White Knee Climbing Everywhere

[cpagan1704]

Awesome. Thanks for the advice definitely cause I've heard so many back and forth comments. It is amazing what she has been doing. She has dug out like a cave under her hide (which I have extra support under it incase she would decide to do that it wouldn't cave in around her, I'm glad I did that). I am just trying to let her make herself at home and not mess with her. I didn't get her to hold and pick up all the time anyway. I don't really take my tarantula's out except for a small copper I have every once in awhile. I don't want to hurt them accidentally or risk having them fall or anything. My personal opinion, I like to let them be the wild little things they are and just watch them and not really interrupt them a lot uneccisarily. I can't find my camera so I haven't taken pics of her and my phone camera sucks but I am going to try to get pics of her soon and her little environment I have going on. She is beautiful, she's a big girl!

 

[Londoner]

looks rather thin legged to be a female? is it sexed :biggrin:
once it gets used to cage it wont climb much unless its a male

Thin legs are not a useful indicator that you have an immature male, it's just as likely to be female. Once a male matures it certainly can appear 'leggier', but by then you wouldn't have to rely on 'thin legs' as a sign of sex. Likewise with the climbing. Immature males can climb or not just the same as females. Once they mature they will begin to climb and pace the cage as the drive to seek out a female kicks in but again, by then it should be obvious you have a MM.

I'm not having a dig at you Ultum, it's just that members new to the hobby and the boards read this sort of stuff and then repeat it on other threads and the myths get perpetuated.

Good luck.

 

[Dalix]

Old thread, I know, but it addresses exactly what I was looking for: I have a female A. geniculata about 3.5" and she is up at the lid of her KK about 70% of the time. She's on dry Eco earth with a dish and a hide. NEVER see her in the hide. In fact, when she's not on the wall she is invariably perched atop her water dish. I'm wondering if maybe she wants more moisture and perhaps the air at the vents is somehow more humid than that in her enclosure, though that seems unlikely. None of my 17 other T's exhibit any sort of water seeking behavior. Anyway, hoping to bring this discussion back as the OP's question seemed to be shadowed by the fact that the T was only a day old. Mine's been with us for months and molted once.


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[pyro fiend]

Old thread, I know, but it addresses exactly what I was looking for: I have a female A. geniculata about 3.5" and she is up at the lid of her KK about 70% of the time. She's on dry Eco earth with a dish and a hide. NEVER see her in the hide. In fact, when she's not on the wall she is invariably perched atop her water dish. I'm wondering if maybe she wants more moisture and perhaps the air at the vents is somehow more humid than that in her enclosure, though that seems unlikely. None of my 17 other T's exhibit any sort of water seeking behavior. Anyway, hoping to bring this discussion back as the OP's question seemed to be shadowed by the fact that the T was only a day old. Mine's been with us for months and molted once.


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way old but at least u bumped instead of making a new one... imo she might want it a little more moist mine is about an inch smaller then yours and iv seen her in her hide a few times as well as on her cork "perch" and out in the open. id say mayb mist it a bit they are from brazil after-all not quite dry mines kept in a tub with standard moist [but not over moist] sub only reason id see to keep semi dry sub is if you have a very good false bottom

 

[Dalix]

Thanks pyro. I may try a bit of extra moisture in the sub... I don't mist any of my T's currently (basically straight out of TKG with damp sub only for the very little guys) and haven't had any issues. I worry of course about mold and such, but I guess it's better than a fall, and the way she eats there's not much waste to go bad!


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[pyro fiend]

Thanks pyro. I may try a bit of extra moisture in the sub... I don't mist any of my T's currently (basically straight out of TKG with damp sub only for the very little guys) and haven't had any issues. I worry of course about mold and such, but I guess it's better than a fall, and the way she eats there's not much waste to go bad!


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i understand completely your location just says us so i had no idea if your in FL, NM, MN etc lol.. i live in a humid area and i mist the top layer only. for mine [probably should have explained that a bit better] it all depends on your average room humidity id say i mist mine down a bit and only the top like 1cm will absorb the moisture and then ill let it all evaporate [may take 1-2 days for me] let it stay dry a day and repeat. mine does NOT like dry sub so i have to keep her hide a lil damp if the rest isnt. all depends on the T really

 

[IHeartTs]

I use eco earth and mist the sub then mix it up a little and repeat a few times for species that like a little more moisture. It holds moisture quite well. My genic doesn't like it dry either. I mist when the humidity is low since it varies a ton in IL. Mold happens sometimes with species that like it humid but I've only had an issue one time with my p irminia and I actually had to look for the mold, it was such a small amount. I just check on occasion. I'm currently adjusting the humidity in my genic's cage too since i just rehoused the little spaz. Today it thinks its arboreal

