Frustrated newbie, any insight is very appreciated

[Tbone192]

Tarantulas are R selected so they produce a lot of offspring but the young do not have very high survival rates. Sometimes it's just down to the genes.

 

[NMTs]

Well, crap. haha Maybe they will let me deduct the price of this one from the cost of another one that is not so temperamental. I appreciate your honesty.



Thank you, I will see if I can avoid another A purpurea, but if I have to get the same species I will of course do my best.

Attached is a pic of the container the sling came in next to the one I put him in.

The enclosure they had it in at the store isn't really appropriate for an arboreal species, but since it was so small it worked. I would use something like @cold blood suggested that is more appropriately sized - anything that's no more than 2" across and 4" tall (give or take) would be great for an Avic sling, I keep all my Avic slings in 40 or 50 dram plastic vials with holes in the sides and lid for airflow - like these (link>): Thornton 50 dram vial Put a pinch of substrate in the bottom, a sliver of cork bark in diagonally, a couple of fake leaves (or real leaf litter works fine, too), a pinch of sphagnum moss wedged next to the cork to catch some water drops for them to drink from, and they work perfectly. If you like I can take some pics and share them here when I get home in a few.

 

[Emily76]

The enclosure they had it in at the store isn't really appropriate for an arboreal species, but since it was so small it worked. I would use something like @cold blood suggested that is more appropriately sized - anything that's no more than 2" across and 4" tall (give or take) would be great for an Avic sling, I keep all my Avic slings in 40 or 50 dram plastic vials with holes in the sides and lid for airflow - like these (link>): Thornton 50 dram vial Put a pinch of substrate in the bottom, a sliver of cork bark in diagonally, a couple of fake leaves (or real leaf litter works fine, too), a pinch of sphagnum moss wedged next to the cork to catch some water drops for them to drink from, and they work perfectly. If you like I can take some pics and share them here when I get home in a few.

Yes, that would help me a lot! I am absolutely new to tarantulas, but is it possible that moving him to a more appropriate arboreal enclosure, while too large, would result in a death so quickly? I'm wondering what the mechanism could be to cause such a rapid negative reaction. Stress? Any help you can provide me I would love. I do not have any vials so I would need to come up with another temporary solution until I could order one. My replacement T is waiting for me at the pet store. How would you suggest I proceed?

I truly am very thankful for all the comments and suggestions I have gotten on this forum and I will certainly be using it as my go-to resource from now on. Thank you all so much for your help!

 

[cold blood]

but is it possible that moving him to a more appropriate arboreal enclosure, while too large, would result in a death so quickly? I'm wondering what the mechanism could be to cause such a rapid negative reaction

could have simply fallen onto something like the edge of the dish.

Stress?

no

I do not have any vials so I would need to come up with another temporary solution until I could order one. My replacement T is waiting for me at the pet store. How would you suggest I proceed?

Look for a larger, slightly taller condiment cup....being that a sling is so small, it will not need all that much height for it to be sufficient.....condiment cups can be easily ventilated in any way you see fit and they are really cheap....most places will give you one or a couple for free.

 

[ladyratri]

My first T was a 3/4" A. purpurea sling I got just over 2 years ago. I kept her in a 16oz deli cup -- she's the one on the right:


On the left is the 1.5-2" C. versicolor that was my second T. He stayed in that 32oz deli cup for quite a while.

The holes in the small bin I just poked with a pin. For the the bigger spider, I could poke holes with my soldering iron without them being an escape hazard.

The key is the row of holes just above the substrate -- the enclosure you used for your sling has a bunch of side ventilation, but it's near the top... I'm not sure whether that was "the" problem, or maybe just a contributing factor, or not actually a problem at all. If you do get another Avic sling though, I would highly recommend having some ventilation near the bottom -- like the exo terra does -- just in case stagnant air at the bottom of the enclosure was impacting your sling.

That said, as someone pointed out above, a versi sling will grow faster. The one above had his maturing molt like 6 weeks ago.

Good luck, whatever you decide!

