Rehoming a Poecilotheria vittata

Dennis Cada

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 2, 2016
Messages
49
How in blazes can I rehome my Poecilotheria vittata, even temporarily while I clean or organize the terrarium or change the substrate, without killing the poor thing, or killing myself? She looks rather awesome, especially while she is crawling up the glass, but appears to have the temperament of a rabid pit bull. I did refill her water dish, put in a natural coconut fiber climbing background, cleaned part of the glass, and threw in 2-3 large crickets today.

What is the best way to clean the glass? I used a Scotch Brite pad with a back scratcher so I could move it around without sticking my hand in but I found it left nasty water spots so it didn't look much better than it did before.

I know that they can bolt, I've seen her do it a few times, but can she bolt up the glass and out of the terrarium while I'm working in it, or up this backscratcher or tongs that I might use to reach inside Poecilotheria vittata 1.jpg Poecilotheria vittata in Terrarium 1.jpg ?
 

TownesVanZandt

Arachnoprince
Joined
May 12, 2015
Messages
1,041
You should absolutely take out the T before cleaning the enclosure. Doing anything more than regular cage maintenance (removing boluses, taking out water dish etc.) with the T inside will be very risky.
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
You should absolutely take out the T before cleaning the enclosure. Doing anything more than regular cage maintenance (removing boluses, taking out water dish etc.) with the T inside will be very risky.
Right, just get it into a 32oz deli cup then take an hour to clean and completely re-do that set up.
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
Be careful of what you do with her in there. She can be on you quickly. As mentioned use a catch cup to get her out. Once she is out you can clean it how you want. Then really re-work that enclosure. I'd be glad to help/post photos to give you some good ideas on how to set it up. Her mood may improve when she has a new home setup.
 

Dennis Cada

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 2, 2016
Messages
49
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.
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
No worries, it doesn't cost a lot to get one setup. You just need some key elements IMO. My Ts are still a lot smaller then yours so you'll want to make the setup up sized to fit your T but the elements are the same.

The enclosure is fine with the exception of the screen top. If you can replace that screen top with plexiglass I would recommend doing so. I have an enclosure just like that one and I got a small piece of plexiglass, drilled it for air holes and cut it to fit right where the screen snaps in.

They are tree spiders so next you need a good solid base for these guys to climb on. I use cork bark for my base but a lot of people use other things like drift wood and hardwoods. In this photo you can see the leaning corkbark allows for hiding underneath and on the outside. The safer they feel the less likely they are to try to come out on you. Mine drop down in their homes and hide most of the time I am working with them. (This is also a deli cup btw)

I added a water dish to the bottom and there are plants to allow for hiding/climbing. You will need bigger but these next few will let you see how I set mine up and will give you some ideas for your setup.



You have a nice enclosure and with a little work your Pokie can be living it up. I have bark ordered for the back of this enclosure to give my P.cam better footing when she is out. Here is a shot of a bigger enclosure for you to check out.


Hope this helped. If you have anymore questions or if you would like more tips and ideas feel free to ask. We will gladly help any way we can to get your enclosure setup and give help with working with your T.
Good luck.
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
I simply open the enclosure, with my catch cup at hand (one able to suit all the Theraphosidae, from dwarf ones to a genus Theraphosa) and a piece of solid card board under. Bag method? What's that. Never used. Old style here.

Good luck man. They aren't hard at all to move.
 

beaker41

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
May 23, 2012
Messages
220
Personally when it comes to some species I don't even mess around with a catch cup, there's just too many ways for that to go bad. If you don't think it can climb your tongs and be on your arm before you can even blink you're wrong. I use the bag method for rehousing , cut the bottom out of a nice thick oven bag, leave the lid on , tape one end to your cage all around the sides with no gaps, tape the other to the destination container. Take the lids off through the bag, poke a little hole for your paintbrush and herd it into the new container. Put tape around the paintbrush hole so it doesn't rip and give her an exit. Put the lid back on her capture container. 0 possibility of escape which is the best possibility when dealing with an animal that could potentially inhabit your walls permanently.
 

Sana

Arachnoprince
Joined
Oct 26, 2014
Messages
1,139
If I have to do major enclosure renovations I set up an enclosure that the tarantula can be rehoused into and live well for a few weeks to a month. This ensures that I have plenty of time to do whatever I need to with the other enclosure. If my understanding of your current enclosure is correct, you need to replace the screen with acrylic and redo the substrate or hide options. When I put in acrylic, after it is cut and vent holes have been put in, I fit it into it's spot and seal the edges with clear silicone. Doing that requires at least a couple of days for it to set completely and most of a week for any trace of fumes to air out. I don't put anything in the enclosure until it's had about a week to air and there aren't any odd scents when I open the door. After that I add substrate. I personally use topsoil for most of my enclosures since it's cheap and holds moisture reasonably. When I say topsoil I mean a bag of dirt, not organic for concern about manure being present, nothing with additives of any sort, just the cheapest bag of dirt meant to fill holes in a yard. From there for my pokies I add a large piece of bark leaned against a side or corner of the enclosure and surround it with as many plants as I can fit. Usually about half of the enclosure is taken up by plants, bark, and branches. I have a tendency to scatter some sphagnum moss around for a little moisture retention (it's super dry here) and cause it looks cool. I generally let it sit for a few more days after everything is set to my liking just in case a problem should present itself (mold, strange smell, heaven forbid invading insects from who knows where. Overall an enclosure project like that is usually about two weeks from start to finish for me. After I put a tarantula in the enclosure I don't try to clean the glass. It would have to be completely opaque for me to worry about it. Maintenance consists of removing prey remains, changing water, and feeding. The tarantula is going to rearrange however it sees fit and I leave them to it. Most of mine eventually steal the water dishes to use in construction projects so I use plastic bottle or jar lids for water dishes. I keep a collection of them on hand cause it's not worth the fight to try to get them back from the tarantula once they have them. Just put in a new one and move on with life. Hopefully this helps.
 

