T. Blondi Humidity

[BooyaTarantula]

Hey everybody,

I have a 5 inch T. Blondi that I acquired just recently and I know they like to be in a humid environment so I have been making sure that her substrate is always damp and have put Saran Wrap (with airholes) all around her KK. Is this appropriate? I have read that this constantly damp substrate is a breeding ground for all sorts of not fun T infections so I was wondering what I should do then. She seems to be doing well and has been eating regularly and is always watching me while I work on the computer... Your thoughts?

 

[demode]

More importantly is having a decent sized waterbowl and a hide. The hide will provide high humidity and so will a large size waterbowl. Not too deep of a waterbowl, rather have a wide one (more humidity). The substrate doesnt need to be soaked all the time.

 

[MindUtopia]

My preference with high humidity species is to have normal ventilation like I would for any of my T's and to periodically soak the substrate and allow it to partially to mostly dry out before soaking it again. When I tried to keep my T. blondi with low ventilation, I ended up with a fungus problem which wasn't pleasant. Also, they will let you know what humidity level is preferable, when it got too low, mine always hovered over her water dish.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Yeah, take off the saran wrap or you're going to have a tank full of mold. Even WITH good ventilation mold can happen if you don't let the substrate dry out reasonably before you flood it again.

 

[G. pulchra]

MindUtopia has it right, exactly how I keep my Blondi, as well as most Pampho's.

 

[P. Novak]

I'd definately listen to MindUtopia, I had a juvie T.blondi about two years back(when I first got into Ts), and I didn't keep it well ventilated and misted every other day, and guess what? I got mites, and they killed my poor T..

After that I learned a valuable lesson, humidity is no where as near as important as ventilation. Just moisten the substrate once every 1-2 weeks and keep a full waterdish in there.

 

[BooyaTarantula]

Really? Every 1 to 2 weeks??? wow i have been overdoing it then! i mist like all my T's every day, and that is NOT a good idea? Boy do i still have a lot to learn then... Even for T's too small to have water dishes? They shouldn't get water every day???

 

[C_Strike]

personally, i use a bottom layer of gravel approx 1inch thick, then place the coir on that.
I only pour water down one particular hole in the substrate 'down to the gravel'. I try to keep the substrate drier, whilst having the raised humidity. Probably unecessary but none the less, my original T blondi is 25cm+ , i think shes got more to grow still, her last molt saw her grow 4cm! lol Iv never had any molting problem with any of my Theraphosas. 3.2.1 T apophysis. 0.2.2 T blondi. it seems to work for me.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

i mist like all my T's every day, and that is NOT a good idea?...Even for T's too small to have water dishes? They shouldn't get water every day???

That's a terrible idea, and you should stop. ESPECIALLY with Ts too small for water dishes, because they're also that much more likely to die when a mold outbreak happens.

What species do you own, besides the blondi? The vast majority of species need no misting whatsoever, and the vast majority of slings will do just fine with one misting a week.

 

[MindUtopia]

Really? Every 1 to 2 weeks??? wow i have been overdoing it then! i mist like all my T's every day, and that is NOT a good idea? Boy do i still have a lot to learn then... Even for T's too small to have water dishes? They shouldn't get water every day???

The only T's I mist ever are my Avics (sling through adult) once a week and then anything too small for a water dish once a week, but just to get some water on the web or a small portion of the substrate. I don't soak the substrate with those ever. The only T I ever soak fully is my M. mesomelas because they have particularly high humidity requires. Once a week is more than sufficient.

 

[Daniel_h]

i have been pouring water on my substrate for a blondi every 2 or 3 days. i usually pour it by the back wall of the tank where the heat mat is.

after reading this i think i will cut down

 

[BooyaTarantula]

Allright here is what I have and my usual over-watering... I have an aphonopelma seemanni with a water dish that i refill every day and mist one corner of the tank, a nhandu chromatus that is too small for a water dish so i mist every day in one corner, a cyclosternum fasciatum with no water dish that i mist every day, a t. blondi (which is what i asked about) that i make sure the substrate is always damp (and i get that it's a no-no now) and i freshen the water every day, and a grammastola rosie that i JUST got and has a water dish (i know they live in an arid environment so i was only planning on freshening the water dish every day and no misting). I am also picking up a P. regalis today (first pokie ever...) and so if you guys could tell me the appropriate "watering" schedule I should employ for my T's I would be eternally grateful... I just don't want the little fellas to go thirsty... Thanks for all the replies and advice so far, i will be employing your tips.

 

[KingBowser]

I keep a large shallow water dish with both of my T. blondi's as well as a huge hide and a deep substrate. Their tanks have screen tops with a piece of glass covering about 90% of the screen. I mist once a week and humidity stays at a constant 60-70%. They've been doing well for over a year in this type of set up. The idea is to find what works and stick with it. If the tarantula is thriving then keep it that way.

 

[thunderthief]

I dont mist or damp the substrate for my blondi. I do however keep a large ish waterbowl in there always full. Shes just gone through a trouble free molt.
And I've never had her hovering over the water bowl.