I got my first slings (4 different species) about 5 months ago. T's are awesome to keep. Very easy to care for and extremely interesting to watch when they're out and about. Consider getting yourself one. Start with a sling but not too tiny, so that you're used to him or her as they grow.
I made a rookie mistake with a molt from my T. Stirmi a little while back. I took it out and set it on my shelf next to my computer in my office. It was hot day so I had the ceiling fan on. Well, I woke up the next day with itchy, burning bumps all over my arms, back and chest. The next day they blistered and it took a full 14 days for them to subside completely. NEVER AGAIN will I take urticating hairs for granted. That being said, it is the most fascinating species I keep currently
Hey, Mats! Oh my God...that's sounds AWFUL. I've done husbandry under a fan before and haired myself, so I can appreciate that (although, yours sounds MUCH worse than anything that I've ever experienced!). Thanks for sharing!
This is why I love watching your videos Tom. All along I thought therapoda blondi's are arboreal bec. of the "BIRD EATING" part. After this video I think I'm ready to keep one myself. Thanks Tom!
Hey, bud! Fun fact: The spider that first started the whole "bird eater" name? It was an Avicularia species! A naturalist painted one eating a bird, and the name stuck. Now, how that name shifted from a smaller arboreal to all really large terrestrials is a mystery. :) Glad that I could help!
Let's get on that, Damien...okay? haha Seriously, it took me a while as well. The nice thing is that all of the Theraphosa species are pretty readily available and less expensive now.
This is one genus that I swore off of due to the moisture dependency and the temperament, especially the nasty hairs, but man does Tom provide a compelling case for all of his spiders. My fear of this genus has turned into curiosity after watching this rehouse. You definitely hit the mark on this one, Tom. Great video!
Shes a beauty and so calm and another prove that each spider has its own personality. I saw an OBT as docile as a poppy crawling on its owners hand to get rehoused and i saw a Brachypelma hamorii as defensive as an OBT instantly giving a thread posture and attacking the tweezers while being feed. I hope i will get a Blondi or Stirmi some day :)
Gorgeous lady!! My word, were her colours ever showing to their best advantage! Wow! Yet another well handled, no muss no fuss rehousing. Thanks again, Tom! I can absolutely picture her in an even bigger, fully planted enclosure. She'd literally be the jewel of the jungle! I know it's not needed (and might even make her uncomfortable), but wouldn't it be stunningly beautiful? Ach, well, as you wrote, if she outgrows this enclosure maybe that will happen after all. Guess I'll just have to stick around to see, oh woe is me, twist my arm, if I must, etc... hahaha!! 😜🤣 Cheers!
@@TomsBigSpiders Oh, I'll be here, no doubt about it! 👍🏻😊 Love your videos! It's impressive that as your subscriber count goes up, you're _still_ replying to comments. I definitely appreciate that. Also, it's fun watching your Ts _and_ you grow and mature as time goes on. OK, that sounded a bit voyeuristic, but I think (hope!) you know what I mean. Lol 😜
To be honest, they seem to me way more intimidating by just sitting than any infamous angry OBT. I definitely don't want to think about holes their fangs could leave after a bite.
Hey, Hoxter! Yeah, that what cracks me up when people ask me how bad their venom is. It's like, "Have you seen the size of those fangs?" haha Those would be bad enough!
I work at an Insectarium and we have a gorgeous Goliath Birdeater, I think a T. stirmi. A previous worker had rearranged her enclosure, putting her hide way up above the substrate and some large logs and sticks. A lot of rocks were also added to the enclosure. She would climb the branch and perch herself way up high above those rocks (probably about 6 inches or so) and I was worried that she might fall and hurt herself. I did something about that, removing the rocks and sticks, giving her new coco fiber substrate, repositioned her hide so it was back the way it was and I checked on her yesterday. She seemed to be wandering around a *lot*, which was unusual for her, before the rearrangement. She is also balding a lot, with only a few patches where she still has hair on her abdomen. I think the balding is a sign of pre-molt, and she is refusing food, so I've also gone in to remove any roaches I might find. I also try and tell everyone else that works with her to not feed her for the time being and leave her as undisturbed as possible. The wandering may also be in response to the presence of people - she is on display, and Saturday was busy, so a lot of kids were up on that floor being kids. Perhaps she felt the vibrations from that. Do you have any advice on anything else we could do to help her, especially if she is in pre-molt?
