Had a similar situation with my Nhandu. He was just twitch and just seemed so weak. I tried icu but it didn’t do anything because he wasn’t dehydrated. I was for sure he wasn’t gonna make it due to his movements. He was such a beast eater as well so I had no idea what went wrong. So I put him in a separate room that’s dark and warmer so he could either die in peace or pull a life saving molt. And thank god he molted! After a few days he was still twitching and weak, so I decided to leave pre-killed food, and he was eating it. After a few days the weak movements started to wear off and he was walking around like nothing happened. :) Love your vids man! Very educational.
Thank you so much, Ryan! It was awesome getting a good look at her! :) And it was such a wonderful surprise when she got better! She was NOT looking good for a very long time.
So I just saw an article on tarantulas today and apparently in Maine it’s illegal to keep them without a permit, the name of the article is “53 spiders, including tarantulas, found in Maine motel room”
Very glad she made it through I myself bought mine about 4 months ago she is just a baby but had to dug her up and rehouse her and put her in a half arboreal/ fossorial set up and she is doing great. Beautiful species and I am glad to have your videos for husbandry advice. Thank you.
I picked one of these slings a few months ago. Can't wait til it gets bigger. I like the new format on your videos. Dig the "glossary" at the bottom of the screen. Thanks for sharing bud
Hey, bud! It's an awesome spider; just don't expect to see it all that much. haha Man, thanks so much! I've been trying to tweak my format a bit to keep things fresh. haha
Glad she is okay and I love the Black sheen. I'm looking forward to seeing some more. I've also been listening to your podcasts. Take care Tom. Ibnsarachnids aka Rob
Hey, Rob! Yeah, this was a HUGE relief. I wish now that I had some footage of how bad off she was. It was terrible. I was honestly shocked when she came back around. Thanks, bud!
So happy to see this vid. I have a P.arboricola as well, and finding acurate information on them has been somewhat of a challenge. Mine is still only about 1.5", but I do actually get to see it. Every morning at 5am when I get up for work, if I turn on a red light instead of the normal overhead light, I'll see it sitting out on the edge of it's sock. But as soon as the actual light comes on, it darts down it's tube. So they come out, but it would seem that they're almost exclusively nocturnal. At least, mine is.
Hi, Morgan! It's funny, as I've been seeing this one every morning as well since I rehoused it. It's usually hanging out on the glass right at the mouth of it's burrow. So cute!
Mine molted a day after I messaged this. It mangled the molt, but it's now a little over 2". Do you know if arboricola share a similar sexual dimorphism as nigerrimum? Just curious, as this one is still all black, so I'm wondering if that indicates a female, or if I'm wrong, and there is no dimorphism amonst arboricola. Rehoused it a few days ago into a large/tall amac. She* is still burrowing, and webbing, but I look forward to seeing her in the mornings again once she's done, and settled in. That rehouse was dicey. Don't know about yours, but mine is a bit on the moody side. She came flying out of her old enclosure up onto my forearm, and threw a pose... puckered my asshole up like a drawstring purse. . . Gorgeous T though. Definitely one of my favorites. Just wish I saw it more.
I know a jumping spider breeder that lost almost her whole collection. Spider after spider. She set up a go fund me and sent one off to be tested and it was bacterial! She changed her set ups and has been able to turn things around. I believe that bacterial infections cause a lot of issues for inverts, and we just don’t know what’s going on.
Hello, Marlana! Wow...that's horrific but great to know! I think a lot of folks out there start to suspect bacterial infection when they get mysterious deaths, but there often isn't proof. I think that's it exactly...we just don't know what's going on at times. Thanks for the info!
Hey Tom! Amazing video as always. My P. arboricola is my favourite specimen and also my favourite species. They are just so stunning. My girl has been extremely calm and polite for me. If I was into handling this would be a spider I'd be comfortable just sticking my hand out there and I bet she'd just calmly walk into it and sit there. Obviously I would never, but it always bothers me when people talk about how nasty Omothymus/Phormingochilus/Lampropelma are. I think similar to the OBTs it's possible we just weren't keeping them right. As you said, they are almost fossorial as slings, and perhaps back in the day we weren't giving them enough substrate depth which led to more defensive spiders. I'm not downplaying the fact that they have potent venom and the potential to be nasty, I just haven't seen this from any of my specimens in these three genera. Your girl is absolutely stunning, so glad she pulled through! I am re-listening to all the podcasts (I basically just listen to them on repeat all day at work, lol) and actually just hit the podcast about her a few days ago! I cannot say enough good things about these spiders. The transition from the dark chocolate colour to the full jet black is really breathtaking. Love these guys so much, wish they got a little more love from keepers! I will absolutely be breeding my girl after her next moult, I would love to see these guys more readily available since they are just such awesome species! Keep up the amazing work! - Charlotte
Awesome Tom! I noticed also my Ornithoctoninae sp South Mindanao also burrowed more than it was out. So i recently rehoused it (About 1.5" now) into a Herpcult that is 6x6x9" tall and she has already made a burrow, but I usually catch her out now in the mornings!
Hello, Jared! I've been catching this one out now first thing in the morning when I turn the lights on. She will then turn around and retreat calmly back to her burrow. haha
Another great video from the best T RUclipsr out there! Glad to see she’s made a full recovery! I saw that you mentioned why you choose not to use Isopods as a clean-up crew, but I’ve been using Dwarf Whites for a while now, and I haven’t had any issues. I use both Springtails and Dwarf White Isopods in my Adult/Juvenile Fossorial Enclosures, and I haven’t had any problems with them eating molting Ts....
Awwww...thank, Ted! I was SO glad that she turned it around! Yeah, after I did the podcast on them, I had several folks who were knowledgeable with isopods tell me that they would never put them in with their spiders or scorpions. Apparently, they crave protein, and if their numbers get too large, they will attack larger animals. I used them for a little while without any issues, but that was enough for me!
I think Asian arboreals are one of the coolest T’s ever, beautiful patterns and colors also names, earth tigers haha how cool is that, thank again for the guide, you are like the cool death metal teacher, greetings, Tom!
Hey Tom! So glad she pulled through, she’s beautiful. I’ve had mine a while now since a tiny sling and totally agree on the slower growth rate. Nowhere near as fast as my omothymus violaceopes slings growth rate. And I never see mine either. I sometimes see flashes of toes hanging near the entrance to the web sock but that’s it. Anyway, awesome video as always, I’m gonna check see if I’ve missed any more now because I’ve had no internet for a few weeks and I’m way behind lol. Hope yourself, billie and the family are all well.
Hello, Tink! Yeah, this was an amazing surprise. It REALLY didn't look good for quite a while. And I'm glad that it's not just mine that grows slowly. I've had a couple folks tell me that their grew very quickly, that's just not been my experience. Welcome back to the internet! haha I don't know how you did it...I totally freak when we lose ours. lol I hope all is well!
