New here...and a few questions.

Alboy84

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
Messages
29
Hello Everyone,

I'm from the UK and have just purchased my first two tarantulas. I have a Brachypelma Vagans (Red Rump) and a Lasiodora Parahybana (Salmon Pink Bird eater), both of which I got around 2 weeks ago. My Vagans is has a leg span of around 3.5-4 inches and my Salmon Pink is around 4-4.5 inches. My first question is about measurements - I've am measuring from back to front (end of leg-to-end of leg), but are you supposed to do it this way? Or is it like TV screens where you measure diagonally or something?

Also, my Vagans has not ate since I've had him (I say 'him' because he just moulted on Saturday night, and I took a look at his shed skin), I'm just wondering if I'm right to keep food away from him till the Saturday after (to let his new skin harden), even though he hasn't ate anything since I've had him? He spends a lot of his time in his burrow - a half coconut shell, semi-dug into his coconut fibre substrate. His home is a plastic pet pal (11x8x8") with 4-5" of coconut fibre (85%), Vermiculite (10%) and a few bark chips (5%). A halt coconut shell for his hide and a water bowl. Is this set up okay for him? Will I need to upgrade at all?

My Salmon Pink is, I think, a female. She sometimes shows me her underside by climbing on the glass in full view - quite the attention seeker when compared to the Vagans. She's in a bigger glass tank (18x10x10"). It has a half flower pot hide (which she only uses when I open the top to feed her), a piece log to climb on and a water dish. Her substrate is made up of Vermiculite (75%), coconut fibre (20%) and bark chips (5%), though it's only about 2 1/2 inches deep. I know the Salmon Pinks grow a lot bigger - so do you think I should maybe (eventually) get a bigger tank for her? Or will this one do? Are there any good places in the UK - or anywhere else which may do international shipping - to get suitably built tanks (glass or acrylic) for my tarantulas?

One last question: What is the lifespan of my respectively different tarantulas (taken into account their size and sex) and what age would you say they are now? (Okay, so I asked two questions there!)

Thanks for any help you guys can offer! Look forward to posting and reading this forum more often.
 

phil jones

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 17, 2006
Messages
1,051
hi welcome to a fellow briton :clap: :clap: :) ;) as for your ( t ) do not feed the b- vagans yet he will be ok the set up sounds ok the l- parahybana i think is in a good size tank but i would do some thing about the substrate you want a lot of coconut fibre about 4ins - 5ins in the tank the b - vagans is a male then it will not have a long life :( but the l- parahybana is female then you should have her for years :clap: :clap: :) ;) --- good luck -- phil
 

green_bottle_04

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
437
Hello Everyone,

I'm from the UK and have just purchased my first two tarantulas. I have a Brachypelma Vagans (Red Rump) and a Lasiodora Parahybana (Salmon Pink Bird eater), both of which I got around 2 weeks ago. My Vagans is has a leg span of around 3.5-4 inches and my Salmon Pink is around 4-4.5 inches. My first question is about measurements - I've am measuring from back to front (end of leg-to-end of leg), but are you supposed to do it this way? Or is it like TV screens where you measure diagonally or something?

Also, my Vagans has not ate since I've had him (I say 'him' because he just moulted on Saturday night, and I took a look at his shed skin), I'm just wondering if I'm right to keep food away from him till the Saturday after (to let his new skin harden), even though he hasn't ate anything since I've had him? He spends a lot of his time in his burrow - a half coconut shell, semi-dug into his coconut fibre substrate. His home is a plastic pet pal (11x8x8") with 4-5" of coconut fibre (85%), Vermiculite (10%) and a few bark chips (5%). A halt coconut shell for his hide and a water bowl. Is this set up okay for him? Will I need to upgrade at all?

My Salmon Pink is, I think, a female. She sometimes shows me her underside by climbing on the glass in full view - quite the attention seeker when compared to the Vagans. She's in a bigger glass tank (18x10x10"). It has a half flower pot hide (which she only uses when I open the top to feed her), a piece log to climb on and a water dish. Her substrate is made up of Vermiculite (75%), coconut fibre (20%) and bark chips (5%), though it's only about 2 1/2 inches deep. I know the Salmon Pinks grow a lot bigger - so do you think I should maybe (eventually) get a bigger tank for her? Or will this one do? Are there any good places in the UK - or anywhere else which may do international shipping - to get suitably built tanks (glass or acrylic) for my tarantulas?

One last question: What is the lifespan of my respectively different tarantulas (taken into account their size and sex) and what age would you say they are now? (Okay, so I asked two questions there!)

Thanks for any help you guys can offer! Look forward to posting and reading this forum more often.
age really isnt relative, in that its impossible to tell. the theory is that spiders are born with a pre-determined number of molts. also take into account that spiders dont molt with age they molt with size. so if the spider was fed sparingly then it would have taken longer for it to reach the size it is now. if it was fed well or power-fed then it would have taken a significantly shorter period of time. this is especially true with your l.parahybana. im sure this isnt the answer you were looking for but its just the way it is.
 

Alboy84

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
Messages
29
Thanks for the info phil and G-bottle. Here's a pic of their homes. The top picture is the home of my L.Parahybana and the bottom one belongs to my Vagans. Any ideas on where to get better lids for tanks? (ones that would be good for T's).
 
