My BF's H. lividum, the world's most disappointing spider

Ondottr

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 16, 2017
Messages
17
He hates it haha.
When he was buying me my G. rosea, he saw it in the shop. Then he got caught up in my spidermania, got nostalgic for the time he kept Ts years ago, and went back for it a week later.
Now it's like, "how's your spider?"
"It's the laziest thing ever. It won't even dig a hole. Just sits there all day in the same corner. It hasn't eaten anything. Next time I'm just gonna buy a rock and paint it blue. You know what, you can have it. Feed it to your Grammostola, I don't care." :banghead:

Not sure what he expected but... it should at least burrow, no? Apparently his last one quickly made itself a hole, stayed in there, and came out sometimes to eat. But this one does literally nothing.
It's mean and quick and I don't want it, but maybe I can help him fix its enclosure so it at least wants to do normal H. lividum things like "dig a hole". I told him I'd ask around.

So I can pass it on:
How deep exactly should the substrate be?
What kind of moisture? I've read "damp" is ideal but that's a big category. I'm imagining the same level of dampness you'd want sand to be in order to build a sandcastle.
Does it help to get a burrow started or will it do all the work on its own?
Does it like to web? Does it want anchors for that?
Is it normal for these to fast after being rehoused?

Any advice would be lovely! I want to help him enjoy his spider at least a little bit.

Bonus photo of the only thing it apparently ever does. At least it's pretty...
 

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Grimmdreadly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
29
He hates it haha.
When he was buying me my G. rosea, he saw it in the shop. Then he got caught up in my spidermania, got nostalgic for the time he kept Ts years ago, and went back for it a week later.
Now it's like, "how's your spider?"
"It's the laziest thing ever. It won't even dig a hole. Just sits there all day in the same corner. It hasn't eaten anything. Next time I'm just gonna buy a rock and paint it blue. You know what, you can have it. Feed it to your Grammostola, I don't care." :banghead:

Not sure what he expected but... it should at least burrow, no? Apparently his last one quickly made itself a hole, stayed in there, and came out sometimes to eat. But this one does literally nothing.
It's mean and quick and I don't want it, but maybe I can help him fix its enclosure so it at least wants to do normal H. lividum things like "dig a hole". I told him I'd ask around.

So I can pass it on:
How deep exactly should the substrate be?
What kind of moisture? I've read "damp" is ideal but that's a big category. I'm imagining the same level of dampness you'd want sand to be in order to build a sandcastle.
Does it help to get a burrow started or will it do all the work on its own?
Does it like to web? Does it want anchors for that?
Is it normal for these to fast after being rehoused?

Any advice would be lovely! I want to help him enjoy his spider at least a little bit.

Bonus photo of the only thing it apparently ever does. At least it's pretty...
I generally keep my Cyriopagopus on about 8" of moist coco fibre/topsoil mix. I give it a starter burrow and partially cover it with a piece of corkbark. And then, This one's important, I mist the sides of the enclo and the substrate, overflow the water dish, and put the t in the darkest place I possibly can and leave it completely alone for about ten days. After this time I generally have a burrow. This has worked with C.Minax, C.lividus, and C.Vonwirthi
 
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Ondottr

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 16, 2017
Messages
17
I generally keep my Cyriopagopus on about 8" of moist coco fibre/topsoil mix. I give it a starter burrow and partially cover it with a piece of corkbark. And then, This one's important, I mist the sides of the enclo and the substrate, overflow the water dish, and put the t in the darkest place I possibly can and leave it completely alone for about ten days. After this time I generally have a burrow. This has worked with C.Minax, C.lividus, and C.Vonwirthi
Yesss fantastic advice, thank you!
 