Gorgeous looking T! Glad she made a full recovery. Shame I can't get one for myself atm. Can't get any T's since my aunt is completely petrified of them. She's not willing to budge on the issue, and I'm in no shape to move out so I have to settle with vids lol
Thank you so much! I was SO glad that she turned it around. It was not looking good for quite a while. Awwww...haha I was in that situation for many years. My mom would not budge on letting me get one. I got my first a couple weeks after I moved out. haha
Hi, Kristen! Going on three years now! :) I have to post another one up on RUclips soon, as there seem to be quite a few folks that don't know it exists. There should be a link to it in the video description. :)
@@TomsBigSpiders Ok, that's good :) I have them in my Nicaraguan curly hair tarantula's enclosure since she doesn't seem to care if her substrate is damp or not. She has caused her substrate to be damp/wet on many occasions by sticking substrate in her water dish, but leaving it in a way that the water could be absorbed to the rest of her substrate in the eclosure and didn't seem to care, even went so far as to decorate the sides of her enclosure with the wet substrate she caused by doing that several times in one day lol. Do you know of any good clean up crew that is good for dry enclosures that won't stress out a tarantula? I know springtails will die in dry environments, and the only ones that I know that work in dry environments aren't good to have in tarantula enclosures.
Hello Tom, I just found your channel and am learning a lot: ) The comment about the possible bacterial infection is very interesting, I recently lost my 10yrold phormictopus achrictamus (not spelled Correctly! ) (Red island bird eater) In a similar manner. I found it confusing as she didn't do the death curl, but laid out across her water dish.... She had recently molted, and fed a couple of times. She did seem unusually thirsty, but I thought it was because of the molt.... Her cage was not what I would call clean, and moving her to a clean one was on the to do list, now I wish I had been more snappy about it. Thank you for sharing your experience! I am hoping this will help grow knowledge for us all in this hobby. Now for those dabbling in arachnid medicine.....I wonder if a water soluble antibacterial would help one of these so afflicted Ts , as they are so thirsty ? Some lab tests would be interesting..... (prevention of course being best)
Hello, Loretta! Since putting this video out, I've heard similar stories from other keepers and even had a couple vets chime in. The fact is, there just aren't a lot of studies on tarantula health and medicine, although it sounds like more vets are taking this area of medicine more seriously. Thanks for chiming in!
Thanks so much, Jonny! Nope, it's a terrible feeling, especially when you don't know what to do to fix it. I'm just glad that she turned it around in this case!
Really interesting. I did not know about bacterial infections - I think I may lost one to that given what was described. Super useful for me for that for the future with my fossorial collection!
Hello, Connie! Over the years, I've spoken to several folks who have experienced similar issues. Again, it's a theory, but one that makes a lot of sense. In the wild, rain would filter through and clean out the surrounding soil as it filtered down through. In captivity, the moist substrate wouldn't get "cleaned" that way, as the water can only go so far. I'm just going to be a bit more careful with my moist fossorials from now on.
I see and i watch the vedeo of philippine taratula sir. You arw the great man carying all kinds of tarantula that is so amazing sir, Keep it up sir goodbless. Im a filifino funs but i carying now is parrot i try to learn how to care spider tarantula in your own experience. Salte sir to you 👍🏾😊🙏
That's how chilobrachys fimbriatus died :( I tried an ICU but it was too late. I'm almost sure it was my fault and I was a bit too finicky with the moisture. She came above ground for a few days and displayed all of the signs you mentioned. Very sad, but I have learned from my mistake. I hope more research comes up in Arachnid medicine!
First off, so sorry for the later reply. Man, I'm so sorry to hear that. I seriously think that it has something to do with a bacterial infection. I've only had this happen with moisture dependent burrowing species. Thanks for chiming in!
Wow nice save I’ve been keeping Ts since I was 7 and I bought a Brazilian black at Walgreens or woolco , that is a half of a century now ... but usually I lose my I’ll tarantulas are sick . But I have 179 adults and it’s tough to get too them all daily .
Tom Moran yes Walgreens sold pets wayyyyy back in the day ! Birds iguanas a few Ts if you we’re lucky . I bet you were she is beautiful ! Like all your Ts ! A true keeper for sure .
I have a similar situation right now. My P. arboricola is resting on paper towels near radiator. I hope he will be allright :/ Thank You Tom for the knowledge btw :P
top video once again, good info on the potential bacterial problems with fossorials,. Would springtails be of use, I've used them with tiny Aphonopelma slings as food with no issues and they end up with them in the sling pots in large numbers over time with no apparent problems.
Hello, Emery! Yeah, the bacteria thing is something that I've given a lot of thought to, and I've spoken to many others who have experienced similar issues. It's definitely something to think about. And, yes...I use springtails now in my moist enclosures, and I DO think that they help. I have some in with my slings as well, and they are harmless. I love those little guys. haha Thanks, bud!
Tom Tom Tom, we need a serious talk buddy, can u please stop releasing a video on the day AFTER I pick up the species you are showcasing 😂😂😂 happens every time lol great video absolutely loved it
@@TomsBigSpiders well my next pickups tomorrow are h.chilliensis, chilobrachys kaeng krachan and today I got cyriopagopus albostratum, just a heads up lol
That one is STILL killing me. My son stopped by yesterday and I was telling him about her. I won't be pulling sacs again, I can tell you that. Thanks, Dan!
6:02 come on Tom you know your wife is always right 😂😂 I had an avic that hit a cricket and 2 hours later was in a death curl … i ICU it and it’s now doing well … needless to say I only buy feeders from one place now not big box stores
@@TomsBigSpiders ye it was a sudden thing so I can only suspect the cricket I saw it happen if I didn’t I wouldn’t believe it … but it’s eating and seems to be doing well now
After this pandemic I'm gonna get more species. I asked the vet who checked my pacman frog, he said there are no vets that's specialize on arachnids, so if anything happens to our spiders we're on our own.
How are you guys doing over there? It's exploding in the US, but my state is one of the few that is in good shape. There aren't many vets that know what to do with tarantulas over here either, although I have been contacted by a few over the years who are trying to learn more about them. I hope you are well!
@@TomsBigSpiders the cases are growing everyday and people are still unable to go to work. Our government is overly passive and so many misdirections and a lot of businesses are closing down and declaring bankruptcy. Man know it's the same in your country but more importantly we should never lose hope, be adoptive and resilient. :) About vet I know there aren't any vet that specialize in arachnids but at least tarantulas aren't very prone to disease and we have experienced guys like you who imparts their knowledge to us.
I just love Asian arboreals I have 4 and they all act very different I have a young female Cyriopagopus (Ornithoctoninea) sp. hati hati , a juvenile Phormingochilus sp. rufus and a very young juvenile male and female Phormingochilus sp. Sabah blue
Is the C. lividus an asian arboreal? I'm kinda freakin out about my set up now. She's in DEEP substrate. In a 12 gallon plastic tub. It was the only thing I could make her comfortable in. She's a big girl, if this spider in 5.5 mine has to be 8 DLS.
Thanks for the heads-up on isopods eating scorpions... In theory springtails alone should eat bacterial cultures. In theory. I already dropped some in my hmac sling enclosure because I saw some mold, and I think she eats them faster than they eat mold 😂
@@TomsBigSpiders yes! I have a board out back where I get my springtails under, there's millions probably. They are larger, grey and arid. They can take it almost dry. Also under this board I found all but one of my current wolf spiders, all different species(S. mccooki, H. carolinensis x 2, H. frondicola I think), sitting there snacking. 4 ft from the board, I found an adult Geolycosa Missouriensis in a burrow as well, assuming it grew up there too. I have a sling that came inside with me on my hat one night, no clue what it is, about 1/16" now after molting lmao. raising on springtails.
