Megaphobema mesomelas temperature?

Austin S.

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I'll be receiving a beautiful 3" female Megaphobema mesomelas tomorrow... this is my dream species. I will DEF. make sure and post some pictures for everyone as soon as I see her. Wow, I don't think I've been this excited about waiting for a new T ever. Well except when the huge shipment of "blues" came in, which was 4 weeks ago, and was my last order... hmm.... oh well. I'M EXCITED. Anyways, my Q is this: I know the ideal care for this species, I don't have a problem with that. My only concern is keeping this girl at the right temperature. I live in Oklahoma, you know what that means. The summers get VERY hot, the winters get VERY cold. This species is best kept with temps that range from 65-75 at the most. My spider room (my room:D) is around 73-77? sometimes reaching the low 80's in the summer days to come. What should I do? How can I prevent this heat getting to her? Or is this something I should not worry about. Please feel free to sxpand with your thoughts on this. Like I said, this is a tarantula I have wanted since I started in the hobby, t'would be a shame to lose it.

Austin
 

kitty_b

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i keep robustums at room temperature. i read that they like it on the "lower" side (and i assume mesomelas is the same), but they haven't seemed upset if it gets a bit warm. i keep my place around 74 F. maybe keep 'em on lower shelves? (heat rises.)

a bigger emphasis seems to be keeping some of their substrate moist. i try to do a light pouring every week to soak some of the peat moss. obviously you don't want to flood their burrows or make a swamp. even when the substrate has dried out, they've seemed fine.

i'm so envious. i wonder if they girl you're getting is the one i've been drooling over for the past several weeks. :(
 

Austin S.

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Thats what I entend to do actually. Windows open, lower part of the shelf, soaking the strate, etc. Thanks again!

i'm so envious. i wonder if they girl you're getting is the one i've been drooling over for the past several weeks. :([/QUOTE]

She was up for grabs on this sites classifieds a couple weeks back, me and him have been talking and sorted things out. I am extremely excited to see this beaut.
 

Brian S

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You will want to keep her at 68F-73F, dont keep them warm like most tropical species
 

Thoth

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From most accounts, higher temps can be fatal.

I keep mine in the low 70's with high humidity.
 

Alice

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if it gets really hot in summer - and yes, we had some very hot days last summer even in germany, around 36-38°c, and my appartment faces south:mad: - that's what i do:

i place the heat sensitive species and small slings on the lower shelf and keep them quite humid. plus, i always keep some of those cold packs in the freezer. i lay one or two of those on top of the m. robustum tank on hot days - cold air sinks, thus cooling down the cage. i change the packs around 3 times a day. for one tank, having 3-4 packs suffices. they are quite cheap and last like forever.
 

atropos

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What about an old fridge, it has good isolation and with a good thermostat you can regulate the temp's quite precise.
 

Alice

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well yes, but then he couldn't see the t... they need lower temperatures all round the year.

but old fridges are totally great for cooling periods... then all i need is a bigger appartment to put it in :wall: :rolleyes:
 

Austin S.

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i place the heat sensitive species and small slings on the lower shelf and keep them quite humid. plus, i always keep some of those cold packs in the freezer. i lay one or two of those on top of the m. robustum tank on hot days - cold air sinks, thus cooling down the cage. i change the packs around 3 times a day. for one tank, having 3-4 packs suffices. they are quite cheap and last like forever.[/QUOTE]

Alice- I think that is what I am going to do. There is a room downstairs and is mostly cold throughout the summer. She'll go in that room, and I will apply the "cooling method". That sound good to everyone? Thanks for all your help, it is greatly appreciated.

Austin
 

M.F.Bagaturov

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Hello All!

One thing You should always rememeber.
If we talking about the WC specimens all above is the pure trueth, but regarding the specimens bred in hobby for several generations we should realize these are far more adaptive to different temperature and humidity requirements. So several celsigrades above the average temp used for WC show no harm at all.
But sure taken into mind that this particular species inhabitin costarican cloud highland forests where the average temp usually not raised over 21 Celsigrades this is considering the species perfectly keeping in low temp.
Frankly speaking among all theraphosids of the World fauna only a few LIKE high temp, all other well survived under temps like many people keeping em above 26-27 Celsigrades, but still 24-26 = room temp is most preferable for them.
And it is a bit different issue that many species (i believe most or even any) survived for even great changes of the temperstures for a short time without no any harm...
The above is some kinda axiom but just a limited hobbiests use it as is...
 

KingBowser

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Hey I'm in Oklahoma City, I'll just swing by and take her off your hands if she's too much much trouble. :}

Hehe...
 

Brandon

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After getting to encounter this species in the wild it is no wonder they are so sesative. The cloud forest that they inhabit is well constantly coverd in clouds so the humidity is almost always around 100%. The temps rarley got above 70-73 degrees and night time temps were about 5-8 degreed colder. It was raining almost all the time. Females were found under roots to provide support for there burrow and other under large half buried pieces of bark. Hope this helps. I have heard of people keeping them in refrigerators. The best thing i can metion it keep track of the weather in Monte Virde, Costa rica as this an area they inhabit and that should help you out.

-Brandon-
 

M.F.Bagaturov

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To add to my and Brandon's words.
This species is often inhabits the same habitat as Sphaerobothria hoffmanni and burrows of both species can be found near each other.
Unfortunately I still don't have possibility to create a good Megaphobema spp. page, but for average M. mesomelas info You can also look the "Sphaerobothria page" here: http://www.tarantulas.tropica.ru/en/evolution/Theraphosinae/Sphaerobothria
Hope this helps also.
 
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