New to the Hobby, B. Hamorii starting to set up

[CentiPete]

Another update, I noticed my water dish had some sharp edges, and seeing the tarantula drag its fat tail around I figured I would be good advised to change it up to something else. In lieu of a better solution I ised a thoroughly cleaned out seashell I found at the beach long ago.

Also the sling is hanging out at the window today so for the first time I got to see its underside clearly and was able to snag a shot of that as well. Since it is already out and about again, should I continue feeding until it refuses?
I read on here it was difficult to overfeed, but also I have not found many entries describing a spider feeding EVERY DAY for a full week?

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Another update, I noticed my water dish had some sharp edges, and seeing the tarantula drag its fat tail around I figured I would be good advised to change it up to something else. In lieu of a better solution I ised a thoroughly cleaned out seashell I found at the beach long ago.

Also the sling is hanging out at the window today so for the first time I got to see its underside clearly and was able to snag a shot of that as well. Since it is already out and about again, should I continue feeding until it refuses?
I read on here it was difficult to overfeed, but also I have not found many entries describing a spider feeding EVERY DAY for a full week?


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Ive fed a t much larger 6-7” EVERY DAY for a full week before, but I would not advise doing so because it caused a month or two of fasting. The phampho hasn’t ate in a year now it was fed lots of super worms. One worm a day until the 45 count ran out.
Once a week is plenty or once every two weeks. I was feeding my adult ts once a month.

 

[TheraMygale]

I was looking at your enclosure and have seen those on some asian platform that sells alot of expensive things at low cost bootleg versions.

Is this such an enclosure? I was tempted to “try and risk” buying one. Because, the price is less then the branded things available. And afterall, some of these bootlegs are the same exact branded things, just sold unbranded.

I am also aware of the risks of buying on those platforms.

I was just curious, so wanted to know. Where is it from and how is it fairing so far.

 

[CentiPete]

Yeah I was in a really tight spot but needed the upgrade, it was 4 bucks on ali express after Discounts. So I broke down and ordered.
It is probably not realy acrylic, but rather some cheap knock-off like polystyrol or so, there is something off about the lid. It bends slightly upwards at the edges. I removed it and put it back in reversed, still it started to bend in the other direction, which I found weird.

It was marketed as breeding box for small reptiles, which would not make it a problem, but for inverts it might pose a problem in some cases. Was the sling any smaller it could escape. Was it to become much bigger, it would probably be able to push open the lid, which is held in place by a small magnet, which is not that strong, and which position is compromised a little by the bend lid. I observed a red runner which immediately was trying to escape there, it was too small to stretch its legs enough to reach, but the bug instantly knew that this was the weak spot of the enclosure.


I am already contemplating the next rehousing, but want to wait for the next molt before doing so.

Next time I will probably opt for a different type of enclosure, with better materials, or even build my own from actual raw acrylic. I have access to a lasercutter at work, but just the raw material would have been more than the chinese product.
For the price it still was okay value, if not for the bend lid it would have been great value.
Only order from there with a burner Email, as they will spam you to death, with no way out!

 

[TheraMygale]

Yeah I was in a really tight spot but needed the upgrade, it was 4 bucks on ali express after Discounts. So I broke down and ordered.
It is probably not realy acrylic, but rather some cheap knock-off like polystyrol or so, there is something off about the lid. It bends slightly upwards at the edges. I removed it and put it back in reversed, still it started to bend in the other direction, which I found weird.
View attachment 477533
It was marketed as breeding box for small reptiles, which would not make it a problem, but for inverts it might pose a problem in some cases. Was the sling any smaller it could escape. Was it to become much bigger, it would probably be able to push open the lid, which is held in place by a small magnet, which is not that strong, and which position is compromised a little by the bend lid. I observed a red runner which immediately was trying to escape there, it was too small to stretch its legs enough to reach, but the bug instantly knew that this was the weak spot of the enclosure.
View attachment 477534

I am already contemplating the next rehousing, but want to wait for the next molt before doing so.