@@TomsBigSpiders While I'm here I want to thank you for these videos. It helps a lot getting back into T's, and you are one of the best out there. I appreciate the way you respect your spiders. If someone pokes me in the face with a stick 3 times wanting a threat pose, they will likely even get a wet bite ;)
Speaking of bacterial infection, do you think it can be caused by rotting feeders we might have forgotten to remove? I'm wondering about that because a little while ago I asked you about my A. chalcodes that seemed "lost" in its enclosure and tried your advice to open the mouth of the burrow and leaving pre-killed food there to see if it eats. I left a dead mealworm and the next day it was gone and the burrow was closed off once again. The problem is I don't know if she actually ate it, and now that I hear you talk about some form of bacterial infection dangerous for burrowing species I'm getting nervous it could happen since I wasn't able to retrieve the remains of the worm (eaten or not). Is there a potential danger there? Asking again for your professional advice on the subject.
I definitely think that can be part of the issue. Rotting feeders in the burrow or even just remnants of prey items from when they feed in the burrows could get into a moist burrow and fester. However, they are quite clean an will remove dead or unwanted prey, so I wouldn't be too worried . I think that over time, however, the bacteria can build up and create an issue. I don't think that it's generally something that happens quickly. So, in your situation, I wouldn't worry.
Hi Tom, I know this isn't a versicolor video but I figure you're more likely to see this on your most recent upload. My C. versicolor sling (2cm)is spending a lot of time on the substrate of its enclosure, though it has some upright sticks and its web hammock up above. I've got some sphagnum moss in there that I'm keeping damp and I've drilled some holes in the sides of the enclosure. It has more cross ventilation than my other slings. Was wondering, do versi's molt off the ground or come down to ground level to molt? Little worried about it now. It's going in and out of what to my untrained eye is a death curl. Would be a shame as it immediately became my fav species when it arrived. Beautiful at such a tiny size
Hello, John! Versis should molt above the ground in a web hammock. Generally, you shouldn't catch them on the ground very much at all. Is it doing any better? Would you like to send me some pics at tomsbigspiders@outlook.com ?
@@TomsBigSpiders Thanks for getting back to me man! Pretty much right after I posted that comment I dripped some water in with a pipette (previously the soil was damp but there was no actual water standing in the enclosure) it climbed back up off the ground and has been hanging around since. I'm guessing it drank some and is feeling better now? Maybe it went down to the substrate because it was looking for water and couldn't find any up above?
I understand why isopods are a no but what are your thoughts on Springtails? How often do you think the substrate should be replaced to prevent a bacterial infection?
Hi, Wendy! I DO use springtails and have no issues with them. I've actually had them in with tiny slings without issue. As for the risk of bacteria, if the enclosure isn't set up as a bioactive, I'm going to consider rehousing after a year or so. The ones that I've experienced the issues that I think may be bacterial were in their enclosures for at least a couple years. Again, this is only my theory and is NOT scientific fact. However, after speaking with other keepers over the years, I'm not the only one who has experienced these symptoms with fossorial species, particularly the ones who need moist substrate. With the bioactives, the beneficial bacteria and cleaner insects are supposed to help keep the dangerous bacteria at bay, so I'll probably just monitor those.
These guys don't get very big like the Lampropelma they were once lumped in with. My female, which I've had for about 6 years, paired and got a good sac from and has since molted again, is only 5.5" herself.
Hi, Greg! That's great to know, as I've been getting mixed messages over which one is larger...the L. nigerimum or the P. arboricola. I was under the impression that the P. arboricola was the larger species with the L. nigerimum being the smaller one.
They are arboreal spiders just in captivity they sometimes burrow especially in the sling stage. My arboreal p irminia was always hiding or burrowing for a while before she got comfortable and started making her presence known.
Hello, Braulio! Yeah, a lot of the fossorial species start off a bit more fossorial when smaller. As they put on size, they'll start to exhibit more of the arboreal tendencies. That said, I have an O. violaceopes that still uses a burrow, and she's about 7-8" or so! :)
For temperament, how does Phormingochilus compare to Tapinauchenius or Psalmopoeus? I have both of those later two, and am curious to know how that experience will translate once I get more time with them. I agree that these are gorgeous. I wish they were bit more of a display species overall. I have sp.rufus on my list for the future, but this one just found it's way on that list as well thanks to this video.
Hey, Mike! I see my Psalmopoeus species MUCH more often than I see these guys. My Phormingochilus, Lampropelma, and Omothymus are easily the most secretive and elusive species that I keep. Before catching this one out on the substrate, I hadn't seen it in close to a year. My sp. rufus turned out to be a male, so it was more visible once it got its emboli, but it stayed burrowed until then. They are gorgeous, though, and when you catch them out and about, it's like seeing a Sasquatch while hiking. haha
I'm a bit worried now Tom😳 I only have one fossorial, a C. lividus and she's in 9-10in of sub, leaf litter, springtails, & a water dish. I keep her this way (such deep sub) because shes huge! Probably 6-7in DLS. Should I be worried about bacteria? I never thought of that. Otherwise she's a very happy spider. She has her tunnels, I never see her except when she's hungry& never a threat posture or any defensive behavior. Oh & her "web sock"? Is as thick as a real sock! Lol! I did dig her up after she molted and 1.5 months passed without seeing her and I had to cut into it. Probably half inch thick.
Hello, Joelle! If she's got leaf litter and springtails, you're probably fine. Those socks do a great job in keeping them shielded from the dirt, which helps. It seems to become an issue once stuff gets inside the burrow itself. I once rehoused a C. lividus and found that the sock had become yellowish and looked pretty filthy. It looked as if some prey remnants might have decomposed in there. She had been in that enclosure for quite some time, and it got me thinking that it was becoming a breeding ground for bacteria. Again, I'm not trying to alarm people, but I DO think that it's something that we should give consideration to, especially in those most enclosures!
@@TomsBigSpiders hmmm. Well it's mostly pristine white, but yellow at some spots. ( such as the opening) Yes she does have leaf litter & springtails. I don't have anymore springtails. They are a bit more difficult for me to get. I got those at Repticon. I'm gonna keep a closer eye on her.
Hey Tom! If i drop in a male to the communal will it cause any problems and well breeding occur when they are all mature? Other then that the video answered all of my questions!
I watched this video earlier today and decided to add one of these little guys to my current order from FearNot. This is what I've already paid for and ordered from FearNot this week: 2 Featherlegs 2 Cobalt Blues 2 Togo Starbursts 1 Grammostola pulchra 1 Eupalaestrus campestratus 1 Ceratogyrus sanderi 1 Phormingochilus arboricola My poor wallet.... 😭 😭
I recently had multiple similar occurences, sadly all of the affected Ts died. It was a H. pulchripes sling, 2 Euathlus sp 'Phorum' slings and a juvenile Pamphobeteus sp. 'Flammifera'. It was not all at once, these were weeks apart. They became lethargic, slowly declined and they died without any death curl. They had water available and moist soil in part of the enclosure. I did try ICU for the juvenile P. sp. 'Flammifera', but it was no use. :( I suspect the cause to be some kind of infection, too, maybe bacterial, because the symptoms were the same each time and at least the Flammifera was already out of the vulnerable sling stage. Maybe a lot more cross ventillation would have helped to prevent the infections, I seriously don't know.
