We caught one! Now what?

[Salamanderhead]

The small one is definitely a jumping spider. I wouldn't be able to tell you the species. I don't know a lot about them.

As for the tarantula, like others said, change the substrate. Peat moss works well and looks nice.

 

[bholmes]

Did you buy her from Zookeepers?

 

[Jeanmarie]

Yes, I did. We loved the store. So many cool animals. Went to Herpeton first and were a little disgusted by how they kept the komodo dragons. One was bleeding.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

Went to Herpeton first and were a little disgusted by how they kept the komodo dragons. One was bleeding.

Off topic I know, but there is a store that sells komodo dragons? As in the giant lizard from the Indonesian islands with the 50 strains of deadly bacteria in it's saliva? I hope I'm missing something here. :?

 

[JimM]

Yeah not V. komodoensis, but another species of varanid (monitor lizard) is what she saw.

 

[Jeanmarie]

Sorry! The guy told my son that's what they were. Whatever they were, they were huge and in a tiny cage.

 

[Jeanmarie]

Sorry! The guy told my son that's what they were. Whatever they were, they were huge and in a tiny cage.

 

[curiousme]

Welcome to the forum and the hobby! Your son has caught quite a cute jumping spider there. I love those 2 big googly eyes they have, makes me think of a Disney cartoon. They actually have great eyesight with them, that actually allows them to gauge jumps, unlike tarantulas that can only see light and dark.

Now, on to your actual tarantula and its home. First thing to do is get that sand out of there. Tarantulas do not live on sand and cannot burrow in it, so that is why yours is not. There are several suitable substrates that you can use and there is no 'right' one, just personal preferences. Coco fiber can be bought at a pet store(and sometimes nurseries) in a dehydrated brick, but must be rehydrated before use. Peat moss can be bought at Walmart or nurseries and is super cheap, but must be rehydrated as well. Potting soil(no fertilizers) can also be bought in the same places as peat and is cheap as well. All three of these are suitable substrates, but you will need a fair amount of whatever substrate you choose. That is an awesome tank, but it is also very tall. This means that you will need to fill it with substrate until you are only allowing about a legspan and a half between the top of the substrate, to the top of the enclosure; so several inches. (the cork bark and water dish will count in this measurement) This will help prevent injury from falls and give your T the substrate to burrow in, if it does in fact choose to burrow.(it may or may not, neither is cause for worry) We currently use a mixture of peat and coco, but like I said that is our personal preference. When you put in the substrate, pack it lightly, but don't push it into a brick of dirt. That is an awesome piece of cork bark that will make an excellent hide, but it will need to have a hollowed out area underneath it, so the T(arantula) can feel like it is in the shadows and hiding. Don't take offense if it doesn't take to the hide you make, sometimes they don't. Here is a picture of our G. rosea's enclosure. She did not care for the spot we made for her hide, so she made her own! It will also give you an idea of how much substrate you will need. The water dish is just fine, so find a place where you feel it looks nice and keep it full of water.

Now on to care! You only need to feed this species once a week, max. If you are using crickets as feeders, 1 or 2 is plenty. After it is done eating, there will be a little ball of food waste called a bolus that you will need to remove. That and filling the water dish are really the only tank maintenance you should have to do. The missing leg and palp are not a big deal and will regenerate in a couple molts, but at the size your T is those molts will be pretty far apart; perhaps as much as a year. When a T molts, it will flip onto its back, do not touch/ disturb it in this process. After it molts, still leave it alone for at least a week, maybe two. Its exoskeleton will need to harden and it is very vulnerable until it does.

I think I have covered the basics for you, but for more information there is a wonderfully informative link in my signature to many common questions. Once again, welcome to the forum and to the hobby!

 

[Bill S]

The spider you caught is a Phidippus, possibly Phidippus audax. Jumpers are cool little pets, but this one may not be around much longer. If it's a male (I couldn't see the pedipalps clearly enough to tell you), this is the end of its season. If it's a female it could stick around until Spring. If you're lucky, it will be a female that has mated and you might get an egg clutch, although raising the babies could be a challenge. (Small fruit flies and pinheads might work as food.) As for the adult - offer it crickets a little smaller than the spider.