Getting a p. metallica... Some basics please

Heather

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 6, 2007
Messages
179
Hi!

I'm certain that I finally found myself a Gooty... It's not here yet, so I can't count on it yet.

I have not kept one of these particular T's before. I have a few Q's:

Temp range should be what?
Humidity? Should the substrate be moist or dry with just a water dish?
Will the Exo Terra terrarium size 18x18x18 be ok for a 2 inch juvy? Or should I go smaller? 12x12x12 or the 12x12x18?
Do they have a favorite food?
Anyone who has kept a similar species... could you please let me know some pointers to give this little guy the best life I can?

Thanks,
Heather
 

Windchaser

Arachnoking
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Dec 13, 2004
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2,996
These can pretty much be kept in the same manner as a P. regalis. They are actually pretty hearty tarantulas. Personally I don't worry too much about controlling temperature and humidity. All of my tarantulas, including my P. metallica are kept at room temperature. My house gets a little cooler during the winter months. As for hydration I simply keep water dishes in my enclosures. I would go with the smaller Exo-terra enclosure. I pretty much feed all of my tarantulas crickets only.
 

green_bottle_04

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
437
Hi!

I'm certain that I finally found myself a Gooty... It's not here yet, so I can't count on it yet.

I have not kept one of these particular T's before. I have a few Q's:

Temp range should be what?
Humidity? Should the substrate be moist or dry with just a water dish?
Will the Exo Terra terrarium size 18x18x18 be ok for a 2 inch juvy? Or should I go smaller? 12x12x12 or the 12x12x18?
Do they have a favorite food?
Anyone who has kept a similar species... could you please let me know some pointers to give this little guy the best life I can?

Thanks,
Heather
well....the first thing you should do is forward the package on to me! :) lol just kidding. im just jelous. i want another one. i keep mine in the small "cube" style exo-terra enclosure. with some real and artificial plants and branches. and a water dish. i feed mine crickets and Blaptica Dubia roaches.
 

syndicate

Arachnoemperor
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Aug 26, 2005
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4,497
i would wait on the exoterra until it gets a little bigger mabey.at 2" a med size jar or tall deli-cup would work perfect
 

neil1

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 4, 2006
Messages
12
why do people do these posts?wouldnt it be a good idea to check out the requirements of the spider before you buy it?? metallica arent exactly the cheapest of Tarantulas,if it was me buying one id do best to find out all the info i needed to know about it before i actually purchased it...but thats just me.
nice choice of spider though...
Cheers,,Neil
 

Windchaser

Arachnoking
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Dec 13, 2004
Messages
2,996
why do people do these posts?wouldnt it be a good idea to check out the requirements of the spider before you buy it?? metallica arent exactly the cheapest of Tarantulas,if it was me buying one id do best to find out all the info i needed to know about it before i actually purchased it...but thats just me.
nice choice of spider though...
Cheers,,Neil
They don't have it yet. So they are doing their homework before hand. They specifically said they don't have it yet as opposed to the people who say "I now have such and such what do I do now."
 

Hedorah99

Arachnoprince
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Joined
May 2, 2005
Messages
1,863
why do people do these posts?wouldnt it be a good idea to check out the requirements of the spider before you buy it?? metallica arent exactly the cheapest of Tarantulas,if it was me buying one id do best to find out all the info i needed to know about it before i actually purchased it...but thats just me.
nice choice of spider though...
Cheers,,Neil
Wow, thats a great way to say, "Hello". Welcome to the boards...
 

neil1

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 4, 2006
Messages
12
please accept my appologies.i obviously didnt read the post fully.the thing is you see this sort of thing posted so often.and what with it being such an expensive spider i thought surely it would be best to do your homework first.
how many posts do you see where people have bought T's then come on th mesage boards and ask how to carefor it...more than often its a defensive tarantula thats been bought aswell.
but i do stand corrected,:8o
all the best...Neil
 

spid142

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 9, 2006
Messages
492
temps

Your metallica should do fine at whatever temp your house is at. No need to be overly concerned, I have 6 pokies and they all do fine with no heat regulation beyond an oil heater in the T room at night.
 

