How do you make a P. Metallica communal?

[Humachuka]

I am getting my tax return and I love the P. Metallica species! And I've heard that you can keep pokies communally! So how does one go about doing that? I know that they have to be from the same sac and the same size and to keep them well fed but that's about it. I need more specs! I should be getting 5 of them. But I need the specs! Thanks, guys!

 

[scorpio948]

My personal opinion: you don't. Lol
They are beautiful and expensive. If you truly value them as an animal, you will not put them in a situation that can end up as an Arachno-Hunger Games.

That being said, some people DO keep some pokies communally, but those are usually the more common/less expensive species that are easier to replace.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[freedumbdclxvi]

Do you have experience with other tarantula communals? If not, I suggest trying with a less expensive species or you may be out a few hundred bucks with one fat spider.

 

[Poec54]

Do you have experience with other tarantula communals? If not, I suggest trying with a less expensive species or you may be out a few hundred bucks with one fat spider.

+1. Talk to Kelly Swift about metallica communals. He had sac mates kill off half of each other. He lost a bunch of them.

If you don't have experience with Poecs, then you have no business trying a communal; instead of one strong-venomed spider racing out of the cage, you'll have a group of them, and there's no way you can control that. These aren't novelty animals. They're wild, fast, agile, and unpredictable. Read some bite reports; Poecs have sent people to emergency rooms. You need to take tarantulas in stages and work your way up. It's not fair to you, the spider, or the people you live with to jump in the deep end and wind up with animals you're afraid of.

 

[cold blood]

Best way would be 5 separate enclosures and put them on the same shelf. That's the ONLY way I would consider, even if I won 45 million tomorrow. A generous tax return is not a good reason to decide to risk the lives of t's.

Even with the most advanced pokie keeper "communals" are still usually referred to as experimental. Heed poec's advise. Bites, even from slings can be bad, and its tough to keep an eye on one at a time with their speed, much less 5.

 

[David VB]

I have a communal with 30 P. tigrinaweselli that i got from a friend. Gonna sell some and keep rest.

Think i will add some more branches and plants maybe to have more hideouts for them.

 

[Poec54]

I have a communal with 30 P. tigrinaweselli that i got from a friend. Gonna sell some and keep rest.

If you sneeze when the lid's open, they'll be a big blur of black and white stripes, and you'll be chasing spiders for a week.

 

[viper69]

30?? Sheer craziness-- in a few years you might have only 2 hahah-- that's a recipe for cannibalism and escape-- keep us posted!!!

 

[Philth]

My personal opinion: you don't. Lol
They are beautiful and expensive. If you truly value them as an animal, you will not put them in a situation that can end up as an Arachno-Hunger Games.

P. metallica are a fraction of the price of what they use to be, so calling them expensive is a bit subjective. I hatched some last year, and found it a good time to experiment with a communal of about 20 metallica. It doesn't mean I didn't truly value them as an animal, of course I would of separated them if there was a problem. So far, so good I haven't witnessed one eating another.

If you sneeze when the lid's open, they'll be a big blur of black and white stripes, and you'll be chasing spiders for a week.

I agree for the most part, communals are for the more experienced. With that said the pic of the 30 P. tigrinawesseli looks like they were just introduced into that tank, notice the lack of webbing. Once they are comfortable they will web up the place and find places to hide, just like it would be if one spider was in that tank. For the most part once 1 or 30 spiders have established a nice webbed up retreat , that's where they will run when you take the lid off, or sneeze on them. I can completely understand your concern based on the presented pics though.


I think the best advice offered in this thread are from those that suggested experimenting with a cheaper species. My advice would be to keep the 5 metallica that you are getting separate, raise them up, sex them out, and try to get a breeding group going first. Once your successful at hatching your own, then its a bit more justified to start experimenting with communals.

A few months back I rehoused my 20 P. metallica project into a 8” x 8” x 12” (WxDxH) Exo Terra tank. They were a bit scattered, and I admit rehousing a large communal is a bit nerve racking. I also think its a vulnerable time, and I feel moving them into a new enclosure is probably the best time for killing each other may may happen.


