranging, and when young, many do burrow.

G. pulchripes #3

• cold blood
• Nov 11, 2017
• 1

 

[Belegnole]

Decide what you want in your next T and then get the correct enclosure. If you're getting a sling, an 8 gallon is too big to start anyway. A vert tank would be best for a fossorial, or an aboreal.

As to the C cyaneopubescens; they're great! Yes a bit skittish, BUT! Great colors, eat well, almost always out, webs...webs and more webs. These are great to get as slings and watch them grow. As they change colors as they mature all stages are interesting. One of my must haves.

 

[viper69]

GBBs have been observed living in trees. I have posted about this previously. This is fact, not opinion. There are many pressures which drive animals to do a variety of things in the wild.

 

[Dragondrool]

A heating pad is not something a captive tarantula needs, and can even be dangerous. Good luck. Welcome to the addiction!

Oh! Thank you for telling me that. Sometimes I forget the heat thing with Ts. I have a space heater so I hope that's sufficient enough

 

[Dragondrool]

GBBs are beautiful and hardy. (Unlike most slings, which are a boring brown, they are even cool-looking as slings.) As they grow, they go through several interesting color phases.

mine when he was a sling (gotta love that tiger butt):


GBBs can be quite skittish, and some have a reputation for being hair-flickers. (Mine never flicks hairs.)

Their urticating hairs are moderately bad, so you don't want to handle anything in the enclosure with your bare hands. (Using tongs for maintenance is a good habit to get into anyway.)

GBBs don't burrow or dig, so they don't need much substrate. What they do appreciate are tons of anchor points. Eventually, they will web every available surface, creating an intricate network of tunnels within.

My male's container after almost 7 months of living in it:




That's a little oversized, but it's probably doable with enough anchor points. You might save that one for a fossorial or arboreal.

My GBB lived in a deli cup until he outgrew it. At 1.5", I moved him into the above small Exo Terra Breeding Box (8" x 8" x 5.5"). He is about 3.5" now and still has ample room in there.



Unfortunately, I'm not sure if there are any truly fossorial species that are more beginner-friendly, as many of them tend to be more defensive and/or have more potent venom.

Many New World terrestrials will burrow as slings but often outgrow that behavior when they get larger.

Aphonopelma seemanni (beginner-friendly New World) will often dig and burrow even as an adult, but not always. If you filled that vertical enclosure with lots of substrate and a seemanni, you might see some interesting results.

When you have some experience under your belt and are ready to get into Old World species, you have a lot more fossorial options. My first fossorial (and first OW) is my Ceratogyrus marshalli.

Thank you for all of that! Yeah, I don't think I'm going to be touching Old Worlds until much later. I don't know the neighborhood yet, so I think it's safe to say I won't get one. Even if I would get a defensive one and such, I'd never want a potent animal in the house as I have many other pets, lest it escape. I wouldn't want one of them to die and not even realize what has happened. Thank you for the suggestions!

 

[Dragondrool]

A pink toe (Avicularia sp.) should be kept on the drier side. Nothing kills an avic faster than damp stuffy conditions, the exact stuff care sheets and internet lists claim is needed....they are wrong...ventilation however, something they never talk about in care sheets, is critical.

Agreed. I don't have her tank humid at all, once every few weeks I might slightly dampen the substrate. Her ventilation should be fine, she's got a nice screen top in a tank especially for Ts.

You never have to handle a t. There are many easy methods for transfer that do not involve touching....most use deli cups, some use the bag method. If we had to handle for things like that, owning old worlds would be much more dangerous and daunting...lol.

Don't...like ever...care sheets kill tarantulas.

Oh, I had no idea! Personally I always check around 3+ different care sheets to get an aim for what I'm signing up for. For temps and humidity I ask professionals at ReptileRapture.

No t needs specific temps, no t requires number specific humidity...in fact, humidity isn't even what should be followed...as a t cannot get moisture from the air, its pretty irrelevant. When you read a t needs high humidity, what it really means is that it needs damp substrate. Your ambient humidity (in conjunction with your ventilation) will dictate how much and how often you add water and re-dampen things.

Direct heating applications are dangerous. To use a heat pad, you would need to heat a larger enclosure, and place the ts enclosure within that larger one, this turns that direct heat into a safer secondary heat.

Your aim only really needs to be 70 degrees...the vast majority of ts are fine there. Many adults, especially NWs from Chile and North America, can tolerate temps into the 60s pretty regularly....an adult GBB would be fine with night temps in the high 60's

GBB definitely can be a skittish t...but they do not tend to be very defensive.


Most don't dig much and prefer to web on the surface and under, up to and around items like plants , rocks or whatever. This essentially raises the flooring in an enclosure basically to the top of anchor points. This raising of the floor and subsequent tunnel system is why they're adaptability is often confused for semi-arboreal.
That could be set up to work, although only for an adult...provided the enclosure still has adequate floor space....I'm not sure what 8 gal vertical means...8 gal is a measure of how much it holds, not the shape....If its really tall and thin, you wouldn't want to use it, keep floor space at a premium.

Ah, okay. I don't really know how tanks work yet when referring to size. It's not very big, it's a baby crested gecko starter kit. 8 inches I think is a better description.



Maraca cabocla tend to do a lot of digging, and would be great for starting with. They can be skittish, but they aren't defensive, nor are they difficult to keep at all...and they are nice looking, too.

Oh thank you! I will look into those.

red head

• cold blood
• Jun 14, 2017
• 4

cabocla

B. albopilosum can do a fair amount of burrowing when young, although they tend to grow out of it...they are earth movers though, not necessarily burrowing, but constantly re-arranging and carrying around substrate. And a good beginner type.

curly hair

• cold blood
• Nov 4, 2017
• 1

I like how albos look in pics

G. pulchripes is in that same category, they like moving sub around and re-arranging, and when young, many do burrow.

G. pulchripes #3

• cold blood
• Nov 11, 2017
• 1

 

[Dragondrool]

So I'm wondering if I fill a lot of the enclosure in dirt but I add vines and tall decor. plants for the tank, would that be acceptable? I also have a left over mini plastic box from my first T, so that if the T I get is too small, I can just house her in there. thank you all for the wonderful suggestions! I really appreciate it!

 

[cold blood]

GBBs have been observed living in trees. I have posted about this previously. This is fact, not opinion. There are many pressures which drive animals to do a variety of things in the wild.

And there are many places where humans are living in trees....it doesn't mean humans are arboreal or even semi-arboreal, it just means they are adaptable enough to make it work....and through the same basic methods (construction), a GBB is certainly adaptable enough to live such a life....still, it doesn't make them anything but an adaptable terrestrial.

 

[Ungoliant]

So I'm wondering if I fill a lot of the enclosure in dirt but I add vines and tall decor. plants for the tank, would that be acceptable?

What are the dimensions of the enclosure? Do you have any pictures of it?

Maraca cabocla tend to do a lot of digging, and would be great for starting with. They can be skittish, but they aren't defensive, nor are they difficult to keep at all...and they are nice looking, too.

These are cool, because they kind of look like a cross between a tarantula and a true spider.