Communal Avic Living?! Who's Done It?

[RugbyDave]

Hey everyone --

just wondering how well people have done putting their avics together? I had some about the same size that ended up not being too too happy about living together --

any thoughts? There's a beaut down at this shop i know in pittsburgh, and its only about $16 (plus they have the thing living in the smallest critter keeper and its burrowing, how wierd is that?!)

they're not selling T's anymore, and this is the last of their stock, and its a beautiful specimen -- i want to put it together with my other avic ... The cage is pretty big for the size of the avic, so i dont think space will be a problem -- any ideas?



Thanks guys!
peace,
dave

 

[Grael]

I heard they gotta be from the same egg sac so in other words they gotta be brothers and sister. But thats all i know but they still recken its very risky and they will most probably have a big fight in a year or two and one will kill the other

 

[SpiderTwin]

I have had 2 A. avic's together now for about a month, they are so far just fine. From what I have heard, the A. avic. can live communily but alot of the other Avic's can't ( especially the Versicolor). They need to have lots of places to hide so they can find their own retreat. I put two bunches of fake leaves in my set-up so they could seperate themselves when needed. I have 3 more A. avics that I thought about putting in, but I will probably get a bigger cage and more vivaria before I have all 5 together.

I don't plan on leaving them together for too long, I not sure how well they will do as they get to be juveniles.I will try to get a pic put up when it's all done.

 

[RugbyDave]

Hey S.T --

yeah,i was gonna say, snap a pic of your cage (ext. and int) if you get a chance! I'd like to see it!

I dont have the cash to get another cage untill thursday, and i'm sure the two T's will be fine, but i dont think i'm going to get the T untill i can get money for a cage. I do have a nice big tall plastic container for the meantime (wouldnt make a good cage, too narrow)...

alright,
please let me know again, if anyone else has done this! thanks

peace,
dave

 

[D-Man]

It's a risk

I've read that you CAN keep them in a colony cage setup, but of course, it's a risk.

 

[RugbyDave]

well i wimped out anyways and talked the pet guy into giving me a tall cage for 7 bucks... pretty sweet deal. with a block of substrate, an A.avic, a cage, 50 crickets, and 2 plants for only $29.00!

someday i'll have 2 avics in one cage, i'll see what its like..

thanks again
peace,
dave

 

[SkyeSpider]

I've done the communal setup before with Avicularia avicularia. One male, one female. They were in a 20 gallon tank with lots of hides.

Everything was great for about three months. I would see them meet up, rub legs, and one would walk away. I got a bit overconfidant seeing that.

When the male molted, I found him a few days later, drained and dead. He got munched.

Please bear in mind that communal setups do not always work. You stand a chance of losing one, or both of your spiders. Make sure you know what you're getting into!



-Bryan

 

[JacenBeers]

I had two avics living communally for about six months until I read in THe Eternals online journal that his male was killed. I never had a problem with it and when i sold them to the store where they are now in exchange for my C brachycephalus, the keeper put them together. They have been living happily together now for about 3 months in the store as display animals and they are doing well.

 

[petitegreeneyes]

I had two sets that I did for a while. But the one cage that had Ebony & Ivory in it I had to switch them out. Ebony got space hoggy and pushed him out of his web. He's a lot happier now in his own cage and I just separated Salt & Pepper before one of them got territorial. But it worked for quite a while.

 

[RugbyDave]

damn, i hear more bad than i do good.. plus i wimped out and put them in different cages.. i may try it and if they're alright with each other, i'll keep it (if not just for mating purposes), but i'll probably keep the male alone

thanks!
peace,
dave

 

[Arachnopuppy]

Base on months of research and careful analyses, I have come to the conlusion that there is no such thing as safe communal setting. Yes, there will be isolated incidents where people successfully have a safe, or seemed to be safe, communal settings, but they are all gamblings. You never know...

 

[SpiderTwin]

I agree with all the above, I have heard both the good and the bad and I just decided to try it. I hate to see anything happen to any of my slings, but I figured I'd give it a try a hope for the best. I figure as they grow, I will surely have to seperate them.

 

[RugbyDave]

good luck spider twin!

peace,
dave

 

[Arachnopuppy]

Originally posted by SpiderTwin
I agree with all the above, I have heard both the good and the bad and I just decided to try it. I hate to see anything happen to any of my slings, but I figured I'd give it a try a hope for the best. I figure as they grow, I will surely have to seperate them.

It's actually worse with putting slings together than adults. Slings molt more often. You get the idea.