Haplopelma Family Caresheet

[esotericman]

That text, the one to which you refer, is complete garbage in some parts, and keeping this genus dry is one of them.

In my opinion for many burrowing species, you only need a deep substrate which is "wet" at the bottom and "dry" at the top. The animal will find the depth and humidity is is most comfortable with. Of course "wet" and "dry" have quite a range of definitions, but for Haplopelma, wet would be pretty close to soaking wet at least in the bottom 1" or so.

I suggest searching for Martin H. posts on the topic, the plastic cereal containers replicate this moisture gradient quite well.

Nice set up by the way.

And that is the fact of it... just because you "can" do it, does NOT mean you should. You can keep most species in a deli cup for years without harm as adults, but unless we're making bonsai authors with 55 gallon drums as well, I don't believe that it is "OK".

 

[jgod790]

I know I'm no one compared to Schultz but I disagree on keeping an Haplopelma on dry substrate.If they survive/thrive that doesn't necessarily mean they couldn't be more comfortable than that.

But at the same time, dry means no,or A LOT less "pests" such as mites. And a large water dish helps keeping it humid.

 

[esotericman]

And the same text assumes all mites are "pests", again, more garbage. Unless they're ON the tarantula, they're not a pest at all. Only ecto-parasitic species or species clogging the book lungs in search of moisture are ever a problem. This means 99% of mites are 100% harmless.

 

[gladmar]

And the same text assumes all mites are "pests", again, more garbage. Unless they're ON the tarantula, they're not a pest at all. Only ecto-parasitic species or species clogging the book lungs in search of moisture are ever a problem. This means 99% of mites are 100% harmless.

I what to see ur T's NO pic/galley on profile! :worship:

again, more garbage. :?

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/member.php?u=3410

 

[Mojo Jojo]

I what to see ur T's NO pic/galley on profile! :worship:

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/member.php?u=3410

The gallery only shows the pictures that you have uploaded directly to this site. Since most people link their pics from other sites like Photobcket instead, you won't generally see much data on the gallery page of most people.

 

[jgod790]

And the same text assumes all mites are "pests", again, more garbage. Unless they're ON the tarantula, they're not a pest at all. Only ecto-parasitic species or species clogging the book lungs in search of moisture are ever a problem. This means 99% of mites are 100% harmless.

Pests are not always harmful. I can sit in your bed room and annoy you, and over populate in your territory and cause a nuisance with out physically hurting or killing you. Mites are inevitable for most enclosures, but keeping it dry will help keep the population down.

 

[gladmar]

The gallery only shows the pictures that you have uploaded directly to this site. Since most people link their pics from other sites like Photobcket instead, you won't generally see much data on the gallery page of most people.

much better we upload some T's pic to our gallery, so that we can see ur T's list in a various traits. "lots pros"! :liar:

 

[flamesbane]

If you seed humid enclosures with spring tails I think you will find that you won't have many (if any) mites...

 

[NikiP]

But at the same time, dry means no,or A LOT less "pests" such as mites. And a large water dish helps keeping it humid.

Pests are not always harmful. I can sit in your bed room and annoy you, and over populate in your territory and cause a nuisance with out physically hurting or killing you. Mites are inevitable for most enclosures, but keeping it dry will help keep the population down.

Have you ever actually kept an enclosure going with high humidity for a long period of time? Or are you just parroting information that you've heard?

There are plenty of ways to help avoid bad pests in high humidity tanks.

 

[Tym Hollerup]

Have you ever actually kept an enclosure going with high humidity for a long period of time? Or are you just parroting information that you've heard?

There are plenty of ways to help avoid bad pests in high humidity tanks.

Such as? Last thing I need is pests crawling around in an Old World enclosure!

 

[Pociemon]

There are more ways to keep haplos than just humid. granted, i only keep hainanum and schmidti, but i have many of those. I keep them very humid in 6 months of the year, and the other 6 months i keep them dry, just keep a corner wet so the T can get water. Never have had any unwanted guests, but did get an eggsack though, so there is not only 1 correct way of keeping them. i have been to the places where they live in nature, and there is VEERY dry and looking at places where they can get water is hard. They get it when there is rainy season, and in dry season when there is occasional rain. I doubt there is very humid in their holes. But when they molt, it is typiccally in the rainy season. So keep them humid in the warm months and dry in the cold months works very well.

 

[NikiP]

Such as? Last thing I need is pests crawling around in an Old World enclosure!

Springtails & isopods (pill/sow bugs)

There are more ways to keep haplos than just humid. granted, i only keep hainanum and schmidti, but i have many of those. I keep them very humid in 6 months of the year, and the other 6 months i keep them dry, just keep a corner wet so the T can get water. Never have had any unwanted guests, but did get an eggsack though, so there is not only 1 correct way of keeping them. i have been to the places where they live in nature, and there is VEERY dry and looking at places where they can get water is hard. They get it when there is rainy season, and in dry season when there is occasional rain. I doubt there is very humid in their holes. But when they molt, it is typiccally in the rainy season. So keep them humid in the warm months and dry in the cold months works very well.

