G. Rosea taking forum advice....

Spider45

Arachnopeon
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Jun 26, 2007
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26
OK, I know it's wrong to have a sponge in the water bowl, but I had one in there anyway. I always keep it clean, rinse it every time I add water. Well, I'm surfing the net and kind of watching my G. Rosea. She goes to the water bowl removes the sponge and takes it into her hide (still wet by the way!). She's lived in her cage (5 Gal aquarium) for about 3 months and has never bothered it before. Any ideas what she wants it for???? I'm going to let her keep it since she went to the trouble of dragging it over there. Stills seems strange for a spider.....

Jim
 

Rain_Flower

Arachnolord
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Jul 15, 2007
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That is kinda funny. Rosea's are known to do random stuff though, so even though it might seem odd to you, it could just be normal rosie behavior. Mine doesn't like to sit in her hide, she likes to sit on top of it and keep look out so to speak. She also likes to fill her water dish with dirt. :)
 

Syngyne

Arachnoknight
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Feb 16, 2007
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OK, I know it's wrong to have a sponge in the water bowl, but I had one in there anyway.
Just out of curiosity, if you knew it wasn't good, why did you put one in there to begin with?
 

Aurelia

Arachnoprince
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Just out of curiosity, if you knew it wasn't good, why did you put one in there to begin with?
I think they mean that they had one in there before they knew any better.
 

jenniferinny

Arachnoknight
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Jan 14, 2007
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I have a sponge for my rosea's water bowl. Just to keep the crickets from running in there and drowning. I don't have many T's yet, I buy the biggest sponges I can find and cut them up. I never leave them in their water bowl longer then a week. Even less if I notice anything funny happening with them. Anything that's a quick eater I don't have a sponge in with.
But yeah, I don't know why your rosea would drag the sponge out. Mine just likes throwing substrate in the dish, he pretty much leaves the sponge alone.
 

Moltar

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I think they mean that they had one in there before they knew any better.
That's not how i read it. Spider45, if you still have that sponge in there you should really take it out. Just rinsing the sponge doesn't remove the harmful bacteria and mold that can infest he sponge and then your tarantula. Also, it's a magnet for crickets to lay eggs in, not to mention any of a number of other flies and such that may be in your house. just give her a wide shallow dish w/ water in it and keep it topped off.

If you want something for your T to play with try a ping pong ball. I've heard sometimes they'll push it all over the place like that mouse w/ the thimble in the Green Mile.

Jennifer: if you want to keep the crix from drowning a good alternative is a pebble or glass bead, etc. Something not absorbent. Just make sure there's enough water surface area that the spider can stick it's "face" in there to drink. If you haven't observed it, they essentially submerge part of their carapace in the water to drink.
 
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Rochelle

Arachnoprince
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Aug 12, 2006
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Lmao

Your rosie is just as nutty as the rest, that's all.... I've come to the conclusion that all rosies are gently insane. Get RID of the sponge, though! Try a silk plant leaf draped over the dish for the crickets, but be prepared to replace it every day! Your rosie will likely try to use it for home deco in another place...hahahaha A shallow dish kept topped off was really the best advice. ;)
 

Spider45

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Jun 26, 2007
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I did have the sponge in there before I knew better, just never removed it. I have 8 other T's and no sponges in there water bowls, I don't no, just lazy I guess. Anyway now that she has it in her hide, problem solved...Just thought it was amusing that for whatever reason she wanted it. She seems to be fairly intelligent as far as spiders go. When I open the gage lid she comes out of her hide to get the a cricket, so she knows when I open the lid she's getting fed. Just didn't think T's were so responsive to there surroundings.

Jim
 

Aurelia

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I did have the sponge in there before I knew better, just never removed it. I have 8 other T's and no sponges in there water bowls, I don't no, just lazy I guess. Anyway now that she has it in her hide, problem solved...Just thought it was amusing that for whatever reason she wanted it. She seems to be fairly intelligent as far as spiders go. When I open the gage lid she comes out of her hide to get the a cricket, so she knows when I open the lid she's getting fed. Just didn't think T's were so responsive to there surroundings.

Jim
Ts are EXTREMELY sensitive to vibrations. Although they can't think or feel emotions the way we do, I think they can be classically conditioned to respond to certain stimuli-opening the lid (big vibration) means crickets (little vibrations)
 

EvilElvis

Arachnosquire
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Aug 16, 2007
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Hehe you guys are lucky you got nutty Roseas, mine might as well be a rock :( Maybe someday!
 

dtknow

Arachnoking
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Maybe she felt the burrow was dry and here is some moisture in a convenient package.
 

Fingolfin

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If you want something for your T to play with try a ping pong ball. I've heard sometimes they'll push it all over the place like that mouse w/ the thimble in the Green Mile.
I did that... only my rosea attacked the ball after she started to roll it a bit. She didn't seem to like it, so I took it out.
 

Spider45

Arachnopeon
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Jun 26, 2007
Messages
26
I know some people think Rosea's are boring, but she is my most active T. Comes out every evening, always exploring and moving around her cage. She has always seemed fascinated by her water bowl, sitting on it for long periods of time. It's nice to hear that other people have strange behaving Rosea's to...

Jim
 

chilean

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
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May 25, 2007
Messages
69
bad sponge

Sponges are definetly bad!!! They keep bacteria, rinsing it won't kill the germs you have to steam it!!! Alot of hard work to keep your crickets alive. I'd rather lose the crickets than get my T sick.
 

WARPIG

Arachnoangel
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Jun 29, 2007
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My rosies are both characters, here is Scylla freshly molted at about 5", she is always out, and always hungry. She loves to plow peat into her bowl as does my lil rosie. Yep, of all my terrestrials, she is one of my most active.


 
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