Cyclosternum fasciatum ( costa rican tiger rump ) question

[sugarsandz]

I've been looking into the Cyclosternum fasciatum (costa rican tiger rump) and I've been sifting through old threads on here but I notice conflicting info, not to mention most of the threads I come across are many years old. I'm not comfortable with old and possibly outdated info, I'm just wanting to hear how people are keeping these little guys now.

I see that they stay rather small and plenty of threads said they are pretty skittish but not defensive. I've also seen that some people kept high humidity and misted where others said bone dry with just a water dish. I also came across temps ranging from 70 to 85 degrees and people saying they are semi arboreal so I'm a little uncomfortable with so many different answers lol.

For any of you that keep or have kept this species, can you give me advice? I keep my G. rosea and B. smithi on bone dry substrate with a water dish and a hide. I don't do anything special for humidity and my room temps usually stay between 65 - 72 with dips in the winter down to no lower than 60. I'm really interested in this little tarantula but I just want to make sure my info is up to date and correct. So if anyone here has any advice that would be awesome in so many way, thanks for taking the time to read this!

 

[Tarac]

Keep like rosea only slightly more moist, or I do anyway. I say defensive, not skittish. But tarantulas vary from individual to individual so conflicting reports should not necessarily be viewed as conflicting. It's just what other keepers observe and how they handle the care regimen. Tarantulas can survive just fine in a range of conditions just like the do in the wild so it's not surprising that people recommend a range of care critereon because that's what works for them. For example, my T's average between 70-80 through the year because it's hot where I live but someone in northern Canada may have them on the cooler side and still they do fine. Mine burrows, btw, definitely not semi-arboreal at all. Fun little species, pretty and not that big. I would say they are somewhat feisty for sure, I'm looking at mine and it's acting a bit perturbed by my disturbing it.

 

[captmarga]

Mine are heavy webbers, and the sub under the web is damp. One is skittish, two come marching out in the open when I open the top of their KKs to feed. The tiny slings and the juvie usually retreat into their burrows, like most slings.

I keep ALL my Ts at the same temps, as they are all in one room. Last night it was in the 50s, it's crept up to 65. Everyone, from the fasciatums to the pokies, scorpions to roseas, avic to pamphobeteus, is doing fine.

Marga

 

[sugarsandz]

Thanks for the info guys! This is a common question but are they pretty easy to deal with? My rosea is mellow and could care less if I'm picking up poop, on the other hand I have to make sure my smithi is on the other end of her tank before I can put the tweezers in there. She will go for them if she has the chance. Are they super fast movers? Sorry, I know all of them are different but it's still helpful to me.

 

[cmack91]

I keep mine pretty much bone dry, but I do spray maybe once a week or two. Its only 1-2 squirts though. The room is between 75-80. When I first got him at .6" he burrowed, molted, and he hasn't burrowed again. He spends alot of his time on the wall or on top of his bark pieces, but he's on the ground alot too. He's a voracious eater. He's fast, but only in like 6" bursts. He's slapped at me a couple times and has kicked hairs once, he is handleable though. He also has a mat of silk covering everything, but no tunnels or anything like that. He's a very cool, interesting and fascinated tarantula. I think you'll really enjoy them.

 

[sugarsandz]

I'm really considering one of these, thanks for the input! I know a really cool lps that did have some of these a month or so ago. I'll call them tomorrow, if they have any then I'll go check them out and get all my supplies before committing to one. I am also looking into a G. pulchra but they only had a full grown one and I'm looking for a younger t to raise so this species will keep me going until then.

 

[emc37]

I agree with Marga, no special temps or humidity. I keep one side of the substrate slightly moist for my sling, which I bought at .25" DLS and it's now about 1.6" DLS. So far I haven't noticed any super defensive behavior - it just runs and hides when I open the lid for maintenance. Cage transfers haven't been a problem either. It's skittish and "jumpy" and not something I handle unless I have to, but I haven't gotten a single threat display. It has a STRONG feeding response though, so make sure the tongs and your fingers are well out of its way when you're feeding it! Mine's a hearty eater, prolific webber, and overall an awesomely gorgeous T

 

[Zeph]

Awesome webbers, almost as much as my GBB, except not so much vertical movement (i.e. semi-arboreal behavior). They offer so much color! They are Costa Rican (jungles!) so keep slightly more humid than rosea or smithi.

 

[macbaffo]

Seems the one i have experience with is the only not heavy webber :wall:

 

[o0 Mr Ed 0o]

These are very slow growers, aggressive feeders unless in pre molt then they won't refuse a meal. I find mine fairly skittish, packs a fair bit of speed but I wouldn't doubt if you provoked it it will try to bite. Mine isn't a heavy Webber also, each to disown though.

 

[Poxicator]

Ive had a few of these, and have 10 slings at mo, which were tiny and now are very small
Although most tarantula are fine on a dry substrate with a water bowl I prefer to provide a higher level of humidity for those that come from humid environments, and its my opinion that moulting and colour is assisted by this. Costa Rica and Guatemala are very wet rainforest areas so keeping it like a G. rosea is incorrect, especially as Chilean tarantula experience dry and mild habitats where temps rarely reach above 72F.
I kept mine in a faunarium with a few inches of substrate and some elevated slicks, I kept another using a coconut shell as a hide.
They tend to hide quite a bit and disappear for months prior to moulting but when they are out they are gorgeous to look at.
You should try to fathom where your one has come from as Costa Rica doesnt allow exports and most of what we know as C. fasciatum is infact C. pentalore from Guatemala, although there is some work going on at mo for this genus.

 

[sugarsandz]

I found some slings today at the pet store here but they were way to little for me to start with. They did have a 1" Brachypelma boehmei sling for like 40 dollars that caught my eye. I already have a B. smithi so it's not like it's a totally alien species to me, though if I get it, it would be my first sling. I think if it's still there Friday I'll go get it, if not then I'll wait, I'm in no rush and I know I'm going to get more spiders eventually! I'm slowly building this list of tarantulas to choose from so at least I'm more likely to find something be it one species or another!