 

[NMTs]

You can make lots of things work as a sling enclosure - condiment cups, deli cups, food containers, pill bottles, etc.. I've even seen people using the old parmesan cheese or pepper containers, like these:


Here's some examples of the vials. They're really webbed up so it's kind of hard to see what's going on in them, but you'll get the gist:




Some even have little tattoo ink cups in the as water dishes:


Anyway, get creative, but make sure that whatever you use can be modified to have lots of vent holes. Glass jars don't work well.

 

[NMTs]

My replacement T is waiting for me at the pet store. How would you suggest I proceed?

There's no reason you can't pick it up today and just leave it in the store container (assuming it's like the last one they gave you) until you've got something to move it into.

 

[Emily76]

My first T was a 3/4" A. purpurea sling I got just over 2 years ago. I kept her in a 16oz deli cup -- she's the one on the right:
View attachment 468444

On the left is the 1.5-2" C. versicolor that was my second T. He stayed in that 32oz deli cup for quite a while.

The holes in the small bin I just poked with a pin. For the the bigger spider, I could poke holes with my soldering iron without them being an escape hazard.

The key is the row of holes just above the substrate -- the enclosure you used for your sling has a bunch of side ventilation, but it's near the top... I'm not sure whether that was "the" problem, or maybe just a contributing factor, or not actually a problem at all. If you do get another Avic sling though, I would highly recommend having some ventilation near the bottom -- like the exo terra does -- just in case stagnant air at the bottom of the enclosure was impacting your sling.

That said, as someone pointed out above, a versi sling will grow faster. The one above had his maturing molt like 6 weeks ago.

Good luck, whatever you decide!

This is very helpful! I didn’t realize that the ventilation near the bottom was as important. I feel like it’s unlikely that this aspect of the enclosure would kill it that quickly? But it certainly gives me something to improve on for the next spider. Thank you so much!

You can make lots of things work as a sling enclosure - condiment cups, deli cups, food containers, pill bottles, etc.. I've even seen people using the old parmesan cheese or pepper containers, like these:
View attachment 468448

Here's some examples of the vials. They're really webbed up so it's kind of hard to see what's going on in them, but you'll get the gist:
View attachment 468449
View attachment 468450
View attachment 468451

Some even have little tattoo ink cups in the as water dishes:
View attachment 468453

Anyway, get creative, but make sure that whatever you use can be modified to have lots of vent holes. Glass jars don't work well.

I have little pill bottles similar to the clear vertical containers with the white lids in your photos! I bet that would work. The Parmesan cheese bottle is great but probably much too big for a little sling?

If I go the pill bottle route, they are so small, what is the best way to get them food and water? Do you just put droplets of water in periodically? Also, how do they have space to molt? I’m just wondering about the logistics of feeding and watering in such a tiny space. It seems so difficult! Please help!

 

[cold blood]

This is very helpful! I didn’t realize that the ventilation near the bottom was as important. I feel like it’s unlikely that this aspect of the enclosure would kill it that quickly?

Venting at the bottom, like in the exo terra, promotes air movement, as the warm air goes out the top, this pulls in fresh air at the bottom. But you are right, its not something that typicallly kills quickly, it often takes months and the downward progression goes slowly.

If I go the pill bottle route, they are so small, what is the best way to get them food and water?

A slight spritz on the walls from time to time....but in a pill container, you really need to a) ventilate it well, and b) be careful not to spritz too much, as the small space will exacerbate the moisture and too much can really cause problems...its actually way more problematic than being a bit too dry.

Also, how do they have space to molt?

Well obviously the container needs to be large enough to facilitate that.

 

[viper69]

I am new to tarantulas but not to exotic pets

Same as you, came from herps/amphibians- NOTHING from them helped me with Ts other than where to buy crix. Nothing

How could I have done something so wrong in 4 days?

You didn't.

Mexican Black Kingsnake

Used to have one long ago, THE best disposition of any reptile I've owned other than a BD, and my pied BP

but I'm nervous about it.

I'd not rush into getting a new one, make sure you understand how to keep Ts first. RESEARCH. Read my post, and come back to this thread with SPECIFIC questions

Do pink toes stay quite small?

