Spare 80 gallon

[Jones0911]

You can buy it in a lot of places. If you go this route allowing it to properly and fully cure before putting stress on it is really important. Just because it's dry on the outside doesn't mean you're ready to go. Heavy glass puts a lot of stress on the silicone and soft middles can cause it to fail. We repaired a lot of aquariums when we did fish and the first few didn't work out too good even when we waited the dry time. I had one glued up, set it aside, and forgot about it. When I went to use it weeks later it worked great.


There are a lot of write-ups on M.balfouri communal setups, talking up the pros and cons, so I'm not going to re-roll that here. I've enjoyed my communal setups and so far I've had good luck with them. They are starting to get some size. As luck would have it, I was feeding this afternoon after getting back from a trip. Two of the M.balfouri came right out and I managed to grab a few shots with the phone.

Will you be a future breeder of these?

 

[lunarae]

Oh man I wish I had an 80 gallon laying around. I'd turn that into a a scenery with a waterfall that streams through it into a small pond, with a bonsai tree or two and some ground cover foilage with a place for a hide for something like T. blondi/T. stirmi or heck an LP. Make it a really cool display piece that happens to have a T living in it XD

 

[Trenor]

Will you be a future breeder of these?

Most likely, though, they still have a lot to grow before that will happen. My biggest three are about 3-4 inches.

 

[Trenor]

How many would you keep in a 5 gallon?

How often do you want to rehouse? A 5 gallon tank is roughly 16 X 8 X 10 so 3/4 slings would be tight with even 10 in there. As they started molting a time or two they would start to crowd the enclosure. You want to give them more room to spread out if the need to. I would start out more meager with 6 or so in that enclosure. Get used to having a communal and see how it works(with a lot less risk in case something goes wrong). As they mature move them as needed. Eventually, you can breed them and grow the communal that way.

I have my 3 communal in a 12 X 8 X 8 and they will have room to grow for a while to come.

You don't have to have a lot of Ts in the box to enjoy the communal and it would be rough if you lost a lot of Ts because you were learning and things went bad.

Just my thoughts though.

 

[Kodi]

How often do you want to rehouse? A 5 gallon tank is roughly 16 X 8 X 10 so 3/4 slings would be tight with even 10 in there. As they started molting a time or two they would start to crowd the enclosure. You want to give them more to spread out if the need to. I would start out more meager with 6 or so in that enclosure. Get used to having a communal and see how it works(with a lot less risk in case something goes wrong). As they mature move them as needed. Eventually, you can breed them and grow the communal that way.

I have my 3 communal in a 12 X 8 X 8 and they will have room to grow for a while to come.

Just my thoughts though.

Okay yeah I was thinking 4 or 5 would be fine for a few molts. How many inches of sub do you recommend?

 

[magicmed]

Oh man I wish I had an 80 gallon laying around. I'd turn that into a a scenery with a waterfall that streams through it into a small pond, with a bonsai tree or two and some ground cover foilage with a place for a hide for something like T. blondi/T. stirmi or heck an LP. Make it a really cool display piece that happens to have a T living in it XD

That sounds beautiful! Come over and set it up!

I love plants and I have decent luck with them...aside from bonsai, I tried one once and it died in about 6 months, haven't tried another since then.

 

[lunarae]

That sounds beautiful! Come over and set it up!

I love plants and I have decent luck with them...aside from bonsai, I tried one once and it died in about 6 months, haven't tried another since then.

haha. sure I'll just pop right over in my private jet.......soon as I get one........and and afford the gas....... I love doing planted tanks I have to be honest XD

 

[Jones0911]

Most likely, though, they still have a lot to grow before that will happen. My biggest three are about 3-4 inches.

Cool!!!

 

[Trenor]

Okay yeah I was thinking 4 or 5 would be fine for a few molts. How many inches of sub do you recommend?

I give mine a good 3-4 inches of substrate with multiple cork pieces for burrows. They like to burrow and web.

 

[magicmed]

Man you guys are just teasing me now, I want some!

 

[Blue Jaye]

How many would you keep in a 5 gallon?

I would start with a ten gallon if you can. You will have to rehouse to soon. In a ten if they are slings you can do about 20 but as they grow they will need more room. My communal got away with that many because everyone was still very small. As they have hit 2 inches I've had to remove quite a few. If you want to set up for long term in something that size I would recommend two or three. Then you have to think about how often you want to rehouse etc.

 

[Blue Jaye]

Hmm I may just be interested in some of those! Pm me if you're interested in selling some

Also if I did start one up do you think it would be better to start them off in the 80? Or start them in a 20 long until the community builds up? I'm very interested in this!

I would start off in the 80 doing a rehouse from the twenty would have to be a magic trick at feeding time lol

 

[Blue Jaye]

It's believed it's best to do such a setup with sacmates and of course space.

@Blue Jaye You really need to post vids. I'm particularly interested in seeing a good bit of this "petting" behavior you observed, not a 30s clip of just that mind you, the before/after as well.

You should document all of your communal information and upload it here. Someone did that on another T site a few years back, it was quite helpful.

I believe you would have just has much and maybe more info, especially if you have videos to up to YouTube and such.

Coming soon to a YouTube vid near you. More than a 30 second clip. You will have to sit through an entire 16 minute feature film lol. All kidding aside. I am working on it.

 

[Blue Jaye]

Well I couldn't post a video on here but I can direct you to my FB page where I was able to post balfouri video. Blue Jaye's tarantulas is my page and I believe if you @Blue Jaye's tarantulas it will take you right to it. There's some of a few of my Ts and video of balfouri feeding and interacting together that is pretty cool. Hope you enjoy.

 

[BorisTheSpider]

Heck that's easy . . . 80 gallon lava lamp ! A couple of 10k stage lights , fifty pounds of paraffin , a little food coloring , and whatever else goes into a lava lamp and then have a Arachnoboard members only rave at your place .

 

[EulersK]

@magicmed
Any update on this?

 

[Trenor]

Well I couldn't post a video on here but I can direct you to my FB page where I was able to post balfouri video. Blue Jaye's tarantulas is my page and I believe if you @Blue Jaye's tarantulas it will take you right to it. There's some of a few of my Ts and video of balfouri feeding and interacting together that is pretty cool. Hope you enjoy.

I can't find you on FB. Send a poor guy some YouTube or something.

 

[Blue Jaye]

Sorry guys it's one word. @BlueJayesTarantulas. I will do YouTube as soon as I can. I only have iPad right now and I'm terrible at technology sigh.

 

[Trenor]

Sorry guys it's one word. @BlueJayesTarantulas. I will do YouTube as soon as I can. I only have iPad right now and I'm terrible at technology sigh.

Cool, I was able to find the FB page. Great videos.

 

[Haksilence]

i would say a large communal, but thats just me what are the rough dimensions? stood on end with a small tree and whatnot would make for a stunning naturalistic poecilotheria communal habitat. (although pokies can be hit or miss, ive had very good luck with them, others have not)

bottom line i think is can you afford to do anythign with it? either a communal N incei, M balfouri, or poecilotheria set up with cost A LOT in specimens alone, while modifications or sedmenting it for a divided enclosure will likely cost a decent amount and take quite a bit of time. depends on what resource you have more of; time or money