My first Avicularia versicolor sling

Kennyg

Arachnopeon
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Jan 7, 2017
Messages
7
Hey everyone , my little A. versicolor just arrived today :D got it in its little cup made a fair amount of holes to assist with cross ventilation and will just keep an eye on the substrate to ensure humidity is good

just wanted to ask everyones opinions or guidelines on maintaining humidity for the sling? should i try keep a damp substrate or just mist every 3/4 days to wet the substrate?
 

chanda

Arachnoking
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Jun 27, 2010
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First, congratulations! Avics are fun to keep and they grow pretty fast, too. You should get a lot of enjoyment out of the little guy!

As for humidity, you don't want it too dry, but you don't want to keep the substrate perpetually damp, either. With mine, I misted every few days, then let the substrate dry out in between. Good ventilation is more important for Avics than humidity. (I also keep both a humidifier and a space heater in the room with my inverts, to better control humidity and temperature.) Once the sling gets big enough for a cage with adequate floor space, you can add a small water dish (plastic bottle caps work well).
 

Kennyg

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 7, 2017
Messages
7
First, congratulations! Avics are fun to keep and they grow pretty fast, too. You should get a lot of enjoyment out of the little guy!

As for humidity, you don't want it too dry, but you don't want to keep the substrate perpetually damp, either. With mine, I misted every few days, then let the substrate dry out in between. Good ventilation is more important for Avics than humidity. (I also keep both a humidifier and a space heater in the room with my inverts, to better control humidity and temperature.) Once the sling gets big enough for a cage with adequate floor space, you can add a small water dish (plastic bottle caps work well).
ok i think ive done that fairly right then , hvnt turned the cage into a quagmire and i think there is a lot of vetilation.
the little guy keeps circling the rim of the enclosure , im sure its just getting used to the new place and probably doesnt like the water on the sides of the enclosure
 

Jeff23

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Jul 27, 2016
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620
I never moisten the substrate on mine. Since I have to travel a little on my job I provide mine two deep water vials which create some humidity themselves. I give them lots of fake plants and a cork bark so it can easily build a web. Once it builds a web I do sometimes moisten one side of the walls of the enclosure a little (not far from its nest) or a portion of its web (away from the T), but this isn't a regular process for me. I do it more so if the T is not eating or leaving the nest.
 

MacDrachma

Arachnopeon
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Sep 22, 2016
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19
I keep my substrate dry and just make sure there is a full water dish at all times. 3 molts so far without issues.
 

Kennyg

Arachnopeon
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Jan 7, 2017
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7
the real challenge is where do you put a waterdish when they are no bigger than your finger nail lol
 

Jeff23

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the real challenge is where do you put a waterdish when they are no bigger than your finger nail lol
I use the 5.5 oz deli cups even when they are that small. Many people in this forum have used Monopoly game houses or hotels turned upside down (available on Amazon without buying the game). A plastic thimble from a sewing shop will also work. 14pokies gave a great idea of using small tattoo ink cups which you can buy so cheap that you can just throw them away instead of washing them when they become dirty.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
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the real challenge is where do you put a waterdish when they are no bigger than your finger nail lol
tattoo artists use VERY small plastic "containers" for their ink. The best small water dishes I've seen used for Ts.
 

cold blood

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Best just to house them in 16 or 32 oz deli cups as they provide ample room for both the wood and cover you need as well as plenty of room for a water dish.
 

Trenor

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Yeah, even the small ones I got from you were put in a larger containers and an a bottle cap water dish. They are doing great with 3 molting in the last day or so.
 

Kennyg

Arachnopeon
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Jan 7, 2017
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those are really clever ideas! thanks for the contributions guys :D
 

Kennyg

Arachnopeon
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Jan 7, 2017
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Update:
feed the lil' guy a pinhead this morning which is now being fed upon so im sure thats good news :embarrassed: i think im doing everything right i guess im just a bit careful considering what i read about them and just want to make sure i dont mess up.

at the same a A. versicolor is not cheap on a student budget haha :greedy:
 

Jeff23

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Jul 27, 2016
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I use the 5.5 oz deli cups even when they are that small. Many people in this forum have used Monopoly game houses or hotels turned upside down (available on Amazon without buying the game). A plastic thimble from a sewing shop will also work. 14pokies gave a great idea of using small tattoo ink cups which you can buy so cheap that you can just throw them away instead of washing them when they become dirty.
LOL. I obviously didn't read the spider genus very well on this one. The water containers are still good choices for small terrestrial T's however.

Best just to house them in 16 or 32 oz deli cups as they provide ample room for both the wood and cover you need as well as plenty of room for a water dish.
^^^ This is what I do for Avic's now.
 

Kennyg

Arachnopeon
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Jan 7, 2017
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7
LOL. I obviously didn't read the spider genus very well on this one. The water containers are still good choices for small terrestrial T's however.



^^^ This is what I do for Avic's now.
from what i can tell form the internet i believe im using a 16oz deli cup haha since our measurements are a bit different in South Africa :p but the slings happy its made itself a web , unfortunately right on the lip of the cup but just gotta be careful when i open haha
 

Trenor

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from what i can tell form the internet i believe im using a 16oz deli cup haha since our measurements are a bit different in South Africa :p but the slings happy its made itself a web , unfortunately right on the lip of the cup but just gotta be careful when i open haha
This is why I like bottom opening enclosures for Avics. They like to go up and web near the top of the enclosure. A bottom opening enclosure will allow them to do this without causing web damage when you need to do maintenance/feeding/water.

