#47 - CASA DE TARANTULA #3

Before I continue with more Tales from the Field I wanted to return to my Casa de Tarantula series. Two and a half years ago I left Seattle for good to return to the Chicago area. As I've mentioned in previous installments of KMBHS, I came back with no creatures other than my now dear departed dog Taylor and my 25 year old dusky Pionus parrot Jesse. In a very short time I had rebuilt a sizable tarantula collection and bred quite a few species including a handful of rare spiders that were the first American breedings.

When my mate Mark Pennell was hear with his wife Kim and daughter Brandon a couple months ago I had a small party that included a number of my good tarantula friends. Mark and Kim are my fellow British Tarantula Society committee members. In addition to being one of my best friends and my tattoo artist, Mark also is the BTS webmaster and he and Kim are responsible for putting on the BTS lectures each year. Local arachno-enthusiasts included Jaimie Little, Jason Newland and both Randy Jr. and Randy Sr. Martinez. Minnesota was represented by Chad Campbell and David Lawrence. Michigan was represented by John Apple and Norman Culp. I appreciate the travelers for making the journey, none more so than the Pennell's who came from the UK via Amsterdam. My bonus dad Joel and my sister Lisa were here as well. Jason brought some amazing wings from Corner Pub in Naperville and I ordered in some pizza. The Randy's brought a meat and cheese platter and just about everyone had brought some beer and whiskey. We had a blast. It was the first time I had shown off my spider room to anyone. Previously only Jason and Randy Jr. had seen it. Both have helped me care for my spiders and Randy did so when I was in Sri Lanka for almost a month. I'm sure everyone was impressed. Actually, come to think of it, John Apple had seen it on one quick previous visit when Mark first visited the USA in October 2014 and the three of us plus Andy Daugherty went out to dinner on Mark's first night. However, to me, the most impressive thing about my spider room is that it all was created in two years. I imported spiders and power fed them and had a breeding operation up and running in record time. It is just one jam-packed spare bedroom's worth of spiders and pales in comparison to the big facility I had in Nashville, but I still enjoyed sharing what I had built with my party guests.

But now it is being torn down ... I have had a big clearance sale and will only be keeping a small collection of tarantulas. My "small" is probably much more that the average hobbyists "large", but many different enclosures are being emptied this week as I ship out the large number of spiders I have sold. So, I thought I better post a few photos here in the blog of my spider room this morning and talk a bit about my different enclosures.

This rack isn't going anywhere soon.
The medium enclosures hold Harpactira.
The larger ones on the bottom hold Monocentropus.
The shoeboxes seen at top hold ultimate males in use.

The above enclosures were covered in an earlier blog. They are two types of Homz storage containers from the evil Wal-Mart. All have 2 1/4" hole saw cut vents in front and rear that are covered with aluminum insect screening from the outside. It is affixed with hot glue. The shoeboxes have similar vents cut with a one inch hole saw and covered the same way.

Avicularia condominiums

This is a new enclosure design. I had a large number of Avics I had been growing out that needed to be moved to larger enclosures for breeding. However, I have now since sold all the spiders these were made for: A. versicolor, A. purpurea, A. cf. amazonica, A. geroldi, A. braunshauseni, etc.

The image at left shows the interior. Rather than bothering with installing a dam at the bottom front to retain substrate I decided to use large, flat food storage containers as a pan. This pan is filled with moist coco and covered with a layer of moss. I can almost flood these containers as the spider only rarely comes in contact with the wetness. However, the moisture continually and gradually evaporates to provide essential - and naturally produced - humidity.

The greenery is cut from silk plants obtained from Michael's. To the side I place a cork bark slab that reaches the bottom of the enclosure. This not only provides a potential retreat for the Avics, or at least a place to attach a silken tube, but also allows any crickets or roaches that fall to the bottom of the enclosure a way to climb up where they are more likely to be attacked by the spider.

Note the ventilation holes. At the top, both sides and the rear I make 1" vents in the same manner described above. The next photo will illustrate these better.

Here you can see the hole saw cut holes covered with insect screening. I prefer to provide as much ventilation as possible and have preached this in a number of articles and blog entries.

It's just like a haircut: You can always trim more off, but you can't put the hair back on if you cut it too short. Same thing with ventilation ... A conscientious and attentive keeper will stay on top of moisture levels and can always add more moisture, but one stagnant conditions have been created either a spider dies or you're lucky and it doesn't but you have to tear down and completely rebuild its terrarium.

