New T owner here I have a couple of questions

[Joseph318]

So I just got a 3 1/2 inch B Smithi and a 4 inch Curly Hair both females and they both seem to just be staying in the same spot not really moving much. The Temperature in both cages are about 69 to 70 and the humidity is a bit high I guess the substrate is still drying out a bit. But they haven’t went in their hide outs they are just sitting in the corners of the tanks. Are they okay? Are they just adjusting? Any advice would be very much appreciated. Also it gets down to like 65 or so in my house at night should they have an alternative heat source for the night time? Let me know what you guys think! Thanks!

 

[emartinm28]

Hi, this is normal behavior. The first few days or even weeks the tarantulas will adjust to their new surroundings, just give them time and make sure they have constant access to clean water. Temperatures should be fine, a bit low though so you might see slower growth and lessened appetites, if you do decide to use a heat source it’s best to heat the ambient air rather than concentrate on the enclosures themselves because heat mats can burn tarantulas.

 

[Kibosh]

Sounds normal.

Also throw out your humidity gage, trying to keep your T's at a specific humidity is going to kill them especially those two species. Just make sure they have a water dish and overflow it a bit once a week should give them all the moisture they need.

 

[Tarantuland]

Normal- give it time. They may never use the hides, at those sizes they may or may not burrow. Just make sure there isn't over 1.5 times the diagonal leg span from the lid, and that they have enough substrate to burrow. Don't stress much, these are easy to keep. 65 degrees kind of low but should be fine. Use a space heater if anything-do not use a lightbulb or heat rock

 

[Sterls]

Not that you need another person saying it's normal, but it's normal.

Ditch the idea that humidity matters, pay more attention to the substrate and always offer a water dish. Both of these species are fine dry; you can keep the bottom layer a little moist if you want but make sure the top is dry.

If they hang around the water bowl a lot they might want more moisture, sometimes individual specimens break from their species' general preferences

65 is fine, any lower and I'd consider making a heated enclosure to place their enclosures into. A thermoregulated heat mat on an insulated aquarium works well for this.

 

[Joseph318]

Not that you need another person saying it's normal, but it's normal.

Ditch the idea that humidity matters, pay more attention to the substrate and always offer a water dish. Both of these species are fine dry; you can keep the bottom layer a little moist if you want but make sure the top is dry.

If they hang around the water bowl a lot they might want more moisture, sometimes individual specimens break from their species' general preferences

65 is fine, any lower and I'd consider making a heated enclosure to place their enclosures into. A thermoregulated heat mat on an insulated aquarium works well for this.

I have thermoregulated heat mats for both of them I turn on at night they both seem to migrate to it when the temperature drops. Every once in a while I check on the temps to make sure they are not getting too warm and I turn them off during the day because the temperature gets to between 70 and 74. The coco fiber was a bit moist when I put it in there but I set up the enclosure like two weeks before I actually got the Ts, the top layer is dry now but the bottom layer still seems to be dark, I don’t worry about the humidity to much anyway because I live in Louisiana.

 

[Matt Man]

make sure the mats are not UNDER the enclosures. Ts tend to head into their burrows to escape heat so they would be digging to higher heat.
If you have to use a mat, have it to one side of the enclosure and up

 

[Joseph318]

make sure the mats are not UNDER the enclosures. Ts tend to head into their burrows to escape heat so they would be digging to higher heat.
If you have to use a mat, have it to one side of the enclosure and up

Yes sir, I have them placed on the sides towards the top, as well as their water bowls placed at the other end of the tank.

 

[Matt Man]

Yes sir, I have them placed on the sides towards the top, as well as their water bowls placed at the other end of the tank.

great, you are solid then

 

[viper69]

So I just got a 3 1/2 inch B Smithi and a 4 inch Curly Hair both females and they both seem to just be staying in the same spot not really moving much. The Temperature in both cages are about 69 to 70 and the humidity is a bit high I guess the substrate is still drying out a bit. But they haven’t went in their hide outs they are just sitting in the corners of the tanks. Are they okay? Are they just adjusting? Any advice would be very much appreciated. Also it gets down to like 65 or so in my house at night should they have an alternative heat source for the night time? Let me know what you guys think! Thanks!

Yes x2

Depends on how they settle in with or without appetite- low temps > low appetite

 

[tincan1999]

So I just got a 3 1/2 inch B Smithi and a 4 inch Curly Hair both females and they both seem to just be staying in the same spot not really moving much. The Temperature in both cages are about 69 to 70 and the humidity is a bit high I guess the substrate is still drying out a bit. But they haven’t went in their hide outs they are just sitting in the corners of the tanks. Are they okay? Are they just adjusting? Any advice would be very much appreciated. Also it gets down to like 65 or so in my house at night should they have an alternative heat source for the night time? Let me know what you guys think! Thanks!

ok i know like 135 people already told you you're all good but i just wanted to say this is pretty much what happens w my smithi like.. all the time. when i first got her she walked all around the enclosure like crazy for a few hours, but whenever i move her to a different enclosure now (and they're always better than the first one i had) she stands totally still for a long time before moving around and investigating. so to me that seems like a good reaction!!

 

[Joseph318]

Yes x2

Depends on how they settle in with or without appetite- low temps > low appetite

They have already eaten 4 crickets each this week I got them Tuesday.

 

[SpyderQueen]

Normal- give it time. They may never use the hides, at those sizes they may or may not burrow. Just make sure there isn't over 1.5 times the diagonal leg span from the lid, and that they have enough substrate to burrow. Don't stress much, these are easy to keep. 65 degrees kind of low but should be fine. Use a space heater if anything-do not use a lightbulb or heat rock

why not lightbulb? im curious

 

[Joseph318]

why not lightbulb? im curious

Ts tend not to like a lot of light they are nocturnal so they prefer the darkness. Also the I’ve heard that the light sometimes draws them towards it and they stay in it and burn up, lights over all are just a bad idea for Ts. Just normal day time lighting in your home is fine for them . At least this is what I’ve researched.