First off, so sorry for the delay in replying! I'm so very sorry to hear about your deaths. That sounds a lot like what happened to this one. What type of soil were you using? A few years ago I had a rash of mysterious deaths, and it ended up that the soil I was using was contaminated with either pesticide or herbicide. Just a thought...
Hi Tom, I'm getting ready to start getting into making bioactive enclosures and I've got a question for ya. Do you use any kind of plant fertilizers in your enclosures? Obviously something like miracle grow wouldn't be good, but I know people like the BioDude sell terrarium-safe stuff. I was just wondering if you used something like that or if you had luck without it
Hello! So far, I haven't had to use any types of fertilizer with mine. Supposedly with the bioactives, the natural decomposition of the leaf litter helps to keep the soil enriched enough for the plants. I use a lot of pothos now, and they seem to do well without any fertilizer...so far. haha
@@TomsBigSpiders That's encouraging. I've got a myriad of pothos now that I've been collecting, so hopefully I'll also have good luck with those and some leaf litter. I also have a burgundy wandering jew that grows like crazy and a cryptanthus earth star that has looked the same for months now. I'm gonna move forward with the bioactive stuff once I get my springtail culture going and figure out how to modify the enclosure the way I want it. Keep up the good content, man!
You need some more Phormingochilus sp in your life lol. I think there are still some akcaya floating around from the first 2 US sacks. Definently recommend those if you have sticker shock over sabah blue's.
@@TomsBigSpiders I'd pull the trigger soon before they're all gone. They're an amazing species and quite visible for Phormingochilus. My only problem with them is its hard to tell when they're premolt because they are such enthusiastic eaters. I feed pre killed prey when I notice there abdomens are quite large to be on the safe side as I've had a few molt out less than three days after eating.
hmm so what were the old names of this species? bcus I have a juvenile that was called "Lampropelma sp. Borneo Black" when I got it but idk what it really is and if you google for pics of L. sp borneo black and P. arboricola you get identical looking spiders
Lampropelma sp. Borneo Black was the long-time name of this species before they were reclassified to Lampropelma nigerrimum arboricola and finally reclassified again into Phormingochilus.
Super Loops! I have replied to this comment three times already, and it keeps disappearing! I'm so sorry! Thanks for chiming in, Greg! When I bought this one, it was Lampropelma sp. borneo black.
That's what I was thinking, and others seem to think the same. I DID have a spider that I rehoused recently that everyone assured me was a female, and it just hooked out. haha. I figured that I'd let people who have raised them before and have more experience with them chime in. :)
@@TomsBigSpiders Males of Ph. arboricola should be lighter, lot lighter. A friend of mine has a male, it never was that dark, now that male has hooked out so i am receiving him :D Only one thing more, i need to disappoint you a bit, it wont grow much more, so that terrarium should be sufficient. I hope i am wrong, but i am talking from experience. never than less, an underrated species that I think is a must have. :D
I lost my Singapore blue and my c hati hati to this similar behavior. Man that sucks. My Singapore hovered around it water dish for about 2 weeks before I finally lost it.
Hello, Alex! That sounds exactly like what I saw with this one. I do think that bacteria can be the cause in some instance. I'm just glad that this one turned it around. Thanks!
Mister moran how are you today sir!!!!! I am hoping exceedingly well!! These guys are absolutley amazing and you described it correctly fossorial arboreal!!! Secondly sir please email me if u get a moment I have a fresh 3 days ago mm h pulchrapies!!!! Figure i will offer to u first so u can try and breed that amazing sp !!!! Thank you sir hoping u are well Andrew
Andrew! I hope that all is well, bud! Yeah, I think a lot of folks freak out when they get them and they burrow. They hear arboreal and immediately expect them to climb! And I have a male at the moment that I'm trying to pair her with. The first attempt went great, but she was already fat when I got her, and she molted out afterwards. Now, they seem to lack the chemistry. haha Thanks, bud!
Is it true that males are more abundant that females on this particular species. Im planning on getting one sling but my friend suggested to get three because again males are more abundant but i dont know if this is true..
I think that I mentioned at some point that although they get quite large, mine took quite a while to get to that mark. Others report much faster growing specimens.
Had a similar situation with my Nhandu. He was just twitch and just seemed so weak. I tried icu but it didn’t do anything because he wasn’t dehydrated. I was for sure he wasn’t gonna make it due to his movements. He was such a beast eater as well so I had no idea what went wrong. So I put him in a separate room that’s dark and warmer so he could either die in peace or pull a life saving molt. And thank god he molted! After a few days he was still twitching and weak, so I decided to leave pre-killed food, and he was eating it. After a few days the weak movements started to wear off and he was walking around like nothing happened. :)
Love your vids man! Very educational.
Hello, Trill! Yup, that sounds a lot like what happened with this one. I'm so glad to hear that yours turned around as well! Thank you!
I’m so glad he/she mad a full recovery, a beautiful T for sure.
Yeah, her turnaround was a wonderful surprise. It was not looking good for quite a while. Thank you!
@@TomsBigSpiders Hey Tom, Can you do an updated Genus review or a podcast for Phormingochilus? Ive tried finding your podcast on them but no luck lol
That has got to be one of the prettiest spiders I’ve ever seen :O
So glad s/he seems to have made a full recovery!
Thank you so much, Ryan! It was awesome getting a good look at her! :) And it was such a wonderful surprise when she got better! She was NOT looking good for a very long time.
So I just saw an article on tarantulas today and apparently in Maine it’s illegal to keep them without a permit, the name of the article is “53 spiders, including tarantulas, found in Maine motel room”
Kevin, I read the same article earlier today! haha That's bonkers.
Tom Moran, ikr? Also keep up the good work!
Very glad she made it through I myself bought mine about 4 months ago she is just a baby but had to dug her up and rehouse her and put her in a half arboreal/ fossorial set up and she is doing great. Beautiful species and I am glad to have your videos for husbandry advice. Thank you.
I picked one of these slings a few months ago. Can't wait til it gets bigger. I like the new format on your videos. Dig the "glossary" at the bottom of the screen. Thanks for sharing bud
Hey, bud! It's an awesome spider; just don't expect to see it all that much. haha Man, thanks so much! I've been trying to tweak my format a bit to keep things fresh. haha
So glad that they've made it and seem to be doing well. Such a beautiful spider!
Yeah, this was a wonderful surprise! It really wasn't looking good at all for quite a while! Thank you!
That was smooth and it really helps seeing you do it with that style enclosure im fully confident i can move forward with my rehouse now thanks Tom
Hello, Kevin! Thank you so much! I'm glad that I was able to help!
So glad she perked back up. She looks beautiful!
Thank you, Beth! That was a wonderful surprise. She was in rough shape for quite some time.
nice rehouse and I'm glad she recovered.
Thank you so much, Kim! :)
Glad she is okay and I love the Black sheen. I'm looking forward to seeing some more. I've also been listening to your podcasts. Take care Tom. Ibnsarachnids aka Rob
Hey, Rob! Yeah, this was a HUGE relief. I wish now that I had some footage of how bad off she was. It was terrible. I was honestly shocked when she came back around. Thanks, bud!
I really learn a lot watching your videos tom thanks a lot for inspiring me to keep a ♥
Thank you so very much! :)
Love seeing these , your on point about bacterial infection for sure
Hey, Ryan! How the heck are you, bud?
