New Slings advice ?

Frostbyte

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 31, 2002
Messages
327
Ok I have my green bottle , red knee and Curly in house now . whats a good set up for all 3 ? They are slings aprox 1.5-2 " and the green bottle is webin her butt off already. Are these Ts that can be handled? The green is a spastic climber along with the red knee , the curly ate a cricket the 1st day and is hiding. whats a good substrate ? do they all need water dishes? Thanx !
 

defour

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
May 17, 2003
Messages
347
Originally posted by Frostbyte
Ok I have my green bottle , red knee and Curly in house now . whats a good set up for all 3 ? They are slings aprox 1.5-2 " and the green bottle is webin her butt off already. Are these Ts that can be handled? The green is a spastic climber along with the red knee , the curly ate a cricket the 1st day and is hiding. whats a good substrate ? do they all need water dishes? Thanx !
All three species are pretty undemanding. None tend to be overly defensive, but you never know. Chromatopelma IME is fairly flighty but not prone to bite. Any standard substrate is fine, i.e. peat, soil, vermiculite or a mix. A water dish isn't necessary if the substrate is a bit moist, but at that size they're big enough to make one practical. I use a lot of plastic caps from bottled water; it let's you ensure that they have moisture, yet keeps the substrate dryer as a hedge against fungus and mites. Oh, the Chromatopelma are tough as nails when it comes to moisture. If you use a water dish you don't have to worry about adding any to the substrate. The B. smithi are about the same, the B. albopilosum prefers a tad more moisture, being from Central America.

Steve
 

D-Man

Arachnochicano
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 27, 2003
Messages
356
I have 1-1/4" smithi slings. I keep them in 16oz. deli cups (pack of 50 from Smart & Final). 50/50 sphagnum peat moss & vermiculite mix. I use a small baby food jar size lid as a water dish. I handle my slings, but they're pretty darty - be careful and handle 'em in a roomy area where they won't dissapear.

Also, I have a hygromoter taped to the top of the lids, so I re-use the lids and change the cups as needed. The cups are good for holding your cric's, too. And, keep a thermometer strip in the cups against the wall (not taped). I keep them in the 80f range and 70-80% humidity range.

D
 

Frostbyte

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 31, 2002
Messages
327
So do these species need to be misted? I have the red knee on what is called desert blend it isnt sand but like a crushed walnut shell is what it reminds me of. Im having problems locating this peat and soil . Im afraid to get them at a plant store due to the fact that there maybe insects in the soil or fertilizers . As far as vermiculite goes where do you get that?

Sorry for the 888 questions ....
 

defour

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
May 17, 2003
Messages
347
Originally posted by Frostbyte
So do these species need to be misted? I have the red knee on what is called desert blend it isnt sand but like a crushed walnut shell is what it reminds me of. Im having problems locating this peat and soil . Im afraid to get them at a plant store due to the fact that there maybe insects in the soil or fertilizers . As far as vermiculite goes where do you get that?

Sorry for the 888 questions ....
Vermiculite can be found anywhere peat and soil are sold. I get my substrate at garden centers; as long as you check the ingredients list carefully and make sure there's no chemical additives (fertilizers, wetting agents, etc.) you should be fine. I've never lost a T as a result of these things. Insects are probably not a problem either, but to be safe you can wet down the substrate, put it in a covered container (glass, preferably) and microwave it for half an hour or so. The steam will kill everything; just make sure it doesn't get totally dry while it's cooking. I'd be hesitant to use the ground walnut, since it wont be any good for burrowing and might support mold. One more alternative that some people use is "forest bed", which is sold in petshops in bricks and is made from coconut husks. T-rex is one brand.

Misting isn't necessary and only annoys the T. Just add water to the substrate if you want it moist.

Steve
 

sunnymarcie

Celestial Spider
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 13, 2003
Messages
1,294
Peat can be found at your local Franks Nursery or any other
place that has plant stuff=D All of those products are marked,
so there should not be a problem finding what you need.
You will find the vermiculite in the same department.
Deli cups or small vials work good for this size of T.
Basically anything you can see into and poke holes in for air.

Having a ton of questions is a good thing=D It means that
you want to do the best you can for your T's=D
 
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