Hi, Joseph! First off, great job recognizing that the setup wasn't appropriate and for making the necessary changes. Whenever you change a setup, they basically "reset" and have to reaquaint themselves with their new surroundings. It's possible that she still hasn't set in yet after the remodeling. That may also account for the hair loss, as they will often kicks hairs off to mark their territory after being rehoused. Although she is still in the same enclosure, it probably feels new to her. That could be what you are seeing right now. She could be refusing food because she doesn't yet feel comfortable in her "new" environment...or, like you said, she could be entering premolt. I would keep and eye on her and see if she settle down in the coming weeks. Until you're sure that she is in premolt, you can try crushing the roaches heads before you drop them in to ensure that they don't dig or harm her if she happens to molt. I hope that helps!
@@TomsBigSpiders As her abdomen more or less remains plump (although having a lot of the hair loss makes it look swollen as well), I've asked my coworkers to not put any live prey in with her. She recently just spent the entire day huddled next to her water dish (which is small so it doesn't take up a lot of room), and I've been making sure to mist as much as I can down the sides without hitting her directly. However, I am only there one or two times each week. I might try the crushed head method though, see if she takes it. If not, I'll just continue to leave her alone.
I felt proud when he mentioned the Philippines HAHAHAHA I've always thought that it's hard to keep 'em because they're moisture dependent but then I knew right now that my country's humidity levels are just what they need. Awesome.
Just from looking at the gorgeous, pink setae on your specimen, I think I may go for a CB T. blondi. Thus far, I have 2 stirmi and an apophysis. I have had success in maintaining their more forgiving humidity requirements , even though it does stray below optimal for a would be T. blondi. It sounds like people forget that it is not the temperature that needs to be high for blondi’s. It’s the humidity. Speaking of temperature, since the planets cooled, most of the mega fauna have reached a limit on how big they can grow in our modern climate. The high temperatures were the main reason that animals grew so big. Higher temperatures stimulate activity and appetites. This is true for animals kept with a heat source in captivity. They eat, grow and reproduce more readily. I attribute this to my roach colonies breeding more vigorously than without a heat source. For my largest T. stirmi, I placed the heat mat further up the glass so the spider can’t burn itself, and also to keep its den cooler and more on the moister side. While they cannot sense heat, they can sense moisture or dryness.
They really are stunning and go through some gorgeous color changes as they grow. I have a T. stimi and 2 T. aphophysis as well, and I love them. I think that there was a lot of misinformation out there that said they needed to be kept super warm and humid. You'd have people set them up sopping wet and with extra heat sources, which created unhealthy environments. Luckily, we've realized that they are not as difficult to keep as they have been made out to be.
Great video Tom, I feel like this is a good time to watch yet another refresher on making it rain properly. Your specimen is so stunning, I hope my sling ends up as well behaved as yours.
What a well-behaved girl! I was expecting her to start kicking up a storm. I am tempted to get a Theraphosa, but I just have to admire them in photos, as I am very sensitive to urticating hairs.
It`s so hard to describe how majestic the Theraphosa genus is in person. I have 70+ Ts (mostly Asian OWs) however the two jewels are M. balfouri communal and female T. stirmi. I need to get hands on blondi and apophysis one day.
wow, Tom... what a well behaved girl... just goes to show, if you're calm in your husbandry, I swear it keeps the spider calm too. No hair kicking, no threat postures, she was just like "oh, I'm moving house, huh ?"
