I recently purchased an unsexed 1" baby M. Giganteus (pic below) and am waiting for it to arrive on Wednesday. This is really my first arachnid I've kept, apart from a few solpugids I have caught- so I am a complete newbie and any help from some more experienced collectors would be greatly appreciated.
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/padkison/Vinnie-1.jpg
(If anyone could sex it that would be awesome)
Habitat:
I know that these are commonly kept in a "deli cup", but I want something a little larger and I'm wondering what size and type of tank is best without being too large or too small? How should it be ventilated?
I have read up some on what to keep them in, and have found that an 80/20 mixture of sand and peat moss is widely reccomended. What type of sand should I get? What type of peat? Can I get everything at the local Petsmart? How deep should the substrate be? Do I need to change it frequently, if at all? How often should I mist? (I live in southern California in the desert and the vinegarone is coming from North Carolina- I don't know if that means I should give it more humidity, or what?)
Also, for helping the vinegarone create its burrow, I have read that cork bark or a flat rock should be buried down to the bottom. Could someone elaborate on how to set this up, or if any materials would work better? Any other decor items that it would like? I want to be sure it can create a burrow that it will be happy with, and help maximize its lifespan.
Climate:
I was told that room temperature is fine, that I don't need any heating or anything. I am planning on keeping it indoors, with whatever light happens to occur within that room as it normally would. Is this ok? Anything else I should know?
Diet:
I have read that babies should be fed pinhead crickets and adults should be fed larger crickets or cockroaches. What does mine qualify as? Are there any other food items that will provide the same nourishment- but are easier to keep? Should I put the prey in fully alive, prekilled, or give it a little squeeze to slow it down? What time of day should it be fed? How often and how much should I feed it- now and as it grows? I want to feed it for maximize size, but without overfeeding and risking a shorter lifespan.
Does it require a water dish- if so what type, how and where should I place it, and how often should I change the water?
Handling:
Do I have anything to worry about in the way of being pinched or bitten? I know they don't sting. The guy I bought the vinegarone from said the only time it ever sprayed was when it accidentally got a claw stuck in a ventilation hole in its deli cup (another reason why I want a proper cage), but are they likely to pinch or spray at humans if handled carefully? How should I go about picking up and putting down the vinegarone, to minimize disturbance to it? Does careful handling have any negative effects on the vinegarone? Is it likely to be really pissed off and better left alone when it comes out of its shipping container?
Well, I think that about covers it. Sorry if it seems like a lot to ask, but I am new to this and I really want to make sure I do everything right and have a successful first try.
Thanks in advance!
-Andrew
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/padkison/Vinnie-1.jpg
(If anyone could sex it that would be awesome)
Habitat:
I know that these are commonly kept in a "deli cup", but I want something a little larger and I'm wondering what size and type of tank is best without being too large or too small? How should it be ventilated?
I have read up some on what to keep them in, and have found that an 80/20 mixture of sand and peat moss is widely reccomended. What type of sand should I get? What type of peat? Can I get everything at the local Petsmart? How deep should the substrate be? Do I need to change it frequently, if at all? How often should I mist? (I live in southern California in the desert and the vinegarone is coming from North Carolina- I don't know if that means I should give it more humidity, or what?)
Also, for helping the vinegarone create its burrow, I have read that cork bark or a flat rock should be buried down to the bottom. Could someone elaborate on how to set this up, or if any materials would work better? Any other decor items that it would like? I want to be sure it can create a burrow that it will be happy with, and help maximize its lifespan.
Climate:
I was told that room temperature is fine, that I don't need any heating or anything. I am planning on keeping it indoors, with whatever light happens to occur within that room as it normally would. Is this ok? Anything else I should know?
Diet:
I have read that babies should be fed pinhead crickets and adults should be fed larger crickets or cockroaches. What does mine qualify as? Are there any other food items that will provide the same nourishment- but are easier to keep? Should I put the prey in fully alive, prekilled, or give it a little squeeze to slow it down? What time of day should it be fed? How often and how much should I feed it- now and as it grows? I want to feed it for maximize size, but without overfeeding and risking a shorter lifespan.
Does it require a water dish- if so what type, how and where should I place it, and how often should I change the water?
Handling:
Do I have anything to worry about in the way of being pinched or bitten? I know they don't sting. The guy I bought the vinegarone from said the only time it ever sprayed was when it accidentally got a claw stuck in a ventilation hole in its deli cup (another reason why I want a proper cage), but are they likely to pinch or spray at humans if handled carefully? How should I go about picking up and putting down the vinegarone, to minimize disturbance to it? Does careful handling have any negative effects on the vinegarone? Is it likely to be really pissed off and better left alone when it comes out of its shipping container?
Well, I think that about covers it. Sorry if it seems like a lot to ask, but I am new to this and I really want to make sure I do everything right and have a successful first try.
Thanks in advance!
-Andrew