Hello, newbie here. Cobalt Blue tarantula question

[RezonantVoid]

Unless I misread something, to my understanding the spider is still housed on woodchips? If not then ignore this but if yes, i can assure you its a terrible idea. I have lost spiders because they had sharp bits of wood in the substrate that i ignored, and they skewered themselves while molting. I cannot physically stress more how bad wood chips are as substrate

 

[RiZzBoTt]

Constructive criticism here. No need to get defensive.

Do you have the enclosure set up properly now that you have done some research? That species will be much more defensive if not set up properly. In a sense, with out a deep burrow, the whole cage becomes its hole and opening it up will make it feel very defensive. Recipe for a painful double bite lol.

I use LED cabinet lighting strips where you can set the colors to anything with the click of a button. Sometimes the dark orange , yellow/green or light yellows really make certain colors pop bright. I do this when I want to see them and take pictures. Otherwise, the lights are either OFF or on RED. I dont stress them that long. ( https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commercial-Electric-8-ft-LED-RGB-Under-Cabinet-Light-DT8800-8F/306549375 )

Goodluck with her, she is really really pretty. Those colors look amazing. Nice T

She's been in this enclosure since the day I brought her home. The original question was about lighting, mainly for the purpose of picture taking and to accentuate her beautiful blue color. The original pic I posted was used because it was the best example I had to show off her color. I got very defensive when the false assumption was made about the care and handing of my T. I dont apologize for that. Anywho, she's dug in the back right side of the enclosure right at about 8". I do plan on adding more substrate next time I clean out her home. But for now shes holed up and happy. Thanks for all your help

 

[Vanessa]

That substrate is nowhere close to being deep enough for this species.

 

[RiZzBoTt]

That substrate is nowhere close to being deep enough for this species.

Lol, Oh no here you come again. It does go deeper (8") towards the back where she has her burrow, so it's staying this way for the time being. She eats well and has a burrow where she hangs out. So.....

 

[mack1855]

You should just experiment yourself on the best lighting.So many keepers here,myself included,dont give
a rats behind on lighting,for best viewing/showing the animal.

The vast majority of us,focus on correct husbandry,however you precieve that.When you post pics
of your enclosures,and T,be prepared for critics,and advise.Do,s and dont,s.
You should not ask for advise on something as trivial as lighting,and not expect some criticism on your
husbandry.Its just normal from the keepers here.

We all tend to focus on the needs of the T,not saying you don't.But lighting versus what we see as lack
of a good enclosure just happens.Its our nature as T folk.

 

[CommanderBacon]

She's been in this enclosure since the day I brought her home.

There's no need for this spider to be in this setup, so I'm not sure why you're keeping it in there. Consider:

Wood warps and is a haven for mold and bacterial growth. This is a terrible choice for a divider.

The thick wooden cover does not allow for proper ventilation, which will make the bacteria and mold situation worse.

Again, the substrate is *not* deep enough for this species. You've given a fossorial tarantula a terrestrial setup. This typically results in a hostile and defensive spider instead of a happy, comfortable spider, especially with a species that has the kind of reputation this one does.

As an aside: honestly, what is going ON with that flower pot??

The original question was about lighting, mainly for the purpose of picture taking and to accentuate her beautiful blue color.

And if you're keeping this species properly, you will never see it. A tarantula is not a cool pair of socks or a trophy or a Funko Pop. It is a living creature with care requirements and in many cases, such as this one, medically significant venom. We have repeatedly urged you to take steps to keep it properly, and you've bristled at every one of them. Why? It's okay to be wrong. That's part of learning.

And if you just wanted lighting help and didn't want feedback about your enclosure, why are you even bothering asking for it on a tarantula keeper forum? Why not go to a photography forum?

The original pic I posted was used because it was the best example I had to show off her color. I got very defensive when the false assumption was made about the care and handing of my T.

So far, you haven't shared anything that indicates that you're caring for this tarantula properly or even know how to.

I dont apologize for that.

You really should. Your emotions are out of check and you're lashing out at good people who have kindly tried to help you and did not deserve your rudeness.

Anywho, she's dug in the back right side of the enclosure right at about 8". I do plan on adding more substrate next time I clean out her home.

...out of curiosity, how often do you think a tarantula needs their substrate changed?

But for now shes holed up and happy.

Serious doubts from me about the "happy" part, but if you want to tell yourself that, guy, you do it.

Lol, Oh no here you come again. It does go deeper (8") towards the back where she has her burrow, so it's staying this way for the time being. She eats well and has a burrow where she hangs out. So.....

Have you considered that, since you refuse to keep this species properly for reasons we cannot comprehend and reject any good-faith attempts at helping you, maybe tarantula keeping just isn't for you?