I've always been a display tarantula type but I'm growing fond of the large T's. I have 5 giant specimens in my collection. Including a 8" male & female T stirmi. None of mine have been very "kicky" but they are definitely STUBBORN! When a spider that size don't wanna move; it ain't movin! 🤣. Great video as always. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Tom. Over there y'all worried about heat source, driving those temps and metabolism up but here in the Philippines, the city where I'm at, temps would peak to about 35°C on a good day. You can tell during summer I get many death curls over the years with mostly juvies and adults being the casualties. Last summer season here I had to sneak my priority species like P. Irminia, T. Apophysis, etc. secretly into my workplace so they can enjoy that 20° to 24° environment under my desk where theres A/C round-the-clock and then move them back home when the rainy months kick in. Haven't gotten any summer heat related casualties for the second straight year now. I've been putting in more work this year so I can have that dream T-Room sooner and allow me to keep more advanced species.
Hey, Justin! I mentioned the Philippines in this one! haha You guys don't have to worry too much about humidity or heat. And those temps are SO hot. That was what I was worried about in my new tarantula room, as it can hit 33 on really hot days. Good luck on getting that dream T room!
What a monster ! I find my 6" B. boehmei intimidating at times. A 10-11" T would make me more than just uneasy. Won't be tackling these giants anytime soon, but it will be considered at some point. Beautiful, beautiful T. Stay safe and thanks for sharing :)
Hey Tom . I just have one stirmi . I've been using clay balls under a mesh screen with a straw in the corner to hydrate from the bottom up . Soon as the heat kicks on it'll burrow till spring . Thanks for your help .
Hey, Dan! Sounds like a great idea to me! I've had good luck keeping them moist without the clay balls, but they are definitely popular and make it quite easy. :)
Excellent video as always Tom! After searching for a blondi for quite a while, I was luck enough to be able to purchase one from Tom Patterson about a month ago and now have 1 of each of the theraphosas. They are absolutely amazing species and hit like trucks during feeding. My stirmi and blondi are still relatively small but my apophysis has seemingly tripled in size in 2-3 molts. I'm going to need to rehouse them all pretty soon so that will be a fun video to make! I'm really looking forward to raising all 3 of them up
Hey, bud! Congrats on grabbing one! I absolutely LOVE Theraphosa genus. I will never get over the fact that there can be spiders that large. I'll keep an eye out for those rehousings! :)
Haha! I’d love to! But I don’t have the room just yet! About 80% of the tarantulas I’ve got turned out to be male :( when they mature I’ll send them off to breeders :) then there will be enough room to get some more t’s :D
Hi Tom. I hope you and your lovely wife are keeping safe and well. As always an amazing video. I can't wait to have one of these spiders, they are absolutely awesome. Just one of the things I like about your videos is that you cater for us limeys and tell us what temps to keep our spiders in Celsius. I'm also starting to think I'm watching your videos to see what awesome hoodies and t shirts your wearing. As always, a big fan. Take care brother.
We are doing great, bud...thank you! And thank you for noticing! hahaha I realized a couple years ago that most of the other countries use the metric system, so I started adding it. The idea is to make this information as accessible as possible. And, I might even learn the metric system someday! haha Thanks so much, bud!
She is beautiful, I dont have a T blondie. Closest I guess I have is my Lp who I adore. I still love learning about other species that I dont have. You did a lovely job of her enclosure. Wow i didnt know we got more sensitive to urticating hairs, that's fascinating. Usually we develop tolerance to irritants. I'm very lucky that i really dont react to hairs, hopefully that continues xx
Thank you so much, Laura! Yeah, I've heard from many folks who had to stop keeping new world species because they could no longer even be in a room with them without burning and itching. :(
Looks like I'm the first one to notice you're low key representing Danny from keeper cards with the Prognosis shirt 😉 i had to do a double take haha I was like heeeeey hes got a prognosis shirt on this time haha. Great band and Danny is a top notch guy. Nice rehouse vid too, Love the blondi, we have a male and female that we will hopefully get paired up when he matures. therephosa is my fav genus by far, we keep all 3 species. I honestly wish they would discover another one lol 😆
Just caught some houseflies, it's a new hobby of mine now and I enjoy it, yes, I'm weird but I don't care. My Avic and C. versicolors love catching things. Maybe you could do an episode on the fact that arboreals love flying food.
Hey, Tina! I really wish that we had more flying food options, as the arboreals are GREAT at catching things out of the air. I'll have to see if I can order some flies, as I know that they sell the big ones.
