I have a small(not sure how you guys measure them) B. Emilia that I'm keeping in a container pet stores send them home in. It's humidity is staying at 80%. If this is too high will someone please let me know so I can do something about it. Also, if anyone could tell me what part of the T you guys measure I would be greatly appreciative!
Humidity to High for B. Emilia???
- Thread starter Joelolly
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I'm a newb but I do know that yes, your humidity is too high for that species. It only needs like around 50 percent humidity or so. They are a desert species, not tropical.
As for your pet store enclosure, post pics. It may be too small. The ones pet stores give you when you buy them are just to transport them from the store to your home enclosure.
As for your pet store enclosure, post pics. It may be too small. The ones pet stores give you when you buy them are just to transport them from the store to your home enclosure.
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Really, all it will need is a light misting of the substrate once or twice a week; if it's too small for a water dish.
If it's large enough for one (2 1/2" or larger), then just the water dish should do fine.
If it's large enough for one (2 1/2" or larger), then just the water dish should do fine.
Don't worry about measuring humidity for this species. Keep it dry, provide a water bowl and overfill once a week. They get most of their moisture from food. The only time you need more accurate humidity is during the breeding cycle. Same with most other Bracypelma species, only B. vagans and B. albopilosum requiring slightly higher moisture levels
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We measure tarantulas by either leg span or body length. Leg span is the distance from the tip of one front leg to the tip of the rear leg on the other side when the tarantula is in a relaxed, more or less spread out pose. This measurement is somewhat inaccurate, but is the more popular of the two.
Body length is the measurement from the front of the tarantula's chelicerae (the knuckle-like appendages that the fangs attach to) to the rear end of the tarantula EXCLUSIVE OF THE SPINNERETS. In most tarantulas, body length is approximately equal to half the leg span.
Basically, Brachypelma emilia (Mexican redleg tarantula) require either one of two care regimens.
If the tarantula's leg span is 2" (5 cm) or larger you keep it the same way as an adult. Mostly dry but with a water dish. Misting or damp substrate is not only unnecessary, but can actually be dangerous to the tarantula because it may promote the growth of dangerous vermin.
If the leg span is 1.5" (~4 cm) or smaller you keep it the same way you keep virtually all babies. In a container of appropriate size with 1" to 1.5" (2.5 to 4 cm) of damp peat or shredded coconut husk. No water dish but with reduced ventilation. This maintains the humidity at a constant, somewhat elevated level.
"Appropriate size" is a rectangular container roughly 2 leg spans wide and perhaps twice that long. A round or square container should be at least 3 leg spans across.
During the transition period between these two care regimens you more or less gradually change conditions from one system to the other, i.e., install a water dish, gradually let the cage dry out.
B. emilia are famous for being pet rocks, and for living a long, Long, LONG time. We had one, the Duchess, that we acquired through the pet industry fully grown, that lived in our care for almost an additional 19 years. Assuming she was 15 to 20 years old when we got her, she could easily have been 40 years old when she died. Consider writing it into your Last Will and Testament!
Are you a newbie? Don't be offended. There are lots of us who've been keeping tarantulas for years who still consider ourselves newbies. It just means you've still got a lot to learn. To help you I would like to urge you to read Stan's Rant at http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/stansrant.html. I stress that you need to read all four of the books mentioned. You don't have to do so all at once, but read them in the order they are listed if you can. If you can't, read them in any order you can. But definitely read them.
I also stress that you need not buy these books unless you wish to. Your friendly, neighborhood, public library already has one or more of the titles on their shelves right now. And, they can get the others for you through the Interlibrary Loan System.
Best of luck. Enjoy your little 8-legged Methuselah!
Thank you guys very much for the replies. I put it in a slightly bigger enclosure and used 100% peat moss. Humidity is at 65% now. Is this sufficient? It has a hide, but is spending most of its time on the wall close to the roof of the enclosure now. This seems odd to me because this is a terrestrial(SP) spider. Also...it hasn't eaten but once since I've had it and that was a month ago =/. I don't want my first T to die.
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How big is the tarantula?
You're not kidding.
I have rocks that I'm pretty sure are more active.
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Ha, Duchess the famous tarantula! 
I remember the first time I saw her in your book. I had to show everyone in the room "Look at this emilia. She's enormous!" I thought maybe it was a perspective thing until I got to the bit about how long you guys had had her and how her size even became something of a detriment. She was something.
To the OP, enjoy your new pal for all its long life. They are beautiful tarantulas.
I remember the first time I saw her in your book. I had to show everyone in the room "Look at this emilia. She's enormous!" I thought maybe it was a perspective thing until I got to the bit about how long you guys had had her and how her size even became something of a detriment. She was something.To the OP, enjoy your new pal for all its long life. They are beautiful tarantulas.
Approx 2 inches
Musicwolf
Arachnoknight
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Sounds like it's starting to settle in - congrats, you're a successful Tarantula Keeper!
Musicwolf
Arachnoknight
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Almost totally up to you. I know many successful T keepers that feed once a month, every two weeks, every week, and some good power feeders that feed every two days.
They don't "need" much at all in the way of feeding, and some will voluntarily fast for months at a time. My personal preferance for that size is one nice size cricket/roach once a week. If it doesn't eat overnight, then remove the food and offer again the next week.
Joe, you've had Stan Schultz reply to your post with plenty of information. He has a great book worth reading, you can buy it fairly cheaply, loan from the library or find pages in google. I thoroughly recommend a read, and I thoroughly recommend you take a peak at the links he provided, you'll find it invaluable and soon you'll be helping others answer many of the basic questions new people ask.
Here's my discription from another forum:
The Tarantula Keeper's Guide - by Stanley A. Schultz, Marguerite J. Schultz
Many consider this as the bible of tarantula keeping with its extensive coverage of the history, biology, collecting and husbandry of tarantula. It comprehensively covers caring and breeding, concentrates on a number of common species and culminates in the ecological arguments of the hobby. There have been three editions, the latest includes over 200 extra pages and updates to caring for tarantula. Recommended.
Here's my discription from another forum:
The Tarantula Keeper's Guide - by Stanley A. Schultz, Marguerite J. Schultz
Many consider this as the bible of tarantula keeping with its extensive coverage of the history, biology, collecting and husbandry of tarantula. It comprehensively covers caring and breeding, concentrates on a number of common species and culminates in the ecological arguments of the hobby. There have been three editions, the latest includes over 200 extra pages and updates to caring for tarantula. Recommended.
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WOW! Well, thanks for the incredible endorsement!
But seriously, we wrote the book in all three editions because we wanted other people to enjoy these amazing creatures as much as we do. If you can enjoy them half as much as we do and for only half the time span, you will indeed be both very gifted and very lucky.
Enjoy your 8-legged little wonder!
I'm heading to the local library tomorrow to see if they can get the books sent from another one. If they can't, I'll be buying them Friday . I don't know how to explain how totally stoked I am about this new found hobby!
I can't wait for my 2nd T(Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens) to get here. It was shipped today from central Florida via Priority Mail and I live in MS so should be here by Wed. I'll post pics of that lil guy when it gets here along with some of my B. Emilia. Should I do that on this post or on the general discussion forum?
. I don't know how to explain how totally stoked I am about this new found hobby! I can't wait for my 2nd T(Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens) to get here. It was shipped today from central Florida via Priority Mail and I live in MS so should be here by Wed. I'll post pics of that lil guy when it gets here along with some of my B. Emilia
. Should I do that on this post or on the general discussion forum?