Grimmdreadly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
29
He hates it haha.
When he was buying me my G. rosea, he saw it in the shop. Then he got caught up in my spidermania, got nostalgic for the time he kept Ts years ago, and went back for it a week later.
Now it's like, "how's your spider?"
"It's the laziest thing ever. It won't even dig a hole. Just sits there all day in the same corner. It hasn't eaten anything. Next time I'm just gonna buy a rock and paint it blue. You know what, you can have it. Feed it to your Grammostola, I don't care." :banghead:

Not sure what he expected but... it should at least burrow, no? Apparently his last one quickly made itself a hole, stayed in there, and came out sometimes to eat. But this one does literally nothing.
It's mean and quick and I don't want it, but maybe I can help him fix its enclosure so it at least wants to do normal H. lividum things like "dig a hole". I told him I'd ask around.

So I can pass it on:
How deep exactly should the substrate be?
What kind of moisture? I've read "damp" is ideal but that's a big category. I'm imagining the same level of dampness you'd want sand to be in order to build a sandcastle.
Does it help to get a burrow started or will it do all the work on its own?
Does it like to web? Does it want anchors for that?
Is it normal for these to fast after being rehoused?

Any advice would be lovely! I want to help him enjoy his spider at least a little bit.

Bonus photo of the only thing it apparently ever does. At least it's pretty...
They aren't heavy webbers but they are builders. They build funnel burrows
 
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ledzeppelin

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
433
sand? what sand o_O Ts don't like sand. Give it peat moss or coco fiber.The level of substrate depends on the size of the spider.
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
So I can pass it on:
How deep exactly should the substrate be?
The deeper the better. These are burrowers and should be given a lot of substrate to burrow in.

What kind of moisture? I've read "damp" is ideal but that's a big category. I'm imagining the same level of dampness you'd want sand to be in order to build a sandcastle.
You don't want it swampy (can squeeze water out of it) but it needs to be damp.

Does it help to get a burrow started or will it do all the work on its own?
Sometimes they will take the starter burrow and sometimes they make their own.

Does it like to web? Does it want anchors for that?
It might web some but I wouldn't go heavy with plants like you might for a GBB.

Is it normal for these to fast after being rehoused?
It depends on how well it's been fed prior to you buying it.

The best thing to do IMO is to post photos of the T and its whole enclosure and we can get help from there.

Good luck and let him know that once it burrows he will have a very boring hole to look at most of the time. :D
 
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Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
sand? what sand o_O Ts don't like sand. Give it peat moss or coco fiber.The level of substrate depends on the size of the spider.
I use a sand/dirt/coco mix and they dig all day. I wouldn't use just straight sand though.
 

Ondottr

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 16, 2017
Messages
17
sand? what sand o_O Ts don't like sand. Give it peat moss or coco fiber.The level of substrate depends on the size of the spider.
Lol I didn't mean actual sand for the spider. We use cocofibre. The sand thing was just a metaphorical thing, for comparison.
 

Grimmdreadly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
29
He hates it haha.
When he was buying me my G. rosea, he saw it in the shop. Then he got caught up in my spidermania, got nostalgic for the time he kept Ts years ago, and went back for it a week later.
Now it's like, "how's your spider?"
"It's the laziest thing ever. It won't even dig a hole. Just sits there all day in the same corner. It hasn't eaten anything. Next time I'm just gonna buy a rock and paint it blue. You know what, you can have it. Feed it to your Grammostola, I don't care." :banghead:

Not sure what he expected but... it should at least burrow, no? Apparently his last one quickly made itself a hole, stayed in there, and came out sometimes to eat. But this one does literally nothing.
It's mean and quick and I don't want it, but maybe I can help him fix its enclosure so it at least wants to do normal H. lividum things like "dig a hole". I told him I'd ask around.

So I can pass it on:
How deep exactly should the substrate be?
What kind of moisture? I've read "damp" is ideal but that's a big category. I'm imagining the same level of dampness you'd want sand to be in order to build a sandcastle.
Does it help to get a burrow started or will it do all the work on its own?
Does it like to web? Does it want anchors for that?
Is it normal for these to fast after being rehoused?

Any advice would be lovely! I want to help him enjoy his spider at least a little bit.