Selenops

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 13, 2006
Messages
844
When I have a question regarding the husbandry of a species I'd rather consult people who keep them frequently than pull one out of a book or something whose sources and experience level can be quite questionable.

But online generally it's about the individual who wrote or posted it. Rollin the care sheet around the tongue you kinda instinctively can tell if it is a good one or simply a generalized sign post.
 

beetleman

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
2,874
Hi!

I'm certain that I finally found myself a Gooty... It's not here yet, so I can't count on it yet.

I have not kept one of these particular T's before. I have a few Q's:

Temp range should be what?
Humidity? Should the substrate be moist or dry with just a water dish?
Will the Exo Terra terrarium size 18x18x18 be ok for a 2 inch juvy? Or should I go smaller? 12x12x12 or the 12x12x18?
Do they have a favorite food?
Anyone who has kept a similar species... could you please let me know some pointers to give this little guy the best life I can?

Thanks,
Heather
excellent choice of a spider!:clap: yeah, just about what everyone says about the care of them,very simple kept dry,waterdish,etc.that's how i keep mine!you will definitly enjoy it when you get it.:D
 

Merfolk

Arachnoprince
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Dec 13, 2005
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1,323
...and, utterly important, don't try to handle it... Pokies have venom that can make you sick for days.. or even weeks.
 

T 'n T

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Messages
68
At first my P. metallica lived in a little plastic saltshaker with a bit of wood and a bottlecap water dish. Kept at room temperature, all my critters are in a room that's kept around 75 year round. Happy as a clam, not aggressive but spazzy. The only T of mine to run in circles at the bottom of the enclosure when provoked (provoking consists of providing food and water :eek: ).

After a couple of molts the critter got moved into a plastic jar with a bigger piece of wood and a little silk aquarium plant, with a larger water dish (the top of a plastic juice bottle). The critter filled the first water dish with substrate so now there are two, the second stacked on top of the first. Calmer now, no more running in circles, but it doesn't like to hang out on the wood like other pokies. Prefers to cling to the sides of the enclosure, but will sometimes use the wood to munch on crickets and mealies.

Earlier this week the critter was wandering on the substrate, not normal behavior so I looked around and saw a molt stuck under the plant. Time for a bigger jar, maybe a really big piece of wood will be more attractive. Time will tell.

Easy to keep and the prettiest T I ever saw, great choice. :D
 

Kriegan

Arachnobaron
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Joined
Jul 20, 2006
Messages
426
Hallo,

Depending on how big your T is, your Exo Terra pretty tank might have to wait a while until it gets a nice size. Its best to have your sling in an enclosure that's not too big for it, and can find its food quickly and can't get lost in the enclosure. When I got my sling it had a brownish color and from a distance it camouflaged well with the eco earth substrate, and since it was so tiny I had to be careful and wait for it to move to know where it was. I got mine around 1.5-2" and kept it in a small betta enclosure which I soldered lots of tiny airholes on the lid and kept it tight with several rubber bands. Just make sure those airholes for ventilation are NOT bigger than it is to prevent any escapes.

Mine is very skitish, nervous and fast, and always likes to run laps too when I open the lid to dump a cricket or fill its waterdish. I placed a dr. pepper cap as waterdish and now that it's 3" it has a gallon milk water cap instead. At this point you don't want to handle or mess too much with it until you are comfortable with how skitish and fast it is. As the fellow Windchaser said, keep it like a P. regalis, they are very hardy and don't have any special requirements to thrive, but don't neglect it also. I slightly mist the substrate once a week until it's moist but not wet, and I was feeding mine often and kept it warm near a mild heating source and it molted often and grew pretty quick. But now that its 3" and already showing the overall beautiful blue for me to enjoy, I have no need for it to grow quicker and cut its life span. If its too small you can choose to feed it often and keep it warm until it reaches the size you want and starts showing the beautiful adult colors already, but once you have achieved that, to continue powerfeeding is pointless IMO.