Next time I will probably opt for a different type of enclosure, with better materials, or even build my own from actual raw acrylic. I have access to a lasercutter at work, but just the raw material would have been more than the chinese product.
For the price it still was okay value, if not for the bend lid it would have been great value.
Only order from there with a burner Email, as they will spam you to death, with no way out!

Acryclic warps. Whatever the material yours is made of, i am not suprised. Many of these enclosures do this. But at the price you paid, it isn’t that much of a disappointement. You could always make you own cover and use rocks to hold it down. It will be some time before your tarantula gets big anyways.

 

[CentiPete]

Hey guys it has happened, the spider is beginning a fast or so it seems the last red runner was not eaten. The sling was chillin and the roach could approach it and feel it up with its antennae, no reaction whatsoever. The roach made a little burrow inside that rhino skull in the corner. I can see it when I light it up with my flashlight. I want to remove the roach from the enclosure without disturbing the T too much. Any pointers? Its been two days now. I will give it another day before I take action, as I guess premolt will take longer than three days right? Last two roaches have been fed saturday and sunday or so.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Hey guys it has happened, the spider is beginning a fast or so it seems the last red runner was not eaten. The sling was chillin and the roach could approach it and feel it up with its antennae, no reaction whatsoever. The roach made a little burrow inside that rhino skull in the corner. I can see it when I light it up with my flashlight. I want to remove the roach from the enclosure without disturbing the T too much. Any pointers? Its been two days now. I will give it another day before I take action, as I guess premolt will take longer than three days right? Last two roaches have been fed saturday and sunday or so.

The larger the t longer until it molts from when it stopped eating. I use giant tweezers to remove roaches but you should be able to remove it anyway without bothering the spider.

 

[TheraMygale]

My B hamorii litteraly molted 2 hours ago. I felt it coming. This morning i knew it was going to happen today. Been weeks that it refused food and prekilled.

its abdomen was showing all the signs.

in the afternoon, it started turning in circles and webbing the ground. I knew it would be minutes if not hours.

go figure not even 2 hours it just popped. Did not even go on its back. It molted upside normal. After it came out, it went on its back for an hour or so. It was up and moving not minutes later.

take out the roach. Now.

i did that. I had given live prey, it didnt take. I didnt wait 5 minutes to remove it. In less then hours it molted.

look at it, so fresh.

it molted next to water bowl. Make sure yours is full.

I filmed little bits of the whole process but its not in mp4. I doubt i will ever upload it, the quality is not what people like. But it was AMAZING.

to know its going to happen and it does. So validating. All this research, hours spent reading, observing and tarantuling… it is so worth it.

I would like to add, humidity is at its highest. Today, the weather is getting provincial heat warnings. My a/c can not keep up. I just did laundry and the house smells of moisture.

 

[CentiPete]

Had some time today to dig up that roach. The frog had an early breakfast snack. The spider was completely unfazed though, just perched on top of its coconut watching me dig up the skull, hunting the roach with the tweezers, putting everything back in, fill up the water dish. Not even flinched.

So all in all a very smooth operation.

Took thebopportunity to get up close and take a photo, who knows how long it will continue to look like this?

 

[CentiPete]

Sooo finally it emerged from its lair and showed off in all its new glory. It has grown considerably, and was stretching out its legs last night.




I was able to salvage the molt from its lair and took a pic.

 

[TheraMygale]

Our b hamoriis are so synched within a months time. Mine have both molted recently, and the color is just wow. So spiffy too!

 

[CentiPete]

It just came out again and it is really twice the size from before the molt. It being hidden for days on end did blur the memor, a bit but everytime it comes out I realize the enclosure is becoming too small very quickly.

Currently shopping for a new enclosure that will hold up until adult size. Looking to get something like 30x30x 20cm or so (approx. 12x12x8") to really built a home now, where it can keep growing until complete. The ones I find out there are all having something I dont like, so contemplating building my own out of acrylics...

