What husbandry change did you make that had the biggest effect on the health of your tarantulas?

[spideyspinneret78]

We've all started somewhere, made mistakes as beginners, and grown over time in this hobby. What was the single most impactful improvement you made in your husbandry? For myself, I think it was understanding the role of humidity/ moisture. Not misting, rather keeping substrate moist for moisture dependent species, and always having a water dish available with plenty of ventilation. Looking back it was clear that when I first started out I struggled with this. That and feeding based on behavior and abdomen size instead of adhering to a schedule.

 

[Poonjab]

I’ll admit. First T, I did the dumb misting thing. Couldn’t figure out why T seemed stressed and lethargic. Fortunately I caught on before I had a death from poor husbandry practices. Surprise surprise, it was an a.avic. Other thing, which I fixed early on too, is how I was housing them. Realizing enclosure were too big, mesh tops, low ventilation etc... definitely accredit fixing those things and practices early on is why I have had no deaths from keeper error.

 

[spideyspinneret78]

I’ll admit. First T, I did the dumb misting thing. Couldn’t figure out why T seemed stressed and lethargic. Fortunately I caught on before I had a death from poor husbandry practices. Surprise surprise, it was an a.avic. Other thing, which I fixed early on too, is how I was housing them. Realizing enclosure were too big, mesh tops, low ventilation etc... definitely accredit fixing those things and practices early on is why I have had no deaths from keeper error.

Yeah, when I first started out I did the misting too and unfortunately (I had an Avic also) she didn't make it. As a beginner I didn't realize that a lot of care sheets had incorrect information, and they said to mist, so I did. Learned my lesson the hard way on that one.

 

[Poonjab]

Yeah, when I first started out I did the misting too and unfortunately (I had an Avic also) she didn't make it. As a beginner I didn't realize that a lot of care sheets had incorrect information, and they said to mist, so I did. Learned my lesson the hard way on that one.

Yeah, that’s a sad deal. I probably misted for like a month. Every couple of days. Absolutely idiotic of me. Had the stupid thermometer and humidity gauge too lolol. Funny thing though. I still keep a couple small digital thermometer/humidity gauges in a handful of my enclosures at various levels. Kinda my way of keeping an eye on the temp in the tarantula/reptile room overall so the Ts and herps are all staying at comfortable temps. Due to the reptiles and their heat requirements. Sometimes the heat from their enclosures can get the overall temps in the room too high.

 

[viper69]

We've all started somewhere, made mistakes as beginners, and grown over time in this hobby. What was the single most impactful improvement you made in your husbandry? For myself, I think it was understanding the role of humidity/ moisture. Not misting, rather keeping substrate moist for moisture dependent species, and always having a water dish available with plenty of ventilation. Looking back it was clear that when I first started out I struggled with this. That and feeding based on behavior and abdomen size instead of adhering to a schedule.

Learning to keep versi dry

But I know 2 breeders who do keep Avics on the moist side with no issues- they have the Midas touch.

 

[vurzachee]

I’ll admit. First T, I did the dumb misting thing. Couldn’t figure out why T seemed stressed and lethargic. Fortunately I caught on before I had a death from poor husbandry practices. Surprise surprise, it was an a.avic. Other thing, which I fixed early on too, is how I was housing them. Realizing enclosure were too big, mesh tops, low ventilation etc... definitely accredit fixing those things and practices early on is why I have had no deaths from keeper error.

same here for me, misting vs water dish.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Realising that misting is pointless, figuring out working feeding schedules based on species/size.

But I know 2 breeders who do keep Avics on the moist side with no issues- they have the Midas touch.

I keep them slightly moist and I've never had issues with it.

 

[viper69]

Realising that misting is pointless, figuring out working feeding schedules based on species/size.



I keep them slightly moist and I've never had issues with it.

I think for me it was more about ventilation than moisture.

