Theraphosa Stirmi

[Frogdaddy]

I never mist any tarantula ever. It's useless and just disturbs. Add water to the substrate. Pour water along the side of the enclosure. You want the water to get down tto the bottom layer of substrate. That way the T can burrow down and get to the level of humidity/moisture it wants.

 

[sasker]

it's okay to spray once a day?

By spraying, you don't mean misting, right? Just add water to the substrate. It's a misunderstanding that spraying is necessary to increase air humidity. The air right above moist substrate has high air humidity. Spraying a fine mist will unavoidably hit the spider as well and cause stress.

Don't water once per day, once per week, once per month. Add water when necessary, that is, when the substrate starts to dry out. Adding water to the substrate daily will turn your enclosure into a swamp in no-time, which would be bad.

Also, try to sink the water bottle into the substrate so it is more or less flush with the surface. This way, your tarantula does not need to climb up the edge to drink water, and the cap will not topple over.

the fact that he owned one and grew if from a baby, and it's the size of his hand now tells me he might know.

This species grows super fast. Keeping it long enough to reach a reasonable size is one thing. Keeping it alive and healthy for a long time is something completely different. That's the thing with caring for tarantulas: one can keep tarantulas for years under sub-par conditions (or even terrible conditions). The fact that it is still alive is not proof that this way of keeping tarantulas is good. The beauty of a platform like AB is that you will get advice from people who, sometimes, have successfully kept and bred Ts for decades. This combined experience is much greater than one single guy could possibly offer you. Ultimately, it is up to you whose advice you listen to.

I don't want to stress her using a cup to rehouse.

Rehousing with a cup is by far the safest and least stressful way of transferring a tarantula from one enclosure to another. Transfers by hand are among the least safe methods.

 

[Table]

Transfers by hand are among the least safe methods.

One wronge move and you've got a spot on the floor that was ur T.

 

[Smotzer]

Are you still willing to handle a heavy bodied terrestrial such as a Theraphosa knowing that if it falls from your hand and lands on the floor or hard surface it could rupture its abdomen and suffer a fatal injury? Please ask yourself this, because we have seen it happened more than a few times on this very board. Know the risks and weigh them versus the reward of handling.

 

[Hardus nameous]

Dig this thread, sorry if someone else already posted it.

Theraphosa care and info

We have had so many threads lately on Theraphosa, and I find myself repeating the same thing time and time again. This thread will cover most of the common questions, hopefully it should be useful to some of the newer keepers, and may even save a few spiders from neglect. I'll start by going...

arachnoboards.com

 

[KatsuKing]

Are you still willing to handle a heavy bodied terrestrial such as a Theraphosa knowing that if it falls from your hand and lands on the floor or hard surface it could rupture its abdomen and suffer a fatal injury? Please ask yourself this, because we have seen it happened more than a few times on this very board. Know the risks and weigh them versus the reward of handling.

I'm fully aware. Which is why I handle her on the floor. I understand the division. I'm not here to fight or argue. Many people have stated these things and I'm fully aware. I've handled tarantulas quite a few times without incident, because I'm careful.

By spraying, you don't mean misting, right? Just add water to the substrate. It's a misunderstanding that spraying is necessary to increase air humidity. The air right above moist substrate has high air humidity. Spraying a fine mist will unavoidably hit the spider as well and cause stress.

Don't water once per day, once per week, once per month. Add water when necessary, that is, when the substrate starts to dry out. Adding water to the substrate daily will turn your enclosure into a swamp in no-time, which would be bad.

Also, try to sink the water bottle into the substrate so it is more or less flush with the surface. This way, your tarantula does not need to climb up the edge to drink water, and the cap will not topple over.

Yeah, so essentially cause I heard these guys need a good amount of moisture, I was thinking like spray warm water on the lid and sides and let it humidify a bit? I'll get like, a little little cup and sink it in. Much better than a cap. Nice knowing I won't have to go all out though. Some simple hydration.

I never mist any tarantula ever. It's useless and just disturbs. Add water to the substrate. Pour water along the side of the enclosure. You want the water to get down tto the bottom layer of substrate. That way the T can burrow down and get to the level of humidity/moisture it wants.

