growing a collection

[IHeartTs]

I chose my selct interesting species... And stocked up. Quantity over quality lol. I don't have anything fancy. Nothing expensive. But my Ts are cool and interesting to me. They all have personality. I enjoy studying them. I have 16 in 6 months... And I cut it off there... Haven't bought any in about 2 months. I want to of course. Somebody offered too and boy do I want 2 horned baboons!

But it would be irresponsible to the Ts and to me at this point.

I have 16... But only 8 species. I have doubles, a triple, and a,quadruple. It was a quintouple, but one escaped.

I have 3 OW species and 7 total, and 5 NW species and 9 total.

10 slings, 2 juvies, 4 adults. The juvies however are LPs so they're as big as my adult porteri and will eclipse her soon as they're both pre molt now.

I've learned a lot. Reading here, reading 4 books, YouTube, internet, and experience. Mistakes too.

Now I'm very careful. And interact with them a lot less even. They're for watching. And they do quite well without me.

Fascinating little guys.

I have SOOOOOO much more to learn.

I just got offered 2 free h mac juvies. No doubt I'm jumping on that. Picking them up today!!! So excited. I would like to breed by newly acquired MF GBB but Im gonna wait til her next molt. Ah yes. I am a reformed handler. I still handle my rosie and avics a little but idk what I was thinking when I let an e murinus and pokie on me. So dumb. Now I will only touch them with a 10 foot pole .

 

[Poec54]

I just got offered 2 free h mac juvies. No doubt I'm jumping on that. Picking them up today!!! So excited.

I put maculata in either 32 oz deli cups as slings, and when they're too big for that, 6 qt clear storage boxes (Sterlite). Give them a cork slab to hide under, leaning against the side, so they don't panic when you open the lid. I also give mine a plastic plant or two for cover and of course a water bowl. I keep the substrate slightly moist (how I keep my maculata would kill Avics).

Maculata are capable of some serious speed, but as long as they're not touched, they prefer to either stay motionless or dart into their retreat. I don't remember getting a threat pose from mine, but you definitely don't want an escape or bite.

I've become a big user of plastic plants (silk have dyes and sometimes fragrances). I use the Zoo Med vining types ('Mexican' and 'Amazon') and cut to fit.

 

[IHeartTs]

I put maculata in either 32 oz deli cups as slings, and when they're too big for that, 6 qt clear storage boxes (Sterlite). Give them a cork slab to hide under, leaning against the side, so they don't panic when you open the lid. I also give mine a plastic plant or two for cover and of course a water bowl. I keep the substrate slightly moist (how I keep my maculata would kill Avics).

Maculata are capable of some serious speed, but as long as they're not touched, they prefer to either stay motionless or dart into their retreat. I don't remember getting a threat pose from mine, but you definitely don't want an escape or bite.

I've become a big user of plastic plants (silk have dyes and sometimes fragrances). I use the Zoo Med vining types ('Mexican' and 'Amazon') and cut to fit.

They're already in enclosures so I'll be sure the check off everything you listed. See I read they were supposed to be kept a little dryer than what you described! These stupid care sheets really are an unreliable source. Yeah I use plastic plants and definitely do not plan to touch these guys. I just couldn't pass them up.

 

[Poec54]

They're already in enclosures so I'll be sure the check off everything you listed. See I read they were supposed to be kept a little dryer than what you described! These stupid care sheets really are an unreliable source. Yeah I use plastic plants and definitely do not plan to touch these guys. I just couldn't pass them up.

If the cages don't have water bowls, you need to put some in. These are not drought tolerant spiders. Be sure the substrate is only slightly moist, never soggy, because that would be a problem. You don't need to mist them. Is there cross ventilation? I imagine they've done some spinning.

Maculata is a gorgeous species, and fairly hardy with reasonable conditions. The key is to respect them and their territory. They don't look for trouble.

