Stella Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 So, who else has one? :love: Mine lives in a 30cm cube tank on my desk. I got her in May I think. She sure is getting more active now the weather is warming up! Love the way she charges around. Now, I have a few questions about food and water. What do you feed yours and how often usually? She originally was happy eating mealworms but now they wind up pupating in there! I don't have much of a garden and it is hard to find bugs for her. There is currently a small moth and two slaters wandering around her tank. Perhaps she is too well-fed, despite not having much? How do you stop yours from becoming dehydrated? With water I noticed a few weeks ago that she was moving really strangely - feet tucked under her like a dead spider. I put a drop of water on it and she viciously drank it :lol: (these girls do everything viciously!) So after that I put a lid of water in there and assumed all was well, but the same thing happened yesterday. I guess the lid was hard for her to drink from or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 I find if fed more than once a week they start losing interest or at least don't come running out of their tunnels like they do if fed once every 2-4wks. I give it moths more than anything else. Outside light at night will see you right in just a few minutes with out a fight. :sml2: Mine has mainly peat substrate, and a type of spider plant that seems to do well on neglect just like the spider. Use to mist every couple of days/week, even had a water dish in the beginning. Now just keep substrate damp, can't remember the last time i misted the tank tbh, has been dry for weeks at a time and spider looks all good. Have noticed her tunnel has been dug down into the substrate so maybe she is damp enough in there. Got given a young tunnel web just the other week, keeping her in container with just vermiculite substrate. She's lurking under the vermiculite like a trapdoor spider atm. Could be just too warm where you have the tank? I always keep mine in the coolest part of the house, very occasionally give it some morning sun (for the plant mainly), but have a feeling they prefer it on the cooler side in general.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted November 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Good points, thanks. Margery's tank is bare, apart from a few sticks that give structure to her web. I liked the idea of her building her own habitat, rather than being invisible in a tank with substrate. Now I am wondering if the peat is probably a really good idea - would make it easier to keep the humidity up over summer. Would also disguise the corpses somewhat... :sick: I keep her in my office which is the coolest room of the house, and have the window open over summer. Have you had yours shed? Do you know what the behaviours are around that time? I have the remains of a previous shedding that I found in her original treehouse. Just the underside of the cephalothorax and the fangs - the fangs are amazing! Could you post a pic of your spiderium? I will post some pics tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Can vaguely remember seeing a shed/part of one ages ago, but in the two years I have had my big one I would of thought she had shed more than that... hmm wonder if she has been eating them .. or given she was large when i got her it could be down to a lack of growth = no need to shed? The fangs are impressive eh. I wonder what a bite feels like. Better go do some work. Will get some pics later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 1. 2. every bit of vermiculite is linked with web. 3. Folded back substrate out she comes. 4. 5. Viv for my larger one. 6. 7. Gave it a 5 minute clean today. Just cut around main tunnel, pulled out all the excess web (comes out super easy with a little sand on top of the peat) along with moth carcass's, topped up with perlite. Pumice sand is better. 8. this is where she has burrowed into the peat. enough pics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Margery 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted November 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Meet Margery My cat Nelly had been idly watching this blowfly doing circuits of my office, but once I put the fly in with Margery (and thus completely out of reach of the cat) she just had to have it. As you can see her tank is rather spartan. The aforementioned underside of her cephalothorax from a previous shedding, complete with FANGSSSS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony law Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 i must say ,,,do we get them in nz...... :-? ,weres the fly spray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 tidy looking tank..well as far as spider webs are concerned . i rather like the no substrate look. has it got any holes for ventilation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ally07 Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Holy shamoly! That's a huge furry spider lol. *Shudder* I think I need to fumigate my room before going to bed tonight haha. But on the other hand, that's pretty cool how they dig into the substrate. Must be fun to watch them take down mealworms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 My Girl lives in an Exoterra 20 X 20 X 20 cube enclosure. I try to feed her at least once a week but during winter she went for three months without eating a thing. Do not, I say Do not feed them Crickets. You will be woken in the middle of the damn night to the blimin thing chirruping loudly :sml1: My substrate is just sand and peat moss mixture which I keep moist. The tank is usually one giant web but I recently tore it apart as I thought she had gone to spidey heaven as she was not eating anything I put in there. She was there just hibernating I think. I feed mainly flies and beetles as they are easiest to find, but also slaters and moths and grasshoppers during the warmer months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted November 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Must be fun to watch them take down mealworms. well... more like: SCUTTLE! .....wait.... SCUTTLE! .....wait..... NOM!!!!! SCUTTLE! ......wait.... while mealworm thrashes around in agony for the next 10 minutes as it slowly dissolves from the inside. Meanwhile I have gone to bed feeling rather ill and trying to convince myself that it isn't all that much different to feeding the cat, only I don't kill her food myself. :sick: But Margery still rocks. :love: She is only doing what she evolved to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted November 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Wow Simon, amazing photos!!! :rotf: will remember that about crickets! Classic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 And now for some not so good pics of her enclosure. I dont keep it on the kitchen bench, just put there as it sits normally in a dark corner. Tank needs a clean up majorly. With flash Without flash View from the top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted November 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Nice! Thanks. Will definitely look into starting her tank again with peat and some sticks for structure. Rather handy that she can't climb the glass, so I can leave the lid off most of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Great photos. Their fangs look overkill eh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ally07 Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 well... more like: SCUTTLE! .....wait.... SCUTTLE! .....wait..... NOM!!!!! SCUTTLE! ......wait.... while mealworm thrashes around in agony for the next 10 minutes as it slowly dissolves from the inside. Meanwhile I have gone to bed feeling rather ill and trying to convince myself that it isn't all that much different to feeding the cat, only I don't kill her food myself. :sick: But Margery still rocks. :love: She is only doing what she evolved to do. It's like my ornate bichir haha. He will just be sitting there quietly... a feeder goldfish will swim nearby... *NEK MILLISECOND* the ornate is sitting there innocently with a fish tail hanging out of his mouth. !drool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 Interesting thread, and some great photos! I originally read it as pet trapdoor spiders :facepalm: and was wondering how you guys got them into NZ and what birds you were feeding them haha it has been a long day! Supasi... Peter Jackson may want you to keep that tank as is... as setting for a scene from Mirkwood in the Hobbit... when they are taken by the spiders, it looks pretty scary and ominous looking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
repto Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 I seem to remember Living art saying something about parasitic wasps that attack these spiders so a mesh top might be better??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 Ahhhhhhhh!!!!! :nilly: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Li@m Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 :tears: i don't like big little hairy spiders.. How come you can keep these things , arnt you scared the will get out and end up running round ur house :dunno: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 :tears: i don't like big little hairy spiders.. How come you can keep these things , arnt you scared the will get out and end up running round ur house :dunno: Nope. And if it did go running round my house I wouldnt be worried either. More scared of us than we are of them. And they are harmless to humans. Yes they will bite if they have to but a bee sting is far worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ally07 Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 :tears: i don't like big little hairy spiders.. Hehehe - the spiders must've really scared you silly! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 I seem to remember Living art saying something about parasitic wasps that attack these spiders so a mesh top might be better??? :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodKing Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 Holy smokes! Where do I get me one!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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