G pulcrhipes Juvenile hiding alot

[TheraMygale]

So far I've not had much problem with feeding, she took the cricket I put in there. Otherwise do you think the size of the enclosure is likely to be problematic welfare wise?

its 8 inches high. Substrate should usualy be as high as a tarantula can stand on its back legs and touch the top with its other legs.

its still small so it might just grow into it. If it climbed and fell on the cork, it could get hurt.

usualy, falls are harsher on fat adults.

personaly, i would have kept it in a small delicup. They do grow fast as slings. Mine molted almost every month last year. Started in a dram vial, then in a 4 inch x 4 inch tupperwear. Next, its going in a mini faunarium. If it ever molts

in a smaller container, it spends less energy hunting its food. Youre lucky it took the cricket from where it was. Youll have to always make sure it gets the cricket. Thing is, its in its hide. So if cricket goes anywhere else, it might not come out to get it. Putting a prekilled at entrance can also solve that issue.

 

[eggsbenedict]

its 8 inches high. Substrate should usualy be as high as a tarantula can stand on its back legs and touch the top with its other legs.

its still small so it might just grow into it. If it climbed and fell on the cork, it could get hurt.

usualy, falls are harsher on fat adults.

personaly, i would have kept it in a small delicup. They do grow fast as slings. Mine molted almost every month last year. Started in a dram vial, then in a 4 inche x 4 inch tupperwear. Next, its going in a mini faunarium. If it ever molts

in a smaller container, it spends less energy hunting its food. Youre lucky it took the cricket from where it was. Youll have to always make sure it gets the cricket. Thing is, its in its hide. So if cricket goes anywhere else, it might not come out to get it. Putting a prekilled at entrance can also solve that issue.

I was wondering about adding more substrate but she seems to be settling in at the moment, as far as I can tell, been webbing around the entrance of her hide and pushing soil around in there. Wouldn't want to disturb her at this point.

 

[TheraMygale]

If you add substrate it wont bother it.

youre just topping sub. Not going in the burrow.

as it grows all youll have to do is remove sub.

i added a photo in my last post to show you size and how my tarantula cant fall. Its impossible at this point.

when i open up, it usualy stays there motionless. Unless hungry. Then it might come at what is moving.

 

[eggsbenedict]

its 8 inches high. Substrate should usualy be as high as a tarantula can stand on its back legs and touch the top with its other legs.

its still small so it might just grow into it. If it climbed and fell on the cork, it could get hurt.

usualy, falls are harsher on fat adults.

personaly, i would have kept it in a small delicup. They do grow fast as slings. Mine molted almost every month last year. Started in a dram vial, then in a 4 inch x 4 inch tupperwear. Next, its going in a mini faunarium. If it ever molts

in a smaller container, it spends less energy hunting its food. Youre lucky it took the cricket from where it was. Youll have to always make sure it gets the cricket. Thing is, its in its hide. So if cricket goes anywhere else, it might not come out to get it. Putting a prekilled at entrance can also solve that issue.

View attachment 489774

Yeah I removed the crickets head before placing it by the entrance to the hide, which is what I intend to do when I feed it again.

 

[eggsbenedict]

If you add substrate it wont bother it.

youre just topping sub. Not going in the burrow.

as it grows all youll have to do is remove sub.

Yes, definitely don't want to do that.

 

[eggsbenedict]

If you add substrate it wont bother it.

youre just topping sub. Not going in the burrow.

as it grows all youll have to do is remove sub.

Ignore previous reply, misread your message. I'll add more substrate.

 

[TheraMygale]

Sounds to me like you are really doing a great job. Its a good thing you came here too. You’ll find tons of great advice on things you didnt even think you needed to know.

like, before a molt, in the premolt phase, when they are fat and ready to pop, they can get all wobbly and walk weird. That can be super stressfull for a new keeper. Starts them thinking their tarantula is sick. Its not. These are things you pick up on with time and hands on experience.