Ambient humidity varies with where you live and also seasonally in many places. Here in the midwest it is very humid in the summer, but very dry in the winter. You may have to adapt to changes. How much ventilation is necessary will not be the same in all collections. Experiment and find your proper balance. However, in general, it is best to err on the side of a bit too much ventilation rather than too little.

This image shows some gallon jars at the top of the shelf.
However, what I am highlighting here are my new 10 gallon aquariums with polycarbonate fronts.
These hinged door fronts with 2" vents were made for me by Eric's Plastic Shop to my design specifications.
The dimensions of 10 gallon aquariums vary so these fronts are specific to one manufacturer's tanks.
If you ask for some of these to be made choose one brand of aquarium and measure it for Eric.

These cereal container "tree hole retreat" style Poecilotheria enclosures were described
in detail Blog #38. Note the smaller version at top that hold dwarf Avics and Tapinauchenius.

Above you see racks filled with ExoTerra Nano Tall terrariums. I use these for Pachistopelma and small Avicularia such as Avicularia hirschii, A. sooretama, A. rickwesti and even A. diversipes. The gallon jars above hold all sorts of juvenile arboreal tarantulas that are being grown out and, in some cases, penultimate or ultimate males.

I am really not a fan of acrylic enclosures. I've sold or given away almost everyone I've bought over the years. These are popular in many tarantula collections, but I find that they warp, break, scratch and otherwise become crap. However, the 8x8x8 cubes you see on the bottom shelf (there are four more on the other side) are what I use to breed Idiothele mira and I love them for this purpose (the 16 oz. deli cups above contain juvenile I. mira). I still have a few arboreal models left as well and in this image they are holding Avicularia sp. Colombia and, on the far upper right, the largest Poecilotheria metallica I have ever seen. She is 10 years old and completely black and white.

The above photo shows many 32 oz. deli cups and gallon jars being used to raise out Avicularia. Just out of the photo on the top are trays of spiderling/young juvenile Pachistopelma and Avicularia in 50 dram vials with screen ventilation over a one inch hole in the lid. You can see more of these vials in the bottom vial. Excuse me for neglecting to remove the cricket egg carton before taking this snapshot. The large, shallow storage tubs with green lids are everywhere in my spider room and hold all sorts of young spiders being housed in vials.

This shot down the other side of my center island shows more spiders in 32 oz. deli cups, gallon jars and the 10 gallon aquariums oriented vertically with the custom fronts made by Eric Weisheimer.

This final shot shows one wall of various enclosures. Note both the Exo Terra Nano Tall terrariums mentioned earlier and, just out of sight except in the far bottom left of the image, the larger Exo Terra  Mini Tall terrariums that contain adult Poecilotheria. The bottom shelf of all three of these racks hold these Exo Terra enclosures, but my photo cut off the bottom.


This is a glimpse into the enclosures I use. I am a huge fan of Exo Terra terrariums and love my custom storage container enclosures and the polycarbonate fronted 10 gallon aquariums on end. Your basic acrylic spider cages, not so much ...

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments below.

MJ

#37 - CASA DE TARANTULA #2

I have kept and bred Poecilotheria for as long as they've been in the hobby. I can't even guess how many sacs I have produced over the years. If you've watched my Tarantulas in the Terrarium instructional film you have seen my old Nashville Spider Shoppe and the custom 10 gallon aquarium on end enclosures I used to make for Pokies with step-by-step instructions. You also saw that as soon as the ExoTerra Natural Terrarium (12x12x18 "Mini Tall" size) hit the market I began using them as well. (Please check out the video to learn more about my use of these). However, my results have been as good, if not better, using a cereal container type of enclosure that was popularized by Ray Gabriel in a number of BTS Journal articles over the years. I have developed my own version of this enclosure and still use it today.

Poecilotheria are tree hole inhabitants and they do well in housing that provides them with a secure and dark retreat. They don't require as much space as a vertically-oriented ten gallon aquarium or 12x12x18" ExoTerra affords them. Don't get me wrong, I still use both of these types of enclosure as well, but if you are new to Poecilotheria breeding or have limited space (or money to spend on housing) I believe you will have better results using the simple cereal container enclosure I will describe in this installment of Casa de Tarantula.