 

[Smotzer]

We've all started somewhere, made mistakes as beginners, and grown over time in this hobby. What was the single most impactful improvement you made in your husbandry? For myself, I think it was understanding the role of humidity/ moisture. Not misting, rather keeping substrate moist for moisture dependent species, and always having a water dish available with plenty of ventilation. Looking back it was clear that when I first started out I struggled with this. That and feeding based on behavior and abdomen size instead of adhering to a schedule.

This for certain too!! Feeding was a big one that I feel like we all come in really not knowing much and have the tendency to overfeed and want to have rigid schedule, but learning to flow like water and feed based off what signs they are showing is much easier in the end.

Another one I cant not say, Is making the switch and coming on Arachnoboards and only getting my information here, this has done more for me as a keeper than anything else combined. Single best change I made was listening, searching, reading, and learning more and more and more on AB.

 

[LiamG]

This for certain too!! Feeding was a big one that I feel like we all come in really not knowing much and have the tendency to overfeed and want to have rigid schedule, but learning to flow like water and feed based off what signs they are showing is much easier in the end.

Another one I cant not say, Is making the switch and coming on Arachnoboards and only getting my information here, this has done more for me as a keeper than anything else combined. Single best change I made was listening, searching, reading, and learning more and more and more on AB.

Im new to keeping T's so i have been prioritizing spending time on Arachnoboards, just reading situations people are in and the advice they get. I still have alot to learn but the amazing people on AB have really tough me alot. <3

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I think for me it was more about ventilation than moisture.

Yeah, when I started keeping them the best care guide I could find at the time basically said to add cross ventilation and not go overboard with misting/wetting the sub so did put the cross ventilation on the tubs and only kept about 1/3 of the sub moist at a time and it's been fine (literally no deaths that could be attributed to husbandry). Tried keeping them bone dry as is often suggested on this site which works fine here in the summer but in the winter it's a death sentence, you get to January and they either just drop dead or get stuck in their moults.

 

[kingshockey]

understanding that just cause i didnt see the tiny sling eating it will still eat long as there is food available for it to eat when it wants to.and knowing i will have a jar of dirt a few months until it grows bigger

 

[Smotzer]

Im new to keeping T's so i have been prioritizing spending time on Arachnoboards, just reading situations people are in and the advice they get. I still have alot to learn but the amazing people on AB have really tough me alot. <3

Keep that learning mind frame up! And learn and get acquainted with the advanced search function, you can find just about any information you can think of relating to this hobby already been posted at one point or another on AB and found with a simple advanced search. And glad you have already found it helpful!

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

The change in husbandry that I implemented for ground dwelling species that had the biggest impact was the use of dry floral foam and yoga blocks with a burrow dug underneath it. Dry floral foam for small to medium sized species, such as Aphonopelma species, and yoga blocks for large species, such as Grammostola and Brachypelma. The blocks are buried along the longest side of a tall plastic container then with a spoon I dig out something of burrow underneath the blocks. Then using my fingers and a cardboard tube from an empty paper towel roll, I make a circular entrance to the burrow. The tarantulas then utilize the artificial burrow along the side of the container so I can see them.

This technique came to me after years of seeing the burrows of Aphonopelma hentzi in the suburbs of North Texas and noticing they almost all dug burrows along the side of a sidewalk, street curb on the grassy side, or in some cases, underneath headstones in cemeteries. The foam blocks in captivity mimic this behavior of a ground dwelling tarantula preferring to build a burrow against and underneath something sturdy and it worked great! In some cases, my tarantulas expanded the artificially crated burrow and made their own secondary entrance further exhibiting natural behavior.

The plus side is I get to see natural behavior in most of my tarantulas without spending a ton of money in materials; the downside is it is terribly ugly. Though, I would rather set up my tarantulas for natural behavior than have something pretty for me to look at but useless for the tarantula.