So happy to see this vid. I have a P.arboricola as well, and finding acurate information on them has been somewhat of a challenge. Mine is still only about 1.5", but I do actually get to see it. Every morning at 5am when I get up for work, if I turn on a red light instead of the normal overhead light, I'll see it sitting out on the edge of it's sock. But as soon as the actual light comes on, it darts down it's tube. So they come out, but it would seem that they're almost exclusively nocturnal. At least, mine is.
Hi, Morgan! It's funny, as I've been seeing this one every morning as well since I rehoused it. It's usually hanging out on the glass right at the mouth of it's burrow. So cute!
Mine molted a day after I messaged this. It mangled the molt, but it's now a little over 2". Do you know if arboricola share a similar sexual dimorphism as nigerrimum? Just curious, as this one is still all black, so I'm wondering if that indicates a female, or if I'm wrong, and there is no dimorphism amonst arboricola. Rehoused it a few days ago into a large/tall amac. She* is still burrowing, and webbing, but I look forward to seeing her in the mornings again once she's done, and settled in. That rehouse was dicey. Don't know about yours, but mine is a bit on the moody side. She came flying out of her old enclosure up onto my forearm, and threw a pose... puckered my asshole up like a drawstring purse. . . Gorgeous T though. Definitely one of my favorites. Just wish I saw it more.
I know a jumping spider breeder that lost almost her whole collection. Spider after spider. She set up a go fund me and sent one off to be tested and it was bacterial! She changed her set ups and has been able to turn things around. I believe that bacterial infections cause a lot of issues for inverts, and we just don’t know what’s going on.
Hello, Marlana! Wow...that's horrific but great to know! I think a lot of folks out there start to suspect bacterial infection when they get mysterious deaths, but there often isn't proof. I think that's it exactly...we just don't know what's going on at times. Thanks for the info!
THE master of rehousing 😯
Hahaha. Thanks, Ian! :)
Hey Tom! Amazing video as always. My P. arboricola is my favourite specimen and also my favourite species. They are just so stunning. My girl has been extremely calm and polite for me. If I was into handling this would be a spider I'd be comfortable just sticking my hand out there and I bet she'd just calmly walk into it and sit there. Obviously I would never, but it always bothers me when people talk about how nasty Omothymus/Phormingochilus/Lampropelma are. I think similar to the OBTs it's possible we just weren't keeping them right. As you said, they are almost fossorial as slings, and perhaps back in the day we weren't giving them enough substrate depth which led to more defensive spiders. I'm not downplaying the fact that they have potent venom and the potential to be nasty, I just haven't seen this from any of my specimens in these three genera. Your girl is absolutely stunning, so glad she pulled through! I am re-listening to all the podcasts (I basically just listen to them on repeat all day at work, lol) and actually just hit the podcast about her a few days ago! I cannot say enough good things about these spiders. The transition from the dark chocolate colour to the full jet black is really breathtaking. Love these guys so much, wish they got a little more love from keepers! I will absolutely be breeding my girl after her next moult, I would love to see these guys more readily available since they are just such awesome species!
Keep up the amazing work!
- Charlotte
Hi Tom, wow what a beautiful t, I'm glad she pulled through and seems ok now. Thanks for sharing 😁
Thank you so much, Anna! It was a wonderful surprise that she made it! :)
Ty as always for another helpful video.
You're most welcome!
Awesome video Tom 👊🤘🕷
Thank you so much, Tommy!
great news! hope she makes it
Thank you so much! She's been eating great and quite active since I shot this. :)
Awesome Tom! I noticed also my Ornithoctoninae sp South Mindanao also burrowed more than it was out. So i recently rehoused it (About 1.5" now) into a Herpcult that is 6x6x9" tall and she has already made a burrow, but I usually catch her out now in the mornings!
Hello, Jared! I've been catching this one out now first thing in the morning when I turn the lights on. She will then turn around and retreat calmly back to her burrow. haha
Another great video from the best T RUclipsr out there! Glad to see she’s made a full recovery!
I saw that you mentioned why you choose not to use Isopods as a clean-up crew, but I’ve been using Dwarf Whites for a while now, and I haven’t had any issues. I use both Springtails and Dwarf White Isopods in my Adult/Juvenile Fossorial Enclosures, and I haven’t had any problems with them eating molting Ts....
Awwww...thank, Ted! I was SO glad that she turned it around!
Yeah, after I did the podcast on them, I had several folks who were knowledgeable with isopods tell me that they would never put them in with their spiders or scorpions. Apparently, they crave protein, and if their numbers get too large, they will attack larger animals. I used them for a little while without any issues, but that was enough for me!
I think Asian arboreals are one of the coolest T’s ever, beautiful patterns and colors also names, earth tigers haha how cool is that, thank again for the guide, you are like the cool death metal teacher, greetings, Tom!
They really are awesome spiders. And you can't do better with that common name. haha Thanks so much, Jose!
8:12 Tarantula whisperer at it again!
Hey, bud! Hahaha I LOVE when they make me look smart. haha
Hey Tom! So glad she pulled through, she’s beautiful. I’ve had mine a while now since a tiny sling and totally agree on the slower growth rate. Nowhere near as fast as my omothymus violaceopes slings growth rate. And I never see mine either. I sometimes see flashes of toes hanging near the entrance to the web sock but that’s it. Anyway, awesome video as always, I’m gonna check see if I’ve missed any more now because I’ve had no internet for a few weeks and I’m way behind lol. Hope yourself, billie and the family are all well.
Hello, Tink! Yeah, this was an amazing surprise. It REALLY didn't look good for quite a while. And I'm glad that it's not just mine that grows slowly. I've had a couple folks tell me that their grew very quickly, that's just not been my experience. Welcome back to the internet! haha I don't know how you did it...I totally freak when we lose ours. lol I hope all is well!
Gorgeous looking T! Glad she made a full recovery.
Shame I can't get one for myself atm. Can't get any T's since my aunt is completely petrified of them. She's not willing to budge on the issue, and I'm in no shape to move out so I have to settle with vids lol
Thank you so much! I was SO glad that she turned it around. It was not looking good for quite a while.
Awwww...haha I was in that situation for many years. My mom would not budge on letting me get one. I got my first a couple weeks after I moved out. haha
Had no idea you had a podcast!!😲
Hi, Kristen! Going on three years now! :) I have to post another one up on RUclips soon, as there seem to be quite a few folks that don't know it exists. There should be a link to it in the video description. :)
@@TomsBigSpiders awesome!!! I'm excited 🤘
Great that it is healthy again!
Thanks, bud!
I'm glad she got better!
Another good cleaner crew are springtails, at least in damp enclosures. :)
I DO use those (probably should have stated it in the video). :)
@@TomsBigSpiders Ok, that's good :)
I have them in my Nicaraguan curly hair tarantula's enclosure since she doesn't seem to care if her substrate is damp or not. She has caused her substrate to be damp/wet on many occasions by sticking substrate in her water dish, but leaving it in a way that the water could be absorbed to the rest of her substrate in the eclosure and didn't seem to care, even went so far as to decorate the sides of her enclosure with the wet substrate she caused by doing that several times in one day lol.
Do you know of any good clean up crew that is good for dry enclosures that won't stress out a tarantula? I know springtails will die in dry environments, and the only ones that I know that work in dry environments aren't good to have in tarantula enclosures.