Not an attack! But im surprised to see how small this new enclosure is. I generally try to keep a minimum of 2-3x DLS in length and width. Maybe im over doing it? I have a stirmi and blondi, both are nearly 3" DLS right now. Sure would be nice to have them in something smaller than a 40 gallon as adults lol
No worries! So far, she's doing great in this one. She has a pretty deep burrow on one end, and she's often sitting right at the mouth of it. Every once in a while, she ventures out, gets a drink, and then heads back to her burrow. She's about 9" now, but if she puts on a couple more inches, I will put her in something larger. A 20 long would probably work just fine for an 11" one. Hope that helps!
@TomsBigSpiders cool, thanks for the reply. 20g L is what I was planning long term but thought it would be too small. I'll work it out as I go, but will plan on 20g L as the final enclosure size for now. Thanks! Also, glad to hear yours is thriving! Fun hobby 😁
Hallo!! Thanks for this great video!! Do you know can urticating hairs from one Tarantula hurt an other Tarantula?? I often use a brush when rehousing my Spiders and when they kick their hairs the most of them hits the brush u can wash it but idk if this gets away every hair!! So when i use this brush next time for an old world spider for example without these hairs can they get hurt from hairs staying on the brush??? My english is not the best but i hope u understand what i try to ask you
Hello, Chris! I used to wonder that as well, but I don't believe that they can. The hairs can't embed themselves into the exoskeleton like they can in soft flesh. I have never had an issue with that myself (although I usually try to wash things off in between...just in case). ;)
As usual, love the content. The Theraphosa genus is one of my top favorites and I have plans to have multiples of each. I am currently on my second Apophysis and am going to start looking for "true" Blondis. As for the urticating hairs, I completely agree about the nastiness of this species hairs. Unfortunately, I am prone to sensitivity with them and have noticed that each time I am subjected to them, it does seem a little worse than the previous.... My question - what is your feeding regimen for your little Theraphosa? It is so easy to over feed them as they will eat anytime you offer food. The they seem to go into an extended pre-moult phase and hide. I am trying to avoid that. Suggestions for a 1.5" specimen? Thanks for everything you do for the hobby!
Thank you so much! I have all three, and I absolutely adore them. Luckily, I haven't had many issues with the hairs yet... Oh, sorry...I thought that I put my feeding schedule in the video! I feed the slings twice a week and my juveniles once a week to once every two weeks. At 1.5", I would likely feed it weekly. Hope that helps!
11:00 I have planned for a bit to feed off my extra G. Ports to my T. Stirmi once they get to adults, but I had a couple small hissers actually pull the legs off 2 of my C. Cyaneopubescens. After that I figured I would have to frost and clip the legs off the hissers before feeding them now. Hissers are incredibly strong. What size hisser do you feed them and are they crushed? My T. Stirms refuse to eat pre killed at their current 2" size now.
Dang, I would never even have considered that issue! I've only fed the adults out to my largest spiders and my centipedes, and I've never had an issue. That said, yikes! I'll definitely have to keep an eye on them now.
A lot of people think that in the wild mice and birds are all they eat, they are CAPABLE of eating small mammals but don't eat them ALL the time, it's really just chance. I think if they did eat those 24/7 they'd probably die of calcium overload 😬.
@@TomsBigSpiders Btw man if you're into trying new substrates you should definitely check out "marshallarachnids" he's on Facebook and Instagram. He has really awesome substrates called "megamix" one for arid species, and one for tropical, both contain organic plant material, perfect for desert or tropical plants, you can mix both substrates for semi-tropical species too!!!
Hey Tom!! Could you do a update on your middle east gold tarantula have one in my collection and would like to see more about it....loved the first video 😁
They seem to come in waves, Josh. There will be a bunch of slings for sale for a while, and then nothing for months. I'm sure that they'll be back again soon.
Hey Tom. Bit late to the party mate been so busy lately. I only know of four Lasiodora species but after a quick Google there is tons. How many different Lasiodoras do you have? Love the look of the subcanens, like a big G.rosea.
