Our second T! Lasiodora parahybana (Brazilian Salmon Pink)

[mconnachan]

What size would be good D. Roaches for these 5" guys? I assume large or extra.

Start a colony, that way you'll never have to buy feeders ever again, they breed easily, and are great for all sizes of tarantula, as you have nymphs right up to gravid females. Well worth the £6 initial cost for 10 adult females and 10 adult males and some stragglers (different sized). That's over 2 years I've not bought feeders for my T's. The best thing is there's more sustenance in dubias than a cricket going by size(length).

 

[nicodimus22]

What size would be good D. Roaches for these 5" guys? I assume large or extra.

I have a 3 and 3/4" A. chalcodes and a 4" G. pulchripes that both take full-grown adults, so anything larger should have no problem with the biggest ones. It's a big meal, so they may fill up and stop eating faster.

 

[Anoplogaster]

Yup! Look into setting up a small dubia colony. It's super easy! With a colony, you'll have all size ranges. So everything from my jumping spider and black widow, to my 7-inch P. vitatta. Once the colony is up and running, you can take your pick of sizes

Set them up in a rubbermaid tub with a heat mat on one side (on the outside of the container). They can't climb the sides, so you're safe there. Egg carton is the preferred material for them, but you can also throw scraps of cardboard and empty toilet paper tubes in there like I do. They just need space to huddle and breed. Most of what they eat is veggie trimmings that I naturally generate from cooking prep. They also appreciate apples, oranges, and carrots. Make sure to buy organic to avoid pesticides. I also throw stale bread leftovers in there, too. They munch on that until it's dry like a cracker. Then they don't seem to touch it unless I mist it a bit.

Come feeding time, I stroll over to my colony with a cup. I dig through and choose appropriate sizes for each of my animals. "This one's for Sasha. This huge one will be Elvira's. This teeny one can be for Angelica." Once you start racking up a ton of spiders, having a colony is really convenient.

 

[mconnachan]

Start a colony, that way you'll never have to buy feeders ever again, they breed easily, and are great for all sizes of tarantula, as you have nymphs right up to gravid females.

Yup! Look into setting up a small dubia colony. It's super easy! With a colony, you'll have all size ranges. So everything from my jumping spider and black widow, to my 7-inch P. vitatta. Once the colony is up and running, you can take your pick of sizes

Definitely the best way to go if you're planning to have a big collection, the initial outlay is minimal, as long as your planning to get more T's then this is the way to go.

 

[Phases]

Ok, I did as suggested and added a couple inches of sub. We decided we wanted to attempt to put him in a closer environment to what would be natural, so we used a "forest floor" cyprus mulch, mixed it in with the normal stuff. I like it! We got him a more rock looking water dish (might be a little big but he'll grow into it), plants that are more realistic for this. We image searched Brazilian forest floors and didn't see any decorative glass pendant lights or stones, so it seems that stuff is not indigenous to the area, therefore we replaced with a "rock" hideaway to maybe make use of for a burrow, and (3) small river rocks in the back right corner. Hard to see. Maybe he can move those around. The rock hideaway is actually pretty big, the pic doesn't do it justice. I'd bet full size he could still burrow that out to his liking.

I'll say, taking her out and putting her back in, to do this, went very well. He's calmed down a good bit.

Oh, I do intend on mossing the top of the rock and maybe putting a little something, small item that's easily movable, in there for him.

Edit: Oh hey quick question. The dubia. My wife has an allergy to roaches. So, bad idea with this type as well?

 

[mconnachan]

Ok, I did as suggested and added a couple inches of sub. We decided we wanted to attempt to put him in a closer environment to what would be natural, so we used a "forest floor" cyprus mulch, mixed it in with the normal stuff. I like it! We got him a more rock looking water dish (might be a little big but he'll grow into it), plants that are more realistic for this. We image searched Brazilian forest floors and didn't see any decorative glass pendant lights or stones, so it seems that stuff is not indigenous to the area, therefore we replaced with a "rock" hideaway to maybe make use of for a burrow, and (3) small river rocks in the back right corner. Hard to see. Maybe he can move those around. The rock hideaway is actually pretty big, the pic doesn't do it justice. I'd bet full size he could still burrow that out to his liking.

I'll say, taking her out and putting her back in, to do this, went very well. He's calmed down a good bit.

Oh, I do intend on mossing the top of the rock and maybe putting a little something, small item that's easily movable, in there for him.

Edit: Oh hey quick question. The dubia. My wife has an allergy to roaches. So, bad idea with this type as well?

View attachment 242571 View attachment 242572 View attachment 242573 View attachment 242574

The enclosure looks much better now, for a hide a piece of cork bark would be better, the one you have looks huge, is he using it, I bet not, it's too big, the cork bark looks more natural as well, he's still on the glass I see, is the substrate damp at all, just wondering as most of the pictures are with the T on the glass (good time to measure) apart from that it really looks 100 times better, more natural, good for you @Phases looking sweet as....

