Keeping Tarantulas Together etc

[FromHakaryou]

Hey,

I myself am new to the Tarantula keeping hobby - though my brother and father have been doing it for close to a year now. I'm looking to purchase my first few tarantulas on Monday, I plan on getting two, but I had questions on keeping them together.

Obviously I would not be keeping two tarantulas of different types together, but I was wondering if any of the following can be kept together? (Provided the cage is large) And if so, how many and what genders are recommended?

Panama Blond
Mysore Ornamental
Fringed Ornamental
Haitian Brown
Brazilian Black and White
Bahia Gray Bird Eater
Brazilian Salmon
Chaco Golden Knee
Blue Fang Skeleton
Green Bottle Blue
Burmese Giant Brown
Giant Horned Baboon
Mexican Black Velvet
Giant White Knee
Giant Black and White

I work at a petstore here so I will have plenty of access to the things the spiders need, such as food and substrate. I have done a good deal of research already, but am finding it hard to find sites on specific species. Anyone have any good links?

Those fourteen, plus the Goliath Bird Eater and the Featherleg Baboon, are the types I am interested in. I am most likely getting a Goliath Bird Eater regardless of the fact that they cannot be housed together.

Also - is there such thing as an enclosure that is too big for a tarantula? I was thinking of purchasing a 30Long for the Goliath. Would that be too big, too small?

Thanks - and if you have any other information for a first time (but not ignorant) Tarantula owner, I'd appreciate it.

Ryan

 

[Brian F.]

I've never attempted any communal tarantula projects, but the only two species I'm familiar with having been successfully(?) kept together are Avicularia avicularia and Poecilotheria regalis. Personally, I wouldn't risk it, but if you search this site for communal set-ups, you'll probably find others (more experienced than me, no doubt) that have successfully done so.

As far as Theraphosa blondi goes, 30 gallon-long may be larger than you really need.

At any rate, welcome to the 'boards and good luck.

Later!
Brian

 

[FromHakaryou]

yeah, that's what I'd found during my searches too. I'm just not interested in either of those species - which sucks for me.

I'm hoping that since size won't really be a problem, I can house some of the other guys together - provided they won't find and attack each other like gladiators or something. I get a 50% discount at work, so buying a 75gallon is nothing for me. Hehhehe.

Plus, the more extensive I can decorate a cage, the better.. and if I can keep a couple of arboreal tarantula's in a 30 long flipped on it's end, that would be so awesome.... It'd be like my Crested Gecko setup.

Thanks for the reply and the welcome, btw.

 

[Bearskin10]

yeah, that's what I'd found during my searches too. I'm just not interested in either of those species - which sucks for me.

I'm hoping that since size won't really be a problem, I can house some of the other guys together - provided they won't find and attack each other like gladiators or something. I get a 50% discount at work, so buying a 75gallon is nothing for me. Hehhehe.

Plus, the more extensive I can decorate a cage, the better.. and if I can keep a couple of arboreal tarantula's in a 30 long flipped on it's end, that would be so awesome.... It'd be like my Crested Gecko setup.

Thanks for the reply and the welcome, btw.

Why are you not interested in the regalis? You have Mysore Ornamental "P. striata" listed and there really is not that much difference in the 2...
My avatar is my striata but I like my regalis's almost as much... Greg

 

[FromHakaryou]

I heard there was a pretty big size difference between the two - and unfortunately I'm a sucker for the big guys.

 

[Bearskin10]

Nope no size difference, they both get around 7" or 8"... If you want a big one and I am not saying there is no risk involved because chances are you will end up with less then you had to start with but that being said I have heard that P. rufilata's do pretty well together, they along with ornata are the largest pokie's both get to be around 9"... Regalis is the way to go because you can get them a lot cheaper then you will rufilata's or striata's, for 1" slings regalis will run right around $25-$30, rufilata around $40-$45 and striata $55-$60... Greg

 

[FromHakaryou]

Really? Mmm. I've gotta find some more reliable sites then!

Thanks for the information, and I'll definately be checking them out now.

 

[GootySapphire]

Nope no size difference, they both get around 7" or 8"... If you want a big one and I am not saying there is no risk involved because chances are you will end up with less then you had to start with but that being said I have heard that P. rufilata's do pretty well together, they along with ornata are the largest pokie's both get to be around 9"... Regalis is the way to go because you can get them a lot cheaper then you will rufilata's or striata's, for 1" slings regalis will run right around $25-$30, rufilata around $40-$45 and striata $55-$60... Greg

Does your mysore have red on it? is it a male or female and do you know the color difference between the sexes in that type?

 

[Bearskin10]

I too really would like a communal setup with pokie's, I have 4 one and a half two inch P. formosa together, I got them at a very good price is why I have done this and they are from the same sac which is a plus anyway they have been living together in my care for about 3 months now and are doing great but they are young still so we will see, first sign of cannibalism and apart they are though... Greg

 

[Bearskin10]

Does your mysore have red on it? is it a male or female and do you know the color difference between the sexes in that type?