As to how much sun, some people say put a lot, some a little. She's small so should I keep it the way it is??? Just add the moss and everything? She seems to like the leaves more than the burrow as well???

 

[kingshockey]

I'm handling her because the guy that owns one handles his. She didn't flick or rear when I brushed her, which told me she was okay to be handled. She crawled on me willingly. I do know that some people handle theirs. I'm aware of the hairs as well, it's just her enclosure evolution I'm concerned about. She's dug into the soil and all, but as she grows I know it'll get much more complicated.

theres another thread going right now how the t fell and is wherabouts unkown possibly dying lostin the persons house give it read cause its a good possiblity you could be posting a thread like that soon yourself handling your t. or help my t fell is it dying now?I'm handling her because the guy that owns one handles his thats a poor way to rationilze handling your t i took my drivers liscense behind the wheel test under the influence and passed it on the first try does that mean you could pass to? sure you could. doesnt mean cause i didnt crash /kill people doing that it couldnt happen to you doin as i did. point is no matter how calm,tameyou assume it to be along with assuming it likes being handled its still a wild animal with instincts that it goes by anything could cause it to make a leap off you and plummet to the floor to be injured or death. your here looking for advice on how to care for it i hope you quit with the handling so it has the best chance at a long healthy life with you. in the end its your t and you make the decisions for it good luck with it man

 

[viper69]

The guy I know is actually able to handle his, from the pet shop. He did say to be careful

People do stupid things, stupid people do even more stupid things.

People that follow stupidity usually end up in bad situations.

I'm handling her because the guy that owns one handles his. She didn't flick or rear when I brushed her, which told me she was okay to be handled

Who cares about the other guy, except for you?

Yeah, THAT TIME— plenty of stories of this “my T is fine”

Then their T ends up missing or dead. Good luck with this illogical approach to handling.

@KatsuKing
You claim to know how to take care of this T, yet you came here for advice, "all the help I can get" to quote you.
You have received advice from the pet store guy. He's already wrong on two accounts.
1. Handling
2. Misting this species.
Please take to heart the advice being offered. You aren't being scolded you're learning.

I couldn’t not agree more.

I've handled tarantulas quite a few times without incident, because I'm careful

Handlers like yourself have ALWAYS confused careful with getting lucky because it suits their selfish needs, UNTIL their T is missing or dead like the thread from a day ago.

Tarantula fell and now we can’t find him

My cousin took out my Grammostola pulchra to look at him and accidentally dropped him when I wasn’t looking We both heard a plop but we can’t find any pieces of him; we’ve moved everything but the furniture around his enclosure and still have found nothing. I’ve set up a box in the corner next...

arachnoboards.com

Good luck with that “logic”

 

[Neonblizzard]

I'm fully aware. Which is why I handle her on the floor. I understand the division. I'm not here to fight or argue. Many people have stated these things and I'm fully aware. I've handled tarantulas quite a few times without incident, because I'm careful.



Yeah, so essentially cause I heard these guys need a good amount of moisture, I was thinking like spray warm water on the lid and sides and let it humidify a bit? I'll get like, a little little cup and sink it in. Much better than a cap. Nice knowing I won't have to go all out though. Some simple hydration.

As to how much sun, some people say put a lot, some a little. She's small so should I keep it the way it is??? Just add the moss and everything? She seems to like the leaves more than the burrow as well???

I'm not sure where you heard about the T needing a certain amount of sunlight? As long as they are in a room with a window, preferably not a sun facing one that will be fine. They just need a day and night cycle like any other animal. Definitely not direct sunlight or you will have a poached T.Stirmi.
If they are in a room with a sun facing window bear in mind as the seasons change where the sun falls in the room might put your T in direct sunlight when it didn't before. Be careful of that.

