Actually, I wasn't telling you to remove the leftover, just trying to show you what the leftovers look like. I suspect a mealworm bolus is even smaller and harder to find. Personally I rarely remove the bolus from my enclosures. My eyesight is so bad I have a hard time finding it. If you can be bothered to remove what's left, kudos to you! I do remove uneaten dead crickets though. It is recommended that you remove uneaten stuff and the boluses as they can attract mites and/or grow fungus. But the choice is yours- I have not had any problems leaving the boluses in there other than the occasional fungus (these I can see!) But if you ever feed your T's a mouse like my friend Aros , I'd definitely recommend removing what's left.

Nope- male. Got four pokies- all turned out male!

I've seen threads on other forums of people who have used sand for T's that come from dry places. These are normally people who believe in trying to duplicate the natural environment of where the T is from. From what I've read, their T's are doing fine. Other keepers believe sand is very abrasive and should not be used. And some mix sand with something else. Personally, I don''t see a real good reason for using it as many people do just fine with coco peat even for T's that come from dry arid places. Like leetplayer said, sand is heavier, a lot heavier than coco peat.

---

Added on June 14, 2009, 1:18 am A happy T does not move very much - so I don't see anything wrong with your T. A water bowl is recommended since rosies like it dry. Unless you have a sling, avoid misting and give it a place to go for a drink. Or you can mist one side of the enclosure and leave the rest of it dry.

This post has been edited by Oldfart: Jun 14 2009, 01:18 AM

I was born in Singapore. But spent 16 years growing up in PJ. Attended La Sale PJ till Form 4 then moved back to S'pore to finish school and National Service. Been in the US since 1987. Have not been back in M'sia since Summer of '88 but I would like to some day.
I just lurk a lot in some forums and pick up what I know from other people's experience. I've only been at it since 2004 but it's great seeing how much the hobby has grown since then. I still lurk once in a while in other forums but not as much as I used to.

---

Added on June 14, 2009, 6:32 amFrom what I've read of communal setups- your chances of success are higher if you use sac mates that have not been separated. Also you can't give them too much space or they will start staking out their own territory. I did see a pokie setup where this one guy had pokies of different sizes all in one enclosure- obviously they weren't sac mates but I don't know how he did it.

This post has been edited by Oldfart: Jun 14 2009, 06:32 AM

Cool! how many you got in each setup? do they share the same hides?

There are a number of things you could do.
The mites that feed on leftovers are scavengers and should not pose a threat to your T unless you have a major infestation and they are crawling all over your T- in which case, a change of substrate would be a good idea. Scavenger mites can be controlled by letting the enclosure dry out. These mites have thin cuticles and dry out faster than a T will. Provide a water dish for the T and let the rest of the enclosure dry out. Sometimes you will see them in the water dish- clean it out regularly and their numbers will dwindle to more manageable levels.
You could also give your T a bigger enclosure so it has a choice to move to some other part of the enclosure if it is being bothered by the mites. This can be a visual cue to you that something needs to be done about the situation.

If you have parasitic mites, that's a different story.

I've also read some bad bite reports on Heteroscodra maculata and Hysterocrates gigas. Haplopelma schmidti and Haplopelma hainanum are also supposed to have pretty potent venom.

Nice!

Cool! What kind are they? I've got 3 slings and 2 juvies arriving in the next day or two too!

---

Added on June 15, 2009, 11:20 pmIt's only itchy if you get haired. I don't stick my hand in their cages often so I hardly ever get haired.
I find if they have a safe place to retreat, they tend to retreat rather than stay out and hair. Fortunately I do not own any psycho T's, most just run and hide in their burrows if I have to disturb their enclosures.
It is a great hobby!

This post has been edited by Oldfart: Jun 15 2009, 11:20 PM

lol- Well, is the seller sure that it is a Chilobrachys? or is he guessing that it is?

Well good luck with your 16 new slings.

more venom....
Psalmopoeus cambridgei


Poecilotheria regalis male


This post has been edited by Oldfart: Jun 16 2009, 02:28 AM

Be careful when changing the water dish- someone on BTS forum just got tagged by a P. lugardi when he reached in to remove the water dish. The T just rushed out of its burrow and BAM! He thought it was safe to reach in with his hands because the T was in its burrow.

Won't have to wait long they grow pretty fast. I've got 2 that were like one inch in Nov, this is one of them and is 4+ inches. Unfortunately, I think this one might be male - just judging from how fast it's been growing. Hope I'm wrong though.

lol- I do! That's part of the problem with buying slings. Never order them when they first become available- your chances of getting males are higher (I think!)
Fortunately we've come a loooong way than when I first started. Lot's more people are breeding them now so loaning them out for a breeding project is a little easier. With a little luck, I might get a few slings!

---

Added on June 16, 2009, 3:53 amlol- that's why I use a screen top for mine. It's got a little sliding door so I don't have to take it off to feed it and i can refill the water dish thru the screen with a turkey baster! Although my girl has never given me a threat display and usually runs and hides when I'm trying to take her picture.

This post has been edited by Oldfart: Jun 16 2009, 03:53 AM

Another male My smaller of two male MET's



His girlfriend will be arriving in one or two days- hopefully she will be a bit bigger than this guy.

According to this site, they're found in the northern states and off the mainland...
C. Schioedtei info

The ones I have are captive bred in the U.S. Swifts inverts has been selling the babies from a breeder for a few years now.

Man, I would so love to loan you my males! Locally, not many of my Tarantula club members are into OW species.

MTS should have a field trip once or twice a year for "scientific/conservation" purposes and go out and collect some of your local T's. And then start a breeding program!

---

Added on June 17, 2009, 12:39 am Tracking shows my new T's packages have arrived in my State- good chance it will be delivered within the next 2 and a half hours! Sorry, it's been a while since I've received new T's in the mail- if you can't tell I'm a little excited!

ETA:
They arrived!
First the 4.5" female MET- sorry for the crappy pic- only one I took. Turned to unpack the others and she crawled into her hide.


2.5" juvie female H.maculata - My male got beat up by a S&M female on a breeding loan and had to be put out of his misery. This is his replacement.

BTW this one jumped from a perched position from the edge of the enclosure I was trying to put her in to the nearest tank which was 4-5 inches away. And she jumped on her own- I turned away to grab the camera and turned around just in time to see her jump. So yes- they do jump(at least the arboreals do )

One of three tiny S. cal slings- at ten bucks a pop I figured why not.



This post has been edited by Oldfart: Jun 17 2009, 03:49 AM

Thanks guys- she came out to explore her surroundings.

More info on this