New spider enthusiast

[QueenPogo]

I bought 2 tarantulas on Monday. A T albopilosus sling that has just moulted.
And a young P subfusca.

Seems both come in two forms so I’m not sure exactly what I have but am enjoying both so far.
Hard to get good pix.

The subfusca has some beautiful blue on the last segment of its legs. It ate 2 crickets overnight the first night I had it.
Cats pushed the bag they were in off the counter when I first came into the house with them on Monday afternoon hearing the crickets moving around. Both are ok but the sling lost its burrow. So both spiders and the crickets are in my bedroom with the door closed, living in my bedroom along with my ants.

Store owner found a shed skin in the container of the albopilosus so it has just moulted. Will it make a new burrow when it hardens? It needs a new habitat I feel. Suggestions please for a new home for it.

Overall advice for a novice would be appreciated.
thanks

I’m pretty sure sling requires more substrate to burrow in so it will need a new container. Seller will move it for me. I just need ideas what to move it into.

 

[pongdict]

I don't think P subfusca is for novices. Did the pet store tell you it is for beginners?

 

[QueenPogo]

He said with my experience with ants and me not wanting to touch it and he would do any moving habitats if I wanted to move it that he would do it

That he thought it would be ok for me

 

[pongdict]

He said with my experience with ants and me not wanting to touch it and he would do any moving habitats if I wanted to move it that he would do it

Thats good that you dont want to touch it. They are fast and have medically significant venom. A bite from it can potentially be fatal to your cat, other pets or tiny humans. What happens if it somehow manages to run out of its enclosure while you are doing maintenance/opening the enclosure?

I’m pretty sure sling requires more substrate to burrow in so it will need a new container. Seller will move it for me. I just need ideas what to move it into.

General rule of thumb is, the distance from top of lid to substrance should not exceed 1.5x diagonal leg span of T. I think the deli cup is good enough for the T right now.

 

[QueenPogo]

When I open container to drop in crickets I’ll make sure it is on the substrate. I’ll be very alert. I’ll be on the bathroom floor with a towel shoved under the closed door with a catch cup with thick leather gloves on is my plan

General rule of thumb is, the distance from top of lid to substrance should not exceed 1.5x diagonal leg span of T. I think the deli cup is good enough for the T right now.

Thank you. Glad I don’t have to move it and stress it more than it had been with the drop and flipped upside down then put upright. I was very upset

 

[LucN]

Hello,

you have certainly chose the absolute best in T. albopilosus. No better beginner T out there. Generally, very mellow and easy to work with.

The P. subfusca, on the other hand, as it has already been mentioned, is quite different from the T. albo. Always locate it before opening the enclosure. As long as you respect it and give it space, things ought to go fine. If you haven't already, you might want to invest in feeding tongs so you can go in the enclosures without exposing yourself to a potential bite. Do not underestimate the subfusca's speed.

Good luck and welcome to the hobby

 

[pongdict]

Thank you. Glad I don’t have to move it and stress it more than it had been with the drop and flipped upside down then put upright. I was very upset

Check for any injuries. As you mentioned, he recently molted, T are very fragile after a molt. Hope he is fine.

Hello,

you have certainly chose the absolute best in T. albopilosus. No better beginner T out there. Generally, very mellow and easy to work with.

The P. subfusca, on the other hand, as it has already been mentioned, is quite different from the T. albo. Always locate it before opening the enclosure. As long as you respect it and give it space, things ought to go fine. If you haven't already, you might want to invest in feeding tongs so you can go in the enclosures without exposing yourself to a potential bite. Do not underestimate the subfusca's speed.

Good luck and welcome to the hobby

Agreed. Never underestimate it or any T at all.

 

[QueenPogo]

Hello,

you have certainly chose the absolute best in T. albopilosus. No better beginner T out there. Generally, very mellow and easy to work with.

The P. subfusca, on the other hand, as it has already been mentioned, is quite different from the T. albo. Always locate it before opening the enclosure. As long as you respect it and give it space, things ought to go fine. If you haven't already, you might want to invest in feeding tongs so you can go in the enclosures without exposing yourself to a potential bite. Do not underestimate the subfusca's speed.