Welcome back! :) I currently have L. parahybana, difficilis, and itabunae. The L. klugi is another fairly common one. There are a lot of Lasiodora species, but not all of them are prevalent in the hobby.
Hello, Tom, Thanks for your videos! Do you advise to put a drainage layer in the terrarium of this species to keep a water reservoir permanently (provided that the enclosure is well ventilated)? Thanks in advance for your answer ;)
Hello! Some folks will use drainage layers with Theraphosa, but I've never found that I had to. If you are going to use one, the definitely make sure that you have good ventilation.
Short answer, no. In the wild, most have burrows that they adapt to, and they don't stray too far from their burrows. They are not active hunters like wolf spiders or huntman, but instead wait and ambush prey. So, if given enough room to have their burrow and a "front lawn", so to speak, they are usually quite content.
Brilliant video Tom, very informative and very enjoyable. That T Blondi is absolutely stunning and she was very laid back when you rehoused her Tom, anyway Tom credit to you and Billie for the hard work you put into putting out all these wonderful ❤ videos.
I have a question. I have a gbb sling about 1.5" and I think it's fasting. I know other species are prone to fasting but it seems odd to me for this species that is a notorious eater to be fasting. Have you ran into this personally or heard of other keepers gbb exhibiting this behavior.
@@TomsBigSpiders no it wasn't. It went probably a month and a half without eating. Before this fast I was feeding it b dubia nymphs just fine. So I recently gave it a cricket and gobbled it right up, so I learned that it's not a fan of dubias lol. Thank you for your help.
@@codyhinkle9499 I should have asked if you were feeding it B. dubias! haha I have several that won't eat them (hence why I still use a lot of crickets!). Glad that you figured it out!
Very interesting. The hairs start off out of the legs as black and then turn to the lighter colors, "pink" if you must. The camera doesn't do it justice.... sadly.
Hey Tom glad you did a video on the t blondi,I wasn't going to get one but in the end I got me a sling and after about 5 molts it's big.it molted again yesterday.i will agree there growth rate is very fast.mine is more shy and skittish never kicked hairs or gave me a threat posture,they are fast though.it stays in the hide in the day and ventures out late at night.and had for feeding more better than a gbb or a a genic.i eventually want to get the other 2.
Hey, James! I'm amazed that the speed doesn't get mentioned more, as the slings and juvies can really move! I have all three now because I just love the genus. The T. apophysis is definitely a bit different than the other two in growth and appearance.
Hey, Linda! If I have one that won't take live prey the first time I try, I tend to feed them prekilled until they put on some decent size (1.25" or more). At that point, I will try them with smaller prey items than I would normally feed a sling of that size. If they don't take it, I'll switch back to prekilled for a while. It honestly depends on the spider, as some will move easily into taking live prey, and others will seem to be scared of the live feeders. I've also stunned prey items (crushed their heads) before dropping them in so that they are still moving but not a threat to the spider. This can sometimes entice a scared spider to approach and eat the live food item. I hope that helps!
I have a question if you don’t mind please, I’m fairly new to tarantula keeping and have got 12 so far of various ages and species, at the moment they are all kept in my living room as I need to sort out some actual storage space for the enclosures, I also have a little dog that obviously barks occasionally and jumps on and off my sofa, is this a problem for the T’s? I know they are very sensitive to vibration so I’m wondering if the noise and general movement around the room would be an issue for them? I don’t really watch tv so there isn’t a loud volume going very often or anything but it is a relatively high traffic area as I also work from home too. Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated thanks and best wishes from South Wales UK x.
Hi, Lyn-Ann! Great question! I actually did a podcast on this a while back. I used to have mine in a room that got quite a bit of traffic. I have four dogs, and I'm always blasting metal when I'm feeding. They had NO issues with it. I wouldn't put a subwoofer under one of the cages, but that's about it. You should be totally fine! :) And hello from the US!
@@TomsBigSpiders Great thank you so much for the reply and the information 😊 I also have a young adult female Blondi and I have to say she’s the love of my life and I’m a former arachnophobic 😂 x.