 

[LiamG]

The change in husbandry that I implemented for ground dwelling species that had the biggest impact was the use of dry floral foam and yoga blocks with a burrow dug underneath it. Dry floral foam for small to medium sized species, such as Aphonopelma species, and yoga blocks for large species, such as Grammostola and Brachypelma. The blocks are buried along the longest side of a tall plastic container then with a spoon I dig out something of burrow underneath the blocks. Then using my fingers and a cardboard tube from an empty paper towel roll, I make a circular entrance to the burrow. The tarantulas then utilize the artificial burrow along the side of the container so I can see them.

This technique came to me after years of seeing the burrows of Aphonopelma hentzi in the suburbs of North Texas and noticing they almost all dug burrows along the side of a sidewalk, street curb on the grassy side, or in some cases, underneath headstones in cemeteries. The foam blocks in captivity mimic this behavior of a ground dwelling tarantula preferring to build a burrow against and underneath something sturdy and it worked great! In some cases, my tarantulas expanded the artificially crated burrow and made their own secondary entrance further exhibiting natural behavior.

The plus side is I get to see natural behavior in most of my tarantulas without spending a ton of money in materials; the downside is it is terribly ugly. Though, I would rather set up my tarantulas for natural behavior than have something pretty for me to look at but useless for the tarantula.

I would love to see how this is done, and looks at the end. Really interesting.

 

[Frogdaddy]

The change in husbandry that I implemented for ground dwelling species that had the biggest impact was the use of dry floral foam and yoga blocks with a burrow dug underneath it. Dry floral foam for small to medium sized species, such as Aphonopelma species, and yoga blocks for large species, such as Grammostola and Brachypelma. The blocks are buried along the longest side of a tall plastic container then with a spoon I dig out something of burrow underneath the blocks. Then using my fingers and a cardboard tube from an empty paper towel roll, I make a circular entrance to the burrow. The tarantulas then utilize the artificial burrow along the side of the container so I can see them.

This technique came to me after years of seeing the burrows of Aphonopelma hentzi in the suburbs of North Texas and noticing they almost all dug burrows along the side of a sidewalk, street curb on the grassy side, or in some cases, underneath headstones in cemeteries. The foam blocks in captivity mimic this behavior of a ground dwelling tarantula preferring to build a burrow against and underneath something sturdy and it worked great! In some cases, my tarantulas expanded the artificially crated burrow and made their own secondary entrance further exhibiting natural behavior.

The plus side is I get to see natural behavior in most of my tarantulas without spending a ton of money in materials; the downside is it is terribly ugly. Though, I would rather set up my tarantulas for natural behavior than have something pretty for me to look at but useless for the tarantula.

T peeper.
Seriously GREAT idea.

My change was really grasping the concept smaller was better (within reason) for enclosure size. Realizing spiders don't move a whole lot, they don't wander in search of prey. So especially for slings, keeping it as small as possible was best for them.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

I would love to see how this is done, and looks at the end. Really interesting.

I've been trying to get pictures for a long time, to put together a tutorial, but they never turn out good because I don't use crystal clear acrylic containers. This thread has good timing because I just completed "construction" of two of my "Aphonopelma tanks" (as I like to call them) using small Kritter Keeper style enclosures to rehouse a couple of Aphonopelma sp. "Diamondback" spiderlings. Unfortunately I oversaturated the soil and have to wait another week or two for it to dry out before putting the spiders in them. But once they spiders are in and settled, I would be able to get good pictures since the Kritter Keepers are crystal clear.

 

[viper69]

Yeah, when I started keeping them the best care guide I could find at the time basically said to add cross ventilation and not go overboard with misting/wetting the sub so did put the cross ventilation on the tubs and only kept about 1/3 of the sub moist at a time and it's been fine (literally no deaths that could be attributed to husbandry). Tried keeping them bone dry as is often suggested on this site which works fine here in the summer but in the winter it's a death sentence, you get to January and they either just drop dead or get stuck in their moults.

