T. stirmi rehousing/enclosure

[KatyAnn]

So, Ill probably get yelled at for this post, but here it goes anyway...yesterday I jumped the gun and purchased a juvenile T. stirmi I had been eyeing for a month ( I think it's a stirmi, it was simply labeled "Goliath bird eater") It is about 6in DLS, and man is it fast & vicious! It was housed in a 13in wide 6in deep round plastic container. The container was equipped with a couple side ventilation holes, very damp substrate, and a pop bottle lid full of water. Everytime I put my face close to look at her/him, it attacks the sides. The pet store owner was a little old lady I'd say in her mid 70s! I honestly dont know how she was feeding and watering this bugger. She said it would rear up whenever shed open the lid to drop crickets in lolol. I'm surprised it didnt attack her considering the poor thing had no hide to retreat to. My question is: what size aquarium is suitable for a T. stirmi of this size? And, what is the best way to transfer it? I'm not going to lie, Im slightly afraid of doing this rehousing now. The bowl is too wide to sit down in the 10 gallon I have, and I just know I'm going to get tagged if I take the lid off first and lower him/her into it sideways. Any suggestions?? I already know they are a moisture/humidity dependent species and Im stocked up on vermiculite, cocofiber, peat moss, live plants, and springtails. If anybody has any suggestions about which substrate has worked best for them with this species, I'll gladly listen

 

[Tarantuland]

I don't know that a 10 gallon would be large enough for a full grown stirmi, and if you are using 10 gallon glass it won't have proper ventilation and the screen lid can be hazardous. With the moisture dependency needs for this species you're gonna need ventilation. That being said, for rehousing I would put on nitrile gloves and long sleeves and a mask and eye protection, the hairs on these are no joke. You can cut the bottom a 2-3 liter bottle and poke some holes in different places, then put it over/in front of the spider and tap its back legs to get it to walk up into it. Then, slide a paper plate or piece of cardboard underneath. Then, move it into the new enclosure, remove whatever you had on the bottom and gesture the spider back out from the holes in the bottle. Good luck. Be careful about buying animals you're not ready to deal with. You should watch some rehousing videos online to see what works and what doesn't. Number one priority has to be safety of the spider.

 

[KatyAnn]

I don't know that a 10 gallon would be large enough for a full grown stirmi, and if you are using 10 gallon glass it won't have proper ventilation and the screen lid can be hazardous. With the moisture dependency needs for this species you're gonna need ventilation. That being said, for rehousing I would put on nitrile gloves and long sleeves and a mask and eye protection, the hairs on these are no joke. You can cut the bottom a 2-3 liter bottle and poke some holes in different places, then put it over/in front of the spider and tap its back legs to get it to walk up into it. Then, slide a paper plate or piece of cardboard underneath. Then, move it into the new enclosure, remove whatever you had on the bottom and gesture the spider back out from the holes in the bottle. Good luck. Be careful about buying animals you're not ready to deal with. You should watch some rehousing videos online to see what works and what doesn't. Number one priority has to be safety of the spider.

Thank you much for the great advice. The pop bottle catch cup idea will be perfect. Last night I picked up a large rubbermaid container I'm going to house it in since I've seen them used a lot with T. stirmi. It's a little large, but considering how fast they grow and how large they can get, it should be fine. I was prepared for defensive behavior and it being more nervous/fast than all my other NWs, but I honestly didnt think it would be this bad. It gives zero warning and goes straight to attack mode. No hair kicking (yet) no threat posture. I'm going to keep it for awhile and see if I can handle it. If it turns out too much for me, I have a friend who is close with a breeder that would gladly take him/her in.