Rehoming a Poecilotheria vittata

[shining]

So is her present situation THAT nasty? It looks nasty to me, but I'm not a tarantula. Swamps are nasty to me but many animals love them.
What exactly is meant by a "deli cup"? Something like an XL McShake would come in, only clear plastic? I imagine a small critter keeper wouldn't work because it would be difficult to get the lid on.

I would like to see pictures of what it should look like. Is the terrarium itself OK? I am trying to save money and live better.

Your T would like to live better too but doesn't have the money to hook itself up.

My P. regalis enclosure.

 

[Trenor]

Or maybe life got busy. Not everyone sits on the boards like we do.

 

[WeightedAbyss75]

Or maybe life got busy. Not everyone sits on the boards like we do.

True that.

 

[Poec54]

Shining: Does that cage have a screen lid?

 

[shining]

Shining: Does that cage have a screen lid?

Yes, it does. I haven't had any screen issues with any of the Ts I've kept under screen, not saying there won't be. I do intend to change the screen lid on this one and make some of my own enclosures after I get some acrylic and experiment. Besides, screen is ugly in general and somewhat obscuring. Thank you for inquiring and pointing out the miniscule bit of hypocrisy of my advice.

 

[Poec54]

Hey, that cage is beautiful. I personally don't like screen for tarantulas, they're capable of easily tearing through it (especially terrestrials), and it can compromise the microclimate. But some people can make it work.

 

[shining]

Hey, that cage is beautiful. I personally don't like screen for tarantulas, they're capable of easily tearing through it (especially terrestrials), and it can compromise the microclimate. But some people can make it work.

Thanks, I try.

Luckily they've worked for me for this long. I've read the horror stories.

 

[Dennis Cada]

Hmmm... I wasn't getting any e mails about responses so I figured you were all being anti social but today I logged in anyway and OMG!! Was I ever wrong!

Trenor - Those few air holes in your cup don't look like enough to me, but I guess they don't require a lot of air. I would like to get vertical driftwood but they would cost more than I paid for the pokie with the terrarium! :-( I did get a piece of coconut something to fit in the back of the terrarium, kind of like the cork bark.

Would actual live plants work?

I'm somewhat confused about this "bag method" myself. What I intend to do is use a clear plastic cup I had an iced cappachino in with a bit of window screen covering the wide hole in the lid. I'll put a cricket or two in the cup and set it in the terrarium. When pokie goes to dine I'll snap the lid on and away she will go! When I'm finished with the terrarium I'll put the cup back in, loosen the lid, and then pop it off with my tongs with the top as closed as I can get it until the tongs are out. Once pokie leaves the cup I'll remove it with the tongs.

The screen top snaps into place. I don't know if I could fashion a plexiglas replacement to do the same.

And, Toxoderidae, Bayverine is correct, I did already have this pokie, and a Haplopelma vonwirthi, before asking about them. I have decided not to get any more OW ones until I learn more and feel more comfortable with them. I have since gotten a nice Mexican Red Knee though.

 

[Dennis Cada]

Your T would like to live better too but doesn't have the money to hook itself up.

My P. regalis enclosure.
View attachment 215683

*I* don't have THAT kind of money - either! That thing looks incredible but it must have cost a small fortune! Too bad the pokie can't save money and live better at Walmart.

 

[Toxoderidae]

*I* don't have THAT kind of money - either! That thing looks incredible but it must have cost a small fortune! Too bad the pokie can't save money and live better at Walmart.

You're wrong man! A pokie enclosure like that can be set up for less than 40 dollars. (as long as you don't purchase the overpriced garbage at pet stores)

 

[shining]

Would actual live plants work?

I'm somewhat confused about this "bag method" myself. What I intend to do is use a clear plastic cup I had an iced cappachino in with a bit of window screen covering the wide hole in the lid. I'll put a cricket or two in the cup and set it in the terrarium. When pokie goes to dine I'll snap the lid on and away she will go! When I'm finished with the terrarium I'll put the cup back in, loosen the lid, and then pop it off with my tongs with the top as closed as I can get it until the tongs are out. Once pokie leaves the cup I'll remove it with the tongs.

The screen top snaps into place. I don't know if I could fashion a plexiglas replacement to do the same.

Ummhhh, that would work if your tarantula was a slow mammal.

*I* don't have THAT kind of money - either! That thing looks incredible but it must have cost a small fortune! Too bad the pokie can't save money and live better at Walmart.

The most expensive thing in that viv is the slab of corkbark. It was probably $20 for that. You can find better pieces of cork bark rounds for that price too.

You're wrong man! A pokie enclosure like that can be set up for less than 40 dollars. (as long as you don't purchase the overpriced garbage at pet stores)

Correct. The vines, plants and moss were overpriced but the total still comes out to $40 give or take.

