- Joined
- Jun 17, 2006
- Messages
- 839
Hi All
I’ve been floating around again After a 16 year break. I have been a member here for a long time and a keeper of tarantulas and all sorts of aquariums since the 1970’s.
This thread will serve the dual purpose of reintroducing myself and as a progression journal.
To start at the “end-of the beginning”, 17 years ago I moved cross country and tragically lost my entire collection shortly after my first child was born. I soldiered on for a bit but had another baby shorty thereafter and just kinda fizzled out. If you want the longer version you can read about it here.
Fast forward to now and I have two high schoolers and finally some free time. Going to be working with new variations of old favorites and probably a completely new project or two.
To be continued….
Food culture:
I have always enjoyed culturing my own live foods and will have several going soon. Before I even acquired my first new spider I purchased a starter colony of Red Runners and have the culture thriving in my basement.
My basement is always cold here in New England, so they are double binned with two layers of insulation and a herp heat pad set to 85
Next up will be wax-worms, and I will eventually get Dubia and Superworms going again when I need larger options.
I have always leveraged my love of aquariums and plants to the benefit of my tarantulas. My sitting room is my zen spot. This room stays warmer and more humid than the rest of my house due to a combination of live plants, a room humidifier, planted tanks and thier lighting. I also aways have plants around my T enclosures to provide overhead “canopy” and a more natural setting.
My wife picked out a T. albopilosum a few weeks ago and she has settled in nicely. A bit skinny and I suspect, relatively freshly molted. I have her up at a good weight now. Here is a terrible picture. I was settling in new additions over the weekend and wanted to keep disturbances to a minimum. I will be adding better pictures soon.
New additions:
I have decided that this time around I’m going to focus more on breeding projects, which I always enjoyed.
As I mentioned in another thread I had somewhat moved towards Old World species when they were all the rage some years back, but I am so far starting with NW acquisitions.
This weekend my first shipped order arrived.
Two- 2” B auratum 0.0.2
Two 1/2” P. irminia 0.0.2
These are the first two breeding projects. I’m aware of the growth rate of A. auratum but am in this for the long haul again. I will add to both groups from different sources over time.
All four have already taken food and all were actually larger than described, which was a pleasant surprise. They are in very temporary housing as all will need to be moved, probably after one molt.
Again, in the interest of settling them in, quick and crappy photos only for now. Better new to follow.
I’ve been floating around again After a 16 year break. I have been a member here for a long time and a keeper of tarantulas and all sorts of aquariums since the 1970’s.
This thread will serve the dual purpose of reintroducing myself and as a progression journal.
To start at the “end-of the beginning”, 17 years ago I moved cross country and tragically lost my entire collection shortly after my first child was born. I soldiered on for a bit but had another baby shorty thereafter and just kinda fizzled out. If you want the longer version you can read about it here.
Oregon move, tarantula disaster
Hey All- Been away from the site for a while due to some severe dejection :( If anyone recalls, I put up a post in early February about my family moving from New York to Oregon. We had a bit of a disaster when the rental truck broke down in the middle of a below zero night in rural PA...
arachnoboards.com
Fast forward to now and I have two high schoolers and finally some free time. Going to be working with new variations of old favorites and probably a completely new project or two.
To be continued….
Food culture:
I have always enjoyed culturing my own live foods and will have several going soon. Before I even acquired my first new spider I purchased a starter colony of Red Runners and have the culture thriving in my basement.
My basement is always cold here in New England, so they are double binned with two layers of insulation and a herp heat pad set to 85
Next up will be wax-worms, and I will eventually get Dubia and Superworms going again when I need larger options.
I have always leveraged my love of aquariums and plants to the benefit of my tarantulas. My sitting room is my zen spot. This room stays warmer and more humid than the rest of my house due to a combination of live plants, a room humidifier, planted tanks and thier lighting. I also aways have plants around my T enclosures to provide overhead “canopy” and a more natural setting.
My wife picked out a T. albopilosum a few weeks ago and she has settled in nicely. A bit skinny and I suspect, relatively freshly molted. I have her up at a good weight now. Here is a terrible picture. I was settling in new additions over the weekend and wanted to keep disturbances to a minimum. I will be adding better pictures soon.
New additions:
I have decided that this time around I’m going to focus more on breeding projects, which I always enjoyed.
As I mentioned in another thread I had somewhat moved towards Old World species when they were all the rage some years back, but I am so far starting with NW acquisitions.
This weekend my first shipped order arrived.
Two- 2” B auratum 0.0.2
Two 1/2” P. irminia 0.0.2
These are the first two breeding projects. I’m aware of the growth rate of A. auratum but am in this for the long haul again. I will add to both groups from different sources over time.
All four have already taken food and all were actually larger than described, which was a pleasant surprise. They are in very temporary housing as all will need to be moved, probably after one molt.
Again, in the interest of settling them in, quick and crappy photos only for now. Better new to follow.
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