I prefer the largest cereal container I can find and use the Mainstays brand sold at Wal-Mart. In these photos you will notice the white lid (with pour spout) and handle. I took the series of step-by-step photos I will use in this blog entry some time ago when this was the best container Wal-Mart offered. However, Mainstays has since changed the design to one with a blue hinged lid without the pour spout that no longer has a handle. This model is even better! I will close with a photo of the superior model in use. You will notice that with the older version I would just pull out the pour spout and cover that opening with aluminum insect screening affixed from the inside with hot glue. With the newer model with the blue top I use my 2" hole saw to cut an opening in the hinged lid and cover the hole the same way.

Another thing that is important to note with the step-by-step series of images is that in order to illustrate the design better I covered the rear that creates the simulated dark tree hole retreat last. This was so you could see the cork tile retreat and how, after cutting it so it fits snugly, I use the adhesive backed squares that come with the four-pack of cork tiles to prevent the cut cork tile from sliding to the front or rear. You can buy these four-packs of 12x12" cork tiles at Wal-Mart or Target. They are also available at office supply stores, but are much more expensive there. When I actually build these containers I darken the rear of the container with the 2" black Duck brand tape first, before I put in the cork tile, and definitely before I put in the substrate (EcoEarth coconut coir) and sprig of silk plant (bought at Michael's). You could also use the less expensive ExoTerra plants sold at pet stores and very cheap from Pet Solutions.

Showing screen covering removed pour spout

Showing lid from other side and cork tile cut to fit snugly in the rear third of container

Note how the tile is cut. Since the container is taller than the 12" square tile there is a gap between the tile and the lid of the cereal container. This is good. However, I still cut the half circle "notch" in the center that is the entrance to the faux "tree hole.

This image shows the cork tile piece set in place. You may prefer your own modification for creating a channel for the cork to slide into that will keep it from moving backward or forward. However, the package of cork tiles comes with these little double-adhesive squares. I keep the paper covering on one side of the square and peel off the other adhesive side and place these as shown. If you cut the cork tile well so that it follows the taper of the container it will be snug and tight against the inside. These squares are then sufficient to keep the piece in place vertically, and you can actually pull the cork tile out and later slide it back in as if the squares were a channel. A fancier design might actually use a piece of plastic channel, but I haven't found it necessary. Once the substrate is added it will also help to secure the vertical cork tile piece in place.

Again, I actually put the tape on the container as the FIRST STEP. These photos are out of build sequence for illustrative purposes. However, it does help to know exactly where the cork tile is going to be so you might want to install it first and make the taping the second step. In the above photo you can see that the first piece of tape is added so that the cork tile is in its middle. I then proceed to tape all of the back. I cut small pieces as needed to try to keep all light out of the back of the container. In a later photo you will even see that I put two pieces of tape on the inside of the container to cover where the handle attaches on the outside to further block light from coming in. With the newer model of Mainstays cereal container that doesn't have a handle this is much easier.

The handle is a pain. Little strips of tape need to be cut to cover entire back and block out light.
The newer version without a handle eliminates this problem

Finished taping. In the next photos you will see a couple of pieces of tape on the inside.
These block the light from where the translucent handle attaches to the container.

This top view shows finished container with coco substrate covered by some green moss and
a sprig of silk (or plastic) plant. It also shows the two inside pieces of black vinyl (Duck, duct) tape.

Finished container

The above photo shows how I breed Poecilotheria using these containers. Ray Gabriel used to use actual cabinets with clear fronts, but I use a large clear tub with a small vent cut in the lid that is covered from the inside with aluminum insect screening affixed by hot glue. Both the male and female containers are placed inside the enclosure to create a "breeding arena". I usually leave them side by side for a few days and then remove the male's lid. After he has the chance to explore the "breeding arena" for a few nights I then will remove the female's lid and leave both like this for a couple weeks. Depending on whether I need the male for another female or not, I either remove both in their own containers or, if the male is not needed elsewhere, I will sometimes put both male and female in the female's container and put them back on the spider room shelf. In general, Poecilotheria males and females will cohabitate. I have some males right now that have been living with a female for over a year. Poecilotheria fasciata and P. ornata are the most likely to attack the male (and sometimes P. rufilata), but the other species are generally fine. That's all I'll say about breeding for now as I will soon start a third ongoing series that will get into breeding in depth and it will begin with a formula for Pokie breeding success.

