Cobalt blue

[Chris LXXIX]

thank you very much this is fantastic help & very much appreciated ' I will get on this right away bless you for your advise

Nothing, if you need, just ask :-s

 

[viper69]

Re-read that...whenever I saw 'hanging upside down from the roof of her tank' I just assumed it had a screen top.

My Avics hang upside down "all the time" w/out screen

 

[netr]

What exactly is that substrate, OP? It's difficult to tell from the pictures, but it looks to me like bark chippings. Chippings alone are usually discouraged for tarantulas. As others have noted, this species is an obligate burrower - besides the depth of substrate, it needs some decent soil. A few chips are all right as they can help to provide structure to burrows, but the bulk of the material ought to be something like unfertilised peat or coco husk soil. Disregard this if that's what you have already; it just looks very pale in your photo.

Congratulations on your C. lividum though. It's a beautiful species and an excellent display hole.

 

[Jules weston]

What exactly is that substrate, OP? It's difficult to tell from the pictures, but it looks to me like bark chippings. Chippings alone are usually discouraged for tarantulas. As others have noted, this species is an obligate burrower - besides the depth of substrate, it needs some decent soil. A few chips are all right as they can help to provide structure to burrows, but the bulk of the material ought to be something like unfertilised peat or coco husk soil. Disregard this if that's what you have already; it just looks very pale in your photo.

Congratulations on your C. lividum though. It's a beautiful species and an excellent display hole.

Hello. the substrate is what is recommended for cobalt blues it a fine mix of cocopeat & fine husk chips' its biodegradable & free from fertilisers also mite & bug free. it naturally resists fungal infection with a natural earth like smell. its an organic substrate which is used for tropical spiders wet or dry. also heat treated..

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Hello. the substrate is what is recommended for cobalt blues it a fine mix of cocopeat & fine husk chips' its biodegradable & free from fertilisers also mite & bug free. it naturally resists fungal infection with a natural earth like smell. its an organic substrate which is used for tropical spiders wet or dry. also heat treated..

This is the problem, Lady. No one will recommend fine husk chips for a 'cobalt blue' (C.lividum, former H.lividum) for that, when substrate is concerned, from coco fiber to Irish peat moss to topsoil, everyone works with what he/she prefer, but husk chips? No, I would never use that. Offer to your 'haplo' "dirt".

 

[Jules weston]

This is the problem, Lady. No one will recommend fine husk chips for a 'cobalt blue' (C.lividum, former H.lividum) for that, when substrate is concerned, from coco fiber to Irish peat moss to topsoil, everyone works with what he/she prefer, but husk chips? No, I would never use that. Offer to your 'haplo' "dirt".

oh right' the only reason I've been using this is because I googled online & asked which is the best for cobalt blues. this was the one recommend. to be honest there is not much husk chips in it & I do take out the majority of the husk. if I were to filter all the chips out would it be okay to use the cocopeat as I have 2 5lt bags of this sub. ? or what would you advise to buy.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

oh right' the only reason I've been using this is because I googled online & asked which is the best for cobalt blues. this was the one recommend. to be honest there is not much husk chips in it & I do take out the majority of the husk. if I were to filter all the chips out would it be okay to use the cocopeat as I have 2 5lt bags of this sub. ? or what would you advise to buy.

I tell you what, being you, I would do. At least, minimum, 25/30 cm of coco fiber, or Irish peat moss, or topsoil (but in this last case you need to check well what's inside, I will never, for that matter, use the Italian brands we have here).

So cocopeat is fine, use that. Keep the substrate moist, as I've told you, because they are Asian Theraphosidae, they can't thrive in dry substrate (no matter which). Don't follow the "humidity numbers %" at all, when the substrate is moist, and not wet, you are fine.

Add a water dish and a piece of cork bark (obligate burrowers loves those, a "substrate only" enclosure only because "they burrow" IMO is nonsense), keep the temperatures (if possible without using heat mat/pads) at least at day 23/24° C and gave her time to settle.

Trust me, seems annoying or "hard" but it's not. And will work

 

[scott308]

oh right' the only reason I've been using this is because I googled online & asked which is the best for cobalt blues. this was the one recommend.