Oooooo, my favorite. I have a stermi now, but did have a blondi a few years back. I'm in love with the giant species. Because yes, size does matter. Also appreciate how you discuss humidity and moisture. Location definitely effects how it should be maintained. Being in SC, we have humidity to spare. Great video. Thank you for creating informative care videos. I've used several in the last 6 months for new species I've added to my collection.
Hi, April! I love the giants as well. I just find them so fascinating! Yeah, we often forget to mention that if you live in a humid area, you don't have to go crazy with keeping things moist. It's been humid here on and off for most of the summer, and I've been adding water much less frequently. Thank YOU for chiming in!
As someone else said, this was a very well behaved spider. Regardless, running out of the enclosure is less of a problem than you'd think. Their cage is their home, they hopefully feel safe there, and recognize their surroundings. The vast majority of tarantulas would prefer to run deeper into their home than jump out of it!
@@lillyh3447 This is my experience with most of my spiders. I'm extremely cautious with my C. Versi's because they hang around the top as I open their containers. They're slings verging juveniles. Even so, when I open the top they move down, not up. I'm cautious but they have yet to try to escape even when they're rested right on the opening. They're just much calmer (I meant "comfortable" here) when in contact to their webbing.
Hi, Chez...great question! Those enclosures are their homes, and they feel safe there. Most will stay in the enclosure and stand their ground rather than flee into an unknown area.
Do you keep stirmi? I wish they got more love, they are without a doubt my favourite of the Goliath bird eaters. It’s the only one with shorthair which is uncommon for a tarantula, it seriousley looks terrifying which fascinates me
I do! I had a mature male and two that I grew up from slings. I now have a fourth that I'm raising up. I love the T. stirmi, although they look like 8-legged puppies to me. :)
@@TomsBigSpiders It went really good... I got two lings in february 05 with 1,5 inches, and they are now around 4 inches... They are growing in a pretty fast rate, im from Brazil, it's really hot here at most part of the year, so it help alot too.
Hi, Jeff! You mean a wildcaught one or captive bred slings imported legally from another country? Captive bred slings will do fine. If it's wildcaught, it will be more difficult to care for and, quite frankly, wrong as captive bred ones are now readily available in the hobby.
You see when you're waiting for a band you really like to release an album that they haven't announced but you know it's coming some day? Well, that's the way I felt when I saw this on my feed. I got my first T blondi 2 months ago. She has molted once in my care. It's a 6 cm sling that never comes out of it's fake coconut hide and it worries me. I keep her in a M size critter keeper and she's been doing good. I use peatmoss + some moss. This substrate keeps moisture pretty good but I generously pour water once a week and I make sure it gets to the lower levels. That's what matter, right? Ha! I've been learning a lot in your podcasts hahaha. Do you think pouring water and refilling the water dish (it evaporates, she doesn't come out at all neither to eat nor drink) with that frequency is ok? How do you avoid getting mold when you use leaf litter in these moist enclosures? Great video! Thanks for doing it!
Braulio! Man, that's like the best compliment ever because I totally know that feeling! haha Thanks, bud! Yes, that's what matters. You want to make sure the lower level stays moist. If she's burrowing, it could mean that she is seeking more moisture in her burrow. The critter keepers have great ventilation, so the surface might be a little too dry for her. It sounds like you are keeping her fine! As for the mold, if I notice anything too nasty, I'll scoop it out. A little bit on the leaves is natural, though, so I don't freak out about it.
Hey Tom, I hope all is well, I wanted to talk to you about an issue that happened to one of my Ts and it’s something that is not that common to happen, and I wanted to know if there was a different source I can reach you at? It would be too much to type :(
I am new to the hobby. I have a question. I have a T. Stirmi. I am setting up the bioactive enclosure today. My question is. Can I put a Venus fly trap in it? Someone please help me. I don't want anything that will harm my tarantula. I don't think it will I just don't want do it if it will.
Hi, Edward! I would be shocked if the venus fly traps didn't get trampled and killed. They are large, heavy spiders, and they are not going to walk around any plant that's in there.
