The Balfouri Communal

[Kodi]

I got my 15 balfouri slings and placed them in their enclosure today. This thread is where I'll be posting updates on the progress and to share the experience. Once they all scurried off into their secret black holes I circled the tank probably 10 times and I could only ever find about 5 even with a flashlight. Then I realized the little buggers were hiding in the moss.

You can kind of see his little legs near the substrate. Sneaky sneaky...


I threw a (difficultly) prekilled cricket in there and I'm hoping to see a T pile when I get home from work.

 

[Kodi]

They are just so dang cute.

 

[Trenor]

Good luck. How big is your enclosure?

 

[Kodi]

Good luck. How big is your enclosure?

It's the 5 gallon from the old thread. Don't worry they won't be staying together after a molt or two.

 

[Kodi]

This species is fascinating. I wonder what it is about their evolution that made them cohabitat and thrive together. It also amazes me how this is the only tarantula that has been discovered with this behavior.

 

[REEFSPIDER]

I believe the N inceii is also a communal species

 

[Kodi]

I believe the N inceii is also a communal species

Do they tolerate one another like avics or do they live together?

 

[REEFSPIDER]

Do they tolerate one another like avics or do they live together?

I believe they live together in the wild. Densely.
As far as in the hobby goes here's one of many examples of success with communal H inceii. This poster managed to achieve third generation slings that cohabitated the enclosure with the first and second generations, essentially three sets of spiders at different stages of life living communally.
http://arachnoboards.com/threads/my-holothele-incei-communal.274691/

I would never place more than one avic in an enclosure unless I were pairing them. IMO.

 

[Kodi]

@Trenor How long did it take after housing for them to eat?

 

[Trenor]

@Trenor How long did it take after housing for them to eat?

They ate pretty quickly, a day or two at the most. For my communal setups I've use dubias with crushed heads and placed them around the enclosure. That way when laid on their back they don't go far. I check where I laid them and that lets me know if they have been eating. Depending on the size of the slings they may not eat a lot and they will fill up faster.

How big is the food you're trying and how are you feeding it?

 

[Kodi]

They ate pretty quickly, a day or two at the most. For my communal setups I've use dubias with crushed heads and placed them around the enclosure. That way when laid on their back they don't go far. I check where I laid them and that lets me know if they have been eating. Depending on the size of the slings they may not eat a lot and they will fill up faster.

How big is the food you're trying and how are you feeding it?

A prekilled cricket probably 1.5 times their size. I'm assuming all 14 of them are in the same burrow considering I can't see any others anywhere else.

 

[Trenor]

A prekilled cricket probably 1.5 times their size. I'm assuming all 15 of them are in the same burrow considering I can't see any others anywhere else.

With that many Ts in the enclosure I'd put several 3-5 prekilled crickets around the enclosure and leave them over night. They like to eat late at night for the most part.

 

[Kodi]

With that many Ts in the enclosure I'd put several 3-5 prekilled crickets around the enclosure and leave them over night. They like to eat late at night for the most part.

I did that with the one cricket. Maybe I should just move one closer to the burrow.

 

[Trenor]

I did that with the one cricket. Maybe I should just move one closer to the burrow.

If they are hungry they'll find it.

 

[viper69]

Do they tolerate one another like avics or do they live together?

I've seen a picture of N. incei in the wild living very densely. Avics aren't communal from what I know. Sure people keep them together at times, but that's not true communal living, that's simply tolerating your neighbor enough that you don't kill him, not my idea of communal living as often observed in captivity w/ balfouri.

 

[Kodi]

I've seen a picture of N. incei in the wild living very densely. Avics aren't communal from what I know. Sure people keep them together at times, but that's not true communal living, that's simply tolerating your neighbor enough that you don't kill him, not my idea of communal living as often observed in captivity w/ balfouri.

Exactly my thoughts. Do you know of anyone keeping N. incei communally? Strange I haven't heard of anyone.

 

[viper69]

Exactly my thoughts. Do you know of anyone keeping N. incei communally? Strange I haven't heard of anyone.

I used to know of people years ago, but they are not on AB anymore. N incei used to be a lot more popular than it is now these past couple of years. I used to see them all the time.

 

[Kodi]

I used to know of people years ago, but they are not on AB anymore. N incei used to be a lot more popular than it is now these past couple of years. I used to see them all the time.

Well can you guess what's going in my extra enclosure now?

 

[viper69]

Well can you guess what's going in my extra enclosure now?

Hopefully incei and not Avics

 

[Kodi]

Hopefully incei and not Avics

Haha you are correct. Never did I think an avic communal was a good idea.