 

[CentiPete]

A little update. The sling has bevome huge and I mean humongous in just a short amount of time. I have been feeding a lot of roaches the first week, then a deceased adult Locust, which was devoured whole.

Now I am beginning to see a lot of very interesting behaviours, this animal is really starting to put on a show. It has redecoreated the enclosure, as the waterdish seemed to be in thebwrong spot it moved it somewhere else, along with a bunch of dirt. Next it flattened the ground in front of its hide conpletely and cleaned it up fromm all debris that was lying there.

I was wondering earlier, why I would not see many boluses, espcially the adult locust was nowhere to be seen after day three.

Last night I could witness whats going on. I fed a roach and instead of taking it into its hide as usual, the spider decided to eat out in the open. And it was quite the dance.

The food in its mouth still struggling, the sling started to pad the floor with its abdomen creating a nice and even surface, while also carefully webbing loose substrate to the ground.

Next it would start dining on the roach carcass, compacting it with every major suck on the victim. It then separated the limbs from the torso.

When it had shrunk considerably, it was putting the remains on the floor, starting to web over them, then picking it up and camouflaging the carcass with pieces of substrate so that the bolus was looking like a piece of substrate when the spider was done with it, it placed it somewhere I did not see, but man, this is one neat mofo!

I still havent found a decent enclosure that fits all my criteria, but I have to find something soon, as I would like to build an escapeproof, but much more rich environment for the spider to theive and exhibit many more peculiar behaviours.

The scaping of the terrariums and then seeing the animals explore and do their thing is my favorite part.

 

[CentiPete]

Another peculiar thing I have noticed is the Spider is thoroughly cleaning the enclosure now. It moved the water dish out of the way and after that last meal cleaned the floor from all webbing and debris. Look how clean it is now! I decided to keep the water dish where it is for now.

when cleaning out the dirt I startled the sling and it attacked the brush

its fangs have to be 3mm by now, scary stuff!

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Another peculiar thing I have noticed is the Spider is thoroughly cleaning the enclosure now. It moved the water dish out of the way and after that last meal cleaned the floor from all webbing and debris. Look how clean it is now! I decided to keep the water dish where it is for now.

when cleaning out the dirt I startled the sling and it attacked the brush

its fangs have to be 3mm by now, scary stuff!
View attachment 482044 View attachment 482045

I miss my red knees she never made it to age 17. I wanted some but pet shop only had adults. $150 each or so. Yours is way more active than mine was. Enjoy !

 

[CentiPete]

Hope you will find a new red knee someday

Got a new phone, playing around with camera on one of my favourite subjects

 

[TheraMygale]

My two are so looking juicy like yours! And evil hair kickers they are SOS. Its a miracle i am alive. Still mastering the art of opening the lid at an angle and pretending those UrS are not escaping.

such amazing species. And wow the feeding response at their tiny size.

 

[CentiPete]

It has not really flicked at me yet but seems to go into biting position when I get too close. It used to scurry into the hide, but I guess we are not only getting fat but also feisty now! XD

I was mused into drawing over the photo yesterday

 

[CentiPete]

Two weeks ago I tried to feed and the spider ignored the roach. Granted it was a big red bug, but not bigger than the spider. I would see no problem for the spider to take it down. Anyway I stopped feeding and put the bug back in.

now waiting to see how if a molt is underway. Last time the spider was starting to become very reclusive, now it is just chilling out. I will offer some pre-killed later tonight and see what’s up.

 

[CentiPete]

Yesterday I offered some prekilled food but the spider didn’t respond at all, and this morning voilà: freshly molted spider sitting in the corner!

The colors get more pronounced with every moult and I would say the rehouse is now more pressing than ever.

Molt looks to have been smooth, it did it out in the open this time, I guess the hide is getting too small either.