When I tried to keep Avics (already had a few terrestrials), I bought them from a well known breeder, great guy, still is. The internet was relatively unpopulated as most people were still on dial-up. He kept slings in Thorton vials (which I use today, and love), and he managed to keep a nice level of humidity it seemed. They certainly were not dry at all. I never could figure out how he did it, despite asking him. Well after 2 versi died due to stagnant air, I stopped keeping Avics.

I could not in good conscience keep trying and killing animals in the process, that's unethical. It wasn't until maybe 5 year or 8 years later after reading, asking more questions etc that I decided to take the plunge again. Except I started with a 2" locality- that specimen did well. At that time I decided whatever I had done clearly was a death chamber, so I went the opposite direction, dry sub, water bowl, and increased venting, not much more venting actually. And that went well. Not an Avic death since then due to stagnant/stuffy air. Ive been an Avic enthusiast ever since.

I'd love to have an Avic setup like they have in nature, like froggers due with the PDFs, but I know I don't have the capability to make that happen for an Avic without experimenting again, so dry it is.

I've been trying to get pictures for a long time, to put together a tutorial, but they never turn out good because I don't use crystal clear acrylic containers. This thread has good timing because I just completed "construction" of two of my "Aphonopelma tanks" (as I like to call them) using small Kritter Keeper style enclosures to rehouse a couple of Aphonopelma sp. "Diamondback" spiderlings. Unfortunately I oversaturated the soil and have to wait another week or two for it to dry out before putting the spiders in them. But once they spiders are in and settled, I would be able to get good pictures since the Kritter Keepers are crystal clear.

Great! I'd like to see this.

 

[l4nsky]

The change in husbandry that I implemented for ground dwelling species that had the biggest impact was the use of dry floral foam and yoga blocks with a burrow dug underneath it. Dry floral foam for small to medium sized species, such as Aphonopelma species, and yoga blocks for large species, such as Grammostola and Brachypelma. The blocks are buried along the longest side of a tall plastic container then with a spoon I dig out something of burrow underneath the blocks. Then using my fingers and a cardboard tube from an empty paper towel roll, I make a circular entrance to the burrow. The tarantulas then utilize the artificial burrow along the side of the container so I can see them.

This technique came to me after years of seeing the burrows of Aphonopelma hentzi in the suburbs of North Texas and noticing they almost all dug burrows along the side of a sidewalk, street curb on the grassy side, or in some cases, underneath headstones in cemeteries. The foam blocks in captivity mimic this behavior of a ground dwelling tarantula preferring to build a burrow against and underneath something sturdy and it worked great! In some cases, my tarantulas expanded the artificially crated burrow and made their own secondary entrance further exhibiting natural behavior.

The plus side is I get to see natural behavior in most of my tarantulas without spending a ton of money in materials; the downside is it is terribly ugly. Though, I would rather set up my tarantulas for natural behavior than have something pretty for me to look at but useless for the tarantula.

This is a stellar idea and I've seen a few other implementations as well to peek inside a tarantula's hide (Petko's P. met enclosure with hide access and AntCanada's P. met enclosure with a half round fixed to the back and a black peel away barrier on the outside glass). Just a thought, but you could use 2" insulation foam, carve it, and use a layer of silicone to attach dirt/sand to make it more aesthetically pleasing. Do your Aphonopelma's heavily web the interior of their burrows, obscuring visibility?

 

[Spoodfood]

I believe the reason I haven’t made many of the beginner husbandry mistakes, is because I found AB very early on in keeping. I never did the misting, mesh lids, etc. I fully accredit that to the wonderful and helpful community here, and possibly a little bit of my determination to find out any and everything there is to know about these animals. If I wasn’t so determined to search, and search more, then search again, find multiple sources of information, etc., I don’t believe I would have found AB as quickly as I did. That’s why I hope everyone who starts keeping doesn’t just read one thing, or watch one video, and call it good.