First T.

DeanK

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 16, 2016
Messages
81
Don't mist, it serves to only annoy the T. A bottle cap full of water and their food will provide enough moisture
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
I did do research and have watched professional videos with people handling them and saying for events and kids parties they usually use rose hairs because they are extremely docile and calm I didn't come here for a browbeating (if you want a gerbil blah get one of those) I came here for help not elitistism. I mist mine once a day the way I was told and researched.

You haven't done nearly enough research, so thank god you found this site before you accidentally killed your T.

How would you know? I have and again I didn't come here to be condescended either.
We are pointing out things based on the information you provided us. You may vewi some of the information as good/bad/meh. It's not browbeating.

@Venom1080 is correct in everything he said in the above post.

I'm not sure why you are misting. This species will drink from a bowl. Misting, for drinking, is a poor technique because you don't know when it's thirsty (you can't go by abdominal size per se, even a FAT abdomen doesn't indicate a T isn't thirsty) AND the water evaporates. So if the T is thirsty, the water is gone.

We see people come here all the time, usually Rose Hairs (one just a few weeks ago), or other NW terrestrials, who report something like this

"I've handled my T all the time, never a problem, until today when it jumped off my hand for no reason, and now its injured maybe dying, what should I do"

The question is do you want to put your Ts life in jeopardy....

It's your T, you are free to do what you want. But just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean you SHOULD that thing.

Those professionals, I don't care who they are, don't know what they are talking about when it comes to handling a T; it's not safe for the T. Especially bringing a T to a kids party.

These aren't domesticated pets, they are wild animals. They should be respected and treated as such.

Anything can happen, and we've seen all types of crazy things happen.
 
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viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
It looks like he did do research, just not with trusted/good places.
Which is why I wrote he didn't do enough ;) And was happy the OP found this forum. I'd rather have an owner asking questions, than not all and see their cherished pet die from something that could be prevented w/a question or 2.
 

mistertim

Arachnobaron
Joined
Sep 4, 2015
Messages
548
I did do research and have watched professional videos with people handling them and saying for events and kids parties they usually use rose hairs because they are extremely docile and calm I didn't come here for a browbeating (if you want a gerbil blah get one of those) I came here for help not elitistism. I mist mine once a day the way I was told and researched.

You haven't done nearly enough research, so thank god you found this site before you accidentally killed your T.

How would you know? I have and again I didn't come here to be condescended either.
Don't take it personally...nobody is really trying to "browbeat you" even if it seems that way. There are lots of personalities in here and everyone relays information in a different way. To be honest there are a lot of times we get new keepers in here asking the same questions and sometimes it can get irritating if it seems they purchased the animal without doing the proper research.

You did do research, but you unfortunately happened upon some relatively "meh" info online. Not your fault, but it's good you found your way here; this is by far the best place to go as there are many people on here who have been keeping for decades and really know their stuff.

Just listen to the advice from the experts in here and try not to take it personally if it comes across as a bit tough. We all just want what's best for the spiders, keepers, and hobby in general so the more knowledge that is out there the better. Welcome to the hobby (it's addictive).
 

bryverine

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 18, 2012
Messages
890
I mist mine once a day the way I was told and researched.
Sigh... yeah the mist once a day thing always gets me... I ended up with a dead female avic because I read (like you, I found several places that seemed quite reputable) to mist the poor thing daily.

Here's some stuff contrary to what I was told by my "pet store expert":

Environmental considerations
1. Don't mist them. One, this is a dry species. Two, misting is really only superficial and doesn't last. Three, unless there is enough ventillation, this will end up killing Ts because it is often used with a hygrometer (more on that later).
2. They like to be warm like you do. If you're comfortable, they're most likely comfortable. If it's cold, don't use a heat pad!
3. Heat pads, rocks, lamps, etc. are bad. Tarantulas love heat and will gravitate to it. They move using the liquid in their body (hemolymph). They will stay so long they dehydrate themselves and get stuck. A small space heater to heat a room (or closet in my case) works much better and is safer.
4. No need for hygrometers, they're inaccurate at best.

