Phases
Arachnoknight
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2017
- Messages
- 205
Hey all! I just joined because, well, we have a new T and I am a life-online person. My occupation in fact is that of a Forum/Server Administrator and Community Manager, a couple places. So, naturally finding a forum was a top priority when we got her, for me. This one looks nice, I have found a couple answers here, seems pretty active, and is on XF so, here I am!
Say hello to our first, and hopefully not our last, girl. I was extremely lucky to get this one and I love and thank my wife for caving and agreeing to it, and if it IS my last, well, could be worse. That said, the wife is coming around to them not being so bad.
So, this is our C. Versicolor - Bonnie. We got her maybe a week ago. She was in an 8 x 8 x 12 enclosure which, seems okay, but after research we decided to up to a 12 x 12 x 18. I'd like a little bigger but, I'm unsure who and what yet to trust on that, on what is best, and this is okay for now.
She's just getting settled in. It took her a couple days to build her hammock that you'll see pictured. In her last enclosure, which we had bought her in a week ago, she had a burrow with two entrances.
I am unsure if she will put a top on this one. As far as I know, she has not gone down at all. I was hoping she'd make her burrow just under there, in that cluster of branches, to ensure I could open the lid. We'll see. Btw all that wood was from my yard and grilled in foil at 350 for 20 minutes. I don't like the "trunk", going to put something else there. Leaves are from fake plants.
I have a lot of questions, but probably not ones that really could be answered. Maybe just spark discussion to help me think.
- Might she molt again? Her legs seem a little dull compared to some pictures, and her toes are NOT pink. They are more golden.
- Measuring DLS, with her standing still but fairly strectched, (see pic of her on arm, over blue pants) she comes in at 4.5". So I'm calling it 5 inches. Seem fair? If so, I suppose she's got another inch she could grow?
- The substrate was damp after I added the water and mixed it to bring it from brick to what it is. It's been damp and cold ever since. I think she might hate that. I'm going to mix/fluff it a few times a day, maybe put a small breeze on it, to dry it out a little bit. Bad idea?
- Is it okay to sort of discourage or encourage where to and not to web? She had it on the front door originally too, i snipped it off and cleaned it, and she titied up her web appropriately.
- I fed her five crickets the day prior to her move. That was four days ago. All I have now are Super Worms which I've never tried to feed her, but she has no interest as of today. I understand even normally she wouldn't, as at this point she may only eat one time a week, or every couple. But, I did try just to see if I could get some 'i'm happy' re-enforcement. Dunno if she just isn't in the mood cuz her burrow isn't complete, if she doesn't like SWs, or if its just way too early.
- She tends to do nothing when I am here. Is that normal, or because I'm here during her rest period during the days?
- Lights! I know this is a debate. I was told blue and red they cannot see. I got a blue LED to put over her and its nice but, when *I* look at it, jesus it is bright, and she can't look away or close her eyes. Do we have a consensus here on whether they see anything, or if it is damaging?
- She did give me a love bite while holding her, once. I didn't get the hairs, the poop, the thumping of the butt, none of that first. She just slowly opened her fangs. I was like what are you doing buddy. Then she slowly moved them down to my skin. I said, Bonnie, why friend, why? Then, she started to squeeze. Left a couple marks but didn't really break the skin. I kinda shook her onto my chair, picked her back up. Fangs exposed but 4 legs on each hand, so she was like, spanning the two, and took her and put her up. Heh, so I learned sometimes they have moods and don't want to come out. I am very gentle with her, and learning her signs is all. I could tell, for example, during these 3 days in her new cage, she did NOT want to come out. In fact today is the first she seemed eager to come say hi. So, I held her a while.
P.S. I did have a rose hair and stripe knee as a teen, but I don't remember much. 20 years ago.
Anyway. HI! Wow that got long.
Say hello to our first, and hopefully not our last, girl. I was extremely lucky to get this one and I love and thank my wife for caving and agreeing to it, and if it IS my last, well, could be worse. That said, the wife is coming around to them not being so bad.
So, this is our C. Versicolor - Bonnie. We got her maybe a week ago. She was in an 8 x 8 x 12 enclosure which, seems okay, but after research we decided to up to a 12 x 12 x 18. I'd like a little bigger but, I'm unsure who and what yet to trust on that, on what is best, and this is okay for now.
She's just getting settled in. It took her a couple days to build her hammock that you'll see pictured. In her last enclosure, which we had bought her in a week ago, she had a burrow with two entrances.
I am unsure if she will put a top on this one. As far as I know, she has not gone down at all. I was hoping she'd make her burrow just under there, in that cluster of branches, to ensure I could open the lid. We'll see. Btw all that wood was from my yard and grilled in foil at 350 for 20 minutes. I don't like the "trunk", going to put something else there. Leaves are from fake plants.
I have a lot of questions, but probably not ones that really could be answered. Maybe just spark discussion to help me think.
- Might she molt again? Her legs seem a little dull compared to some pictures, and her toes are NOT pink. They are more golden.
- Measuring DLS, with her standing still but fairly strectched, (see pic of her on arm, over blue pants) she comes in at 4.5". So I'm calling it 5 inches. Seem fair? If so, I suppose she's got another inch she could grow?
- The substrate was damp after I added the water and mixed it to bring it from brick to what it is. It's been damp and cold ever since. I think she might hate that. I'm going to mix/fluff it a few times a day, maybe put a small breeze on it, to dry it out a little bit. Bad idea?
- Is it okay to sort of discourage or encourage where to and not to web? She had it on the front door originally too, i snipped it off and cleaned it, and she titied up her web appropriately.
- I fed her five crickets the day prior to her move. That was four days ago. All I have now are Super Worms which I've never tried to feed her, but she has no interest as of today. I understand even normally she wouldn't, as at this point she may only eat one time a week, or every couple. But, I did try just to see if I could get some 'i'm happy' re-enforcement. Dunno if she just isn't in the mood cuz her burrow isn't complete, if she doesn't like SWs, or if its just way too early.
- She tends to do nothing when I am here. Is that normal, or because I'm here during her rest period during the days?
- Lights! I know this is a debate. I was told blue and red they cannot see. I got a blue LED to put over her and its nice but, when *I* look at it, jesus it is bright, and she can't look away or close her eyes. Do we have a consensus here on whether they see anything, or if it is damaging?
- She did give me a love bite while holding her, once. I didn't get the hairs, the poop, the thumping of the butt, none of that first. She just slowly opened her fangs. I was like what are you doing buddy. Then she slowly moved them down to my skin. I said, Bonnie, why friend, why? Then, she started to squeeze. Left a couple marks but didn't really break the skin. I kinda shook her onto my chair, picked her back up. Fangs exposed but 4 legs on each hand, so she was like, spanning the two, and took her and put her up. Heh, so I learned sometimes they have moods and don't want to come out. I am very gentle with her, and learning her signs is all. I could tell, for example, during these 3 days in her new cage, she did NOT want to come out. In fact today is the first she seemed eager to come say hi. So, I held her a while.
P.S. I did have a rose hair and stripe knee as a teen, but I don't remember much. 20 years ago.
Anyway. HI! Wow that got long.
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