This final image shows the new version of Mainstays cereal container. Without the handle putting the black tape on the rear half or third is so much easier. Note how I use a hole saw to cut a hole to provide the only ventilation. You will also notice that in this particular enclosure I used a piece of cork bark instead of the cork tile. I actually prefer the less expensive cork tiles, which are easy to cut to span the entire width. It also provides a darker rear.

Anyway, that's it for Casa de Tarantula #2. As I wrote, I will start a breeding series soon that will first return to these containers and the formula for Poecilotheria breeding success.

#35 - CASA DE TARANTULA #1

With this entry I start a series on tarantula enclosures. Blog #16 - "S.A.D.S." showed some of my preferred methods of raising young tarantulas, but this series will focus more on adult housing for various types. It will be an ongoing series that will run concurrent with the Tales from the Field series I recently began.

Dave Marschang asked in a blog comment about moisture for burrowers. He wrote: "What do you do about the burrowers who burrow to the bottom? flood their burrows?" He didn't specify exactly which burrowers he was referring to. My answer would be different if it was a scrub desert or grassland obligate burrower like America's own Aphonopelma or South American Grammostola (which can be kept without a deep burrow), an African burrower like Monocentropus balfouri (requiring some ability to burrow, but commonly kept with perhaps 6-8" of substrate) or a Old World tropical burrower like Haplopelma (requiring a great depth of moist soil). Since moisture is most important for the latter I am going to assume he did, in fact, mean popular Asian burrowers of the family Ornithoctoninae (e.g., Haplopelma, Ornithoctonus) and Selenocosmiinae (e.g., Chilobrachys, Orphnaecus).

I don't work with these type of spiders any longer, but I used to breed quite a few of them. They are often referred to as "pet holes" because proper housing includes providing a great depth of moist dirt, which they will burrow to the bottom of. The "cobalt blue" (Haplopelma lividum) is one of the best known of these spiders, and I have often told customers to take a photo of their pretty black and blue spider and tape it to the enclosure because if properly housed the spider will never be visible. They are rarely seen except during the dark of night when they may be near the top of the burrow waiting to ambush prey. In America, Chris Allen is someone known for his love of these types of spiders. The keepers that I always associate with them are Volker von Wirth and Martin Huber, both of Germany. Volker is well known for his taxonomy work with these spiders in addition to captive husbandry and propagation. Martin was well-known also as a breeder with a preference for Asian burrowers, but today he has largely disappeared from arachnoculture and is instead working with frogs, especially Phyllomedusinae (i.e., neotropical leaf or monkey tree frogs such as Agalychnis and Phyllomedusa). The housing that was popularized by both Volker and Martin is what most of us used to great effect, and it utilized a unique method for adding water to these deep burrowing tarantulas that lived deep in the dirt. Many of the images contained herein are from Volker and Martin who shared them with me for my keynote lecture at the 2007 British Tarantula Society Lectures.

© von Wirth or Huber

This first image shows a very simple "cereal container" style housing for Haplopelma lividum. These containers are tall and narrow and you can pack dirt around a large tube or broomstick near one front corner to create the burrow for the spider so it will be easier for you to view. I have used very similar containers, but usually chose somewhat wider and taller Rubbermaid containers that had space for larger species like big Chilobrachys or Haplopelma schmidti.

However, what is important to notice in this image is the row of holes at the bottom of the front. The upper ring of holes is for ventilation, but the bottom holes are both for soaking and draining (I'll explain this below). European keepers have a penchant for making their own terrariums out of glass and the next images from Volker or Martin shows how theirs looked and how they were filled around a pole to create the burrow.

© von Wirth or Huber

Here you see the top view on the left and the front view on the right. Note the perforated aluminum used at the rear of the top for ventilation, the sliding glass top and the same perforated aluminum at the bottom of the front to provide for the soaking and draining that I will describe.

The next photos show this type of enclosure in preparation and use. In the second image the cardboard box is being used as a funnel to pour dirt into the narrow enclosure. This type of housing is outstanding for keeping any of the Asian burrowers and could also be used for some New World species with similar habits.