With a 16 or 32 oz deli cup it helps if you put your heaviest Avic "clutter" (plants and leaves and cork) about halfway up when using a deli cup. With most of the webbing anchor points in the middle the Avics will be more likely to web there. Leaving the lid area clear for you to access.
 

cold blood

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With a flexible top like a deli cup has, its never once been an issue opening the top...just open it where the t isnt....if its webbed the whole top, just open a small spot and make access in the tube....it wont effect the web tube.
 

Jeff23

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Jul 27, 2016
Messages
620
This is why I like bottom opening enclosures for Avics. They like to go up and web near the top of the enclosure. A bottom opening enclosure will allow them to do this without causing web damage when you need to do maintenance/feeding/water.

With a 16 or 32 oz deli cup it helps if you put your heaviest Avic "clutter" (plants and leaves and cork) about halfway up when using a deli cup. With most of the webbing anchor points in the middle the Avics will be more likely to web there. Leaving the lid area clear for you to access.
I used AMAC's on all of my early Avic's. The lower web links get broken when you open from the bottom. I don't put fake plants and cork bark right at the top of the container and haven't had a problem with any of my arboreal T's webbing up on the lid (except my Psalms Pulcher T's which is a different genus / situation). I use 32 oz for my smallest Avic's. And then move to the plastic cereal tubs for the big slings and smaller juvenile sizes.

I have moved away from AMAC's also because of the "burrowing in the tunnel" that Avic's tend to do quite often. I have to put too many holes in the container to insure that I can insert a few drops of water when they seal their web and don't come out for extended time periods. I can also strategically drop a cricket into a deli cup much easier so that it is guaranteed to trigger a web link.
 

Trenor

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I have moved away from AMAC's also because of the "burrowing in the tunnel" that Avic's tend to do quite often. I have to put too many holes in the container to insure that I can insert a few drops of water when they seal their web and don't come out for extended time periods. I can also strategically drop a cricket into a deli cup much easier so that it is guaranteed to trigger a web link.
I've never had to do this with any of my Avics. They come down to drink regularly and I drop their food (crushed head roach) on the dirt right beside the water dish. All 12 or so of mine go down to eat/drink when they need too. I like the bottom opening boxes as I'd rather tear up the very bottom of a tunnel then the main web part.

I can tell when they come down to drink as they will often leave dirt footprints in the water dish. Usually a day or so after they eat. I've not yet needed to place any of their food on web for them to eat regularly.

When I tried to use 16 oz deli cups with 6 A.avics I got from CB, even with the clutter in the mid point of the enclosures, 4 still tried webbing on the lip. With as small as they were, I didn't feel comfortable flexing the lid as they were crammed in the crack on the other side. Moved them to the boxes and they webbed up in the upper corners and all was good for me. Even as tiny slings mine still came down to grab the tiny dubia babies (with crushed heads) I left for them beside the water dish.

That being said there are lots of ways to keep these. Go with what you like and what works for you.
 

Jeff23

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Jul 27, 2016
Messages
620
I've never had to do this with any of my Avics. They come down to drink regularly and I drop their food (crushed head roach) on the dirt right beside the water dish. All 12 or so of mine go down to eat/drink when they need too. I like the bottom opening boxes as I'd rather tear up the very bottom of a tunnel then the main web part.

I can tell when they come down to drink as they will often leave dirt footprints in the water dish. Usually a day or so after they eat. I've not yet needed to place any of their food on web for them to eat regularly.

When I tried to use 16 oz deli cups with 6 A.avics I got from CB, even with the clutter in the mid point of the enclosures, 4 still tried webbing on the lip. With as small as they were, I didn't feel comfortable flexing the lid as they were crammed in the crack on the other side. Moved them to the boxes and they webbed up in the upper corners and all was good for me. Even as tiny slings mine still came down to grab the tiny dubia babies (with crushed heads) I left for them beside the water dish.

That being said there are lots of ways to keep these. Go with what you like and what works for you.
I agree with you on the idea of choosing the way that works best for you. I do love the clearness and rigidity of the AMAC containers. And the prices aren't really an issue if you buy direct from Container Store. I just feel like I do too many mods to mine only to find I still can't access the area where the T has set up its nest. Only a portion of my Avic's set up their nests in the very top of the AMAC even though they have the top of the cork bark and plenty of fake plants for web points. I have used the kits provided by Jamie for all of the early purchases.

I still try to use the bottom of the container for prey, but they will go into premolt or conditions similar to it for extended time periods where they seal up their nest and don't go anywhere except back and forth in their horizontal web tube. I like to at least use a syringe and place a bubble of water somewhere into the nest so they will have drink available. Sometimes I am lucky and have an access point close enough other times I'm not. And it is almost impossible to clean out any trash or bolus they leave in the upper part of an AMAC. without a major disturbance for the T.

They don't always molt in the "burrow" situation. In fact it sometimes goes on for so long that at some point I start placing crickets near the web tube. Some of them suddenly break the web at some point and start eating with no molt. I then start to immediately place prey back on the substrate but most will no longer go down to hunt which creates a quandary of whether to let them continue to decline versus serving them near the web tube.

The deli cup is certainly not perfect but it just works easier for me. I am willing to do the extra step of making sure the T isn't near the lip.
 
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