Good luck and welcome to the hobby

Thank you. I will get some feeding tongs for

Check for any injuries. As you mentioned, he recently molted, T are very fragile after a molt. Hope he is fine.

Agreed. Never underestimate it or any T at all.

as best I can see the T is ok. It moves smoothly. I can’t see any change in the colouring on its legs indicating a liquid came out. I just now took these pix of T albopilosus

I bought 2 tarantulas on Monday. A T albopilosus sling that has just moulted.
And a young P subfusca.

Seems both come in two forms so I’m not sure exactly what I have but am enjoying both so far.
Hard to get good pix.

The subfusca has some beautiful blue on the last segment of its legs. It ate 2 crickets overnight the first night I had it.
Cats pushed the bag they were in off the counter when I first came into the house with them on Monday afternoon hearing the crickets moving around. Both are ok but the sling lost its burrow. So both spiders and the crickets are in my bedroom with the door closed, living in my bedroom along with my ants.

Store owner found a shed skin in the container of the albopilosus so it has just moulted. Will it make a new burrow when it hardens? It needs a new habitat I feel. Suggestions please for a new home for it.

Overall advice for a novice would be appreciated.
thanks

Just took these photos now. I guess in time I will know if it is the highland or lowland form and which gender.

 

[Wolfram1]

Hi, great spiders you got there, make sure you do some more reading on the species. Especially the bite reports of Poecilotheria species are a must if you are only just starting out. They may be fairly "easy" to deal with compared to some other old-worlds, but make sure to always be on high alert when you interact with the enclosure anyway.

Bite reports, just search for the genus Poecilotheria, the venom should be about the same for all:

Bite Reports

A forum for you to share your experiences of being bit. (For tarantulas and centipedes)

arachnoboards.com

Here are some other useful links for P. subfusca, especially the blog by Michael Jacobi is very enlightening:

#53 - TALES FROM THE FIELD #11 - IN SEARCH OF MY FAVORITE SPIDER

TALES FROM THE FIELD #11 - IN SEARCH OF MY FAVORITE SPIDER Let's leave Suriname for now and return to Sri Lanka. When Andrew Smith and I b...

kissmybighairyspider.blogspot.com

https://www.theraphosidae.be/en/poecilotheria-subfusca/

and ofc you can always browse the forums search function

 

[Edan bandoot]

If you think having large leather gloves on while you feed it everytime is a good idea, then I suggest you return the poki and buy it again when you're more experienced.

 

[QueenPogo]

If you think having large leather gloves on while you feed it everytime is a good idea, then I suggest you return the poki and buy it again when you're more experienced.

Didn’t say large leather gloves. Something to protect. Only plan on lifting lid enough to push the cricket through. Will get feeding tongs as well.

I’ve gathered and kept pogonomyrmex occidentalis for 4 years and never been even close to being bitten. I

 

[Edan bandoot]

I’ve gathered and kept pogonomyrmex occidentalis for 4 years and never been even close to being bitten. I

Those are ants man...

 

[QueenPogo]

Hi, great spiders you got there, make sure you do some more reading on the species. Especially the bite reports of Poecilotheria species are a must if you are only just starting out. They may be fairly "easy" to deal with compared to some other old-worlds, but make sure to always be on high alert when you interact with the enclosure anyway.

Bite reports, just search for the genus Poecilotheria, the venom should be about the same for all:

Bite Reports

A forum for you to share your experiences of being bit. (For tarantulas and centipedes)

arachnoboards.com

Here are some other useful links for P. subfusca, especially the blog by Michael Jacobi is very enlightening:

#53 - TALES FROM THE FIELD #11 - IN SEARCH OF MY FAVORITE SPIDER

TALES FROM THE FIELD #11 - IN SEARCH OF MY FAVORITE SPIDER Let's leave Suriname for now and return to Sri Lanka. When Andrew Smith and I b...

kissmybighairyspider.blogspot.com

https://www.theraphosidae.be/en/poecilotheria-subfusca/

and ofc you can always browse the forums search function

Yes I have done nothing but search both the albopilosus and the subfusca. I am well aware of everything. Thanks for the link

Those are ants man...