Notice a week later, they are settling in, all webbed up, no longer scattered all over the cage.


A few months later they are growing nice, but its pretty much impossible to get a pic of all 20 of them , as they run and hide as soon as you get close or touch the tank. This picture was taken when they were feeding on some crickets.


Again , I can't stress enough to do some research before experimenting with communals. I'm keeping about 5 species of Poecilotheria communally now with great success, but that doesn't mean I haven't had a my share failure too.

Later, Tom

 

[litebritedeath]

Very nice setup! I'm glad it's working out for you and the T's. It would be costly if they were to eat one another! I imagine it's a little tense until you notice they are getting along no problem.

 

[David VB]

They were indeed just rehoused into that tank. They came from a plastic jar and i just put that in the bathtub and get them out one by one and into the tank. Only 2 of them tried to escape and ran onto my arm

The tank has a light (it's actually an aquarium that i modificated a bit) and when i lit it, they all crawl back behind a branch or so.

Cannibalism might happen and i think it already did coz the friend i got them from said it where around 60 when he brought them. Although i just think he's bad in counting

Greetz.

 

[Ceratogyrus]

I have also had great success with pokie communals, but you need to know what you are doing. Rehousing is quite an experience.

I currently have a subfusca, regalis, formosa, rufilata and striata communals. Very little losses.
Here is a pic of my striata communal being rehoused:


I am sitting with the adult female, 13 juvies between 10 and 14 cm (5 females and 8 males it seems) and 2 unsexed slings around 4 cm.

 

[tarantulagirl10]

I'm not experienced or brave enough to try a communal, but I have to say..these pictures are pretty cool!

 

[Ceratogyrus]

This is how the striata communal started out:

 

[Oreo]

Fantastic photos! Particularly the 20 P. metallica communal, how often do you offer prey?

 

[MarkmD]

Those are all brilliant communal setups and pics everyone .OP even though you only have the five poecs its best not to do a communal setup, i'm sure you've taking the advice from the more experienced keepers so won't add more, except keep them separate and do loads of research on all aspects of doing communals.

 

[SamuraiSid]

Im itching to get three "communals" going. The first is for P. imperator or some species of bark scorpion. Not sure, but I havnt done any research on scorp "communals" so this is a ways off.

The other two will house two seperate groups of the same species. Either Holothele sp. or Heterothele sp. Whichever I can buy in bulk at the cheapest possible price. Much easier to work with than Poeci's.


My interest is purely scientific. Cant remember who it was I was in conversation with, as it was about a year ago, and I only just ramped up my activity on AB. He had a "communal" going and said while Cannibalism is inevitable, the speciemens were constantly breeding, so he had several dozen T's of various maturities at all times. The number of Tarantulas in the enclosure slowly grew over time until he had no choice but to go in and remove some for sale. I think he was working with H. villosella. Much smaller than Poeci's.


My personal opinion is this: If your going to put a group of Tarantulas into the same enclosure, because, "That would be cool!" You get what you deserve.

Google defines communal as something that is shared by a group. Sitting around the dinner table with family, I drink the communal wine. The question, in regards to Tarantulas, is whether or not, "THEY" think of themselves as a group, or if they are simply tolerant of others. If they are truly communal (a group in their minds) and cannibalism happens, why is this?

According to, "Life in the Undergrowth", ants have individual personalities and individuals clash from time to time, within the group. I cant say anymore on this as I would be edging closer to the anthropomorphism line. Actually, I will say one thing: Our understanding of the simple neurological structure of Tarantulas is hugely limited.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Ceratogyrus]

I would definately use the word "tolerant" rather than communal.

 

[MarkmD]

Hi SamuraiSid to sort of answer your question. Is even communal animals will have disputes wether it's about space/food/hide or water, it's with everything in this world we stride to survive.

 

[Poec54]

Is even communal animals will have disputes wether it's about space/food/hide or water, it's with everything in this world we stride to survive.

'Communal' conjures images of animals working together for the common good, which seems like a stretch with tarantulas. I think some live in proximity to each other in the wild, sometimes due to a shortage of suitable locations for a retreat, but that they aren't actually working together, and likewise would do quite well on their own.