Hello Tom, I just found your channel and am learning a lot: )
The comment about the possible bacterial infection is very interesting, I recently lost my 10yrold phormictopus achrictamus (not spelled Correctly! )
(Red island bird eater) In a similar manner.
I found it confusing as she didn't do the death curl, but laid out across her water dish....
She had recently molted, and fed a couple of times. She did seem unusually thirsty, but I thought it was because of the molt....
Her cage was not what I would call clean, and moving her to a clean one was on the to do list, now I wish I had been more snappy about it.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
I am hoping this will help grow knowledge for us all in this hobby.
Now for those dabbling in arachnid medicine.....I wonder if a water soluble antibacterial would help one of these so afflicted Ts , as they are so thirsty ?
Some lab tests would be interesting.....
(prevention of course being best)
Hello, Loretta! Since putting this video out, I've heard similar stories from other keepers and even had a couple vets chime in. The fact is, there just aren't a lot of studies on tarantula health and medicine, although it sounds like more vets are taking this area of medicine more seriously. Thanks for chiming in!
Glad she made it man
Its not a nice feeling waiting to see if they pull through or not and starting to think whats causing the problem
Thanks so much, Jonny! Nope, it's a terrible feeling, especially when you don't know what to do to fix it. I'm just glad that she turned it around in this case!
Really interesting. I did not know about bacterial infections - I think I may lost one to that given what was described. Super useful for me for that for the future with my fossorial collection!
Hello, Connie! Over the years, I've spoken to several folks who have experienced similar issues. Again, it's a theory, but one that makes a lot of sense. In the wild, rain would filter through and clean out the surrounding soil as it filtered down through. In captivity, the moist substrate wouldn't get "cleaned" that way, as the water can only go so far. I'm just going to be a bit more careful with my moist fossorials from now on.
Great information
Thank you, Channy! :)
I see and i watch the vedeo of philippine taratula sir. You arw the great man carying all kinds of tarantula that is so amazing sir, Keep it up sir goodbless.
Im a filifino funs but i carying now is parrot i try to learn how to care spider tarantula in your own experience. Salte sir to you
👍🏾😊🙏
Thank you so much, Jensid!
Perfect timing I was thinking of getting one
I got one :)
Excellent, Victor! :)
Great video, as always. But where is my Eupalaestrus campestratus video?? :)
Hahaha. Sorry, I'm still working on it! I'll get that finished up. :)
That's how chilobrachys fimbriatus died :( I tried an ICU but it was too late. I'm almost sure it was my fault and I was a bit too finicky with the moisture. She came above ground for a few days and displayed all of the signs you mentioned. Very sad, but I have learned from my mistake. I hope more research comes up in Arachnid medicine!
First off, so sorry for the later reply. Man, I'm so sorry to hear that. I seriously think that it has something to do with a bacterial infection. I've only had this happen with moisture dependent burrowing species. Thanks for chiming in!
Wow nice save I’ve been keeping Ts since I was 7 and I bought a Brazilian black at Walgreens or woolco , that is a half of a century now ... but usually I lose my I’ll tarantulas are sick . But I have 179 adults and it’s tough to get too them all daily .
Hi, Steve! Walgreens? Wow! Yeah, I totally lucked out with this one. I was so shocked and excited when she turned it around!
Tom Moran yes Walgreens sold pets wayyyyy back in the day ! Birds iguanas a few Ts if you we’re lucky . I bet you were she is beautiful ! Like all your Ts ! A true keeper for sure .
I have a similar situation right now. My P. arboricola is resting on paper towels near radiator. I hope he will be allright :/
Thank You Tom for the knowledge btw :P
So sorry for the delay (and for your sick spider). How is it doing? Any better?
@@TomsBigSpiders Unfortunately he is dead :/ He was only ~2BL(cm) Small chances to survive. Thank You for your comment anyway ;)
top video once again, good info on the potential bacterial problems with fossorials,. Would springtails be of use, I've used them with tiny Aphonopelma slings as food with no issues and they end up with them in the sling pots in large numbers over time with no apparent problems.
Hello, Emery! Yeah, the bacteria thing is something that I've given a lot of thought to, and I've spoken to many others who have experienced similar issues. It's definitely something to think about. And, yes...I use springtails now in my moist enclosures, and I DO think that they help. I have some in with my slings as well, and they are harmless. I love those little guys. haha Thanks, bud!
@@TomsBigSpiders they end up in all my enclosures even the with brachys the go where they want.
Tom Tom Tom, we need a serious talk buddy, can u please stop releasing a video on the day AFTER I pick up the species you are showcasing 😂😂😂 happens every time lol great video absolutely loved it
Bahahahaha. I'm so sorry. I promise to do better in the future. hahaha
@@TomsBigSpiders well my next pickups tomorrow are h.chilliensis, chilobrachys kaeng krachan and today I got cyriopagopus albostratum, just a heads up lol
Awesome post man 👍Ive just been listening to your O. Philippinus podcast, gotta be the saddest thing I've heard to do with tarantulas!
That one is STILL killing me. My son stopped by yesterday and I was telling him about her. I won't be pulling sacs again, I can tell you that. Thanks, Dan!
Brother Tom !!! I am sorry I’ve seen read and liked ! But it’s summer !!! Camping is what we do!!!
How's it going, Steve? :) Bahahaha. No worries...enjoy camping!
6:02 come on Tom you know your wife is always right 😂😂 I had an avic that hit a cricket and 2 hours later was in a death curl … i ICU it and it’s now doing well … needless to say I only buy feeders from one place now not big box stores
You're darn right! haha That's really odd...I do hope that it's okay!
@@TomsBigSpiders ye it was a sudden thing so I can only suspect the cricket I saw it happen if I didn’t I wouldn’t believe it … but it’s eating and seems to be doing well now
I wonder if you put springtails or something in if that might help with bacteria growth in a enclosure like that Tom?
Hi, Ron! I should have been more clear in the video. I DO use springtails in my moist enclosures. I just stopped using the isopods.
After this pandemic I'm gonna get more species. I asked the vet who checked my pacman frog, he said there are no vets that's specialize on arachnids, so if anything happens to our spiders we're on our own.
How are you guys doing over there? It's exploding in the US, but my state is one of the few that is in good shape. There aren't many vets that know what to do with tarantulas over here either, although I have been contacted by a few over the years who are trying to learn more about them. I hope you are well!
@@TomsBigSpiders the cases are growing everyday and people are still unable to go to work. Our government is overly passive and so many misdirections and a lot of businesses are closing down and declaring bankruptcy. Man know it's the same in your country but more importantly we should never lose hope, be adoptive and resilient. :) About vet I know there aren't any vet that specialize in arachnids but at least tarantulas aren't very prone to disease and we have experienced guys like you who imparts their knowledge to us.
I just love Asian arboreals
I have 4 and they all act very different I have a young female Cyriopagopus (Ornithoctoninea) sp. hati hati , a juvenile Phormingochilus sp. rufus and a very young juvenile male and female Phormingochilus sp. Sabah blue
Wow, you've got some that I need to get there! :)
Is the C. lividus an asian arboreal? I'm kinda freakin out about my set up now. She's in DEEP substrate. In a 12 gallon plastic tub. It was the only thing I could make her comfortable in. She's a big girl, if this spider in 5.5 mine has to be 8 DLS.
