Swimming tarantulas

[awiec]

Not that this is showcasing a fondness of water... maybe a fondness for getting away from whatever scared it (in this case, a rehouse). Enjoy!

[YOUTUBE]c0sgNaDKxKE[/YOUTUBE]



Now I don't want hear stories of people putting their spiders into 3oz, water-filled souffle cups..... Be responsible people!! JEEZ!

Well I mean as close to anything a T could express fondness, besides eating and mating.

 

[darthcider]

That swimming T footage is amazing.

 

[viper69]

Wow that footage is incredible !!! Thanks !!

 

[Kina]

What kind of substrate do you use for burrowers? I'm afraid because I accidentally killed a VERY small (2/5") Pink Zebra Beauty by using only EcoEarth coconut substrate. I also made a deep hole for him/her which she/he loved but it was too deep I guess and it caved in. I'm new to this and have learned from that awful experience to NEVER buy any T under 1 inch! I've been having more success now. I guess the best is 1/2 peat moss, 1/2 coconut substrate, and maybe a bit of vermiculite? Also, let THEM dig, not digging for them, I figure if they can dig in, they should be able to dig out?

 

[lacrosse5001]

With a sling it's best to let them take care of it. I noticed that even with dry-ish substrate the spider is waaaay better at digging than we are. My premade burrow collapsed over and over, but my king baboon's tunnels hold up fine even in dry Exo earth. With. Sling like that just give them a tiny hide and they'll dig on their own.

 

[awiec]

What kind of substrate do you use for burrowers? I'm afraid because I accidentally killed a VERY small (2/5") Pink Zebra Beauty by using only EcoEarth coconut substrate. I also made a deep hole for him/her which she/he loved but it was too deep I guess and it caved in. I'm new to this and have learned from that awful experience to NEVER buy any T under 1 inch! I've been having more success now. I guess the best is 1/2 peat moss, 1/2 coconut substrate, and maybe a bit of vermiculite? Also, let THEM dig, not digging for them, I figure if they can dig in, they should be able to dig out?

I just give mine peat moss and it holds up just fine, I've had not had any issues with collapsing tunnels with eco earth either as my 1/2 inch M.balfouri has reinforced its tunnel with a lot of webbing so I am confident to say that it has a sturdy tunnel. Even if a tunnel does collapse most of the time the T can dig itself out, but sometimes you get an individual that can't.

 

[timisimaginary]

What kind of substrate do you use for burrowers? I'm afraid because I accidentally killed a VERY small (2/5") Pink Zebra Beauty by using only EcoEarth coconut substrate. I also made a deep hole for him/her which she/he loved but it was too deep I guess and it caved in. I'm new to this and have learned from that awful experience to NEVER buy any T under 1 inch! I've been having more success now. I guess the best is 1/2 peat moss, 1/2 coconut substrate, and maybe a bit of vermiculite? Also, let THEM dig, not digging for them, I figure if they can dig in, they should be able to dig out?

the substrate itself is not the issue, eco earth is perfectly safe. you want to make sure it's packed down well so that it holds together, loose sub is more likely to collapse. also you can add a little moisture to increase compaction and make it hold together better for a sling. no need to dig a deep hole, just start a small hole and let the T take it from there, or provide a small piece of plastic leaf for it to dig under. the T will also web the sub to hold its shape.

peat moss and eco earth do not seem significantly different to me in terms of holding their shape. vermiculite will only hurt, it doesn't hold a shape very well and is more prone to collapse. the only value to vermiculite is it's ability to retain moisture.

 

[Ilovepredators]

I use economic earth for sling substrate and have had great sucess. With a sling that small however I always use a much smaller container and much less substrate so they can't burrow too deep and have the weight of the substrate collapse and crush them.

---------- Post added 08-17-2014 at 08:57 AM ----------

When they are very very small I use the little condoment containers many breeders sell their slings in just don't forget to poke air holes. I keep most my slings with damp economic earth, varies depending on the species. Only ones I've kept mostly dry are my king baboons my pocilotherias, and my Pterinochilus.

---------- Post added 08-17-2014 at 09:20 AM ----------

Yes and like timisimaginary said make sure you pack down the economy earth real good. I always do that as well.