Juvenile B hamorii enclosure: am I doing this right?

[lucyb663]

Hi there!
Just a general, how does this look/what could I do to make it better/does (s)he look healthy? B. hamorii, bought as 2.5/3” dls female. Molted during shipping which really scared me.
I feed dubia roaches with crushed heads. I offer one medium-size once a week, she’s eaten 3 times that I know of and will move what (s)he doesn’t eat and boli to one area for me to remove (thank you, tidy girl/boy).
I worked up the nerve to remove the coconut hide that I’ve had in the enclosure since I got him/her.
I replaced with a piece of cork bark with some added decorations.
I know the giant pink plant isn’t great, but (s)he likes to hang out in it sometimes. I haven’t seen anything that specially says not to use cholla wood and (s)he uses it a good bit. But if it’s bad, I’ll take it out!
This board has been such a valuable source of information for me as I am worrier and want to make sure I’m getting this right.
I watch lots of Tom Moran husbandry videos and read threads on here about basic care.
Thank you in advance and sorry for typing out my whole life story!

 

[fcat]

My Brachypelma appreciate well-packed substrate. She may not have a problem with it, but you would want to be familiar with signs of unrest like clinging to the walls, constantly tearing up the enclosure. That said, my lady boehmei lives to destroy plants, my two boys leave everything as is and focus their efforts on their substrate bowls

Please cut that cholla in half and make sure there are no holes that she can fit her carapace into. Even too big a hole may not be big enough. It will also giver her something to dig under.

New tarantula owner , confused if she is dead or molting ?

hi there!! i'm new to owning a tarantula . She has been in this position for a little over a day . She was moving around and drinking water but then she kinda dug herself in here and hasn't moved. She also has been refusing food for about 6 days . Please help thank you:)

arachnoboards.com

This comment talks about the same substrate you have but there's a picture, and if you scroll up two comments you'll see my boys booty. It's premolt in the picture but he scraped every bit of hair off himself, just bare white skin exposed, he was that close to ripping open his abdomen.

 

[lucyb663]

My Brachypelma appreciate well-packed substrate. She may not have a problem with it, but you would want to be familiar with signs of unrest like clinging to the walls, constantly tearing up the enclosure. That said, my lady boehmei lives to destroy plants, my two boys leave everything as is and focus their efforts on their substrate bowls

Please cut that cholla in half and make sure there are no holes that she can fit her carapace into. Even too big a hole may not be big enough. It will also giver her something to dig under.

New tarantula owner , confused if she is dead or molting ?

hi there!! i'm new to owning a tarantula . She has been in this position for a little over a day . She was moving around and drinking water but then she kinda dug herself in here and hasn't moved. She also has been refusing food for about 6 days . Please help thank you:)

arachnoboards.com

This comment talks about the same substrate you have but there's a picture, and if you scroll up two comments you'll see my boys booty. It's premolt in the picture but he scraped every bit of hair off himself, just bare white skin exposed, he was that close to ripping open his abdomen.

Thank you for the reply!
I have been worried about the substrate a bit. All the finer bits settled to the bottom and there’s just the long, wispy pieces on top. I could probably get some plain coco peat to add to the top right?

 

[fcat]

Thank you for the reply!
I have been worried about the substrate a bit. All the finer bits settled to the bottom and there’s just the long, wispy pieces on top. I could probably get some plain coco peat to add to the top right?

Coco peat is pretty soft too. If I were to add I'd use something like reptisoil, I am a little biased though because it's all I use

 

[lucyb663]

Coco peat is pretty soft too. If I were to add I'd use something like reptisoil, I am a little biased though because it's all I use

Got it! Thank you so much

 

[Brewser]

Nice...

 

[cold blood]

The only critique I have would be the hide. You can't think of a hide as a home, but rather as the front door to an eventual home beneath it...for this reason, hides should never have a bottom....I would bisect that cork round.

