I posted before in questions and discussions, but I figure it's better here. My 2.5" blondi's last shed wasn't good. He lost both fangs, and is having a heck of a time eating. People on here helped me out a little, although everyone thinks you should kill or mash the food up. But he WILL NOT eat something that is dead, doesn't move, or from a dropper (well he did drink a little but it was almost nothing). So I use legless crickets with a sliced abdomen. He seems to be interested in them alot, and still struggles with trying to eat them. I'd say he's the next T that I have that's due to shed soon. Even though it's probly like a month. Still hoping for the best of course...
T. Blondi missing fangs... update.
- Thread starter Ace_Man
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Houston, we have a problem.Oops. Meant to post these --v
March 21st
April 1st
man, with a species known to have bad molts, having that "stuff" for a substrate is about useful as the space shuttle removing some of those ceramic tiles from the underside of a wing before reentering the atmosphere.
Get some peatmoss, and do it fast. You need to keep them pretty moist too. many people believe that drier conditions aggravate the bad molts.
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poor little guy.i thought that a tarantula would die without its fangs but it likes like he will make it.good luck hope he makes it
Man that sucks. I don't think they are cedar chips, but I know they don't stay moist very long. I spray my tanks once or twice a day, and none of my other T's have ever had probs. The stuff is almost wet when you take it out of the bag though.
Couple of my tanks have something else, not sure what it is, but it looks nothing like that. I always tried to stay away from dirt and stuff cuz it's so messy and sticks to the sides of the tank. AND, I'm not very good at transporting these guys from one container to another.
My P. Regalis has the same substrate in a 10 gallon tank and I would never even dream of taking the whole lid off. He's 6" inches long and fast as lightning... almost got out once too, and I'm not too big on handling.
Is there ANY T that this stuff is OK to use with? Cuz if not I have ALOT of work to do.
Couple of my tanks have something else, not sure what it is, but it looks nothing like that. I always tried to stay away from dirt and stuff cuz it's so messy and sticks to the sides of the tank. AND, I'm not very good at transporting these guys from one container to another.
My P. Regalis has the same substrate in a 10 gallon tank and I would never even dream of taking the whole lid off. He's 6" inches long and fast as lightning... almost got out once too, and I'm not too big on handling.
Is there ANY T that this stuff is OK to use with? Cuz if not I have ALOT of work to do.
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if you REALLY don't want to get rid of the chips and as long as that wood is not from cedar/pine/aromatic type of trees you could take and buy a bunch of coconut fiber and then mix up the wood chips you have with the coconut fiber to allow the blondi to burrow if it wants. i would suggest half burying a large flowerpot or something that will give the spider a hide option also. but if you do continue to use them they are a danger to your spdier via abrasion or impalation. that is probably a word.
it would probably be best to scrap the wood chips or see if you got a buddy with a snake or somethign that they are more appropriate for, though
but you really should find out what kind of wood it is. i believe it was gphx on here that did an ~experiment growing mealworms or something on some kinda aromatic wood... the first generation that was living right on the chips had all kinds of deformities and stuff...
it would probably be best to scrap the wood chips or see if you got a buddy with a snake or somethign that they are more appropriate for, though
but you really should find out what kind of wood it is. i believe it was gphx on here that did an ~experiment growing mealworms or something on some kinda aromatic wood... the first generation that was living right on the chips had all kinds of deformities and stuff...
well... I have a snake. But anyway... the coconut fiber stuff IS what's in a couple of my other tanks. The wood chips was what I was given over a year ago for my g. rosea when I bought it, and it is fine. Maybe if I just take out most of the chips and cover with something else. Then it may be safer and easier on me. I don't know much about individual species' humidity needs. Other than t. blondi is high and greenbottle blue (couldn't remember scientific name) is low. We'll see...........
I reckon if you can't bring yourself to do basic stuff like substrate changes you shouldn't be owning Ts.
Get over your little problems and buy some peat to house your Ts on. Who cares if it sticks to the sides and is messy and your scared of your Ts? Man up and accept the responsibility of owning a T or sell them. Myt wo cents.
Get over your little problems and buy some peat to house your Ts on. Who cares if it sticks to the sides and is messy and your scared of your Ts? Man up and accept the responsibility of owning a T or sell them. Myt wo cents.
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Well said. Either you give them the best proper care there is or you don't get into this hobby at all. Also you can't be afraid of your pets!
So ace man, what the heck were you thinking? You know the substrate doesn't hold humidity and your Theraphosa blondi needs it to molt but you don't switch substrates. T. blondi's and P. regalis's are for advanced keepers, I don't even consider myself advanced enough, much less a guy that doesn't know you shouldn't use wood chips and is too afraid to take a top of a P. regalis tank. Man, I am very disappointed in you what you are doing is just short of animal abuse.
I wish your animals good luck.
I wish your animals good luck.
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Man you guys are harsh, I didn't see anything in his post that says he's not going to change it.
Ace man, I think the more tarantula keepers out there the better. As with any other animal, exotic or not, environment is #1 in the list of care and requirements. As someone above stated, the missing fangs are not as much of a worry to your blondi as his substrate is. You can probably find a huge bag of plain old peat moss fairly cheap at your home and garden stores.