Thanks for the heads-up on isopods eating scorpions... In theory springtails alone should eat bacterial cultures. In theory. I already dropped some in my hmac sling enclosure because I saw some mold, and I think she eats them faster than they eat mold 😂
Yeah, I love using the springtails and have them in quite a few enclosures. And, I've used them as feeders for tiny slings before!
@@TomsBigSpiders yes! I have a board out back where I get my springtails under, there's millions probably. They are larger, grey and arid. They can take it almost dry. Also under this board I found all but one of my current wolf spiders, all different species(S. mccooki, H. carolinensis x 2, H. frondicola I think), sitting there snacking. 4 ft from the board, I found an adult Geolycosa Missouriensis in a burrow as well, assuming it grew up there too. I have a sling that came inside with me on my hat one night, no clue what it is, about 1/16" now after molting lmao. raising on springtails.
@@TomsBigSpiders While I'm here I want to thank you for these videos. It helps a lot getting back into T's, and you are one of the best out there. I appreciate the way you respect your spiders. If someone pokes me in the face with a stick 3 times wanting a threat pose, they will likely even get a wet bite ;)
Speaking of bacterial infection, do you think it can be caused by rotting feeders we might have forgotten to remove? I'm wondering about that because a little while ago I asked you about my A. chalcodes that seemed "lost" in its enclosure and tried your advice to open the mouth of the burrow and leaving pre-killed food there to see if it eats. I left a dead mealworm and the next day it was gone and the burrow was closed off once again. The problem is I don't know if she actually ate it, and now that I hear you talk about some form of bacterial infection dangerous for burrowing species I'm getting nervous it could happen since I wasn't able to retrieve the remains of the worm (eaten or not). Is there a potential danger there? Asking again for your professional advice on the subject.
I definitely think that can be part of the issue. Rotting feeders in the burrow or even just remnants of prey items from when they feed in the burrows could get into a moist burrow and fester. However, they are quite clean an will remove dead or unwanted prey, so I wouldn't be too worried . I think that over time, however, the bacteria can build up and create an issue. I don't think that it's generally something that happens quickly. So, in your situation, I wouldn't worry.
2pm in the philippines
still watching
Hahaha Goo afternoon! :) Thanks!
@@TomsBigSpiders thanks for sharing this video
I learned something from you again
😎🥰🥰💗
Hi Tom, I know this isn't a versicolor video but I figure you're more likely to see this on your most recent upload. My C. versicolor sling (2cm)is spending a lot of time on the substrate of its enclosure, though it has some upright sticks and its web hammock up above. I've got some sphagnum moss in there that I'm keeping damp and I've drilled some holes in the sides of the enclosure. It has more cross ventilation than my other slings. Was wondering, do versi's molt off the ground or come down to ground level to molt? Little worried about it now. It's going in and out of what to my untrained eye is a death curl. Would be a shame as it immediately became my fav species when it arrived. Beautiful at such a tiny size
Hello, John! Versis should molt above the ground in a web hammock. Generally, you shouldn't catch them on the ground very much at all. Is it doing any better? Would you like to send me some pics at tomsbigspiders@outlook.com ?
@@TomsBigSpiders Thanks for getting back to me man! Pretty much right after I posted that comment I dripped some water in with a pipette (previously the soil was damp but there was no actual water standing in the enclosure) it climbed back up off the ground and has been hanging around since. I'm guessing it drank some and is feeling better now? Maybe it went down to the substrate because it was looking for water and couldn't find any up above?
I use Springtails because I've heard of Isopods eating molting Ts
I understand why isopods are a no but what are your thoughts on Springtails? How often do you think the substrate should be replaced to prevent a bacterial infection?
Hi, Wendy! I DO use springtails and have no issues with them. I've actually had them in with tiny slings without issue. As for the risk of bacteria, if the enclosure isn't set up as a bioactive, I'm going to consider rehousing after a year or so. The ones that I've experienced the issues that I think may be bacterial were in their enclosures for at least a couple years. Again, this is only my theory and is NOT scientific fact. However, after speaking with other keepers over the years, I'm not the only one who has experienced these symptoms with fossorial species, particularly the ones who need moist substrate. With the bioactives, the beneficial bacteria and cleaner insects are supposed to help keep the dangerous bacteria at bay, so I'll probably just monitor those.
Why are isopods a no? I use them with spring tails in every bioactive I have ever had mostly dwarf whites and oreos and never had a problem
These guys don't get very big like the Lampropelma they were once lumped in with. My female, which I've had for about 6 years, paired and got a good sac from and has since molted again, is only 5.5" herself.
Hi, Greg! That's great to know, as I've been getting mixed messages over which one is larger...the L. nigerimum or the P. arboricola. I was under the impression that the P. arboricola was the larger species with the L. nigerimum being the smaller one.
Happy to help sir! Keep up the good work.
It's curious that this species is fossorial while her name is in Spanish and means literally "arboreal". Great video Tom!
They are arboreal spiders just in captivity they sometimes burrow especially in the sling stage. My arboreal p irminia was always hiding or burrowing for a while before she got comfortable and started making her presence known.
Hello, Braulio! Yeah, a lot of the fossorial species start off a bit more fossorial when smaller. As they put on size, they'll start to exhibit more of the arboreal tendencies. That said, I have an O. violaceopes that still uses a burrow, and she's about 7-8" or so! :)
For temperament, how does Phormingochilus compare to Tapinauchenius or Psalmopoeus? I have both of those later two, and am curious to know how that experience will translate once I get more time with them. I agree that these are gorgeous. I wish they were bit more of a display species overall. I have sp.rufus on my list for the future, but this one just found it's way on that list as well thanks to this video.
Hey, Mike! I see my Psalmopoeus species MUCH more often than I see these guys. My Phormingochilus, Lampropelma, and Omothymus are easily the most secretive and elusive species that I keep. Before catching this one out on the substrate, I hadn't seen it in close to a year. My sp. rufus turned out to be a male, so it was more visible once it got its emboli, but it stayed burrowed until then. They are gorgeous, though, and when you catch them out and about, it's like seeing a Sasquatch while hiking. haha
Hahaha. I always did like a good squach hunt. Thank you for the information!
I'm a bit worried now Tom😳 I only have one fossorial, a C. lividus and she's in 9-10in of sub, leaf litter, springtails, & a water dish. I keep her this way (such deep sub) because shes huge! Probably 6-7in DLS.
Should I be worried about bacteria? I never thought of that.
Otherwise she's a very happy spider. She has her tunnels, I never see her except when she's hungry& never a threat posture or any defensive behavior.
Oh & her "web sock"? Is as thick as a real sock! Lol! I did dig her up after she molted and 1.5 months passed without seeing her and I had to cut into it. Probably half inch thick.
Hello, Joelle! If she's got leaf litter and springtails, you're probably fine. Those socks do a great job in keeping them shielded from the dirt, which helps. It seems to become an issue once stuff gets inside the burrow itself. I once rehoused a C. lividus and found that the sock had become yellowish and looked pretty filthy. It looked as if some prey remnants might have decomposed in there. She had been in that enclosure for quite some time, and it got me thinking that it was becoming a breeding ground for bacteria. Again, I'm not trying to alarm people, but I DO think that it's something that we should give consideration to, especially in those most enclosures!
