Watering Tarantulas!

[LunaMoon06]

I've seen some posts about the "right way" on how to give your tarantula access to water whether it's getting the water from a water dish, misting, or misting moss. I have a bag of spagnum moss that I put in one of my slings enclosure and then misted the enclosure before unpacking the sling and putting it in the vial. The next time I give them fresh water, instead of misting the whole vial and stressing out the sling I'm going to just mist the moss. But, I use cocofiber for substrate. It can easily fall apart if the sling makes a burrow. If I pack the substrate down really good should that help if the sling burrows? All suggestions and tips are appreciated!

 

[Arachnoenthusiast]

Pack the substrate, moss that's misted with water works well for enclosures that are too small to have a water dish. If at all possible I always provide a water dish though

 

[TwiztedNinja]

One reason why I dont use coco anymore

 

[Arthroverts]

You will want to tamp the substrate down firmly but not excessively. It will then hold it's shape decently well.
Sponges in water dishes spoil rapidly and are of little use in my opinion. I just keep the soil damp and occasionally mist the walls of the enclosure for spiderlings till they get to the size where they can be supplied with a water dish.

Thanks,

Arthroverts

 

[Thekla]

It depends mostly on the size of your sling whether you use sphagnum moss or a water dish. Could you post pictures of your sling (what species? how big?) and the whole container?

I always recommend watching @Tomoran's sling care guide:

 

[clive 82]

As said tamping the sub helps it keep its structure. Mixing vermiculite into the sub also helps. This will also help retain moisture.
Try mixing in some organic top soil but be sure that it is organic with no chemicals added.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

nstead of misting the whole vial and stressing out the sling I'm going to just mist the moss.

Just use a pipette or syringe to add drops of water to the moss or substrate. The only thing I even bother to spray anymore is my snake when she's in shed.

If I pack the substrate down really good should that help if the sling burrows?

Yes

 

[CJJon]

I've never had a T get stuck in any burrow or a burrow just collapse on it's own. T's (even slings) line their burrows with silk. This helps hold it together. You may not see the silk, but it's there. Also, I pack my sub (coco fiber) firmly. You should tamp it down hard enough so you see it spring back a bit. Hard to explain but I doubt you could pack it so tight that a spider couldn't dig through it. Spiders (even small slings) can be quite strong. I had a tug of war once with a small GBB sling years ago that really sunk home to me how strong they are. I use a bamboo skewer with a 6" or so piece of heavy mono-filament fishing line on the end as a prodding tool. The little guy attacked the mono and held on. I was amazed at how strong it was!

 

[LunaMoon06]

It depends mostly on the size of your sling whether you use sphagnum moss or a water dish. Could you post pictures of your sling (what species? how big?) and the whole container?

I always recommend watching @Tomoran's sling care guide:

I just got my first tarantulas last Wednesday so they are all 1/2" or smaller. I know it's a lot for a very first time tarantula owner but I got three. It allowed me to get a freebie at a certain price. I got a Mexican Redrump, Trinidad Dwarf Tiger, and a Brazilian Salmon Pink Birdeater. I prefer not to send pics at their current sling stage because I don't want to pick up the vials and bother them more than I have to when I give them water. And yes, ive been using Tom Moran's sling care guides, I use the .PDF version.

 

[CJJon]

T's are not that delicate. You can pick up the vials. Just be gentle.

 

[korg]

Also worth noting that tarantulas get the vast majority of their hydration from their food... so misting/waterbowls are all well and good but don't feel like your sling will die if you don't mist properly. Sounds like your plan will work just fine.

 

[CJJon]

Also worth noting that tarantulas get the vast majority of their hydration from their food... so misting/waterbowls are all well and good but don't feel like your sling will die if you don't mist properly. Sounds like your plan will work just fine.

I'm not so sure about that. Dehydrated sling = dead sling. Always provide a source of water to slings (all T's really). Sure, don't be misting them, but they do need a water bowl or moist sub. IME, a sling will not survive on feeders alone for water source. They certainly do not get their vast majority of water from feeders. They do drink if offered water...

 

[TwiztedNinja]

I have seen at least one of mine, still be on the ground looking dehydrated after eating a cricket. Became alive after I misted the walls and started to drink

After that, I wont again rely only on food to hydrate them

 

[Thekla]

I'm not so sure about that. Dehydrated sling = dead sling. Always provide a source of water to slings (all T's really). Sure, don't be misting them, but they do need a water bowl or moist sub. IME, a sling will not survive on feeders alone for water source. They certainly do not get their vast majority of water from feeders. They do drink if offered water...

If Ts are eating they are NOT dehydrated... ever. They are physically not able to feed if they are dehydrated. So, as long as they're eating they are fine.

 

[clive 82]

If Ts are eating they are NOT dehydrated... ever. They are physically not able to feed if they are dehydrated. So, as long as they're eating they are fine.

I tend to agree although always supply a water bowl. Also you can tell by looking at the abdomen.

 

[CJJon]

If Ts are eating they are NOT dehydrated... ever. They are physically not able to feed if they are dehydrated. So, as long as they're eating they are fine.

Huh, so you can divine the reason why a T doesn't eat. Wow.

 

[CJJon]

I tend to agree although always supply a water bowl. Also you can tell by looking at the abdomen.

Again, you can't really look at a T and know it needs water any more than know by it not eating. That is why you must always provide some source of water be it in bowls, substrate, moss, added to webbing, etc.

 

[clive 82]

Again, you can't really look at a T and know it needs water any more than know by it not eating. That is why you must always provide some source of water be it in bowls, substrate, moss, added to webbing, etc.

Yeah totally agree. A full looking abdomen indicates that the T is well fed / hydrated but you will never really know if it needs water. As I say always provide a water dish.

 

[korg]

I'm not so sure about that. Dehydrated sling = dead sling. Always provide a source of water to slings (all T's really). Sure, don't be misting them, but they do need a water bowl or moist sub. IME, a sling will not survive on feeders alone for water source. They certainly do not get their vast majority of water from feeders. They do drink if offered water...

You're right about extreme dehydration being deadly... but hydration doesn't just come from drinking water. That's my whole point. Tarantulas absolutely can and do in many cases get the vast majority of their internal hydration from eating their prey, not from drinking water directly. Think about how much moisture is in a fat superworm. Look up the % moisture (water) in any of the common feeders. They can be 60, 70, 90% water, especially if the feeders themselves are well hydrated. Each time tarantulas eat they are getting more water than anything else, really... and they can absolutely survive on that alone, as evidenced by the fact that I (and I'm sure other folks here) have raised slings to adult with no misting or water dish many, many, many times. I wasn't trying to say DON'T mist, don't give a water bowl, or don't give your tarantula moist substrate if it needs it... those things are all fine, and they certainly don't hurt. I have quite a few spiders that need some moist substrate and do give water dishes to my non-burrowing adults. Just trying to lower OP new keeper's stress level a bit about the stakes of having an exactly proper misting procedure. The stakes aren't that high, they get most of their moisture from food and will be more than fine with a bit of damp sub or misting of any kind now and again.

 

[moricollins]

Huh, so you can divine the reason why a T doesn't eat. Wow.

Nowhere did @Thekla say that they could divine a reason why a tarantula isn't eating ;-)

@Thekla 's statement was that tarantulas are unable to eat of they are actually dehydrated. They won't produce the digestive liquid that is needed to eat if they are dehydrated.