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Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 13, 2006
Messages
8,656
My only suggestion for the L.Parahybana tank on top is to add a ton more substrate. You want to shorten any fall that could occur to protect your T.
 

bonesmama

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 28, 2004
Messages
1,017
Welcome to the forum! As was said, age is really something we can't guess at, unless you have a mature male,then his days are numbered. As for the substrate, I would lessen the amount of vermiculite you are using as it won't support a burrow,get rid of the bark and give the L. para more substrate. It has been my experience with these T's that they love their burrows and 2 1/2 " just isn't enough. A general rule of thumb is to pack the substrate to the legspan of the top of the enclosure- if you have a 5" T, ie.- then pack it up to within 5" of the lid. I use Peat Moss- it is light, packs well and supports their burrows. There is debate going on as to how to measure- old school thought is diagonally, but there are people who measure on the same side. It's really confusing unless people let you know- I wish they'd make up their minds!
 

bonesmama

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 28, 2004
Messages
1,017
Oh yeah-- don't stress if your vagans won't eat right away- each T will be different, and for the most part the larger the T the longer it takes to recuperate after a molt. I have some small (1 1/2") slings that don't eat for a week or two after molting!
 

green_bottle_04

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
437
i agree with adding more soil into the mix with the vermiculite in your l. parahybana's tank. you mind is in the right direction though for humidity holding substrate. for my humidity craving T's i use a mixture of vermiculite, coconut bark, and unfertilized topsoil. as for distance to the top...again im going against the grain on this topic. i put in about 3-4" of substrate for my terrestrial T's (6-8" for burrowers) and ive never had any problems at all with falls/injuries. but maybe im just lucky. i would give your l.para. about 4-6" as they arent really a deep burrowing spider and also still give it a hide.
 
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Alboy84

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
Messages
29
I'll take the hint and add more substrate. Am I right in thinking that coconut fibre is good for burrowing? (I didn't even realise that l.parahybana is a burrower, everything I've read upto now suggests otherwise...since it is more of a show spider and likes to sit out in the open etc). Though deep substrate does make sense even if it's just for the safety reasons in case of a fall. Thanks!
 

Cirith Ungol

Ministry of Fluffy Bunnies
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 22, 2004
Messages
3,886
Alboy84 - might be the pic quality or something, but the legs in the top picture look jet black to me, which would mean that the top one is the vagans. Right? Wrong?
 

Alboy84

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
Messages
29
I think it's the pic quality (sorry) - because the top one is definately my l.parahybana. My vagans is hardly out of his hide - though he does look very handsome now he's freshly molted.
 

Cirith Ungol

Ministry of Fluffy Bunnies
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 22, 2004
Messages
3,886
I think it's the pic quality (sorry) - because the top one is definately my l.parahybana. My vagans is hardly out of his hide - though he does look very handsome now he's freshly molted.
Nothing to be sorry about, bad quality pics can happen to anyone (just trying to defend mine) ;)
 

Midnightrdr456

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 17, 2006
Messages
1,088
the top pic is definately the L Parahybana.

Also yeah your Para will stay out alot more than other spiders (especially at larger sizes) but it will still burrow into its hide as well. You seem to be taking the advice on the substrate so thats good. As for measuring most of the time its diagonal, personally I measure same side because it makes it alot easier to visualize the size, but I also always inform the person im telling that i measure it in this way.

Great T's any thoughts to your next ones (because there will be more!!)
 

phil jones

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 17, 2006
Messages
1,051
my L- parahybana was all ways out in the tank but it was very big looks to me as you are doing things ok and we all got to start out and make mistakes we all do as long as we Learn and try to read all the post most know whats the right way to do things some you will find are prats lol any way good luck and its good to have a brit on here as we got to stick together lol :clap: :clap: :worship: :worship: :) :) ---- phil
 

Alboy84

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
Messages
29
Great T's any thoughts to your next ones (because there will be more!!)
Errm, that all depends on my girlfriends mood - since we should be moving in together soon. She has no problem staying in my room with two T's. But sharing a house with a room dedicated to T's - like most of you have - would probably be a bit much!
 

Alboy84

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
Messages
29
my L- parahybana was all ways out in the tank but it was very big looks to me as you are doing things ok and we all got to start out and make mistakes we all do as long as we Learn and try to read all the post most know whats the right way to do things some you will find are prats lol any way good luck and its good to have a brit on here as we got to stick together lol :clap: :clap: :worship: :worship: :) :) ---- phil
Thanks Phil! Hey, being a fellow brit... do you know any net sites that do tanks/cages suitable for T's - preferably ones based in the UK?
 

Nerri1029

Chief Cook n Bottlewasher
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
1,725
Welcome to the hobby :) ... obsession.

the substrate issues have been discussed in other threads ad nauseum .. and there are plenty of people in different camps who are keeping their T's perfectly healthy.

Watch your T's look for things that might lead you to consider changing something:
- constant climbing.. tho if you end up with a mature male that will me normal.
- sitting in the water dish

Let your T's settle in.. and observe observe..

Also if there was a list of absolute normal behaviors for T's all the time I'd pay for it.. (IMO) T's act as individuals there are species' tendancies but no harfast behaviors...
We've seen calm P. murinus and mad G. aureostriata so I'm saying watch your T's and read the threads here.. ( all the way through)
get as much info oand make your own conclusions.

ENJOY them :)
 

Alboy84

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
Messages
29
Thanks for the advice Nerri, don't worry I observe them... it's all I seem to do haha. I should really be sat at my computer finishing off my dissertation, but instead I'm sat at my computer watching them... and looking up related topics on here!
 
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