@@TomsBigSpiders I get so many mixed reactions on this. I looked it up people say my Goliath could get killed by the plant. But I don't believe that. It's way bigger. But I just want it to be safe and happy is all I want. I just figured the plants would be a pretty cool addition
Can anyone please give me some knowledge. Would a 30×30×48cm (12×12×18in)Zoo Med enclosure big suitable for an adult Poecilotheria miranda or do i have to invest in a bigger enclosure? Thanks have a nice day.
Hi, my Precious Morans. Another wonderful video, Tom. You really should be on the discovery channel. I need to talk to you. Be aware please, you or Billie, that I will be messaging you on FB where I'll give you my personal email. Just really need a little friendly cheering up and I'm coming to you and Billie. Bet you never thought you guys could touch a life as much as you have mine. No matter what happens in this world, I am Blessed. Love and Tight Hugs
I'm not even into keeping T's but Tom's voice and teaching style is so top notch I'm hooked. Just paused the podcast to play this video.
Where can the podcast be accessed?
@@EarthsGeomancer , I'm listening on Spotify, he has a video that has all the links though. That's how I found out about it.
@@EarthsGeomancer Googling Toms Big Spiders podcast is the easiest way to find and access it.
I got my first slings (4 different species) about 5 months ago. T's are awesome to keep. Very easy to care for and extremely interesting to watch when they're out and about. Consider getting yourself one. Start with a sling but not too tiny, so that you're used to him or her as they grow.
So true.
I heard that chuckle Tom. "apparently size does matter" 😂
I tried so hard to keep a straight face. haha
I love the Goliath bird eater!
Me too, Kelly!
It's more like big greenish and pink but ... best tarantula ever! :) I've had apophysys back in the days and now I've got myself a blondi! :)
They are awesome spiders. Yours is greenish? I've got stirmi and blondi as well now, and I hope to do a video on them soon.
"The plant people are gonna kill me" 🤣
They're out there, Joanna...and they are MAD. haha
Nice video. I am proud to say I discovered Theraphosa apophysis 1990, in Puerto Ayacucho Venezuela.
That's amazing, Charles! WOW!
An understandable choice after that last one!
HAHAHAHAHA Good point!
thanks for the centimeter showing for the enclosure besides inches
You're most welcome!
I made a rookie mistake with a molt from my T. Stirmi a little while back. I took it out and set it on my shelf next to my computer in my office. It was hot day so I had the ceiling fan on. Well, I woke up the next day with itchy, burning bumps all over my arms, back and chest. The next day they blistered and it took a full 14 days for them to subside completely. NEVER AGAIN will I take urticating hairs for granted. That being said, it is the most fascinating species I keep currently
Hey, Mats! Oh my God...that's sounds AWFUL. I've done husbandry under a fan before and haired myself, so I can appreciate that (although, yours sounds MUCH worse than anything that I've ever experienced!). Thanks for sharing!
you know im here for it Tom!!!
yessiiirrr
Billie is such a great gal. She is not afraid of that size of spider.
She really is, Joyce! :)
That's a beautiful tarantula.
Thanks, bud!
This is why I love watching your videos Tom. All along I thought therapoda blondi's are arboreal bec. of the "BIRD EATING" part. After this video I think I'm ready to keep one myself. Thanks Tom!
Hey, bud! Fun fact: The spider that first started the whole "bird eater" name? It was an Avicularia species! A naturalist painted one eating a bird, and the name stuck. Now, how that name shifted from a smaller arboreal to all really large terrestrials is a mystery. :) Glad that I could help!
@@TomsBigSpiders thanks for the mind blowing info. About "Bird Eater". Looking forward to see your new vids. Stay safe man!
Hey Tom , Love the video. Your tarantula in this one is huge and very healthy. The enclosure you fixed up for it is awesome.
Hey, Ed! Thank you so much! So far, she seems to be enjoying the extra room. :)
Still haven't got myself a blondi yet. Definitely underrated for their beauty
Let's get on that, Damien...okay? haha Seriously, it took me a while as well. The nice thing is that all of the Theraphosa species are pretty readily available and less expensive now.