Yes. One of the worst bites in the world and aggressive.

 

[Craig73]

Welcome. Might want to double think gloves. First, they can imped your flexibility and grasp. Second the T could end up inside the glove while you’re wearing them; doesn’t take a huge opening for it to squeeze in around your wrist…a ’cornered‘ T with no where to go on your person is a bad situation. Once you get a flavor for seeing how fast they are you can see how this could happen.

Some people even wear less clothing when working with fast arboreals to avoid them going up sleeves or inside shirts.

 

[QueenPogo]

Welcome. Might want to double think gloves. First, they can imped your flexibility and grasp. Second the T could end up inside the glove while you’re wearing them; doesn’t take a huge opening for it to squeeze in around your wrist…a ’cornered‘ T with no where to go on your person is a bad situation. Once you get a flavor for seeing how fast they are you can see how this could happen.

Some people even wear less clothing when working with fast arboreals to avoid them going up sleeves or inside shirts.

Thanks. I won’t use gloves.

 

[Craig73]

Thanks. I won’t use gloves.

Read up on them and take things slow.

Hope your experience with keeping T’s is a fun journey. I’ve met some folks and gotten a lot of great advice here.

 

[Edan bandoot]

Read up on them and take things slow.

Hope your experience with keeping T’s is a fun journey. I’ve met some folks and gotten a lot of great advice here.

Share your poki experience with him

 

[Craig73]

Share your poki experience with him

You mean the one where I got a P. metallica when I was ~3 months brand spanking new, terrified because it was fast, skittish and unpredictable…rehoused it a year or so into having it around 3”, almost pooped my pants doing it and then drove 300 mile round trip to give it to another member…in the nice acrylic enclosure cause I refused to cup it into a shipping container…that one?

Or the latest fiasco where I recently got regalis sling ~7 months later because my last functioning brain cell malfunctioned?

Freaking Psalmopoeus irminia already gave me a run for my money last weekend with the 4” transfer. Looked at the regalis afterwards and just shook my head.

 

[Edan bandoot]

You mean the one where I got a P. metallica when I was ~3 months brand spanking new, terrified because it was fast, skittish and unpredictable…rehoused it a year or so into having it around 3”, almost pooped my pants doing it and then drove 300 mile round trip to give it to another member…in the nice acrylic enclosure cause I refused to cup it into a shipping container…that one?

Or the latest fiasco where I recently got regalis sling ~7 months later because my last functioning brain cell malfunctioned?

Freaking Psalmopoeus irminia already gave me a run for my money last weekend with the 4” transfer. Looked at the regalis afterwards and just shook my head.

One of em !

You mean the one where I got a P. metallica when I was ~3 months brand spanking new, terrified because it was fast, skittish and unpredictable…rehoused it a year or so into having it around 3”, almost pooped my pants doing it and then drove 300 mile round trip to give it to another member…in the nice acrylic enclosure cause I refused to cup it into a shipping container…that one?

Or the latest fiasco where I recently got regalis sling ~7 months later because my last functioning brain cell malfunctioned?

Freaking Psalmopoeus irminia already gave me a run for my money last weekend with the 4” transfer. Looked at the regalis afterwards and just shook my head.

I've love if you filmed your rehouses, because I rehouse psalmos and tapis and they don't even bolt, makes me wonder what you're doin

 

[Craig73]

I've love if you filmed your rehouses, because I rehouse psalmos and tapis and they don't even bolt, makes me wonder what you're doin

It was more learning to rehouse larger T’s and not really bolting. I’ve done quite a few smaller T’s less than 2” with relatively no issue.

The irminia posed a challenge because I’ve never been threat posed by a 4” spider, and never one that was super fast. She happened to be in a spot where the lid separates from the container and I had to nudge her to a different spot and the paint brush set her off. Between that, lack of confidence and experience it was nerve racking.

I’ve been thinking about getting a tri-pod for the phone. It would be entertaining for sure, but also a good way to get feedback on my technique and what I could do to improve.