 

[starlight_kitsune]

I'm not sure where you heard about the T needing a certain amount of sunlight? As long as they are in a room with a window, preferably not a sun facing one that will be fine. They just need a day and night cycle like any other animal. Definitely not direct sunlight or you will have a poached T.Stirmi.
If they are in a room with a sun facing window bear in mind as the seasons change where the sun falls in the room might put your T in direct sunlight when it didn't before. Be careful of that.

I think it's a typo for sub / substrate. Or at least I hope so. But then again considering the rest of the thread...

 

[Myrlina]

I'm not sure where you heard about the T needing a certain amount of sunlight? As long as they are in a room with a window, preferably not a sun facing one that will be fine. They just need a day and night cycle like any other animal. Definitely not direct sunlight or you will have a poached T.Stirmi.
If they are in a room with a sun facing window bear in mind as the seasons change where the sun falls in the room might put your T in direct sunlight when it didn't before. Be careful of that.

I think that was a typo for "how much sub", makes more sense!

 

[Neonblizzard]

I think that was a typo for "how much sub", makes more sense!

Lmaoo well i thought it could have been another hot take on husbandry from the pet store guy seeing as he already pro mist and pro handle

 

[Frogdaddy]

I'm fully aware. Which is why I handle her on the floor. I understand the division. I'm not here to fight or argue. Many people have stated these things and I'm fully aware. I've handled tarantulas quite a few times without incident, because I'm careful.



Yeah, so essentially cause I heard these guys need a good amount of moisture, I was thinking like spray warm water on the lid and sides and let it humidify a bit? I'll get like, a little little cup and sink it in. Much better than a cap. Nice knowing I won't have to go all out though. Some simple hydration.

As to how much sun, some people say put a lot, some a little. She's small so should I keep it the way it is??? Just add the moss and everything? She seems to like the leaves more than the burrow as well???

I'm assuming you mean substrate or sub instead of sun. No T needs sunlight.
I can't tell from the photo you provided how deep the substrate is. All you need is enough for the T to burrow and to have that moisture gradient as mentioned earlier. For that size sling I would think a depth of 3 inches. If anyone wants to correct that, feel free.

 

[Doodlebird]

Like others said, I would avoid handling your T. If you take a quick scroll through the forum, there are many posts from spiders that fell and got lost, injured, or killed. Especially with theraphosa, since their hairs are dangerous (they are a defense mechanism). Especially with a small spider, they get lost or squished very easily.

 

[sasker]

They just need a day and night cycle like any other animal.

I am not even sure if that's true

 

[cold blood]

Yeah, so essentially cause I heard these guys need a good amount of moisture, I was thinking like spray warm water on the lid and sides and let it humidify a bit?

Here's one of the biggest tips I can offer....Ignore that term you keep throwing around....humidity....that term is irrelevant to the keeping of tarantulas.....its something you see stressed in pet stores and on care sheets...which are basically the two worst places to get husbandry advice from. Your t doesn't need humidity, it simply needs damp substrate.....when it dries, add water, its that simple.

Misting should never be done as part of husbandry, its just a means of offering a drink.

 

[spideyspinneret78]

Agreed. All misting does it it creates a wet, and stuffy environment. This can cause mold and harmful bacteria to grow, which can kill your spider. I have a T. stirmi and what I do is that I take a turkey baster and use it to inject water into the bottom layers of substrate. The moisture slowly evaporates through the substrate and into the enclosure, without creating a damp, wet environment. For this species, I've found that using either a mix of topsoil and peat moss, or Reptisoil works better than coco fiber because it holds moisture better without being as likely to mold. You need good ventilation for this species, both cross ventilation and top ventilation to create air flow. As other have said, be very careful handling this species (although I disagree that any tarantula should be handled), because if their urticating hairs get into your eyes, they can cause blindness. If they get into your throat or lungs, it can cause dangerous reactions. I personally know someone who handled on of these tarantulas, got too close to the spider, and ended up with several of these barbed hairs lodged in his cornea. Whenever you do enclosure maintenance like changing substrate or rehousing, wear a mask and gloves to protect yourself. I strongly urge you to do research on this forum and Tom Moran's YouTube channel to get accurate care information. No offense, but the pet store employee you talked to sounds like he doesn't really know what he's doing.

