I need help.

Meggurra

Arachnopeon
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Dec 1, 2010
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I am relatively new T owner. I have only had mine about two months or so, I did some research before I purchased one. After buying Loa (a 7 inch phormictopus cancerrides or Haitian brown bird eater) I have noticed that all he seems to do is stay curled up in one corner of his container he also doesnt eat as much as the pet store said he would. Nothing I read has told me if this is normal or if I am doing something wrong. Can someone help me?
 

Chris_Skeleton

Arachnoprince
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Jan 31, 2010
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I am relatively new T owner. I have only had mine about two months or so, I did some research before I purchased one. After buying Loa (a 7 inch phormictopus cancerrides or Haitian brown bird eater) I have noticed that all he seems to do is stay curled up in one corner of his container he also doesnt eat as much as the pet store said he would. Nothing I read has told me if this is normal or if I am doing something wrong. Can someone help me?
Pictures would help.

What is the gender the pet store told you?

How much did they say he would eat?

What is your setup?

And does it have hooks under its first two legs?
 
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captmarga

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
339
I'm going to hazard that his cage doesn't have room for him to dig. Mine dug underneath his half-coconut hide (I can see him under it and on the side of the KK). My fellow is less than half the size of yours, and he's got a burrow that goes all the way to the top of the KK.

Perhaps a different setup so he can burrow?

I can't handle mine, he's lightning fast!

Marga
 

Meggurra

Arachnopeon
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Dec 1, 2010
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ok the pet store guy said nothing about burrowing (I am beginning to believe that he did not know what he was talking about) and the set up I have Loa in is three times the size of his other one. How deep should the sub strait be and should I get a bigger tank, like a twenty gallon. I love holding Loa he is so mellow will climb and chill out on my shoulder for hours if I would let him.
 

Chris_Skeleton

Arachnoprince
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Twelve crickets a week is overkill, try 2 to 4 a week. I would go with a 10 gallon at LEAST half filled with coconut fiber or peat. Also, 99% of pet stores have NO idea what they are talking about, so don't trust anything they told you. You have come to the right place for advice and you are lucky you can even handle yours, mine would rip my face off if I tried to handle it lol.

Welcome to the Boards.
 

P. Novak

ArachnoGod
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Welcome to the boards!

That does appear to be a P. cancerides, but as for gender we can't tell unless you get us ventral(underside) pictures. I can tell you that it is not a mature male.

Your setup is fine, just add an actual hide in there. Like a half log, flower pot, or a tubed piece of cork bark. You can even just take a flat piece of cork bark and put it over a predug hole. Basically all terrestrial tarantulas will burrow, but don't need the deep substrate in captivity. Since P. cancerides is not an obligate burrower I would just give it a hide. I would also give it a waterdish.


As for feeding. I feed all my Ts once or twice a week; 3 times for the spiderlings. It's really a personal preference with Ts. Just know that if they have too large of an abdomen the chance of it rupturing from a fall increases.

Enjoy her (hopefully), and many more to come! ;)
 

Meggurra

Arachnopeon
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Thank you I am enjoying the site and every one has been very helpful. I was also told to use a sponge for water but is that the best way to water my baby.
 

Chris_Skeleton

Arachnoprince
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Thank you I am enjoying the site and every one has been very helpful. I was also told to use a sponge for water but is that the best way to water my baby.
NO SPONGE!!! Just a plain old waterdish. Sponges can be a playground for bacteria.
 

P. Novak

ArachnoGod
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Thank you I am enjoying the site and every one has been very helpful. I was also told to use a sponge for water but is that the best way to water my baby.
Don't use a sponge, that just promotes bacteria growth and other nasties. Just get something small and shallow and fill it with water. A cap or small 1-2 oz container will work fine.
 