A minatrix is the smallest at about 3.5" DLS. Versi about 5", the others average out at 5 to 5.5" generally.

A purps are slower growers than most Avics

If I was you, and wanted another Avic I would get a versicolor because they have an incredibly good feeding response- also relatively fast growth rate even on crix, the best I've ever owned over many many localities.

 

[NMTs]

I have little pill bottles similar to the clear vertical containers with the white lids in your photos! I bet that would work. The Parmesan cheese bottle is great but probably much too big for a little sling?

If I go the pill bottle route, they are so small, what is the best way to get them food and water? Do you just put droplets of water in periodically? Also, how do they have space to molt? I’m just wondering about the logistics of feeding and watering in such a tiny space. It seems so difficult! Please help!

The small vial is a 40 dram vial that measures about 1.75" diameter and is about 3.75" tall. The sling in there is about 1.25" leg span now, but was just over 1/2" when I first put it in there. If your pill bottle is close to that size it should work great!

They don't need as much space to molt as you would think - they often molt in spaces that seem much too small, but do it all the time. For watering, I use a plastic-tipped syringe to put a few drops of water on the webbing each time I feed them, or every 4-5 days if they're in premolt and not eating. Feeding is actually much easier in small enclosures - you drop in the prey and the sling finds it because there's nowhere for the prey to hide, unlike in large enclosures where the prey can avoid the sling. You just have to open the enclosure when you need to feed/water, which isn't a big issue with avics as they don't tend to be bolty and prefer to hunker down instead.

 

[Emily76]

Same as you, came from herps/amphibians- NOTHING from them helped me with Ts other than where to buy crix. Nothing


You didn't.


Used to have one long ago, THE best disposition of any reptile I've owned other than a BD, and my pied BP


I'd not rush into getting a new one, make sure you understand how to keep Ts first. RESEARCH. Read my post, and come back to this thread with SPECIFIC questions



A minatrix is the smallest at about 3.5" DLS. Versi about 5", the others average out at 5 to 5.5" generally.

A purps are slower growers than most Avics

If I was you, and wanted another Avic I would get a versicolor because they have an incredibly good feeding response- also relatively fast growth rate even on crix, the best I've ever owned over many many localities.

Well, I don’t necessarily want to rush into getting another one, but since the pet store is going to replace the deceased one for me, I would like to try again.

I know I am very new, but I have done a lot of reading about tarantulas from a lot of different sources. Many are quite contradictory and it’s hard to know what/whose advice to follow. I absolutely do not take the responsibility of caring for any animal lightly. The same inconsistent husbandry advice exists throughout the exotic pet community. I see it with snakes and chameleons all the time. Heck, people can’t even agree on how to train dogs; those people argue viciously haha

I so much appreciate everyone here for providing advice and helping me troubleshoot the 2 deaths I just had. I think I have gotten a lot of great tips on what I can do better with the next T, and it’s comforting to know that there are a lot of very experienced keepers here who are willing to help, so thank you very much!

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Well, I don’t necessarily want to rush into getting another one, but since the pet store is going to replace the deceased one for me, I would like to try again.

I know I am very new, but I have done a lot of reading about tarantulas from a lot of different sources. Many are quite contradictory and it’s hard to know what/whose advice to follow. I absolutely do not take the responsibility of caring for any animal lightly. The same inconsistent husbandry advice exists throughout the exotic pet community. I see it with snakes and chameleons all the time. Heck, people can’t even agree on how to train dogs; those people argue viciously haha

I so much appreciate everyone here for providing advice and helping me troubleshoot the 2 deaths I just had. I think I have gotten a lot of great tips on what I can do better with the next T, and it’s comforting to know that there are a lot of very experienced keepers here who are willing to help, so thank you very much!

Just avoid any information telling you to keep tarantulas like salamanders . And verify any info not from on this site on this site . I pretty much stick it what I learn here. Too many amphibian keepers Are writing tarantula care sheets online all over the place.

