Water dishes necessary?

[GrammastolaGuy]

I’m sure this question gets asked frequently but I’m new to the hobby so humor me. I recently got my first G. pulchripes, a male and female, and they always fill their water dishes with dirt. I’ve read that this species doesn’t need a water dish and can get their water from their prey. Does anyone have experience raising this species without a water dish? I attached a picture of the female. It cracks me up that the most “docile” species I own wants to murder me!

 

[TheraMygale]

Some g pulchripes can have an attitude. I have four.

althought the dishes, at times, get burried, i never go without it.

i just dont refresh it everyday is all. If it gets buried the day i put it in. I wait atleast a week.

unless its premolt, then i am making sure it gets water.

depending on enclosure size and excavation, tarantula might just be in need of something you need to figure out.

is enclosure too small? Is water dish in wrong place? Is sub too moist?

you need to question current conditions to see if everything is ideal.

currently, my almost 2 inch slings usualy leave the bowl alone. But enclosure is getting small. They should he molting by spring. So right now, they are looking for space. As a result, the dirt goes in the bowl.

if my enclosure was bigger, i dont think this would happen.

some really “dislike” water. It starts the “rain” season trigger. So they want to get away from it. Doesnt mean they dont need it.

you just need to work around it and be clever.

one day i had enough and thought the water bowl was a nuisance. I was about to give up and still provided it. Caught my spider drinking from the lego cube.

and then, out of a bottle cap.

better to find ways to provide it then not, because when then need it, it needs to be there.



i even left physical drops when they were tiny just in case they didnt get the water bowl.



now the three slings are much bigger but i have seen them use the bowl.

my four inch female never did use the bowl. So i pour water once a month near her hide. I still leave the water bowl. Even if she just webs it and dreads touching it. I know for a fact, the previous owner was a mister. Tarantula could have been a dirt sucker. So i provide bowl, and every now and then, a trickle.

you could always try it for science. And not give a water bowl. See how that goes. Not that i recommend it, but its still science.

i dont know who says they dont need water. These are still hydraulic machines, not cacti

 

[GrammastolaGuy]

Yeah makes sense. I have a 1.5” male in a TC small slider and a 3” female in a TC medium cuboid with deep enough substrate for them to burrow which they both did immediately. The male burrowed under his water dish so I have to wait for him to exit before I dig it out. The breeder says that he doesn’t include water dishes for any of his tarantulas so I feel like I could go without but I’d rather not try. I think I’ll just clean/fill on a weekly basis instead of daily.

 

[TheraMygale]

Yeah makes sense. I have a 1.5” male in a TC small slider and a 3” female in a TC medium cuboid with deep enough substrate for them to burrow which they both did immediately. The male burrowed under his water dish so I have to wait for him to exit before I dig it out. The breeder says that he doesn’t include water dishes for any of his tarantulas so I feel like I could go without but I’d rather not try. I think I’ll just clean/fill on a weekly basis instead of daily.

Breeders do all sorts of things. Some mist their spiderlings. Ever go inside a tarantula dealer store?

did you check out Daves little beasties videos?

@cold blood might have a perspective on this.

take out the water bowl now, or forever may it rest in peace and add a new one. Youre not going to give trauma to your spider for removing the water bowl and replacing it.

dont know if you got these shipped by mail or not, but tarantulas can be very thristy after travel.

my nhandu color was. When i got her, first thing she did that night, she went and drank. Everyday she was drinking.

eventualy, she molted. By the way, many people keep nhandus dry. So yeah.

 

[viper69]

I’m sure this question gets asked frequently but I’m new to the hobby so humor me. I recently got my first G. pulchripes, a male and female, and they always fill their water dishes with dirt. I’ve read that this species doesn’t need a water dish and can get their water from their prey. Does anyone have experience raising this species without a water dish? I attached a picture of the female. It cracks me up that the most “docile” species I own wants to murder me!

So let’s get this straight your new to T keeping

You don’t want to deal with water dishes because why???? To make your life easier

 

[Gevo]

I have a 2-inch G. pulchra who hates water in the enclosure. I fill the bowl with water, he fills it with dirt. If any trickles out and rests on webbing so it doesn’t absorb into the soil right away, he’s there with a mouthful of dirt to sop it up. He’s like a beaver around trickling water.

But, though he’d vehemently deny it if he knew I was telling on him, I have caught him drinking from the water dish before. And if there is some moistened moss in the enclosure, he’ll suck from that too sometimes.

They don’t need water very often, and if the dish gets buried and isn’t refilled immediately, it’s not an emergency like if a cat or dog were left without sufficient clean water, but when they need to drink, they must have ready access to water. Proper hydration is necessary for their movement and bodily functions, and it’s especially important for them when they’re coming up on a molt because they need the extra fluid in their system to pump between their old and new exoskeletons.

Most people use cheap dishes like bottle caps and disposable sauce cups as water dishes so they can just throw a new one in instead of having to dig the old one out if the tarantula buried it really well. Regular retrieval and cleaning of the water dish is just part of having tarantulas. It might seem futile, but it’s still important to provide them.

 

[TheraMygale]

I have a 2-inch G. pulchra who hates water in the enclosure. I fill the bowl with water, he fills it with dirt. If any trickles out and rests on webbing so it doesn’t absorb into the soil right away, he’s there with a mouthful of dirt to sop it up. He’s like a beaver around trickling water.

But, though he’d vehemently deny it if he knew I was telling on him, I have caught him drinking from the water dish before. And if there is some moistened moss in the enclosure, he’ll suck from that too sometimes.