 

[IHeartTs]

If the cages don't have water bowls, you need to put some in. These are not drought tolerant spiders. Be sure the substrate is only slightly moist, never soggy, because that would be a problem. You don't need to mist them. Is there cross ventilation? I imagine they've done some spinning.

Maculata is a gorgeous species, and fairly hardy with reasonable conditions. The key is to respect them and their territory. They don't look for trouble.

I absolutely will. I believe it does. I don't remember. The person I'm buying them from has been in this hobby along with other exotic animals for a while and has raised many Ts so I'm sure it's in a proper enclosure but I will make sure. That's good to hear. I was a little nervous about their temperament. My e murinus and p irminia have terrible demeanors. Love watching them eat though.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I absolutely will. I believe it does. I don't remember. The person I'm buying them from has been in this hobby along with other exotic animals for a while and has raised many Ts so I'm sure it's in a proper enclosure but I will make sure. That's good to hear. I was a little nervous about their temperament. My e murinus and p irminia have terrible demeanors. Love watching them eat though.

How you get free h macs? were they freebies or owner did no longer like them anymore? I have 4 H macs.:biggrin: I just bought a female actually so cool looking.

Congrats ! they are awesome Arboreal baboons.

 

[IHeartTs]

How you get free h macs? were they freebies or owner did no longer like them anymore? I have 4 H macs.:biggrin:

Well he's selling his collection. So I bought a MF GBB from them, very cheap might I add. I had to transfer her into my enclosure. Apparently his mom was impressed with the ease of the transfer, told her son and she texted me telling me he wanted me to have his h macs. So of course I said yes. I might be getting more free ones from them hopefully. If he can't sell his more advanced species I might have him post them on AB.

 

[Mk6Adam]

I just got into this hobby a little over 4 weeks ago. I began with a juvenile GBB (unsexed) and I absolutely fell in love with the little thing. I promised myself that I would only get one T.
Several days after my first purchase, I wandered into a local pet store which I had heard many great things of. I was absolutely amazed by the variety of slings that they had to choose from and I ended up grabbing a P. irminia and an A. versicolor sling. I bought them and did all the research when I got home.
My girlfriend wasn't too impressed by the fact that 8 legs had turned to 24, nevertheless a week or two later I found myself with a juvenile B. boehmei.

It doesn't end there...
My obsession with each of these creatures continues to grow and grow further. After much hesitation (okay, it was like 4 days) I decided I would pull the trigger on a juvenile P. metallica and a P. tigrinawesseli sling.

I know, one month of experience and I own two hugely venomous, lightning quick OW T's...

I hope that I haven't shot myself in the foot with this one...

 

[gobey]

<3 My 2 H. macs!

Mine were freebies too. Even though I actively wanted them. They're but wee babies though. One is about 1/2" the other 3/4" maybe slightly bigger. The bigger one was one of my first slings and my first OW. If you can see them hunt it's great. It's already showing some neat patterns. I don't know how big they have to get to judge sex. I know males are more of a dull brown.

But what a striking T!

Mine are very photosensitive. And quick to dart into their intricate web tunnels. I put shpagnum moss in the deli containers to wet for drinking and moisture. Or drop their webs...

They so far do not attempt escape, or show aggressive behavior. But I mean they're so itty bitty too. Not that that stops my OBT slings from being demon spazs. But the H. macs seem to prefer to hide like my Poecs. They'd rather not see you.

When they come out for a stroll it's a treat!

 

[Poec54]

Maculata are easy if you don't mess with them. Don't give them a reason to run or feel they have to defend themselves.

 

[gobey]

Maculata are easy if you don't mess with them. Don't give them a reason to run or feel they have to defend themselves.

This strategy is essentially how I treat all the OW I have.


Well... Actually it's how I treat all my Ts really... It's just that the NW ones kond of force interaction sometimes with their quirky behavior. i.e. Investigating my distubances, or attacking the tongs/water dish...

The OW usually just flee for the hide and stay out of sight. And I don't do anything until they are comfortably hidden.