Has orange hairs, she is a real beauty and yes you can sex them by there folio, females have more of a white-cream folio where as the males will have much more brown and black in there's... Greg

 

[GootySapphire]

Has orange hairs, she is a real beauty and yes you can sex them by there folio, females have more of a white-cream folio where as the males will have much more brown and black in there's... Greg

im sorry but i dont know what the folio is

 

[Potatoemoe]

What you could do if you want to keep it to the one big tank look is measure and get plexiglass cut to fit for dividers. This is what i do cause I can get 20gal long for my terresstrial, and 20gal talls for my abroeals and divided the tanks up however I want. I get them used from my pet store for $6 including lid. so for $6 I have 3-4 T enclosures.

 

[DanHalen]

I bought a Mysore at an invertibrate show a couple of weeks ago. I'm pretty sure it's a male. It's got a purple sheen to it and a dark brown/black folio. I'm not sure how accurate this is, but he used to be one of 3 (before I bought him) living communally. Aparrently he ate the other two. But I'm very convinced that the seller didnt know what he was doing. First, he had it for sale as a P. Regalis, second, it was housed in a sweet jar, and third, there was a whole bunch of little beasties in the botton multiplying

I'm pretty sure the mysore had lived in there with the other two. So definitely take into account size of the tank(I've witnessed about 10 fringed Juvies living together quite fine). And here's my main point. I wonder if the sex of the spider determines aggression in communal setups?

Then again, I guess some spiders are just jerks! :wall:

 

[becca81]

Several people have been successful at keeping P. murinus communally with only a small number getting killed/eaten. The main problem I see there, though, is that they breed so prolifically that before a year is up, you'll probably have more than you can handle.

As for plexiglass dividers - be careful. Many people have lost Ts when they divided the tank up and one crawled up and mangaged to squeeze through the divider.

 

[Beccas_824]

As for plexiglass dividers - be careful. Many people have lost Ts when they divided the tank up and one crawled up and mangaged to squeeze through the divider.

I agree about the divding atempt. I would not do it just to be on the safe side. T's can be really strong when they want to be and there have been tons of reports form poeple sayign that they're T got through the divider and ate another one of their T's.

 

[AfterTheAsylum]

30L for a blondi is GREAT! It is a nice size for them, and even big enough to house a male and a female for a breeding project. I still have never had a male blondi death when I house them together. As long as there is enough room - there is no issue. I am the T. blondi king! Ha ha.

As far as a communal project - don't do it. You will see that there are people who keep some Avicularia's and such communally and say they have success. But what is success? If you house 10 T's in a community and only 4 get killed is that a success? In some eyes - Yes. Are you willing to accept the loss of any Ts just because a community would be cool?

I have a T. blondi sac right now. I am expecting the hatch 65 days from drop point, so very early November I should have them. These babies will come out at an inch or inch and a half. If you are interested, send me a PM. I already have a list.

The Sickness

 

[Potatoemoe]

I agree about the divding atempt. I would not do it just to be on the safe side. T's can be really strong when they want to be and there have been tons of reports form poeple sayign that they're T got through the divider and ate another one of their T's.

I actually permantly divide the tank, I actually hot glue them in place and was that is done I go around and put clear silicon around every edge. I do this because its cheaper, like I said I get the 20 gal tanks for $6. My only problem now is I am working on a lid solution that i can open each area separately. right now I only have one T in each divided tank do to the fear that they will run out into another if given the chance. So when I make a special lid for it that works like I want it I will be able to fill them up. I guess really you could divided the tank as many times as you want, but I usually divide it into 3 parts for sub-adults.

 

[jbrd]

I have personally had a 2 A.avic in a communal set-up with success, unfortunately they were both males and one has since died of old age while the other still lives on.
Now i have five P.murinus slings that i am seriously thinkin about doin the same thing with and see how that goes, MUAHAHAHAHA!

On a side note i say a 30gallon is the bare minimum on and adult T.blondi requirement scale. In My Opinion ;P

 

[Wade]

Ryan-

Where do you work? Just curious, I also live in Richmond.

There have been many reports of many tarantulas being reared together...for awhile. Some genera, like Poecilotheria and Avicularia, have a reputaion for being more tolerant of one annother, but the few success stories usually involve siblings from the same eggsac being reared together. There have even been reports of Hysterocrates gigas being reared to near adulthood in a group. Even then, as they approach maturity, the tolerance level drops way off and individuals will start dissappearing. The bottom line is that there is no way to prevent cannibalism other than seperate cages. The best you can hope to do is postphone the inevetable.

I currently have a pair of P. regalis living together in a 40 gallon breeder aquarium. They've been together for a month and a half now. This is for breeding purposes, however. I'm hoping to switch out the female soon with annother if the male is still healthy.

Wade