Enclosure
1. Terrestrial tarantula decor: hide, substrate, water dish (bottle cap for tiny ones). Everything else is for pretties. Some species require more stuff for web anchors, but thats for another time.
2. For hides, I use buried cork bark and start a burrow with my finger.
3. Tarantulas don't drown if they're healthy. Smaller ones can actually float. I've used water dishes for a few years that my tarantulas can fit in without casualty.
4. For terrestrials, you don't really want a huge space between the substrate and the top of the enclosure as they can fall. This is dangerous especially for chubby terrestrial Ts and can cause ruptured abdomens.
5. Mesh lids/vents can not only be chewed through, Ts can get their tarsal claws stuck in them, avoid them if you can.
6. I use those coco bricks because they are so easy. Others use soil that is fertilizer and pesticide free.
7. You don't need to change substrate like you would hamster. It's been years since I changed substrate unless I was rehousing to a new enclosure.

Feeding and growing
1. Tarantulas molt to grow and take a lot of time to build up to molting (premolt). They generally will not eat during this time. It can last from a couple weeks to several months. Once freshly molted, don't feed them for several days or until their fangs are black again.
2. Feed them 1-2 a week or less. My larger tarantulas eat one good meal every 3-4weeks. If they don't eat food in a day or so, pull it out.
3. I feed dubia roaches. They tend to burrow so I crush their heads (gross, I know). Crickets and worms are also great choices. Some worms burrow and turn into nasty beetles, cut their heads off.
4. Ts don't need powder or anything like that on the feeders.

Hazards
1. New world tarantula venom is usually relatively harmless. There are exceptions, but again, thats for another thread.
2. NW have urticating hairs they kick. These can be quite itchy so don't rub your eyes after playing around in the cage or go take a deep breath with your head in the cage. :hurting:

Tools
1. Long tongs/tweezers (I have some 8" aquarium ones) for cleanup and maintenance.
2. A syringe to fill bowls
3. A catch cup for those rare escapes
4. A sharp mind (I know so cliche, but most bite reports are from people not paying attention)


Correct me if I missed something all you arachno-experts. I typed this on my phone and I'm quite sleepy. :penguin:
 

DeanK

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 16, 2016
Messages
81
I didn't know Ts were drawn to the heat. I always thought heat pads were bad for them because they're usually placed on the bottom of enclosures and Ts only way to regulate their body temps is to go down into a burrow, thus placing them closer to the heat source and dehydrating them. It seems like a lot of the European members have successfully used heat mats and cables to warm their enclosures
 

bryverine

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 18, 2012
Messages
890
I didn't know Ts were drawn to the heat. I always thought heat pads were bad for them because they're usually placed on the bottom of enclosures and Ts only way to regulate their body temps is to go down into a burrow, thus placing them closer to the heat source and dehydrating them. It seems like a lot of the European members have successfully used heat mats and cables to warm their enclosures
I've seen @cold blood talk about avics acting like fossorial Ts to get to the heat*.

While I think it might be possible to use heat mats 'safely', there would probably need to be other controls in place. Straight out of the box (like pet store employees recommend) creates too much of a hot spot. I almost lost my smithi (she's a tank) to a heat mat with a bowl of water just across the cage. That being said, even if it's possible to use a heat mat, she's not worth the risk again, nor are any of my other babies.

Do you use or have you seen heat mats used often with Ts @Chris LXXIX?

*corrected- removed 'heat mat'.
 
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cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
Your hide concerns are laughable...in captivity this species RARELY uses a hide, preferring to sit in the open 99% of the time. The reason yours was climbing is becauise of moisture, as the sub looks damp and you mention weekly mistings:banghead::banghead:. Rosies kept with too much moisture almost universally climb to avoid it.

Ah ok, I just hope it gets big and I have ample time to handle it at full size. I guess it reaches full maturity in 5 years.
Get the handling out of your system, I understand the urge I guess for a newbie, but in reality, its best to think of them like fish in an aquarium, for observation, not fondling.:happy:

Yeah, the handling issue has been mentioned.....but you need to understand certain things about the species....first, you were flat out lied to when you were told it was 7 months....a 7 month old rosie would easily fit on your pinkie nail, and after 5 years, would still not be mature (or big)...even a male would take another 2-7 years to mature.....a female, man, you're talking over a decade.