MrsHaas

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 1, 2012
Messages
875
I don't see why u can't just stick your hand right in there, pick her up, and let her hangout on ur shoulder while u clean the tank. Seems easy enough :happy:
 

louise f

Arachnoangel
Joined
Jul 8, 2012
Messages
936
That enclosure needs a really good re-do!! The advices given from @Sana is really something you should listen to.

And dont feel nervous about rehousing her, it is not that big of an issue. But be careful though.
Good luck with the rehousing. :)
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
I don't see why u can't just stick your hand right in there, pick her up, and let her hangout on ur shoulder while u clean the tank. Seems easy enough :happy:
No pokies slings like slings for your baby I'm afraid. :p
 

Toxoderidae

Arachnoprince
Joined
Nov 16, 2015
Messages
1,008
Weren't you the one who ignored us after we said not to get OW as starter spiders? (or at least one of them in the recent bunch)

Anyway, Sana hit it right on the head. Here's how I A. rehouse/move my spiders and B. setup a pokie enclosure that lasts for life.

When the spider reaches 2'' I rehouse it into a 1'X8'' enclosure to ensure they can live there for the rest of their life. (Excluding ornata and rufilata when they get large)
to rehouse them/move them, I use my trusty bamboo rod, and gently nudge the tarantula. I'm a little laid back, so I'll often let the spider dart for a bit, and let it bolt to the door. Here is where they always stop, as they lose ground. I coax them into the cup, and close it. (I use deli cups as holding containers) Then for the enclosure, I get a huge cork slab that can fit the back of the enclosure. I place it in at a VERY slight angle (like 5 degrees) but I do not glue it in, so that way I can reach stuff that gets stuck back there, or grab those precious molts. I put down slightly moist substrate, and sphagnum moss (with a waterdish too) Then, I put the spider in. Close the door, all is done. Where did you get the idea to make the enclosure like that for your spider? I honestly want to know, as it's so far, the strangest/worst arboreal enclosure I've seen.
 

bryverine

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 18, 2012
Messages
890
Weren't you the one who ignored us after we said not to get OW as starter spiders? (or at least one of them in the recent bunch)
Not quite, he already bought them before asking for help. Thank goodness he didn't go to a pet store for advice though it would have been better had he started here instead of care sheets. This is one of four (2 OW) he just got.

Where did you get the idea to make the enclosure like that for your spider? I honestly want to know, as it's so far, the strangest/worst arboreal enclosure I've seen.
You must not have been a Petco recently. ;)

On a serious note, this is the first time a picture had been provided for the setups. I fear for the other tarantulas based on the enclosure type/setup here - especially the H. vonworthi.

Hello @Dennis Cada could you post some pictures of the other tarantula setups? I think I've gathered that you have a G. porteri, B. smithi, H. vonwirthi, and of course this one.

We'd definitely be able to help with any adjustments you might need for to make happier tarantulas.
 

Mauri

Arachnoknight
Joined
Apr 15, 2016
Messages
222
Yeah some nice pics there posted by members here I'd suggest OP you do something like this soon..

Even if you dont want to shell out on acyrlic find a tall enough clear plastic enclosure and cut to fit a nice bit of bark if you have to (or buy a semi circle tube and place it up one side...try and leave a gap at the bottom just so T has another exit n 4 inches of subs which they can use/burrow). I did for mine and used some moss glued on to cover up my sawing...(leave two days at least before use and you need Aquarium glue...check with the guy in the store).

Actually something am going to work on soon. An arboreal enclosure done on the cheap (for juvies/sub adults etc). Am yet to find the right bit of plastic..well there's a few contenders but nothing I found big enough. (well perhaps for a 5-6inch versi etc not a 8inch amazonica).

Apart from making my own which I also recommend. :)
 
Last edited:

Abyss

Arachnoknight
Joined
Apr 15, 2016
Messages
281
Thats one of my Poecilatheria enclosures, will have 2 more pics of dif ones when i set them up probably friday
 

Blue Jaye

Arachnobaron
Joined
Sep 16, 2013
Messages
339
I don't see why u can't just stick your hand right in there, pick her up, and let her hangout on ur shoulder while u clean the tank. Seems easy enough :happy:
I'm thinking the newspaper and squirt bottle method. A quick smack, a firm No, and a squirt to the butt. Let's them know you won't put up with any unwanted shenanigans :happy:
 
Top