 

[SteveIDDQD]

I would just add that regardless of how good or bad the advice in this thread was delivered (and that will depend on your opinion), it's all sound advice and you should take it on board.

All the best for your T keeping adventures.

 

[Garth Vader]

I remember years ago, a mentor advised me to notice my defensiveness, and suggested "when you get defensive, get curious". I'm not always perfect at this but it's some of the best advice I've ever received! If you are open to information, OP, it will only benefit you and your tarantula.

There's an amazing amount of knowledge on here. Also, there is a lot of bad information on internet care sheets and pet stores, etc. Check your defensiveness and take in the advise and you can learn a lot and really have fun with this hobby.

 

[RiZzBoTt]

Ok, so maybe this isn't the right species for me. I'll be looking to trade her in for a more terrestrial species. At this point I don't even know if she is really a she. I dont know what to believe anymore, lol. My apologies to anyone I may have offended. Of course I went off the recommendations of the person I purchased her from; which ultimately turned out to be a huge mistake. Regardless of how it may seem, this T was better off with me than the person who sold her to me. Mind you the previous owner kept her in the enclosure pictured in the op. Thanks for all your tough love, lol.

 

[EulersK]

@RiZzBoTt, you got some great advice in this thread. The best part is that very little of it applied to only this species. Take what was said to heart with your next purchase.

Since you asked about lighting, I assume you want a display tarantula. While sometimes pricey, consider looking into an adult female Brachypelma species. Every shade and pattern of red you could imagine.

0.1 B. emilia, 4.5"

• EulersK
• Aug 27, 2017
• 2

Likely my most docile tarantula, despite those bald spots.

Most Brachypelma are also great display spiders for the simple fact that they're pet rocks. Expect it to sit in one spot for days on end if it's kept properly.

My personal favorite for new keepers is A. chalcodes. You can find adult females for $75-$100, and I'm not kidding when I say houseplants require more work. Kept on absolutely bone dry substrate, just feed it a good meal once per month and top off the water dish when needed. Also a great display species.

0.1 A. chalcodes

• EulersK
• May 3, 2017
• 7

One of the OG's of my collection, love this girl

 

[cold blood]

A. geniculata is another great display species that seemingly never hides. No one is ever disappointed with the purchase of a genic.

freshly molted

• cold blood
• Sep 11, 2019
• 4
• acanthoscurria acanthoscurria geniculata brazilian whiteknee tarantula geniculata giant whiteknee tarantula whitebanded tarantula

 

[su3cl3a8]

Like others said, you will almost never see this T when the husbandry is right. The only time I was able to take good pictures was during rehousing.

 

[RiZzBoTt]

A. geniculata is another great display species that seemingly never hides. No one is ever disappointed with the purchase of a genic.

freshly molted

• cold blood
• Sep 11, 2019
• 4
• acanthoscurria acanthoscurria geniculata brazilian whiteknee tarantula geniculata giant whiteknee tarantula whitebanded tarantula

Any recommendation on a good breeder?

 

[cold blood]

Any recommendation on a good breeder?

wherever you get the best price....lots of great sellers in our classifieds.

 

[CommanderBacon]

I'll second @cold blood 's recommendation of A geniculata. They are amazing. Mine was one of my top 3 spiders. I recently sent him off on a sexy adventure, and I miss him very much.

They're common, feisty, and always out (at least once they get to a good size - I can't speak for slings since I got mine as a juvenile). Also they're just gorgeous spiders.

 

[Garth Vader]

I don't know if he breeds these, but I highly recommend buying from @cold blood. He sold me a very demonic Nhandu chromatus and a very floofy avic and I love them both!

 

[cold blood]

I don't know if he breeds these, but I highly recommend buying from @cold blood. He sold me a very demonic Nhandu chromatus and a very floofy avic and I love them both!

Not yet, my female is a good 2 molts away from maturity.

 

[Garth Vader]

Ok, so maybe this isn't the right species for me. I'll be looking to trade her in for a more terrestrial species. At this point I don't even know if she is really a she. I dont know what to believe anymore, lol. My apologies to anyone I may have offended. Of course I went off the recommendations of the person I purchased her from; which ultimately turned out to be a huge mistake. Regardless of how it may seem, this T was better off with me than the person who sold her to me. Mind you the previous owner kept her in the enclosure pictured in the op. Thanks for all your tough love, lol.

We do love you. Keep coming back. You did the best you could with the information you had, and now you are learning more information. I did the same thing with my first T- I took the information from the pet store and then came here with some other questions and I was schooled. Truly, I had the WORST set up for my tarantula- it was a little sling in a 10 gallon aquarium .

You can ALWAYS count on getting some tough love on here!