 

[KatsuKing]

theres another thread going right now how the t fell and is wherabouts unkown possibly dying lostin the persons house give it read cause its a good possiblity you could be posting a thread like that soon yourself handling your t. or help my t fell is it dying now?I'm handling her because the guy that owns one handles his thats a poor way to rationilze handling your t i took my drivers liscense behind the wheel test under the influence and passed it on the first try does that mean you could pass to? sure you could. doesnt mean cause i didnt crash /kill people doing that it couldnt happen to you doin as i did. point is no matter how calm,tameyou assume it to be along with assuming it likes being handled its still a wild animal with instincts that it goes by anything could cause it to make a leap off you and plummet to the floor to be injured or death. your here looking for advice on how to care for it i hope you quit with the handling so it has the best chance at a long healthy life with you. in the end its your t and you make the decisions for it good luck with it man

I'm not here to argue. I just want tips for my enclosure. Stop harassing me over how I handle my T. There are plenty people who handle them without incident.

Agreed. All misting does it it creates a wet, and stuffy environment. This can cause mold and harmful bacteria to grow, which can kill your spider. I have a T. stirmi and what I do is that I take a turkey baster and use it to inject water into the bottom layers of substrate. The moisture slowly evaporates through the substrate and into the enclosure, without creating a damp, wet environment. For this species, I've found that using either a mix of topsoil and peat moss, or Reptisoil works better than coco fiber because it holds moisture better without being as likely to mold. You need good ventilation for this species, both cross ventilation and top ventilation to create air flow. As other have said, be very careful handling this species (although I disagree that any tarantula should be handled), because if their urticating hairs get into your eyes, they can cause blindness. If they get into your throat or lungs, it can cause dangerous reactions. I personally know someone who handled on of these tarantulas, got too close to the spider, and ended up with several of these barbed hairs lodged in his cornea. Whenever you do enclosure maintenance like changing substrate or rehousing, wear a mask and gloves to protect yourself. I strongly urge you to do research on this forum and Tom Moran's YouTube channel to get accurate care information. No offense, but the pet store employee you talked to sounds like he doesn't really know what he's doing.

I seen a guy put some pebbles under his substrate to help with draining the water for his little Stirmi. I got a different tub so she can burrow better and I'm buying some moss right now. Do you use warm water or just regular? And l did buy some goggles and long gloves. I won't really be able to handle her much with my schedule, but I'm at least prepared when I do, or at least when I move her. She didn't bolt, but even with a cup rehousing they can still scuttle off. She doesn't kick but I don't wanna risk it.

Here's one of the biggest tips I can offer....Ignore that term you keep throwing around....humidity....that term is irrelevant to the keeping of tarantulas.....its something you see stressed in pet stores and on care sheets...which are basically the two worst places to get husbandry advice from. Your t doesn't need humidity, it simply needs damp substrate.....when it dries, add water, its that simple.

Misting should never be done as part of husbandry, its just a means of offering a drink.

What sub do you use???

 

[spideyspinneret78]

I seen a guy put some pebbles under his substrate to help with draining the water for his little Stirmi. I got a different tub so she can burrow better and I'm buying some moss right now. Do you use warm water or just regular? And l did buy some goggles and long gloves. I won't really be able to handle her much with my schedule, but I'm at least prepared when I do, or at least when I move her. She didn't bolt, but even with a cup rehousing they can still scuttle off. She doesn't kick but I don't wanna risk it.

In some setups, that can be helpful, but isn't always necessary. Room temperature water is fine. Put more substrate than you think you'll need in the enclosure, at least several inches...and if you take a piece of cork bark (less likely to mold) and bury it an an angle you can create a starter burrow for the spider. Always have fresh water available.

 

[KatsuKing]

In some setups, that can be helpful, but isn't always necessary. Room temperature water is fine. Put more substrate than you think you'll need in the enclosure, at least several inches...and if you take a piece of cork bark (less likely to mold) and bury it an an angle you can create a starter burrow for the spider. Always have fresh water available.

Is peat moss soil sand and carbon an okay mixture?