Slings just arrived!

[Lost_Tarantula]

Yay! My slings just arrived from Kelly Swift! Two G. pulchras (about 1 1/2") and a freebie Chilean Copper that really caught me off guard! Oh yeah, and a bunch of pinhead crickets. Wow. Great experience....I think I should go post about him on the dealers board. But on to my real question. What now? I've heard I should mist the inside so they can drink. How soon can I feed them? Any tips or caveats I should know about ahead of time? Seeing as this is the first time I've had slings, and these are only the second time I've gotten a tarantula.

Thanks for any and all help! Maybe I should get some pics up later...


-LT

 

[Gail]

OK LT, the first thing to do is breathe in, breathe out LOL I know the excitement - I feel it every time I get an order from Kelly.
I have a g.pulchra and a chilean copper (also a freebie) from him as well.
Ok, first, what are you keeping them in? I suggest pure peat substrate, damp but not soggy, containers about 2 times the diameter of the vials he shipped them in.
Kill the pinheads by pinching their heads with tweezers before you drop them in. This way you will never have to worry that they will hurt the babies. You can also feed pieces of larger crickets like this.
Keep the prey remains (if any) cleaned up. Keep an extra vial or two handy so that if you notice mites or fungus you can switch them out right away. When the peat moss starts to get lighter brown it is drying out, add a few drops of water.
Good luck and enjoy.

Gail

 

[Gail]

Forgot to tell you - condensation will probably form on the sides of the vials and they can either drink these drops or drink right from the damp peat. If TOO much condensation forms, wipe some of it off.

Gail

 

[MrT]

Yea LT,
I got a freeby copper from Kelly also. Should be a really neat spider, its fast.

I also got a G. pulchra from him, but mine is 1/2". Its a little pig..

Ern T

 

[Tranz]

Originally posted by Lost_Tarantula
Yay! My slings just arrived from Kelly Swift! Two G. pulchras (about 1 1/2") and a freebie Chilean Copper that really caught me off guard! Oh yeah, and a bunch of pinhead crickets.
-LT

From my experience, a 1 1/2" inch G. Pulchra sling can handle any size live cricket you throw at it without any problem. I fed mine three hours after arrival.