Good luck with it, hope you get a female!

This is my personal favorite species!:)
 

Mina

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 4, 2005
Messages
2,136
To start with, how wonderful for you!! You must be so excited!! I'm envious!!! :drool:
From what I understand, pokies can do fine in normal room temperature, being misted several times a week, and provided with a water dish. You need to fit the size of the T to the size of the enclosure. I don't have any exo terras but from what I understand the vertical ones can make good homes for pokies and avics. You need to be careful of the fake back though, and make sure your T can't climb behind it and get stuck. Good luck with your metallica and welcome to the boards!!!!!
 

Heather

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 6, 2007
Messages
179
Thank you!

I want to extend a big Thank You to all of you who have helped! I really appreciate it and I'm certain my new baby would Thank You too!

The temps here have been dropping below the 20 degree mark... so I have requested that they wait to ship until more favorable conditions arise (hopefully that will be very soon!)

I am extremely excited and extremely nervous! I will bookmark this thread and probably read it 20 more times before the baby gets here! So feel free to continue to add anything that you feel will be helpful ;)

As soon as I get it, I will post pics! Thanks again!
Heather
 

starmaiden

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 23, 2006
Messages
98
Hey Heather! This is the same starmaiden from the Hermit Crab Addiction forums! I have no info about Ts beyond the basics as I'm a newbie myself and you probably know more about keeping them than me. I just wanted to say 'hi' and congrats on finding your P. metallica! :clap:
 

Michael Jacobi

ARACHNOCULTURE MAGAZINE
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 17, 2003
Messages
938
Hi Heather

Your spider is currently being housed in a half gallon jar, but would be fine in a one gallon Rubbermaid plastic jar. A couple of inches of coconut coir substrate is placed in the bottom. It is only slighly moist when placed in the container and then it is kept so that the bottom layers are damp, while the top layer is mostly dry. The substrate is rehydrated to continue this cycle. The idea is for the moisture to evaporate over time and produce beneficial humidity without creating overly wet or stagnant conditions. In other words, the substrate should dry within several days, but still retain a little bit of moisture toward the bottom. I then use a turkey baster to add more water to the lower level of substrate to rehydrate and renew the evaporation cycle. A vertical piece of cork bark is used for a roosting-style retreat; a small cork bark tube is also good, but you will see the spider less. A spring of live Pothos can be used for decor, and this plant's respiration will provide natural humidity. Otherwise, a piece of silk or plastic plant can add attractiveness to the enclosure. For the half gallon containers I use hot glue to affix a small plastic cap half way up one side of the container and keep it filled with fresh water. The full one gallon containers have a double cup system using a 2 oz. condiment cup; one is hot glued to the side and a second that is removable for washing or replacement is placed inside the outer "holder" cup and filled with clean water and a piece of silk plant to prevent crickets from drowning in the water. More information on these type of set-ups can be found in my article in ARACHNOCULTURE 1(2), which can also be viewed for free in the monthly article section of my Arboreal Tarantula Forum.

I would advise housing the spider in the jars until it is about 3-3.5 inches in legspan and then you can graduate it to the 12 x 12 x 18 ExoTerra, which is what my breeder Poecs are housed in. It is the perfect size for an adult (as is a 10-gal aquarium stood on end).


Kind regards, Michael

PS - It was 58 in Nashville yesterday, but will hover around freezing all week. So, it is cold here in the south too and I will take good care of your spider until it is safe to ship.
 
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starmaiden

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
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Oct 23, 2006
Messages
98
Michael Jacobi,

Your tips sound great for housing any type of arboreal spider not just poecs! Thanks for posting them. :)
 
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