They don’t need water very often, and if the dish gets buried and isn’t refilled immediately, it’s not an emergency like if a cat or dog were left without sufficient clean water, but when they need to drink, they must have ready access to water. Proper hydration is necessary for their movement and bodily functions, and it’s especially important for them when they’re coming up on a molt because they need the extra fluid in their system to pump between their old and new exoskeletons.

Most people use cheap dishes like bottle caps and disposable sauce cups as water dishes so they can just throw a new one in instead of having to dig the old one out if the tarantula buried it really well. Regular retrieval and cleaning of the water dish is just part of having tarantulas. It might seem futile, but it’s still important to provide them.

totaly.

i think its a rain trigger. What do you think?

they still use the water supply at one point. Which proves the point they need it. But the entire burrying it, makes me thinks of tarantulas and their turrets and such. Like a natural reflex.

breeders/dealers who dont put bowls on their delicups, still mist. So the tarantulas are sucking the water as they would in nature.

and slings in dealer care, have a big turn around in general. They dont stay there forever.

 

[Gevo]

totaly.

i think its a rain trigger. What do you think?

I think so too, or at least something like it. I keep a bit of moss in there now and moisten it down every now and then when I dampen a corner of the substrate. I think it’s what he uses more often than the dish itself, so I’m just going with it. But if there’s a pool or puddle of water, he’s like “absolutely NOT!!!” Probably thinks I’m very rude for continuing to try.

 

[TheraMygale]

I think so too, or at least something like it. I keep a bit of moss in there now and moisten it down every now and then when I dampen a corner of the substrate. I think it’s what he uses more often than the dish itself, so I’m just going with it. But if there’s a pool or puddle of water, he’s like “absolutely NOT!!!” Probably thinks I’m very rude for continuing to try.

I think its there way of dealing with rain/monsoon. They need to remove it so it doesnt flood. They have no permitted limit. The limit is ZERO.

glad to know im not alone in this. We are sort of tiny scientists. With our tarantulas. What privilege we have.

@viper69 did you see what i posted?

 

[cold blood]

While a water dish may not be absolutely necessary all the time, it's a very easy safety net to add to any enclosure that offers no negative....which is why it's so commonly recommend.

 

[A guy]

A waterdish in an enclosure is literally to make your life easier.

Can they thrive without a waterdish? Absolutely.

 

[Brewser]

Dump - Wipe Down - ReFill with Fresh Water
Repeat as often as neccesary.
Your Spider Will Thank-you,

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I just empty the debris and refill the dish with water.

 

[TheraMygale]

While a water dish may not be absolutely necessary all the time, it's a very easy safety net

A waterdish in an enclosure is literally to make your life easier.

Can they thrive without a waterdish? Absolutely.

in Ugnaught culture, this equals to they have spoken. In the Mandolorian anyways.

for me, that means our water dishes are an accessory.

will i still use them? Yes.

do i fuss over them? No.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

It takes no effort to remove a filled up water dish, clean it and fill it.

My irminia destroyed her enclosure. She has moss stuffed in the water dish because she doesn't use her cork tube anymore. She took all the moss and threw it all in the front of the enclosure as she took up residence behind the cork tube.

So today was feeding the slings and a couple of the adults plus refilling water dishes. I did the irminia last. Pulled her off the shelf and let her know I was going to mess with her enclosure by shifting it back and forth slowly from left to right. Not fast just enough so she doesn't think it's prey entering her enclosure, it's worked for years.

Well I had to time it fast as she was pointed towards the water dish behind the cork tube. She was like 4 inches from the water dish.

I quickly opened the front door and removed the water dish with tongs then shut the door. I pitched that one and gave her a new water dish. Was done in seconds and she never rushed me from behind the cork tube

Now if I can do that which didn't take much effort then changing out a water dish from a G. pulchripes is child's play.

 

[Charliemum]

My girl has 3 buried in her enclosure, do I dig them out no but does she get a new one once she has inevitably buried the other one yes, same day,do I expect her viv to be more dish then dirt one day, yes .
I give all my t's water dishes . I have even started making my own out of resin because I couldn't find a dish I liked . (Don't worry ppl it's food safe resin )
Waterdishes are a must imo .

Sp of t I have that just bury their dish probably 50 do they all still have clean dishes of water, yes.

In the wild water is a dumping ground for t's the water washes the rubbish away they expect the same in captivity. Its your job to take out the rubbish, your the river to their waterdish .

 

[viper69]

I think its there way of dealing with rain/monsoon. They need to remove it so it doesnt flood. They have no permitted limit. The limit is ZERO.

glad to know im not alone in this. We are sort of tiny scientists. With our tarantulas. What privilege we have.

@viper69 did you see what i posted?

If you didn’t include my name, then no

 

[Mustafa67]

I’m sure this question gets asked frequently but I’m new to the hobby so humor me. I recently got my first G. pulchripes, a male and female, and they always fill their water dishes with dirt. I’ve read that this species doesn’t need a water dish and can get their water from their prey. Does anyone have experience raising this species without a water dish? I attached a picture of the female. It cracks me up that the most “docile” species I own wants to murder me!

I give a water dish to all my Ts. Makes life easier, if they fill it with dirt I clean it and refill or replace it with a new one.

 

[Ratmosphere]

I've raised slings up without a water dish, but I am at the stage where every one of my T's has a water dish. It's always there just in case.

 

[Glorfindel]

water is essential for life a bowl is easy way to provide this.
have seen my spiders use them plenty of times.