Pink Toe Questions

TheRedDragon · 09-22-03, 04:09 PM

Well, I'm FINALLY getting my first tarantula on Tuesday. I'm getting a young adult female Pink Toe. Anyways, I've been doing quite a bit of research on them, but, I still have three questions about them in general:

1. What is the best way to keep their enclosure humid to their standards? I understand that vermiculite is awesome for holding humidity, and I was thinking of giving the substrate a light misting to keep humidity up, but, I'm not entirely sure if that would cause TOO much humidity.

2. Are crickets the best form of nutrition for them, or would you recommend something better?

3. I realize that tarantulas need heating. How do you guys best heat your tarantula's enclosures?

Sorry about all the questions, I just want to make sure that I can take the best care of my new girl.

Thanks in advance.

Colonel SB · 09-22-03, 05:24 PM

Well what type of enclosure are you planning on keeping the T in? If your planning on a glass aquarium then you can have a plexi glass lid make to fit then put holes in the top for air flow but it will also raise the humidity. As for food I am on the oppinion that variety is best so any & all inscest that are pesticide free are game. I also offer gutloaded crickets which not many people do but there is very little knwo about the dietary needs or Tarantulas so try as many safe food asources a possible. I heat all my cages with undertank heaters they work well especally if you are using vermiculite as a substraite because it will help with the humidity.

Colonel SB · 09-22-03, 05:25 PM

Ops forgot CB anoles can be a great treat once in a wile

marisa · 09-22-03, 05:32 PM

I use glass tanks and I mist the substrate. They don't like lights at all really, as they stress them out so Colonel is right in suggesting under tank heaters!

Good luck! Tarantulas are a great pet!

Marisa

Emily-Fisher · 09-22-03, 05:58 PM

What kind of pink toe are you getting? Avicularia Avicularia? Avicularia Versicolor? Avicularia Urticans? Avicularia Braunshauseni? Avicularia Metallica?

Asuming that you mean Avicularia Avicularia, here're my answers to your questions:

1. Vermiculite is a good substrate but I personally use top soil for all of my tarantulas except for my Rio who has sand. Spraying the tank would be too much humidity. What I would do is just have a shallow water dish and whenever you refill the dish, just poor the water into the dish and let the water flow over the edge and into the substrate for a couple of seconds. That's Rob from arachnomania's technique and he's the expert on this site!!

2. Well gutloaded crickets is what all or at least most of the big tarantula keepers feed their tarantulas as a staple diet so that speaks for itself. People also feed their tarantulas mealworms and supers but be really careful with these... especially supers! They burrow RREEAALLYY fast into the substrate and that's not good at all! If the superworm burrows into the substrate and lets say your avic molts a week after, the super can easily just go right up to your avic and eat him, especially since supers supposedly have really sharp/strong teeth. Other worms are good too along with p/k or f/t pinkie mice or fuzzies... depending on the size fo your T. Since you are getting a pink toe, I would go with pinkie mice for the big adults if you must feed rodents. Rodents are good to feed to tarantulas after your T molts to quickly plump him up. I myself feed mostly crickets and will be feeding my biggest tarantula (Herbei... he's 6 inches) his first rodent ever as soon as I get my next litter. (All my frozen rodents are large fuzzy RATS!)

3.TARANTULA HEATING!! NOOOOO WAAAYY!!! (That's just my opinion

) Even with the desert species, I do not use heating. Unless you live in an igloo, then room temperature is more than enough for your tarantula so unless you want Crispy-tarantulas with peanut butter dipping sauce for dinner, then stick with room temp

Also, make sure that your tarantula is OUT OF THE LIGHT! If you must have their enclosure in a slightly sunny spot, put black cardboard or construction paper around their enclosure to block out as much light/sun as possible. T's cook in the sun real fast and are sensitive to light.

I'm sure that you are going to LOVE your baby... I sure love my inverts! My critter interests now are focussing mainly on inverts, tarantulas in particular, and I hope to be one of those experts like Rob, Elizabeth, and the other tarantula gods. However, I am still really new to these guys and so I don't know much about them but I must say... I'm learning!

Enjoy your avic!!!

TheRedDragon · 09-22-03, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Emily-Fisher
Unless you live in an igloo, then room temperature is more than enough for your tarantula so unless you want Crispy-tarantulas with peanut butter dipping sauce for dinner, then stick with room temp

*LOL* Emily! Thank-you so much for your detailed advice I will definitely keep that in mind.

And, thank-you everyone else for the quick response and advice to my questions.

I'll be sure to post pics of her as soon as I can.

TheRedDragon · 09-24-03, 02:47 PM

I brought "Sally" my Avicularia Avicularia home yesterday. (Much to Inivictus' distaste *LOL*) She is such a little sweetheart.

I'm storing her in a dark closet, as I'm sure that spiders absolutely love the dark, and Emily advised against exposing her to sunlight or any bright light for that matter. She's very friendly and I've already handled her twice (once at the store, and once when I got her home yesterday), despite being very active, she's incredibly gentle.

I've already taken pictures of her and will post them as soon as Invictus loads them onto the HD.

drewlowe · 09-24-03, 02:55 PM

Yea!!!!! congrats Erin... Welcome to the wonderful world of Tarantulas!!!

Gregg M · 09-24-03, 02:59 PM

Pink toes are awsome....... You can also house a few of them together........ They usually get along fine........ Put lots of cover and branches and corkbark that can stand from the bottom to the top of the cage....... They love to climb.......

Tim and Julie B · 09-24-03, 03:13 PM

Hey what the hell? I had a nice one in Calgary. Fine then!

TB

Seriously welcome to the wonderful world of tarantulas! Once you get one................Wahahahaha!

Emily-Fisher · 09-24-03, 03:22 PM

I'm glad to hear that yours is docile and is doing well!! I just LOVE their cute little pink toes! Can't wait until I can buy a bunch of 'em and make a communal tank! But first, there are some other species that I want first

Keep us updated on her and can't wait to see pics!

TheRedDragon · 09-24-03, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tim and Julie B
Hey what the hell? I had a nice one in Calgary. Fine then! TB

Seriously welcome to the wonderful world of tarantulas! Once you get one................Wahahahaha!

*LOL* Invictus would have a <b>FIT </b> if I got as many of them as we do snakes. *L* I'm trying to presuade him to let me get a Chilean Rosie after this.

Colonel SB · 09-24-03, 07:14 PM

I would like to clarify something I do not use heating pads on all my T's only the arboreals! I put a small heating pad suitable for plastic cages under the aquarium, that way it will warm the tank with no danger of the T getting cooked. Because Arborials are rarely on the ground if ever on the tank floor.