Rehousing the H schmidti.

[Sylvi]

My schmidti molted and now stretched from one end of her tank to the other, so I decided it was time for a rehouse. The question was how to remove the aggressive T from its burrow. The new tank is a lovely 8"x8"x16" deep, plenty of room for her to burrow in ( she is now 6" ). We decided to flood her out, so we put a pot over the burrow entrance and slowly poured in the water - monsoon time in Vietnam! She came up the burrow pretty quick, but stopped at the top and then disapeared under the surface of the water. Panic time! I thought my precious spider was drowning! My common sense tells me that they would not drown themselves, but I tipped the tank to the side and we scooped her and a plug of soggy soil into the pot. So are they likely to drown? or do they come up out of the water by themselves after a while?

She was very calm being extracted this way btw. I just put the pot into the new tank and removed the muddy plug. She just wandered out and a few hours later started to dig her new burrow ( not before I got some pictures though! )

 

[Mina]

Wow. I'm glad it went so well. I just sold an H. schmidti small juvie and it tried to kill us while we were packing it for shipping. (see PopPills picture thread for pictures of the little bugger)
From what I understand some T's can be underwater for a short period of time, somehow the hairs trap air pockets and allow them to breathe for a while. I'm unclear on exactly how, and if this is only with certain T's or for a majority of them. I know H. gigas can swim and when they come out of the water they are pretty much dry.

 

[Sylvi]

She was dry when she emerged, I wonder if the webbing around the burrow kept the water off her although she was under the water.

 

[PoPpiLLs]

Sylvi were are the pics

 

[Sylvi]

Ah, they are comming. I'm waiting for Julie to download them for me. I'm not very up with all this technology.

 

[Sylvi]

Here she is -

 

[PoPpiLLs]

Sylvi she is beautiful i cant wait until my little one grows up

 

[Sylvi]

Thank you She has built her new burrow down the glass again like last time, this was her old tank -

 

[Mina]

She is beautiful!!! How long have you had her? The pictures are really good.
Don't worry Damion, your will get that big soon enough.
I think they are really lovely T's.

 

[Sylvi]

I have had her nearly a year. She was about 2" when I got her at the BTS 2007 show. She must be about 5.5" / 6" now.

 

[desertdweller]

What a glam queen, Sylvi. She really is so beautiful!

I have heard of T's, especially Haps being able to be under water for a while. It's how some people clean their tanks. Flood them, drain them and presto. I don't use this method but know it works well.

I want one just like your! Trouble is I just got 8 new ones in the last month! Addicted, who me????