© Martin Huber

© Martin Huber

© Martin Huber

© von Wirth or Huber

What is interesting about this type of housing though is the method of watering the enclosures. This brings us to Dave's question. And a photo is worth a thousand words ...

Periodically the enclosures would be set into a large tub of water. You can see in the enclosure nearest the front that the spider is at the surface. What happens is the water enters the enclosure at the bottom of the front and rises to the water depth in the tub. The spiders will escape the sudden flood by rising up their burrows and will be safe. The soil is "re-soaked" and then when the enclosures are removed the water will drain back out the "grating" of perforated metal or the simple soldering iron melted holes in the case of our first image of a plastic "cereal container" version of the same enclosure concept. The water is allowed to fully drain before the enclosures are returned to the shelves and eventually the spider will descend back to the chamber at the bottom where it lives.

© von Wirth or Huber

This is a very innovative method that I used for years. But let's talk about adding moisture to the substrate of burrowers that don't require the same elevated humidity and deep burrows. I have talked before about "moisture strata" with regards to substrate. What I mean by that is that the depth of substrate is stratified into varying degrees of moisture, with the bottom wettest and the top driest. For example, if I have six inches of soil in an enclosure for something like M. balfouri I may want the bottom two inches to be moist, the middle two inches to be damp and the upper two inches to be mostly dry. This is easily accomplished if you pour water down one corner or along one side of the enclosure. I also like to use long oil funnels that you can press down to the enclosure's bottom so the water is fed directly to the lower levels. In smaller containers a turkey baster can accomplish the same thing, and in vials you can make do with a pipette. Or just take a pencil or wooden chopstick and push down into the substrate as deep as possible along one side. This will break the "surface tension" and allow the water to percolate to the bottom. The idea behind "moisture strata" is to make the surface that is in contact with a terrestrial spider or a burrower that is in a shallow scrape relatively dry, but have a fair amount of water content below that evaporates and creates natural humidity.

The following two images show how I house my Harpactira. This plastic storage container has two large vents at each end (2" diameter hole saw cut holes covered on the outside with aluminum insect screening affixed by hot glue). This particular enclosure holds a subadult female H. marksi. I don't provide a great depth of substrate and the enclosure is both well-ventilated and kept fairly dry. What I do is provide a 2 oz. condiment cup of water, which really isn't for drinking except in an emergency*, but rather it is a small pool that I can overflow soaking the substrate in only one area of the enclosure. If the coco substrate becomes overly dry I will also pour water down along the length of the side as well. Note in the first photo how the coco is clearly darker right around the water cup (sprig of plastic plant is to prevent drowned crickets - never use cotton or paper towel or anything else that will foul and "breed" bacteria). The color of the coconut coir is a guide to how moist it is. You will also see that it has been moistened along the left side - the same side that the water cup is on. However, about 75% of the area is mostly dry including the area where you can see the silken entrance to the spider's shallow burrow.

© Michael Jacobi

© Michael Jacobi

I use a larger version of this "tub" with the same vent layout for my M. balfouri, and for that species I provide perhaps six to eight inches of substrate instead of the three to four you see here. However, my method of watering is the same: overflow the water dish for at least several seconds so that one corner of the enclosure is moist and, if necessary, also pour a bit down the length of one side. But I am always careful to not add too much water for "scrubland" species like Harpactira and Monocentropus.

* I have a saying that a tarantula never needs a water dish until it needs a water dish. Think about that ... none of my arboreals have them. They get moisture from their food and their enclosures are misted once or twice a week to elevate the humidity. If they really need to drink they will come out and use the droplets on the plants or the side of the glass or plastic at that time. Many are in natural terrariums with live plants and I water the plants and humidity is maintained by plant respiration and water evaporation. However, I do like to put a small dish (usually two 2 oz. condiments nested together; the bottom is the placeholder and the top is the disposable water container) in the enclosures of my African terrestrials (and recommend for other dry climate spiders). As discussed, I primarily use it as a point to pour water to re-moisten the substrate. They may never drink from them. But that one time that they have become too dry, or too underfed or too warm or too whatever they may seek a drink, and then it being there is the difference between life and death. Hence, I refer to them as " for emergency use". They don't need them ... until they do.

I hope you've learned something from Casa de Tarantula #1. In the second installment of this new series I will show you how to make a simple and perfect breeding enclosure for Poecilotheria using a large cereal container.

All the best, MJ