 

[pyro fiend]

I use eco earth and mist the sub then mix it up a little and repeat a few times for species that like a little more moisture. It holds moisture quite well. My genic doesn't like it dry either. I mist when the humidity is low since it varies a ton in IL. Mold happens sometimes with species that like it humid but I've only had an issue one time with my p irminia and I actually had to look for the mold, it was such a small amount. I just check on occasion. I'm currently adjusting the humidity in my genic's cage too since i just rehoused the little spaz. Today it thinks its arboreal

did you try baking the eco? i use both eco and a garden style cocohusk. both of which i moistened [i buy brick] squeezed it out a nice amount and then baked it [probably a little long because i did it for quite a few hours i got too into a game XD] iv only every had a mold problem with my coco-spagna-peat mix and once i baked it i was fine. even in my little cups for lp, ld and b.albo i keep it nice and moist [they arnt near a window like she is] and iv never even had that white mold sense then.

only reason i let mine dry out is my average humidity in my room is 70-80ish percent spring-fall but ofcourse the babies get it their way she likes it moist so i wont argue XD

 

[IHeartTs]

I did not bake it but I will now if I see mold again. My boyfriend and I actually share our little darlings. I have to mist my p irminia and e murinus almost daily because it dries out so quickly since he doesn't have a humidifier in his house but has a portable in his room. They're doing alright though except I think my irminia is confused; its digging a burrow... But good call on the baking, I will start doing that.

 

[cold blood]

I have to mist my p irminia and e murinus almost daily because it dries out so quickly

Don't mist, it only has a very temporary effect and is not worth the effort...plus t's hate it. Use a dropper or syringe or something and wet a small section of the sub, its effects will last much, much longer and will actually have the desired effect that misting cannot provide. Misting only provides a very temporary boost, the effects of which are often gone within the hour.

I can't believe how many people still use misters...I blame all the useless "care sheets" out there on the net.

 

[IHeartTs]

So do I. I've never heard of an alternative way to keep moist sub moist without mist. I will take your suggestions. This is really helpful! !

 

[Storm76]

yeah my A. brocklehursti is extremely aggressive , I will not put hand anywhere near it.
+ its hairs irritate me badly

Not aggressive, feeding response simply! Most of them think anything that moves = food!

So do I. I've never heard of an alternative way to keep moist sub moist without mist. I will take your suggestions. This is really helpful! !

Really? How do you water your plants? Misting? Overflowing the waterdish and or simple pouring a little water onto the substrate will moisten the substrate quite effectively.

 

[vespers]

I can't believe how many people still use misters...I blame all the useless "care sheets" out there on the net.

"Misters" often have different "settings" you can use. You can usually twist the tip and get a concentrated stream, useful for filling water bowls or accurately dampening a specific spot of substrate, for example.

 

[Dalix]

I never mist any of my T's, and usually follow TKG on water in the enclosure. However due to my genic's odd behavior I have begun pouring a bit of extra water in one corner and sure enough she sits on that spot now instead of balancing on her water dish or climbing up to the vents. Goes to show there's no one rule for keeping T's, although I would still advocate against misting.


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[Poec54]

I never mist any of my T's, and usually follow TKG on water in the enclosure. However due to my genic's odd behavior I have begun pouring a bit of extra water in one corner and sure enough she sits on that spot now instead of balancing on her water dish or climbing up to the vents. Goes to show there's no one rule for keeping T's, although I would still advocate against misting.

I sprinkle water around on the substrate, and don't use misting for anything but slings. I also don't like to keep one area perpetually moist (like overflowing a water bowl) as it can encourage mite colonies in that spot.

 

[Dalix]

Good point, Poec54. I hadn't really considered that but I'll try to alternate the damp areas.


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[Formerphobe]

I guess a lot depends on one's definition of 'mist'. I think of mist as a fine spray, not much water. I have a 'mister' that I use to cause varying degrees of 'rain', amount and frequency dependent on species. Most of my tarantulas experienced 'rain' today. Some got a drizzle, some got a light downpour, a few got torrential downpours. While my A. genic was feeding her face, I topped her water bowls and about 3/4 of her enclosure received a torrential downpour. Once the 'rains' stopped, she took her meal over to the sodden area, so then it rained on the dry end, too. Her burrow/hide stays relatively dry. Between 'storms', I over flow her water bowls which get moved periodically so no one area stays constantly damp. For this species, I'll make it 'rain' again before the substrate looks bone dry, or when I see her hovering over or stuffing the water bowls with substrate.

She was due for a 'downpour' a couple of weeks ago when she molted. Not wanting to rain during a molt, I poured water around the edges of her enclosure and let it seep in to boost the humidity.