 

[eggsbenedict]

Sounds to me like you are really doing a great job. Its a good thing you came here too. You’ll find tons of great advice on things you didnt even think you needed to know.

I guess because it's my first I just want to make sure I'm doing everything I can to guarantee it's health and welfare!

 

[TheraMygale]

I guess because it's my first I just want to make sure I'm doing everything I can to guarantee it's health and welfare!

You picked the best species for a first. There are tons of choices. But its hard to miss the ball on this one.

Its easy to do maintenance in the enclosure and they let us take pictures. They have nice feeding responses too.

 

[eggsbenedict]

You picked the best species for a first. There are tons of choices. But its hard to miss the ball on this one.

Its easy to do maintenance in the enclosure and they let us take pictures. They have nice feeding responses too.

I'll admit it's equally exciting as it is anxiety inducing haha. Obviously I really don't wanna fuck up, but when I see her at night I can't help but get overexcited Last night I was totally fixated watching her lay web around the entrance to the hide and pushing soil up towards the entrance, must have just been staring for about 40 mins or something ahahaha

 

[TheraMygale]

I'll admit it's equally exciting as it is anxiety inducing haha. Obviously I really don't wanna fuck up, but when I see her at night I can't help but get overexcited Last night I was totally fixated watching her lay web around the entrance to the hide and pushing soil up towards the entrance, must have just been staring for about 40 mins or something ahahaha

Its fun when they do things. Enjoy it. Soon, they can do nothing. For weeks hahaha.



my 4inch females entrance. So you see its normal.

she’d come out every night and redo it all.

how do i know? She’d web the water bowl. Everyday id unweb it. Only to notice it mysteriously rewebbed the next morning.

and when they molt, there are litteraly naked and at the mercy of the world. That was when my around two inches was in a once inch cube.

 

[eggsbenedict]

Its fun when they do things. Enjoy it. Soon, they can do nothing. For weeks hahaha.

View attachment 489775

my 4inch females entrance. So you see its normal.

she’d come out every night and redo it all.

how do i know? She’d web the water bowl. Everyday id unweb it. Only to notice it mysteriously rewebbed the next morning.

It just occurred to me, should I perhaps move the water dish a bit closer to the hide entrance?

 

[TheraMygale]

It just occurred to me, should I perhaps move the water dish a bit closer to the hide entrance?

in your situation, i certainly recommend it. I used to put my water bowls away from entrance: during excavation, the dirt ended there. But its not going to know to look for water as we see dogs and cats. So its best water bowl is close.

i added pictures in my last post.

my slings had lego cubes they were so small. Now they have regular bottle caps, and the big female has a peanut butter cap.



in this last photo you can tell its nearing molting.

 

[eggsbenedict]

in your situation, i certainly recommend it. I used to put my water bowls away from entrance: during excavation, the dirt ended there. But its not going to know to look for water as we see dogs and cats. So its best water bowl is close.

i added pictures in my last post.

my slings had lego cubes they were so small. Now they have regular bottle caps, and the big female has a peanut butter cap.

View attachment 489777

in this last photo you can tell its nearing molting.

Just to keep you in the loop, I've gone and added more substrate, especially above the cork bark, enough so that there's nothing hard she'd land on. I've also moved the water dish so it's basically a couple of inches away from her entrance.

 

[TheraMygale]

Just to keep you in the loop, I've gone and added more substrate, especially above the cork bark, enough so that there's nothing hard she'd land on. I've also moved the water dish so it's basically a couple of inches away from her entrance.

thats awesome. It will give a really cool look to your enclosure. And all you will ever have to do in the next 5 years, is remove sub, if it reaches 3-4 inches by then. At which time, good timing, youll be able to sex. Even before, if youre quick on getting the molt and have a good microscope.

you can even add a flat peice of cork on the sub. Near the hide. That way, tarantula will rest on it if it feels substrate is too fluffly/moist/fresh yet. I did that with my brachypelmas and it worked a charm.