 

[lucyb663]

The only critique I have would be the hide. You can't think of a hide as a home, but rather as the front door to an eventual home beneath it...for this reason, hides should never have a bottom....I would bisect that cork round.

Will do!
There’s an inch and a half gap between the top of the cork bark and the substrate, but I was thinking it looked a bit low so I’ll work on that!
Thank you so much for the advice!

 

[cold blood]

Will do!
There’s an inch and a half gap between the top of the cork bark and the substrate, but I was thinking it looked a bit low so I’ll work on that!
Thank you so much for the advice!

You want it low...a hide should be something the t almost squeezes into.....we like big roomy space, ts dont.....its like this, we might like our bedroom, but if the t were in our shoes, it would prefer to live under the bed.

A good thing to do with hides is to bury them and just create a small area for the t to go in and then excavate.

juvie terrestrial housing

• cold blood
• Sep 6, 2018
• 3
• enclosure terrestrial

 

[lucyb663]

Will do!
There’s an inch and a half gap between the top of the cork bark and the substrate, but I was thinking it looked a bit low so I’ll work on that!
Thank you so much for the advice!

Good deal! I’ll add some more substrate around it and now I think I’ll just swap the cholla log out for another piece of bark.
I really appreciate the help, thank you

 

[Charliemum]

Hi there!
Just a general, how does this look/what could I do to make it better/does (s)he look healthy? B. hamorii, bought as 2.5/3” dls female. Molted during shipping which really scared me.
I feed dubia roaches with crushed heads. I offer one medium-size once a week, she’s eaten 3 times that I know of and will move what (s)he doesn’t eat and boli to one area for me to remove (thank you, tidy girl/boy).
I worked up the nerve to remove the coconut hide that I’ve had in the enclosure since I got him/her.
I replaced with a piece of cork bark with some added decorations.
I know the giant pink plant isn’t great, but (s)he likes to hang out in it sometimes. I haven’t seen anything that specially says not to use cholla wood and (s)he uses it a good bit. But if it’s bad, I’ll take it out!
This board has been such a valuable source of information for me as I am worrier and want to make sure I’m getting this right.
I watch lots of Tom Moran husbandry videos and read threads on here about basic care.
Thank you in advance and sorry for typing out my whole life story!

Perfect
Watch the cactus wood stuff though it looks amazing but will mould soon as it gets slightly damp, I talk from experience it was expensive and ended up being chucked out because it moulded even in my chalcodes enclosure and they are a dry desert sp.

Can I just say so glad to see someone that's clearly done the research that should be done, it warms my heart to see gl to you both

 

[viper69]

Looks good- agreed re hide info above

 

[lucyb663]

Perfect
Watch the cactus wood stuff though it looks amazing but will mould soon as it gets slightly damp, I talk from experience it was expensive and ended up being chucked out because it moulded even in my chalcodes enclosure and they are a dry desert sp.

Can I just say so glad to see someone that's clearly done the research that should be done, it warms my heart to see gl to you both

Thank you so much! It’s been a learning curve for me, but I’ve been trying!
and yes, the cholla wood will definitely be getting replaced with another cork flat!

Looks good- agreed re hide info above

Will do! Thank you so much!

 

[LucN]

Woah ! Nice work indeed ! You got the substrate depth that many often skimp on. Enjoy your B. hamorii, may she live decades in your care ! Just know that you will eventually get some more, it's inevitable.

Remember that it's not a race to acquire more spiders or more advanced species. Take it slow, get comfortable with the hamorii first. Once you feel you have it down to an art, try a Grammostola, Aphonopelma or Tliltocatl (T. albopilosus, (Curly Hairs), are GREAT beginner Ts). Given on how comfortable you feel when you reach that point, you can then up your game with the stunning Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (Green Bottle Blue, as hardy as a Brachypelma/Grammostola, but more active and somewhat fiesty) or the equally beautiful Acanthoscurria geniculata (Brazilian Whiteknee, which are generally not defensive, but very food-motivated, so watch your fingers and tools),

It's incredibly easy to get so many and get quickly overwhelmed, so don't fall into that trap. A handful is a good amount to start off with and appreciate these wonderful animals.