Unfortunately- and you would have no way of knowing, you were doing what you thought was best for your spider- there are a lot of care-sheets you can find online that have information that can actually be harmful to the spider if you follow them. A perfect example is listing temperature/ humidity ranges that keepers try to achieve. Generally, if you are looking to have a specific humidity, water gets added, the humidity level doesn't seem to change, so more water gets added. This may continue a few more times until the humidity gauge finally moves up to the level the keeper is looking to reach based on the care-sheet...and keeps going because the substrate is no longer damp or moist but has moved into soaked territory, much too wet for any tarantula. You can look at the substrate and see if it is dry or moist, adding water if it is too dry. I have no idea what the relative humidity in any of my tarantula enclosures happens to be, but I can see when it is looking drier than I want so I then add water.

Also, pet stores are traditionally great sources of bad information for tarantula care. Remember, first and foremost, they are stores and want you to spend money there. Most people won't hesitate to spend a couple dollars for temp. and humidity gauges if the person at the store says they need it. Heat mats are another item pet stores like to upsell. The problem with heat mats is that when a tarantula is too hot, it instinctively burrows where the substrate should be cooler. However, if they are in a cage with a heat mat, when they burrow they go towards the heat mat and cannot escape the heat. This can kill them, because they can't comprehend the direction the heat is coming from so they will not escape it.

I know that it can be confusing, trying to determine which sources of information you can trust. There is some good info out there, but you really have to know how to care for the spider properly to know if the info is good or not. There are a lot of members here with a tremendous amount of knowledge that they are happy to share.

 

[Jules weston]

I tell you what, being you, I would do. At least, minimum, 25/30 cm of coco fiber, or Irish peat moss, or topsoil (but in this last case you need to check well what's inside, I will never, for that matter, use the Italian brands we have here).

So cocopeat is fine, use that. Keep the substrate moist, as I've told you, because they are Asian Theraphosidae, they can't thrive in dry substrate (no matter which). Don't follow the "humidity numbers %" at all, when the substrate is moist, and not wet, you are fine.

Add a water dish and a piece of cork bark (obligate burrowers loves those, a "substrate only" enclosure only because "they burrow" IMO is nonsense), keep the temperatures (if possible without using heat mat/pads) at least at day 23/24° C and gave her time to settle.

Trust me, seems annoying or "hard" but it's not. And will work

okay Chris this is really helpful I will follow your instructions & get on this asap. I don't mind at all about any changes & will do what ever it takes to make sure everything is right for my blue' I don't want to lose her she is my baby lol. but thank you once again for advising me I am truly grateful. I will up date you & let you know how things go' blessings to you

Unfortunately- and you would have no way of knowing, you were doing what you thought was best for your spider- there are a lot of care-sheets you can find online that have information that can actually be harmful to the spider if you follow them. A perfect example is listing temperature/ humidity ranges that keepers try to achieve. Generally, if you are looking to have a specific humidity, water gets added, the humidity level doesn't seem to change, so more water gets added. This may continue a few more times until the humidity gauge finally moves up to the level the keeper is looking to reach based on the care-sheet...and keeps going because the substrate is no longer damp or moist but has moved into soaked territory, much too wet for any tarantula. You can look at the substrate and see if it is dry or moist, adding water if it is too dry. I have no idea what the relative humidity in any of my tarantula enclosures happens to be, but I can see when it is looking drier than I want so I then add water.

Also, pet stores are traditionally great sources of bad information for tarantula care. Remember, first and foremost, they are stores and want you to spend money there. Most people won't hesitate to spend a couple dollars for temp. and humidity gauges if the person at the store says they need it. Heat mats are another item pet stores like to upsell. The problem with heat mats is that when a tarantula is too hot, it instinctively burrows where the substrate should be cooler. However, if they are in a cage with a heat mat, when they burrow they go towards the heat mat and cannot escape the heat. This can kill them, because they can't comprehend the direction the heat is coming from so they will not escape it.

I know that it can be confusing, trying to determine which sources of information you can trust. There is some good info out there, but you really have to know how to care for the spider properly to know if the info is good or not. There are a lot of members here with a tremendous amount of knowledge that they are happy to share.

Thank you so much I have read everyone's comments & advise for my blue' you have all been so helpful & I now feel like I have received the correct information on how to care for my T. as you have all basically said the information I was given was totally wrong & you've advised me on what I need to do. this is fantastic info from you all & I truly appreciate all your help. I am setting these changes in place right away & will let you all know how it goes. I truly am thankful to you all' it is more settling to know I have the correct info off people who know exactly where I have gone wrong & what I need to do. thank you everyone big respect to you all. Jules (she wolf)