New Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens juvenile owner questions.

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Hi all, new GBB owner here and just had a couple things to ask. She is a sexed female and we picked her up on Friday and got her into her new home on Saturday when we got back in to town.

1. I'm using a large terrestrial slider terrarium from Tarantula Cribs, and was wondering if it looks okay? The substrate I'm using is the TerraAranea kit from the BioDude with a bioshot nutrient kit, some sphagnum moss, and dried cocoa leaves. I have the cork bark, her hide and a fake plant which she's been loving to use as an anchor point for webbing. Should I try and find more plants for her to web up as well? I just dont want the terrarium to feel overcrowded for her.

2. The breeder who I got her from said she is in premolt currently, so she hasn't eaten in a solid week, should I attempt to give her some food or just wait it out?

3. I know settling into a new home for them can be a lot but she's already put some webbing down on one of the anchor points and has been relaxing on top of the plant for a little bit now, as well as going into her hide. I've also been making sure to keep the temperature warm in my room set at a constant 20 C by using a space heater with a built in thermometer so that she's comfortable.

Just want what's best for the lady! Thanks. View attachment 496619 View attachment 496617 View attachment 496618

Looks fine if it’s fat don’t feed it anymore until it molts.

 

[TheraMygale]

I use wood i find in pesticide free forests. I harvest tons of branches and let them dry out. that way, if a branch would mold, i can replace it.

in a dry setup, there are less chances of mold. And mold that feeds on dead wood, does not feed on tarantulas. So you would have time to remove it.

i can’t afford cork bark anymore. I use that money for feeders. I also don’t feed much. This winter, i didnt have to buy feeders for over 3 months. It was amazing.

even a dry set up can get mold, if indoor humidity is high. Near the water bowl will be a hot spot. So changing the water bowl placement can be helpful.

this tarantula can web up a lot, bowl might even disappear. Then all you have to do is place water on the web.

my p murinus dont have bowls anymore: its droplets on the web. And a tiny bit of water in the sub. I always believe a bit of moisture is helpful.

 

[Sauga Bound]

Hi all, new GBB owner here and just had a couple things to ask. She is a sexed female and we picked her up on Friday and got her into her new home on Saturday when we got back in to town.

1. I'm using a large terrestrial slider terrarium from Tarantula Cribs, and was wondering if it looks okay? The substrate I'm using is the TerraAranea kit from the BioDude with a bioshot nutrient kit, some sphagnum moss, and dried cocoa leaves. I have the cork bark, her hide and a fake plant which she's been loving to use as an anchor point for webbing. Should I try and find more plants for her to web up as well? I just dont want the terrarium to feel overcrowded for her.

2. The breeder who I got her from said she is in premolt currently, so she hasn't eaten in a solid week, should I attempt to give her some food or just wait it out?

3. I know settling into a new home for them can be a lot but she's already put some webbing down on one of the anchor points and has been relaxing on top of the plant for a little bit now, as well as going into her hide. I've also been making sure to keep the temperature warm in my room set at a constant 20 C by using a space heater with a built in thermometer so that she's comfortable.

Just want what's best for the lady! Thanks.

I keep a GBB and have a large slider crib for another spider and, IMO, a large cuboid would probably be better for an adult GBB. The large slider is great and would probably be ok for an adult GBB, but I think it's best to give them as much room as possible. It will be a little cramped for an adult, so if you have the money, get something larger for when it reaches full-size.

If the breeder said she's in pre-molt, don't feed her. I mean, you could put in a feeder to test, but make sure it's something you can get back without too much trouble if she doesn't eat it. My GBB didn't have a very long pre-molt period and only stopped eating after it dug a little molting burrow for itself. It stayed in there for two weeks, molted, then stayed about ten days longer before it emerged. So, if it is in premolt, it should molt pretty soon. Maybe crush the head of a meal worm and leave it somewhere the T spends a lot of time. Or crush a cricket's head and do the same.

 

[AdamArachnid]

I keep a GBB and have a large slider crib for another spider and, IMO, a large cuboid would probably be better for an adult GBB. The large slider is great and would probably be ok for an adult GBB, but I think it's best to give them as much room as possible. It will be a little cramped for an adult, so if you have the money, get something larger for when it reaches full-size.

If the breeder said she's in pre-molt, don't feed her. I mean, you could put in a feeder to test, but make sure it's something you can get back without too much trouble if she doesn't eat it. My GBB didn't have a very long pre-molt period and only stopped eating after it dug a little molting burrow for itself. It stayed in there for two weeks, molted, then stayed about ten days longer before it emerged. So, if it is in premolt, it should molt pretty soon. Maybe crush the head of a meal worm and leave it somewhere the T spends a lot of time. Or crush a cricket's head and do the same.

Hi! Definitely appreciate the advice given on the enclosure, and will more than likely do as you said and buy a large cuboid in the future, as I already want another T, and can use the current slider in the future haha. She's settled in now and as of a week today she's been sitting in her hide, has webbed up the window and the entrance and hasn't really left it, so I am thinking that the molting process will be any day now. Haven't fed her yet still but her abdomen is still fine & I was reading a post on reddit and it was stating that she knows her own biology and she will be fine and to trust her more so than my own insecurities about her. I've still been swapping out the water daily just in case she decides to come out at night and rebuild her web entrance for some, but her activity is very low from what I've seen. Thanks again.

 

[Sauga Bound]

Hi! Definitely appreciate the advice given on the enclosure, and will more than likely do as you said and buy a large cuboid in the future, as I already want another T, and can use the current slider in the future haha. She's settled in now and as of a week today she's been sitting in her hide, has webbed up the window and the entrance and hasn't really left it, so I am thinking that the molting process will be any day now. Haven't fed her yet still but her abdomen is still fine & I was reading a post on reddit and it was stating that she knows her own biology and she will be fine and to trust her more so than my own insecurities about her. I've still been swapping out the water daily just in case she decides to come out at night and rebuild her web entrance for some, but her activity is very low from what I've seen. Thanks again.

Sounds good. Your GBB is a beauty, btw. Mine is about 4 inches and actually comes to me if I speak softly to her. She especially likes when I sing to her. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true.

They are awesome spiders. They are beautiful, hardy, docile, voracious eaters who settle into a new enclosure quickly and start webbing it up from day one. They have it all.

I adore all four species of tarantula that I keep, but my GBB gets the prize for ease of care. If you set them up well, feed them regularly, and keep their water dish full, they will thrive. They're not as fussy as my other spiders and keep the weird spider antics to a minimum, which is good for my blood pressure. A GBB is my number one recommendation for new keepers.

 

[TheraMygale]

1- buy whatever you can afford. If it makes you happy, saves time and works: do it.

2- i keep my tarantulas on the smaller size when it comes to enclosures. Its how it works for me.

3- for a GBB, you have the luxury to explore. They are somewhat interesting, like p murinus: they can web upwards. you could go less length and width, with more height. As long as you maximise web anchors and use branches.

4- your goal is the limit of what is acceptable, for you.

5- A wild GBB has been found in a tree hole, up from the ground. Pretty sure it wasnt as dry in there, as outdoors.

Explore. We are limited by what we know. But there is no dogma. Because what we know is so little.

id use vermiculite, alone, if it was not for the way it feels for them, and how not that healthy for humans it is.
However, it is a very sterile substrate that performs well dry or moist. Its just an exemple, of how perspective changes things.