This is one of the slowest growing ts, with the lowest food requirement in the t world. The one thing they do better than other ts, is fasting, so get used to a lot of food refusals.

Feed sparingly, and resist the urge to feed frequently. I feed mine a single large cricket 2-4 times per month. Because they do everything slowly, you have a lot of time to fatten them up...those fattened to quickly, tend to refuse food for months to a year or more at a time. Winter fasting is normal.

I did do research and have watched professional videos with people handling them and saying for events and kids parties they usually use rose hairs because they are extremely docile and calm I didn't come here for a browbeating (if you want a gerbil blah get one of those) I came here for help not elitistism. I mist mine once a day the way I was told and researched.

You haven't done nearly enough research, so thank god you found this site before you accidentally killed your T.

How would you know? I have and again I didn't come here to be condescended either.
Your research was time wasted...sorry to be blunt, but that's what it was. Just the words professional and handling shouldn't be used in the same sentence....in fact most of us don't appreciate those that bring ts out for handling spectacles at parties and such, as it gives everyone the complete wrong impression about tarantulas as well as putting the individual t in danger the whole time.

We know because we are experienced and we see things like this on such a regular basis that it can be overwhelming. Please don't take anything written as condescending, its not, its all about education and pointing you back in the right direction so you can learn and do the best for the t.

The reason this is so common, is because most of the sources people find while doing searches are simply bad sources, and without experience, how could one expect to recognize the good from the bad? Talking to actual experienced keepers is without a doubt, the most reliable source of info you will find.

For instance, you were told to mist weekly...this is literally the worst advice one could give to any rosie owner....they despise moisture and require a bone dry set up. Heating is another thing, as this species has a very liberal temp range, doing fine even down in the low 60's and able to survive nights in the 50's or even 40's...easy as can be...but that makes it hard for pet stores to maximize sales....as a $10 et up is ideal, but selling sponges, heat mats, fancy hides, etc., makes a t one profitable little sale.

Don't take it personally...nobody is really trying to "browbeat you" even if it seems that way.
I can't agree with this enough, people that come here and take criticism personally are merely fighting the learning process, those that absorb the info, become better keepers as well as make lots of new tarantula loving friends...this is a great place, but as my local sheriff dept likes to say "attitude is everything".



Yes Bry, back when I had a smaller collection, I heated my slings with a heat bath, which worked spectacularly....but I did notice my avic slings became almost fossorial as a result of the heated substrate.
 
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cold blood

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Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
I wish more new keepers would avoid rosies as their first, its just so darn hard to learn ANYTHING from them in any reasonable amount of time....I think getting one as my first set me back 10 years in the hobby, as that's about how long it took to learn anything valuable from it....I shoulda just got a G. pulchripes.:banghead:
 

AlbatrossWarrior

Arachnosquire
Joined
Feb 6, 2016
Messages
147
Rosies are overrated (as a starting species), seriously! Who ever brought into the hobby the idea that they were the ideal beginner species?
EDIT: meaning how did rosies become the classic beginner species and why
 
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dopamine

Arachnobaron
Joined
Feb 7, 2010
Messages
341
I feel like a big percentage of new owners come here then get mad and disappear when they're told they shouldn't handle the spider lol.
 

Venom1080

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Sep 24, 2015
Messages
4,611
Rosies are overrated (as a starting species), seriously! Who ever brought into the hobby the idea that they were the ideal beginner species?
EDIT: meaning how did rosies become the classic beginner species and why
they sure are, everyone gets them as a first because they are so common, if a pet store has any tarantulas, it has a rose hair. they are a ok beginner species, but far from the best.
 

AlbatrossWarrior

Arachnosquire
Joined
Feb 6, 2016
Messages
147
if a pet store has any tarantulas, it has a rose hair..
Surprisingly, my LPS only has an A. avic, lol. And it's always a female, about 4 inches DLS, FOR 20$ I want to buy her soooo bad, but my mom says I have too many spiders as is.
 
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