Bonus photo of the only thing it apparently ever does. At least it's pretty...
Also, does he want his C.Lividus to have a really big meal? Because that will probably be the case if you put it in the Grammastola enclo
 
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Ondottr

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 16, 2017
Messages
17
How deep exactly should the substrate be?
The deeper the better. These are burrowers and should be given a lot of substrate to burrow in.

What kind of moisture? I've read "damp" is ideal but that's a big category. I'm imagining the same level of dampness you'd want sand to be in order to build a sandcastle.
You don't want it swampy (can squeeze water out of it) but it needs to be damp.

Does it help to get a burrow started or will it do all the work on its own?
Sometimes they will take the starter burrow and sometimes they make their own.

Does it like to web? Does it want anchors for that?
It might web some but I wouldn't go heave with plants like you might for a GBB.

Is it normal for these to fast after being rehoused?
It depends on how well it's been fed prior to you buying it.

The best thing to do IMO is to post photos of the T and its whole enclosure and we can get help from there.

Good luck and let him know that once it burrows he will have a very boring hole to look at most of the time. :D
Thanks!! I'm gonna go over tomorrow and see what he set up!
Pet shop was keeping the poor thing on like an inch of substrate, so all I know is he moved it to a deeper enclosure full of moistened cocofibre. I'll check it out and let you know what's up soon!
 

Ondottr

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 16, 2017
Messages
17
Also, does he want his C.Lividus to have a really big meal? Because that will probably be the case if you put it in the Grammastola enclo
Lol I know right!
I was like dude, your spider is vicious and would tear mine to pieces in half a second.
He's (sarcastically) convinced it's so lazy that my juvenile Grammostola would have a fighting chance. :rolleyes:
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
Thanks!! I'm gonna go over tomorrow and see what he set up!
Pet shop was keeping the poor thing on like an inch of substrate, so all I know is he moved it to a deeper enclosure full of moistened cocofibre. I'll check it out and let you know what's up soon!
Yeah, they usually do. It's hard to sell a tarantula that people can't see.

Drop us some photos and we'll help you out. :)
 
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chanda

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
2,229
sand? what sand o_O Ts don't like sand. Give it peat moss or coco fiber.The level of substrate depends on the size of the spider.
I mix sand with the coco fiber for a number of my T's - it helps the burrows hold together better. Also, some of the local Aphonopelma species do just fine on a sand/dirt mixture - it's the same thing they're living on out in the wild. I still mix in a little coco fiber, but they're desert spiders so they don't need high humidity.
 

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
Also, does he want his C.Lividus to have a really big meal? Because that will probably be the case if you put it in the Grammastola enclo
Not sure on that one...'rosies' can be very psyco at times...
At least with the C.lividus, you know it is just mean as hell....'rosies' on the other hand....
'hey hi, good to see you. WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY, I'LL TEAR YOUR FRIGGIN HEAD OFF. Sure I would like some crickets, thank you kindly'....
 

Moakmeister

Arachnodemon
Joined
Oct 6, 2016
Messages
741
I'll add this to my list of negative experiences people have with C. lividus. I have yet to hear of anyone who likes this species.
 

The Grym Reaper

Arachnoreaper
Joined
Jul 19, 2016
Messages
4,835
I mix sand with the coco fiber for a number of my T's - it helps the burrows hold together better. Also, some of the local Aphonopelma species do just fine on a sand/dirt mixture - it's the same thing they're living on out in the wild. I still mix in a little coco fiber, but they're desert spiders so they don't need high humidity.
Same, my A. chalcodes, B. emilia and GBB are all on a mix of coco fibre/peat/sand, no issues at all.
 

Jason B

Arachnosquire
Joined
Sep 10, 2016
Messages
88
I'll add this to my list of negative experiences people have with C. lividus. I have yet to hear of anyone who likes this species.
I actually like the fossorials including C lividum there not the most visible species but, they build burrows I find interesting and when you do see them its kinda special. If I had to pick between a grammy or brachy and a lividum, I'm taking the lividum without even thinking about it.
 
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