I'm fortunate enough to have had all of those items laying around in my excess critter decor box.

 

[cold blood]

I would like to get vertical driftwood but they would cost more than I paid for the pokie with the terrarium! :-( I did get a piece of coconut something to fit in the back of the terrarium, kind of like the cork bark.

Would actual live plants work?



The screen top snaps into place. I don't know if I could fashion a plexiglas replacement to do the same.

Don't use live plants, they complicate things, and with a pokie, you certainly don't want to be doing plant maintenance.

A properly cut piece of acrylic or plexi should fit tightly. The two I use fit very tightly.

Driftwood costs...lmao...you live in Ontario, find a river or lake and pick up some nice looking pieces...the stuff's free. I get like 80% of my wood from the shores of Lake Michigan.

 

[cold blood]

You're wrong man! A pokie enclosure like that can be set up for less than 40 dollars. (as long as you don't purchase the overpriced garbage at pet stores)

Heck, less than $15 easy. (pssst, its called sterilite)

 

[shining]

Heck, less than $15 easy. (pssst, its called sterilite)

Yep,

Driftwood = free in the natures

Fake plants = $1-$2 in the craft section in Walfart

Substrate = Brick of eco earth for $5 at your local pet store

No need for the sterilite, he already has the exo terra.

 

[Venom1080]

I'm somewhat confused about this "bag method" myself. What I intend to do is use a clear plastic cup I had an iced cappachino in with a bit of window screen covering the wide hole in the lid. I'll put a cricket or two in the cup and set it in the terrarium. When pokie goes to dine I'll snap the lid on and away she will go! When I'm finished with the terrarium I'll put the cup back in, loosen the lid, and then pop it off with my tongs with the top as closed as I can get it until the tongs are out. Once pokie leaves the cup I'll remove it with the tongs.

i highly doubt that will work unless you watch the cage 24/7. just use something long and thin and nudge it into a cup. dont you have any deli cups?? good idea to leave the pokie in the cup till it leaves and then remove though.

 

[Trenor]

Those few air holes in your cup don't look like enough to me, but I guess they don't require a lot of air. I would like to get vertical driftwood but they would cost more than I paid for the pokie with the terrarium! :-( I did get a piece of coconut something to fit in the back of the terrarium, kind of like the cork bark.

They don't need as much ventilation as an Avic does so those holes are plenty.

Like others have said you can grab a nice piece of wood from outside. I'd look in the fish section at Walmart or the equivalent and the plastic plants are a bag of 6 for 4 dollars. I use those in several of my other enclosures and they work good. I have less then 15 in that deli cup setup. Granted, I buy a lot of my plants and the cups and bark in bulk so it's a bit cheaper that way. None of the things in that cup or most of my enclosures came out of a pet store. Everything is costly there.

 

[Dennis Cada]

I did use Sterilite for my other OW T, but the dumb thing is forever in its burrow so it's no problem. So the plants I'm seeing in these pictures are all plastic fakes? But is it really necessary to boil them a few times? I would imagine that would just shrivel them up.

Is what is at the bottom of my terrarium OK as it is now? I would be concerned that anything I took from Lake Ontario would be full of mercury or other nasty regurgitation. There are woods behind my house but I wouldn't expect to find driftwood there.

 

[cold blood]

I did use Sterilite for my other OW T, but the dumb thing is forever in its burrow so it's no problem. So the plants I'm seeing in these pictures are all plastic fakes? But is it really necessary to boil them a few times? I would imagine that would just shrivel them up.

Is what is at the bottom of my terrarium OK as it is now? I would be concerned that anything I took from Lake Ontario would be full of mercury or other nasty regurgitation. There are woods behind my house but I wouldn't expect to find driftwood there.

Plastic plants should be rinsed, there's no reason to boil them, I've never done that and I never would.

Utilize lake Ontario...the wood isn't consuming the forage base of the lake, its just fine to use....if southern Lake Michigan isn't an issue, I don't see how the northern part of Lake Ontario couldn't possibly be even cleaner.

I simply rinse and wash with warm water, and bake it to completely dry the wood. This is critical, so I generally sit the wood in a dry sunny place for a few weeks before I use it in an enclosure. I don't ever have mold issues with driftwood and I find some very nice looking pieces.

 

[Dennis Cada]

NOW I'm getting e mail about replies!

I'm actually quite far from Lake Ontario. I would need to go to Toronto. EEEEWWW!!!! Lake Erie is at least a 90 minute drive each way.

The seller did tell me that he did like you suggested to the two sticks.

 

[cold blood]

I'm actually quite far from Lake Ontario. I would need to go to Toronto. EEEEWWW!!!! Lake Erie is at least a 90 minute drive each way.

I just mentioned the lake because you did...any lake, stream or river will work...you're in Ontario, there's no shortage of water in those parts.