 

[lucyb663]

Woah ! Nice work indeed ! You got the substrate depth that many often skimp on. Enjoy your B. hamorii, may she live decades in your care ! Just know that you will eventually get some more, it's inevitable.

Remember that it's not a race to acquire more spiders or more advanced species. Take it slow, get comfortable with the hamorii first. Once you feel you have it down to an art, try a Grammostola, Aphonopelma or Tliltocatl (T. albopilosus, (Curly Hairs), are GREAT beginner Ts). Given on how comfortable you feel when you reach that point, you can then up your game with the stunning Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (Green Bottle Blue, as hardy as a Brachypelma/Grammostola, but more active and somewhat fiesty) or the equally beautiful Acanthoscurria geniculata (Brazilian Whiteknee, which are generally not defensive, but very food-motivated, so watch your fingers and tools),

It's incredibly easy to get so many and get quickly overwhelmed, so don't fall into that trap. A handful is a good amount to start off with and appreciate these wonderful animals.

Thank you so much for the input! I imagine I’ll be getting more, I’m still a little shaky just taking this ones water bowl out to clean. Removing the coconut hide to swap out took a lot of talking myself up to luckily, my little one is SO chill and stays still while I do stuff. I have seen her move when she does get spooked though and (s)he’s pretty quick! I adore G. pulchras and think that will be my next one when I’m ready. I love watching Tom’s Big Spiders and Tarantula Collective husbandry videos since they are so informative.

 

[LucN]

Thank you so much for the input! I imagine I’ll be getting more, I’m still a little shaky just taking this ones water bowl out to clean. Removing the coconut hide to swap out took a lot of talking myself up to luckily, my little one is SO chill and stays still while I do stuff. I have seen her move when she does get spooked though and (s)he’s pretty quick! I adore G. pulchras and think that will be my next one when I’m ready. I love watching Tom’s Big Spiders and Tarantula Collective husbandry videos since they are so informative.

Here's another useful tip : If you haven't yet, consider getting some feeding tongs that have a length of about 12". Never, EVER reach into your tarantula's enclosure with your bare hands. Feeding tongs will allow you to pick out the water dish and their food bolus without the risk of an accidental bite. No tarantula is aggressive, but they are HIGHLY sensitive to vibrations and might mistake your hand for a cricket.

Also, I won't argue about Tom's Big Spiders being a great source of information. Tarantula Collective... his videos look nice but the information is a tad too basic to my liking. May I suggest Dave's Little Beasties as an alternative to Tom ? He is just as informative as Tom and shows the proper way to work with these animals.

Best of luck and yes, a G. pulchra is also a great pick for a 2nd T. Just be aware that they can go on fasting spells and will take years to reach adulthood.

 

[lucyb663]

Here's another useful tip : If you haven't yet, consider getting some feeding tongs that have a length of about 12". Never, EVER reach into your tarantula's enclosure with your bare hands. Feeding tongs will allow you to pick out the water dish and their food bolus without the risk of an accidental bite. No tarantula is aggressive, but they are HIGHLY sensitive to vibrations and might mistake your hand for a cricket.

Also, I won't argue about Tom's Big Spiders being a great source of information. Tarantula Collective... his videos look nice but the information is a tad too basic to my liking. May I suggest Dave's Little Beasties as an alternative to Tom ? He is just as informative as Tom and shows the proper way to work with these animals.

Best of luck and yes, a G. pulchra is also a great pick for a 2nd T. Just be aware that they can go on fasting spells and will take years to reach adulthood.

Oh, don’t you worry! I have multiple sets of tongs, angled and straight, since my skin gets irritated easily. The spiders safety and my safety are top priority!
I have watched few of Dave’s Little Beasties videos, but I’ll definitely watch more from him!