 

[Emily76]

The small vial is a 40 dram vial that measures about 1.75" diameter and is about 3.75" tall. The sling in there is about 1.25" leg span now, but was just over 1/2" when I first put it in there. If your pill bottle is close to that size it should work great!

They don't need as much space to molt as you would think - they often molt in spaces that seem much too small, but do it all the time. For watering, I use a plastic-tipped syringe to put a few drops of water on the webbing each time I feed them, or every 4-5 days if they're in premolt and not eating. Feeding is actually much easier in small enclosures - you drop in the prey and the sling finds it because there's nowhere for the prey to hide, unlike in large enclosures where the prey can avoid the sling. You just have to open the enclosure when you need to feed/water, which isn't a big issue with avics as they don't tend to be bolty and prefer to hunker down instead.

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain all that to me! I didn’t understand why the enclosure needed to be so small. Your comments, as well as others here, have helped clarify the reasoning for me. I guess I’m difficult in that I don’t want to just know what to do, but why it needs to be done that way. Thank you!!

Just avoid any information telling you to keep tarantulas like salamanders . And verify any info not from on this site on this site . I pretty much stick it what I learn here. Too many amphibian keepers Are writing tarantula care sheets online all over the place.

It has taken me several months but I have learned that many of the other sources I came across were not reliable. Any Google searches I did often led me to discussion here, so I finally joined and I am very pleased that I did. You have all been great!!

 

[LilithArachne]

I'm glad you're not giving up. Tarantulas need good homes, and you care to do research and such like any good tarantula owner would.
I wish you luck that you find a healthy T, and I am sorry for your previous losses.

 

[TLSizzle]

I love this thread's 'vibe' lol

Please keep us updated!

 

[Emily76]

I'm glad you're not giving up. Tarantulas need good homes, and you care to do research and such like any good tarantula owner would.
I wish you luck that you find a healthy T, and I am sorry for your previous losses.

Thank you! I feel better after going over things with the people here. I had no idea I had a mature male Avic, so when my little sling died after him, assumed I was totally incompetent and couldn’t be trusted with another T, but I really enjoy them and did not want to give up!

 

[viper69]

Well, I don’t necessarily want to rush into getting another one, but since the pet store is going to replace the deceased one for me, I would like to try again.

I know I am very new, but I have done a lot of reading about tarantulas from a lot of different sources. Many are quite contradictory and it’s hard to know what/whose advice to follow. I absolutely do not take the responsibility of caring for any animal lightly. The same inconsistent husbandry advice exists throughout the exotic pet community. I see it with snakes and chameleons all the time. Heck, people can’t even agree on how to train dogs; those people argue viciously haha

I so much appreciate everyone here for providing advice and helping me troubleshoot the 2 deaths I just had. I think I have gotten a lot of great tips on what I can do better with the next T, and it’s comforting to know that there are a lot of very experienced keepers here who are willing to help, so thank you very much!

You will find more conflicting info in T world than w/herps by far. This is because virtually nothing is known about them.

 

[Emily76]

Okay, in case anyone is interested, I went back to the pet store to get my replacement T, but they did not have another Avicularia purpurea, just something similar. I think it may have been Peru Purple Pink-Toe. Well, I really did not want to set myself up for failure and heartache again, so I ended up getting an Aphonopelma seemanni (Costa Rican Stripe Knee) AND a Tliltocatl albopilosus (Curly Hair) sling. I really like the T albos and the one I have is doing well so I figured what the heck. The A seemanni has a bulbous, almost bare abdomen, so I think it is certainly about to molt. I am going to keep both of my new additions in the containers they came in. The T albo is tiny and in a small vial. The A seemanni is not as tiny but they said it does not need rehoused any time soon.

Any and all advice, suggestions, complaints, words of wisdom, insults, etc are welcome because I really want these Ts to do well!

Thank you all for all the help thus far and any future assistance you may offer me. It is VERY much appreciated.

 

[TLSizzle]

Awesome choices! I love how T albos bulldoze and the seemanni are so pretty to look at.

Just make sure the seemanni has lots of dirt to make it's burrow and it'll be plenty happy. I hardly saw mine fully out, but he always had his pretty legs visible.