Make a spider catching cup with the top third of a 2liter soda bottle, take a stiff piece of cardboard and scoop your spiders that way. Use a big cup or scoop to put the peat moss in your tanks so ya dont make a mess and remoisten the peat in there if you need to. Remember that if you can squeeze any water from the dirt it's way too wet.
Also it would be a good idea to research each species you have. Know at least what continent they are from and what kind of habitat they live in. Dont let anybody keep you from asking questions either.
Good luck!
Ace man, I think the more tarantula keepers out there the better. As with any other animal, exotic or not, environment is #1 in the list of care and requirements. As someone above stated, the missing fangs are not as much of a worry to your blondi as his substrate is. You can probably find a huge bag of plain old peat moss fairly cheap at your home and garden stores.
Make a spider catching cup with the top third of a 2liter soda bottle, take a stiff piece of cardboard and scoop your spiders that way. Use a big cup or scoop to put the peat moss in your tanks so ya dont make a mess and remoisten the peat in there if you need to. Remember that if you can squeeze any water from the dirt it's way too wet.
Also it would be a good idea to research each species you have. Know at least what continent they are from and what kind of habitat they live in. Dont let anybody keep you from asking questions either.
Good luck!
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I do find it kind of amusing how some people on this site seem to take personal offence to seeing someone keep a T in a way they deem unacceptable. Keeping spiders is not an elite club 
Ace Man, T blondi are notorious for bad molts and losing fangs, so don't feel too bad. Quite a few people have had success getting their blondi through to their next moult after losing fangs. I agree you should switch the substrate, if only to give the spider a burrowing option. If you really want to use the chips (if you are SURE they're not toxic) then put them in an arboreal T's cage, then they won't spend any time on them anyway.
Ace Man, T blondi are notorious for bad molts and losing fangs, so don't feel too bad. Quite a few people have had success getting their blondi through to their next moult after losing fangs. I agree you should switch the substrate, if only to give the spider a burrowing option. If you really want to use the chips (if you are SURE they're not toxic) then put them in an arboreal T's cage, then they won't spend any time on them anyway.
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like this... lmao, who made you president of the T keeping hobby? Animal abuse, seriously? You think this guy doesn't sound like he cares about his animals? Sometimes this forum makes me roll my eyes so hard I pull a muscle
Okay. For ONE... I'm NOT afraid of being bitten, but of losing the T under something or it getting hurt. I know how fast my ornamental is, and I've heard of them getting out and not being able to catch them too easy. I mean, my greenbottle is nowhere near as fast as the ornamental and when I was first putting it in it's tank, it touched the bottom, was up the side, and out before I could even think. So I take caution. The Ornamental and my Thai Giant Centipede are the only things that I would rather not get out of their tanks. And another thing is, by saying, "I have alot of work to do" anyway... Most of my other tanks do not look like this one. They are full of rocks and plants and burrows that are covered in thick web (as spiders tend to do sometimes). I would hate to destroy all of them just because everyone thinks my substrate is toxic, and if it was, I would think at least one or two would be dead by now. My dad kept three g. roseas (years and years ago) in one tank split into three. He had them on sand with no decorations in the tank but a plastic cup with a wet sponge in it. Also with a large red heat lamp blasting down in it at all times. These things are all not recommended, yet they lived a very long time. I have seen 17 molts out of my 9 T's, they all went perfect until this one. Alot of other people have this problem with blondi's too, and obviously have no idea why it happens. ANYWAY, I went to the pet store today and got some new stuff. It's supposed to stay moist alot longer than the chips. And if anyone cares about anything other than slamming me with unkind words... the blondi is still doing fine and is eating. Good day...
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Just want to add something here. That an animal survives under lousy environment conditions does not mean that it's well kept in captivity. Yes a dog could survive in a small cage with food and water for years but it's not so cool as he will suffer all his life. This is an extreme example of course....
So, don't take this personal, but the thing is that you can learn how to keep your animals the best way possible.... And you would have to deal with taking out your Poecilotheria of your enclosure, because some day you'll just have to. It's actually not so difficult, I've done it many times and even handle sometimes my adult regalis, not recommend to handle them though
Kate, it's true that you don't have to be anything special to keep spiders, but I think you have to know how to deal with them and ''control'' them. I personally don't understand why people who doesn't naturally LOVE tarantulas have them as pets. But that's another story.....
As Mikhail and I always say... This is MY opinion
Pato.
So, don't take this personal, but the thing is that you can learn how to keep your animals the best way possible.... And you would have to deal with taking out your Poecilotheria of your enclosure, because some day you'll just have to. It's actually not so difficult, I've done it many times and even handle sometimes my adult regalis, not recommend to handle them though
Kate, it's true that you don't have to be anything special to keep spiders, but I think you have to know how to deal with them and ''control'' them. I personally don't understand why people who doesn't naturally LOVE tarantulas have them as pets. But that's another story.....
As Mikhail and I always say... This is MY opinion
Pato.
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I love my pokie. Doesn't mean I wanna get it out its enclosure any more often than is absolutely necessary. And he's only 2 inches big, lol.