This is a well thought out example of seasonal changes & why :clap:

 

[Tym Hollerup]

Can someone please explain how Springtails work and how they (apparently) don't hurt the Tarantula.

 

[Mojo Jojo]

Can someone please explain how Springtails work and how they (apparently) don't hurt the Tarantula.

You know, I had the same question as you a couple hours ago. I hit up my homie, Google, who gave me the lowdown quite expeditiously! The guy is chill and I'm 100% positive that he'd help you out whenever you needed it.

 

[flamesbane]

Can someone please explain how Springtails work and how they (apparently) don't hurt the Tarantula.

They are small scavengers that eat decaying material in the enclosure, thus denying other potential pests any food. They like high humidity and reproduce easily, they are very small and hard to see. Dartfrog keepers have used them for years as food and tank cleaners.

 

[esotericman]

Tym,

I agree with Flamesbane 100%. But I want to venture a guess based on some of your other posts this week. This is not an insult, but a mere question... do you lean towards the OCD end of life?

If so, then as a very long term hobbyists and biologist, I can only suggest you relax a bit. Biology, which our hobby is an extension of, does not follow set in stone rules. Physics and chemistry, those fields have rules, and most physicists I know run screaming in terror at the idea of biology. Even in the driest of enclosures, there will be life doing what life does, these are pets, not cell cultures. Think more natural sour dough than cell broth used to culture cells in, if that makes any sense?

Here is another example... during the civil war, those soldiers who had wounds which ended up with maggots LIVED, those who did not died from bacterial infections. The more diverse we keep our enclosures, which includes isopods, springtails, and mites, the less likely you'll have issues with over growths in molds and fungi.

As you do this over a decade, you'll see that trying to control all variables just makes you insane and stresses out the animals. OCD or not, it's a lesson nearly all keepers learn.

Again, no insults meant, just passing on some long term keeper wisdom.

 

[Tym Hollerup]

Tym,

I agree with Flamesbane 100%. But I want to venture a guess based on some of your other posts this week. This is not an insult, but a mere question... do you lean towards the OCD end of life?

If so, then as a very long term hobbyists and biologist, I can only suggest you relax a bit. Biology, which our hobby is an extension of, does not follow set in stone rules. Physics and chemistry, those fields have rules, and most physicists I know run screaming in terror at the idea of biology. Even in the driest of enclosures, there will be life doing what life does, these are pets, not cell cultures. Think more natural sour dough than cell broth used to culture cells in, if that makes any sense?

Here is another example... during the civil war, those soldiers who had wounds which ended up with maggots LIVED, those who did not died from bacterial infections. The more diverse we keep our enclosures, which includes isopods, springtails, and mites, the less likely you'll have issues with over growths in molds and fungi.

As you do this over a decade, you'll see that trying to control all variables just makes you insane and stresses out the animals. OCD or not, it's a lesson nearly all keepers learn.

Again, no insults meant, just passing on some long term keeper wisdom.

Yeah. I swear I've gotten worse with age. Some things just need to be "perfect". I understand everyone does things different, but I just want to do the best that I can. It's very apparent that I have issues with my abilities if you will, but for some reason or another, I just want things "just right". Maybe I just want to avoid deaths. Maybe I just want to avoid injury. Too me or the spiders. Maybe I just need to calm down, relax, and let spiders be spiders. Problem is... It isn't that easy for me. :wall: Sorry.

 

[esotericman]

Tym,

No problem at all, none! What you're doing, most new to the hobby do, some never get over it! It's sort of funny to me to see someone cleaning the inside glass daily, but with that there is no risk to the spider. With changing substrate weekly, well that could really stress a lot of animals to death.

I believe some of the "negative" posts are just the frustration of some keepers over your seeming desire for perfection. In our hobby, a healthy tarantula is perfection, even if there are mites, fungi and gnats (fungus gnats mind you). This doesn't mean you have to have "ugly" tanks though.

With time you'll see how hardy tarantulas are if left alone, and relaxation will come, although when I had a few hundred it WAS tough to stay relaxed...

 

[LV-426]

Tym,

No problem at all, none! What you're doing, most new to the hobby do, some never get over it! It's sort of funny to me to see someone cleaning the inside glass daily, but with that there is no risk to the spider. With changing substrate weekly, well that could really stress a lot of animals to death.

I believe some of the "negative" posts are just the frustration of some keepers over your seeming desire for perfection. In our hobby, a healthy tarantula is perfection, even if there are mites, fungi and gnats (fungus gnats mind you). This doesn't mean you have to have "ugly" tanks though.

With time you'll see how hardy tarantulas are if left alone, and relaxation will come, although when I had a few hundred it WAS tough to stay relaxed...

I agree totally

 

[Tym Hollerup]

Well rest assured I'm not bad enough that I clean the enclosure every week or change substrate all the time. I'll only need to do substrate once every 6-18 months if I spot clean it. And with the Old Worlds I'm getting tomorrow, you can bet your a@@ that I'm going in those enclosures AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE!!! LOL. But as for care and overall set-up for them... Yeah, that's when my OCD kicks in.