@@TomsBigSpiders hmmm. Well it's mostly pristine white, but yellow at some spots. ( such as the opening) Yes she does have leaf litter & springtails. I don't have anymore springtails. They are a bit more difficult for me to get. I got those at Repticon. I'm gonna keep a closer eye on her.
Hey i know you got a little bit of experience with communals so what are a few tips for one?
im getting a balfouri of 5
Hi, Ben! Give this a watch and let me know what questions you have! ruclips.net/video/iRWrd12LjQM/видео.html
Hey Tom! If i drop in a male to the communal will it cause any problems and well breeding occur when they are all mature? Other then that the video answered all of my questions!
I watched this video earlier today and decided to add one of these little guys to my current order from FearNot. This is what I've already paid for and ordered from FearNot this week:
2 Featherlegs
2 Cobalt Blues
2 Togo Starbursts
1 Grammostola pulchra
1 Eupalaestrus campestratus
1 Ceratogyrus sanderi
1 Phormingochilus arboricola
My poor wallet.... 😭 😭
Your poor wallet, indeed! haha You have some amazing spiders coming, though!
I recently had multiple similar occurences, sadly all of the affected Ts died. It was a H. pulchripes sling, 2 Euathlus sp 'Phorum' slings and a juvenile Pamphobeteus sp. 'Flammifera'.
It was not all at once, these were weeks apart. They became lethargic, slowly declined and they died without any death curl. They had water available and moist soil in part of the enclosure.
I did try ICU for the juvenile P. sp. 'Flammifera', but it was no use. :(
I suspect the cause to be some kind of infection, too, maybe bacterial, because the symptoms were the same each time and at least the Flammifera was already out of the vulnerable sling stage. Maybe a lot more cross ventillation would have helped to prevent the infections, I seriously don't know.
First off, so sorry for the delay in replying! I'm so very sorry to hear about your deaths. That sounds a lot like what happened to this one. What type of soil were you using? A few years ago I had a rash of mysterious deaths, and it ended up that the soil I was using was contaminated with either pesticide or herbicide. Just a thought...
Hey Tom, what happen if you feed your tarantula everyday? what will happen to the Ts ?
In most cases, it will stop eating when full, and you'll have an extra long premolt.
thanks.. im a huge fan of yours. im from Philippines.
Hi Tom, I'm getting ready to start getting into making bioactive enclosures and I've got a question for ya. Do you use any kind of plant fertilizers in your enclosures? Obviously something like miracle grow wouldn't be good, but I know people like the BioDude sell terrarium-safe stuff. I was just wondering if you used something like that or if you had luck without it
Hello! So far, I haven't had to use any types of fertilizer with mine. Supposedly with the bioactives, the natural decomposition of the leaf litter helps to keep the soil enriched enough for the plants. I use a lot of pothos now, and they seem to do well without any fertilizer...so far. haha
@@TomsBigSpiders That's encouraging. I've got a myriad of pothos now that I've been collecting, so hopefully I'll also have good luck with those and some leaf litter. I also have a burgundy wandering jew that grows like crazy and a cryptanthus earth star that has looked the same for months now. I'm gonna move forward with the bioactive stuff once I get my springtail culture going and figure out how to modify the enclosure the way I want it. Keep up the good content, man!
Do phormingochilus have urticating hair or are they just hairy my sabah blue seems to act like it's kicking hairs
Hi, Jophiel! They do not; they are old world tarantulas. It might just be itching itself?
You need some more Phormingochilus sp in your life lol. I think there are still some akcaya floating around from the first 2 US sacks. Definently recommend those if you have sticker shock over sabah blue's.
Hello, Matt! Hahaha I know. I was eyeing those guys as well...I just need some more space!
@@TomsBigSpiders I'd pull the trigger soon before they're all gone. They're an amazing species and quite visible for Phormingochilus. My only problem with them is its hard to tell when they're premolt because they are such enthusiastic eaters. I feed pre killed prey when I notice there abdomens are quite large to be on the safe side as I've had a few molt out less than three days after eating.
hmm so what were the old names of this species? bcus I have a juvenile that was called "Lampropelma sp. Borneo Black" when I got it but idk what it really is and if you google for pics of L. sp borneo black and P. arboricola you get identical looking spiders
Lampropelma sp. Borneo Black was the long-time name of this species before they were reclassified to Lampropelma nigerrimum arboricola and finally reclassified again into Phormingochilus.
@@GregRiceTarantulas thanks
Super Loops! I have replied to this comment three times already, and it keeps disappearing! I'm so sorry! Thanks for chiming in, Greg! When I bought this one, it was Lampropelma sp. borneo black.
Instead of isopods, how about springtails as cleanup crews?
Hi, Ike! I DO use those!
Hi Tom, that looks like female to me! :D Great species, one of my favorites, I enjoy the blue hue on jet black when they are fresh from molt. :D
That's what I was thinking, and others seem to think the same. I DID have a spider that I rehoused recently that everyone assured me was a female, and it just hooked out. haha. I figured that I'd let people who have raised them before and have more experience with them chime in. :)
@@TomsBigSpiders Males of Ph. arboricola should be lighter, lot lighter. A friend of mine has a male, it never was that dark, now that male has hooked out so i am receiving him :D Only one thing more, i need to disappoint you a bit, it wont grow much more, so that terrarium should be sufficient. I hope i am wrong, but i am talking from experience. never than less, an underrated species that I think is a must have. :D
I lost my Singapore blue and my c hati hati to this similar behavior. Man that sucks. My Singapore hovered around it water dish for about 2 weeks before I finally lost it.
Hello, Alex! That sounds exactly like what I saw with this one. I do think that bacteria can be the cause in some instance. I'm just glad that this one turned it around. Thanks!
Mister moran how are you today sir!!!!! I am hoping exceedingly well!! These guys are absolutley amazing and you described it correctly fossorial arboreal!!!
Secondly sir please email me if u get a moment I have a fresh 3 days ago mm h pulchrapies!!!! Figure i will offer to u first so u can try and breed that amazing sp !!!! Thank you sir hoping u are well
Andrew
Andrew! I hope that all is well, bud! Yeah, I think a lot of folks freak out when they get them and they burrow. They hear arboreal and immediately expect them to climb! And I have a male at the moment that I'm trying to pair her with. The first attempt went great, but she was already fat when I got her, and she molted out afterwards. Now, they seem to lack the chemistry. haha Thanks, bud!
Is your adult female arboreal? Mine as a sling and a juvenile was a burrower but when she became an adult she switched to arboreal
In the morning, I find her out on her cork bark. Most of the day, she hides in her burrow.
@@TomsBigSpiders no doubt, thnx for thr reply homie ✌🏽
Cant you do Lampropelma nigerrimum? :)
Unfortunately, I don't have one at the moment, although the care would be identical.
Tom moran how do I get ahold of you? T related ..
Is it true that males are more abundant that females on this particular species. Im planning on getting one sling but my friend suggested to get three because again males are more abundant but i dont know if this is true..
Hey, Carl! I haven't heard that before. Usually, they numbers are pretty close.
Is this a old world? Or new world species?
This would be an old world species.
👍
Thanks, Tom!
4" in a year isn't a slow grower lol
I think that I mentioned at some point that although they get quite large, mine took quite a while to get to that mark. Others report much faster growing specimens.
@@TomsBigSpiders oh I missed that part my fault