Dominatus
Arachnopeon
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2008
- Messages
- 38
I am revving up my arachnid addiction after a couple years hiatus (life got crazy and I was sadden after I lost a couple of T's to not so clear circumstances) I am already planing on selling/trading some of my L para 3-4" (have 4) and buying new slings of varying species BUT!!! I stopped in at a LPS that I had seen tarantulas at years ago (got my 7" L para from them 1-2 years ago, she was 5-6" then) and they had a "Goliath Bird Eating Tarantula" for $130, 6" ish. I'm not confident in my ability in telling the difference between blondi and stirmi (blondi should have "hairier" legs/knees?) but I plan on going back to take a second look after looking at tons of pics on the forums. Also would like to try to get a look at underside to see if I can tell sex via epiandrous fusillae presence. Now, this is a species I figured I'd get someday for sure, but here one is physically in reach and it has me thinking real hard about it. So many scary thoughts!
1) I don't have any fancy acrylic cages with vents, just some 30"x12"x12" (and smaller) glass aquariums with mesh lids and I've always used pure peat moss for my enclosures, but I'm worried about keeping humidity and temperatures (always let the tarantulas chill at house temps, 64-68 in winter and 74-78 in the summer) at the right levels to keep a blondi/stirmi healthy. For my L paras and A. geniculatas I've just kept water dishes full and peat moss moist for humidity, nothing fancy. (and I'm always stressing I'm going to get mold if I keep it too moist, too long and then stressing that it will be hard to get it moist/humid again if I let it dry to much! heh)
2) I know this T sp. has been fed 1 mouse per 1-2 week at this pet store (they told me) so who knows if I'll have problems with molting as it gets large, if its a female and lives to get huge that is. Not the best food source with all the anecdotal calcium rich food problem stories out there.
3) If I was to "graduate" to such a harder species to care for and grow it'd be nice if it was an actual T. blondi that I could care for at a younger/smaller size to have a better chance at better health and CB status. Also would be kewl to say I have a Goliath and not feel guilty for spreading the blondi/stirmi confusion, heh.
So, any thoughts? concerns? advice? Too cheap or expensive? (really up to me and what I value it all at in the end) To be honest, if it wasn't there, physically at my LPS I'd prob put off searching the forums and it's dealers for a blondi/stirmi just because I feel like I need a better setup and habits/methods then what I've been using, for these more sensitive species, but perhaps I'm underselling myself? Heck, there could be one on these forums but I just haven't looked!
Would simple changes help a lot if I got this T. sp? Like a switch of substrate to help humidity and lower chances of mold? Any economical and simple methods of raising this particular enclosure temp? (could always stick her in a closet with a ceramic lamp or something, seems like a silly solution though)
Any tips for telling blondi vs stirmi and sex?
I've read and read the forums since seeing the T at the pet shop but just figured I'd ask, what could it hurt. And sorry for the wall of text, I'm good at that :8o
Ah, if only I was rich and could order custom made acrylic cages and build a special T room. :drool:
Thanks in advance for any thoughts!
-Dominatus
1) I don't have any fancy acrylic cages with vents, just some 30"x12"x12" (and smaller) glass aquariums with mesh lids and I've always used pure peat moss for my enclosures, but I'm worried about keeping humidity and temperatures (always let the tarantulas chill at house temps, 64-68 in winter and 74-78 in the summer) at the right levels to keep a blondi/stirmi healthy. For my L paras and A. geniculatas I've just kept water dishes full and peat moss moist for humidity, nothing fancy. (and I'm always stressing I'm going to get mold if I keep it too moist, too long and then stressing that it will be hard to get it moist/humid again if I let it dry to much! heh)
2) I know this T sp. has been fed 1 mouse per 1-2 week at this pet store (they told me) so who knows if I'll have problems with molting as it gets large, if its a female and lives to get huge that is. Not the best food source with all the anecdotal calcium rich food problem stories out there.
3) If I was to "graduate" to such a harder species to care for and grow it'd be nice if it was an actual T. blondi that I could care for at a younger/smaller size to have a better chance at better health and CB status. Also would be kewl to say I have a Goliath and not feel guilty for spreading the blondi/stirmi confusion, heh.
So, any thoughts? concerns? advice? Too cheap or expensive? (really up to me and what I value it all at in the end) To be honest, if it wasn't there, physically at my LPS I'd prob put off searching the forums and it's dealers for a blondi/stirmi just because I feel like I need a better setup and habits/methods then what I've been using, for these more sensitive species, but perhaps I'm underselling myself? Heck, there could be one on these forums but I just haven't looked!
Would simple changes help a lot if I got this T. sp? Like a switch of substrate to help humidity and lower chances of mold? Any economical and simple methods of raising this particular enclosure temp? (could always stick her in a closet with a ceramic lamp or something, seems like a silly solution though)
Any tips for telling blondi vs stirmi and sex?
I've read and read the forums since seeing the T at the pet shop but just figured I'd ask, what could it hurt. And sorry for the wall of text, I'm good at that :8o
Ah, if only I was rich and could order custom made acrylic cages and build a special T room. :drool:
Thanks in advance for any thoughts!
-Dominatus