The only pains are the little OBT slings... They made web trampolines essentially under the lids as homes... And they run around like race horses... I have to be SUPER CAREFUL. The adult I have is more like the other OW. Quick to hide and stay out of the way.

I have to re house a poec soon. So that will definitely be a good learning experience. I'm kind of excited actually. I have to decide which enclosure to use for it next to ensure that it again has a good amount of space to hide, and to crawl around. They grow quick!

 

[IHeartTs]

They're both about 2 or 3 inches. They did some damage in their enclosures but it looks like he was keeping them the way you suggested poec, a little moist. They dumped a whole bunch of sub in their water dishes and dug some burrows. Looks like it could be cleaned though. Apparently one of them likes to bite at one of the screens. Lovely.

 

[gobey]

They're both about 2 or 3 inches. They did some damage in their enclosures but it looks like he was keeping them the way you suggested poec, a little moist. They dumped a whole bunch of sub in their water dishes and dug some burrows. Looks like it could be cleaned though. Apparently one of them likes to bite at one of the screens. Lovely.

Screens? What are they in?

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Screens? What are they in?

Yeah Id like to know also my Female LP has been trying to escape but Lexan plexi is 16x stronger than glass it still hasnt broken free. How can you cover Screws up so they arent sharp for Ts? w/ plexiglass lids?:biggrin::biggrin:

 

[IHeartTs]

Looks kinda like this http://www.jamiestarantulas.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=00002

 

[gobey]

I won't tell you what to do... But I'd ditch anything with any kind of screen mesh or wire mesh. Too much of an invite for a T to chew through... Especially since you already have a chewer.

There's tons of other ways to keep and ventilate a happy T without enabling behavior that coild lead to escape. An H. mac is NOT a T I'd like loose in the house.

Ultum my 2 LPs chew between the ventilation slits in their reptile bins... But the plastic holds... It looks like they're flossing their teeth. It's definitely unnerving though. And I may consider different homes when they reach adult size.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I won't tell you what to do... But I'd ditch anything with any kind of screen mesh or wire mesh. Too much of an invite for a T to chew through... Especially since you already have a chewer.

There's tons of other ways to keep and ventilate a happy T without enabling behavior that coild lead to escape. An H. mac is NOT a T I'd like loose in the house.

Ultum my 2 LPs chew between the ventilation slits in their reptile bins... But the plastic holds... It looks like they're flossing their teeth. It's definitely unnerving though. And I may consider different homes when they reach adult size.

Use same home as mine but I gotta get rid of sharp screws they are dangerous, Try chewing through Lexan Plexiglas. I get mine from Local glass shops dirt cheap.

http://www.polymerplastics.com/transparents_lexan.shtml I am not sure how good it actually is but its very strong.:biggrin:

What can I cover up screws with??

 

[gobey]

Here's my bigger LP "Dora". My slightly smaller girl "Lassi" is in the exact same size and type of enclosure.

It's holding through their toothy exploration.

It scared the crap out of me at first though.... Seeing them stuck to the side with 1/2" fangs poking through the ventilation slits... They definitely want out.

 

[IHeartTs]

I won't tell you what to do... But I'd ditch anything with any kind of screen mesh or wire mesh. Too much of an invite for a T to chew through... Especially since you already have a chewer.

There's tons of other ways to keep and ventilate a happy T without enabling behavior that coild lead to escape. An H. mac is NOT a T I'd like loose in the house.

Ultum my 2 LPs chew between the ventilation slits in their reptile bins... But the plastic holds... It looks like they're flossing their teeth. It's definitely unnerving though. And I may consider different homes when they reach adult size.

I didn't even think about that. A loose h mac is the last thing I want. I'll work on different housing this week.

 

[gobey]

I didn't even think about that. A loose h mac is the last thing I want. I'll work on different housing this week.

Yeah I've had an escape. It was a 1/4" B. Albopilosum. Sadly he never returned.

But if it was the H. mac.... I'd never sleep at night