 

[Phases]

Thank you Well, I had just put him in and snapped the pics. He's not had time to do anything, he came out of the holding container onto the glass and stayed there for the pics. I'll know more in the coming days. The hide will be as big or small as he wants I think, because he can dig it out. That was my hope anyway. I'll push some dirt into the back of it when I get home, and maybe put a rock in front of part of the entrance so it seems smaller and he can grow into it.

The cork bark is nice. The store half logs I see too often and they are unnatural looking to me. I could do cork bark but, wanted to try to be different.

We'll see if he takes to this and if not I'll swap out.

Thanks for all your help

 

[mconnachan]

Thank you Well, I had just put him in and snapped the pics. He's not had time to do anything, he came out of the holding container onto the glass and stayed there for the pics. I'll know more in the coming days. The hide will be as big or small as he wants I think, because he can dig it out. That was my hope anyway. I'll push some dirt into the back of it when I get home, and maybe put a rock in front of part of the entrance so it seems smaller and he can grow into it.

The cork bark is nice. The store half logs I see too often and they are unnatural looking to me. I could do cork bark but, wanted to try to be different.

We'll see if he takes to this and if not I'll swap out.

Thanks for all your help

My pleasure, from your first post, to your future posts, no need for thanks, just throw money...LOL

 

[mconnachan]

@Phases, I'm not sure what the lollipop rating even means but thanks anyway, I'll have to look it up, or if you know let me know, or if it was lollipop rating from a different point of view. ?????????

 

[Phases]

Lol I have no idea what that is. Basically was just clicking something silly cuz they don't have a $ sign to throw at ya

 

[mconnachan]

Lol I have no idea what that is. Basically was just clicking something silly cuz they don't have a $ sign to throw at ya

Thanks dude very kind indeed, you would have to have some throw though, to hit me in Scotland.

 

[Anoplogaster]

What do you mean by allergy to roaches? Like, what happens when she is exposed?

 

[mconnachan]

What do you mean by allergy to roaches? Like, what happens when she is exposed?

I was thinking the same thing, these aren't dirty pest roaches, these are from the tropical forests of Guyana for one, they are cleaners of the forest floor, your partner/wife wouldn't need to touch them, you could handle the feeding, I don't need to handle them at all I use my tongs. Great feeders anyway, best meat content of any feeder insects. Crickets stink, they chirp all night, you do get black silent ones but their still not as good IMO as Blaptica dubia.

 

[cold blood]

What do you mean by allergy to roaches? Like, what happens when she is exposed?

Roach feces is a very strong allergen. Can cause lung issues and will effect old and young more than adults...it can also be a trigger for asthmatics. Good reason to keep bins clean.

 

[cold blood]

I was thinking the same thing, these aren't dirty pest roaches, these are from the tropical forests of Guyana for one, they are cleaners of the forest floor, your partner/wife wouldn't need to touch them, you could handle the feeding, I don't need to handle them at all I use my tongs. Great feeders anyway, best meat content of any feeder insects. Crickets stink, they chirp all night, you do get black silent ones but their still not as good IMO as Blaptica dubia.

Do you actually keep dubia? In a short time you have inches of frass...let it go and it adds up quick....regardless of where theyre from, theyre still eating and pooping machines.

 

[Anoplogaster]

Crickets tend to chew on stuff too. They'll head straight for boluses if there are any. In reptile enclosures, they head straight for poop and eat that. There's also a higher chance of crickets chewing on your tarantula, too. People say it's during a molt. But I've seen the buggers nip at tarantulas that are just sitting there! Roaches tend not to do that.

You can also eat roaches yourself, too! I have..... nothing special. But they taste like cheetos, if you're curious!

 

[Anoplogaster]

Do you actually keep dubia? In a short time you have inches of frass...let it go and it adds up quick....regardless of where theyre from, theyre still eating and pooping machines.

They can still be dirty. But you don't get a strong ammonia smell like crickets. At least I don't

 

[Anoplogaster]

Roach feces is a very strong allergen. Can cause lung issues and will effect old and young more than adults...it can also be a trigger for asthmatics. Good reason to keep bins clean.

Oh interesting! I had no idea about that. I'm glad it doesn't affect me. I wonder if it's tied to other arthropod allergies, like shellfish. One of my students couldn't even perform a crayfish dissection because the airborne particles were enough to affect her.

 

[cold blood]

They can still be dirty. But you don't get a strong ammonia smell like crickets. At least I don't

Not nearly as strong...but I am not fond of the smell of roaches. I'm always amazed at all the people that say they don't smell...I chalk it up to they must be cig smokers...as that kills the sense of smell.

And yeah, roaches are much safer if left, but they still can turn on your t...its just really uncommon.

 

[cold blood]

Oh interesting! I had no idea about that. I'm glad it doesn't affect me. I wonder if it's tied to other arthropod allergies, like shellfish. One of my students couldn't even perform a crayfish dissection because the airborne particles were enough to affect her.

Its tied to lung issues...I know because I have asthma.