Invert Tour and a New Enclosure Creation

[Steve Calceatum]

For a while, I've ben wanting to make a video tour of my inverts. Pretty self-explainatory.....but I got a new arrival that is featured in the tour.

Some of you already know I have a new arrival, and a new enclosure. Here's the skinny:
I've been wanting to experiment with a false-bottom enclosure as a possible solution to heat and humidity specific species. With my Avics, I solve the ventilation problem by giving them a larger enclosure than what is popularly thought to be required. Heat is taken care of via ambient temperatures. But what about sustaining humidity????? My big problem with Avics these days is keeping an Rh steadily above 85%.....it actually fluxuates within a 20% tolerance, with the centerpoint being about 75% Rh. IMHO, that is a pretty wide tolerance, but managable. However, I would like to get that centerpoint hitting at about 80% and tighten up the variance a bit.

I know thermo-hygros are inaccurate to certain degrees.....THAT IS NOT THE POINT.....so don't get all side-tracked and flame over such a trivial nitpick. My recent use of them is for figuring out possible solutions to tarantula care problems, so that I may prevent them in the first place. My goal with this type of setup is to:
1) Run a successful setup with a false-bottom
2) Learn the particulars of this type of enclosure
3) Come up with a way to implement it for tarantula use.....specifically for Avic owners, though these types of setups could theoretically be constructed for T. blondi, and possibly H. gigas.

For those who want to try this idea themselves, here's a tutorial on setting up a false-bottom enclosure, an overview of the project......and a look at my new arrival. (hint......not tarantulas)


False-Bottom Enclosure Construction
[YOUTUBE]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TldGHqYLF3g&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TldGHqYLF3g&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]


Invert Tour
[YOUTUBE]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jxlpSu-bqlI&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jxlpSu-bqlI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Ariel]

Nice videos!!! You are sooo lucky I want some scorps so bad! Your pair are gorgeous, and I'm sure they're going to love that tank, what a great set up!:clap::clap:

 

[Steve Calceatum]

Nice videos!!! You are sooo lucky I want some scorps so bad! Your pair are gorgeous, and I'm sure they're going to love that tank, what a great set up!:clap::clap:

Thank you!!! Even though I am going to try and make a Scorpion Uber-Commune out of the brood, I'll send some your way when mine produce (The guy I got them from believes the female may already be gravid). You should be out of your parents house by then, right???

 

[Ariel]

Thank you!!! Even though I am going to try and make a Scorpion Uber-Commune out of the brood, I'll send some your way when mine produce (The guy I got them from believes the female may already be gravid). You should be out of your parents house by then, right???

a giant commune WOULD be cool. I sure hope so! I'm moving in the summer! If not I could you know...be sneeky about it. I just don't get my dad, he has less to fear from a scorpion, since they can't climb glass they're less likely to escape. but then, he won't even let me have milipedes which are completely and utterly harmless. :?

 

[Redneck]

Great job on the vids Steve.. How you got the dirt in there was the best way.. I normally let my neice do that for my T setups.. LoL!

 

[Steve Calceatum]

a giant commune WOULD be cool. I sure hope so! I'm moving in the summer! If not I could you know...be sneeky about it. I just don't get my dad, he has less to fear from a scorpion, since they can't climb glass they're less likely to escape. but then, he won't even let me have milipedes which are completely and utterly harmless. :?

Sounds like your old man is a bit on the obstinant side, LOL. While scorps cannot climb glass, small ones can climb the silicone in the corners of the tank. Large Pyrex containers work well for keeping Buthids.....or at least that's what I kept my Centruroides spp. in while I had him, and he never got out on me (thankfully).

Great job on the vids Steve.. How you got the dirt in there was the best way.. I normally let my neice do that for my T setups.. LoL!

Thanks Tommy!!! Yeah, but I like playing in dirt too. We had a real good time going out and getting the rocks and branch. My daughter was a big help in washing and adding the gravel, too!!!!

 

[Teal]

My daughter was a big help in washing and adding the gravel, too!!!!

Didn't anyone tell you, using child laborers is illegal?

Great videos! The set up for the Emps is awesome!

 

[Steve Calceatum]

Didn't anyone tell you, using child laborers is illegal?

Great videos! The set up for the Emps is awesome!

That rule only applies to those children who are not of your own flesh and blood.....why do you think the pioneers had such large families???

Thanks!!! We had alot of fun with that setup!!! The two lovers are doing just fantastically well in there. Both have eaten (glad I filmed that one ) and are showing some interesting behavior. They only come out one at a time. One will scurry about for a few minutes, then return to the nest. A few minues later, the other one will come out. One is always at the front guarding the den.....though it is difficult to tell if they take turns with that responsibility as well.

 

[Steve Calceatum]

Pics!!!!

So, I thought I'd post up spme pics of the new enclosure, and a couple of its inhabitants.

Front View

Top View

The Pair

BACK OFF!!!!!!!

Under Blacklight