Meggurra

Arachnopeon
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Dec 1, 2010
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Ok I am removing Sponge right now. I am putting water dish in Thank you :). I like my T so much that I believe I will be getting another. I will try to stop at two, I hope I can.{D
 

Chris_Skeleton

Arachnoprince
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Ok I am removing Sponge right now. I am putting water dish in Thank you :). I like my T so much that I believe I will be getting another. I will try to stop at two, I hope I can.{D
Good luck with that. I went from 1 to 12 in almost a year. Every time I get a new one, I find even more to get. I can't stop. Not even thinking about stopping either ;)
 

captmarga

Arachnobaron
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Definitely, good luck with stopping at two! I went from one to 44 this year!!! I have all types and sizes. I only have one that is as good at the moment as your fellow (my A. seemani, Scrunchie) but there are others I haven't even tried to handle.

I've bought out the local Michaels getting the tea-light holders, as they make fabulous small water dishes. I don't think my P. cancerides uses his... but it's there anyway.

Marga
 

Chris_Skeleton

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
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Yea lol I have been looking at a cobalt blue to get next.
You will probably want to research O(ld) w(orld) and N(ew) w(orld) species.

H. lividum (Cobalt Blue) are OW.

Old World tarantulas have more potent venom, no urticating hairs, and are typically faster and more aggressive/defensive. Definitely not for beginners. Then again, P. cancerides aren't the best for beginners either, but yours seems docile.
 

captmarga

Arachnobaron
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Mar 31, 2010
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Yea lol I have been looking at a cobalt blue to get next.
They are lovely, if they are out of their holes! Both mine have deep burrows, and that's all I get to see of them!

I love my new LP, he/she sits out on his driftwood piece, all the time. A nice display T!

Marga
 

Meggurra

Arachnopeon
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Dec 1, 2010
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oh wow ok What would you recommend as a second T. I would like a very mellow T. I am new to spiders but not to poisonous pets I also enjoy scorps tho Loa has more character than all of my scorps combined.
 

P. Novak

ArachnoGod
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oh wow ok What would you recommend as a second T. I would like a very mellow T. I am new to spiders but not to poisonous pets I also enjoy scorps tho Loa has more character than all of my scorps combined.
There are a number of species that fit your criteria...

Grammostola pulchripes - terrestrial,large(7"), docile, colorful, always visible as adults
Grammostola pulchra - docile, medium sized(5"), jet black in coloration, always visible
Grammostola rosea - the pet rock, beautiful yet common, med. sized (5"), always visible
Avicularia avicularia - great beginner arboreal, docile but fast, nice webbers, and those pink toes are adorable, medium sized(5")
Avicularia versicolor - one of the most beautiful tarantulas as slings and adults, arboreal, medium sized (5"), great webbers,
Brachypelma smithi - beautiful coloration, "classic" T seen in movies, medium sized (5"), pretty docile, always visible
Brachypelma albopilosum - docile, unique curly hairs, medium size (5"), always visible

... and the list goes on and on. Just take a look around the Tarantula pictures section.

Honestly, any T can be your second T as long as you research a little bit. Also note that Old World Ts tend to resort to biting first, while New World Ts usually resort to their urticating hairs.
 

captmarga

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
339
You'll find as many opinions as T owners. The Old World and burrowing types aren't usually good for handling. There are, of course, always exceptions to the rule. I have quite a variety of types. Just a short list: G rosea, H lividum, L parahybana, P murinus (OTB), P irminia, B smithi, a couple of Pamphobeteus, some pokies... avics. Some of mine sit out in the open, some burrow, some sit in their hide all day long.

Choose what you like, but read here on the boards and get an idea for what people find to be the best display and docile species. I love looking at my OBTs, but I'm not handling them!!! I had a big A metallica male that didn't mind sitting on your hand, but my little Avicularia sp. female won't touch a human hand! She pulls her toes back if she encounters the hand.

You can see pix of some of my Ts on my page at www.shadowscastle.net/tarantulas. I need to update next week, still don't have everyone up there!

Marga
 

NikiP

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 16, 2006
Messages
539
Definitely not for beginners. Then again, P. cancerides aren't the best for beginners either, but yours seems docile.
With more substrate & a different hide, the tarantula could do a complete 180 for the OP. My E. murinus seemed very "meh" until I gave it a hide (already had a ton of substrate) which it promptly burrowed underneath. Tonight I was greeted by legs & fangs :D
 
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