This is one genus that I swore off of due to the moisture dependency and the temperament, especially the nasty hairs, but man does Tom provide a compelling case for all of his spiders. My fear of this genus has turned into curiosity after watching this rehouse. You definitely hit the mark on this one, Tom. Great video!
Hey, Jake! Man, that's awesome that I at least have you reconsidering. :) Thank you!
I would sooner go for L. parahybana over Theraphosa. They don't seem to care so much about moisture or dryness.
Shes a beauty and so calm and another prove that each spider has its own personality.
I saw an OBT as docile as a poppy crawling on its owners hand to get rehoused and i saw a Brachypelma hamorii as defensive as an OBT instantly giving a thread posture and attacking the tweezers while being feed.
I hope i will get a Blondi or Stirmi some day :)
Gorgeous lady!! My word, were her colours ever showing to their best advantage! Wow!
Yet another well handled, no muss no fuss rehousing. Thanks again, Tom!
I can absolutely picture her in an even bigger, fully planted enclosure. She'd literally be the jewel of the jungle! I know it's not needed (and might even make her uncomfortable), but wouldn't it be stunningly beautiful? Ach, well, as you wrote, if she outgrows this enclosure maybe that will happen after all. Guess I'll just have to stick around to see, oh woe is me, twist my arm, if I must, etc... hahaha!! 😜🤣 Cheers!
Hi, Dora! Yeah, some of those colors were really popping! Hahaha Well, I hope that you DO stick around to see what she ends up in. haha
@@TomsBigSpiders Oh, I'll be here, no doubt about it! 👍🏻😊 Love your videos! It's impressive that as your subscriber count goes up, you're _still_ replying to comments. I definitely appreciate that. Also, it's fun watching your Ts _and_ you grow and mature as time goes on. OK, that sounded a bit voyeuristic, but I think (hope!) you know what I mean. Lol 😜
Stunning spider ... still waiting for my stirmi to Molt
Hi, Hayley! Thank you! Hopefully, your molt comes soon.
To be honest, they seem to me way more intimidating by just sitting than any infamous angry OBT. I definitely don't want to think about holes their fangs could leave after a bite.
Hey, Hoxter! Yeah, that what cracks me up when people ask me how bad their venom is. It's like, "Have you seen the size of those fangs?" haha Those would be bad enough!
It's also how quick they can move when they bolt 😅 they could give Usain Bolt a run for money 🤣🤣
She's BEAUTIFUL .... truly!!! Her colors of tan , coffee and pink showed really well in this video.... Love all that you do!!!
Thank you so much, Tammie!
Hello great video information and rehousing Tom
Thanks so much, Moon!
Tom uses protection! 🧯🥊🧤🕶⛑
Bahahahaha
I work at an Insectarium and we have a gorgeous Goliath Birdeater, I think a T. stirmi. A previous worker had rearranged her enclosure, putting her hide way up above the substrate and some large logs and sticks. A lot of rocks were also added to the enclosure. She would climb the branch and perch herself way up high above those rocks (probably about 6 inches or so) and I was worried that she might fall and hurt herself. I did something about that, removing the rocks and sticks, giving her new coco fiber substrate, repositioned her hide so it was back the way it was and I checked on her yesterday. She seemed to be wandering around a *lot*, which was unusual for her, before the rearrangement. She is also balding a lot, with only a few patches where she still has hair on her abdomen. I think the balding is a sign of pre-molt, and she is refusing food, so I've also gone in to remove any roaches I might find. I also try and tell everyone else that works with her to not feed her for the time being and leave her as undisturbed as possible. The wandering may also be in response to the presence of people - she is on display, and Saturday was busy, so a lot of kids were up on that floor being kids. Perhaps she felt the vibrations from that.
Do you have any advice on anything else we could do to help her, especially if she is in pre-molt?
Hi, Joseph! First off, great job recognizing that the setup wasn't appropriate and for making the necessary changes. Whenever you change a setup, they basically "reset" and have to reaquaint themselves with their new surroundings. It's possible that she still hasn't set in yet after the remodeling. That may also account for the hair loss, as they will often kicks hairs off to mark their territory after being rehoused. Although she is still in the same enclosure, it probably feels new to her. That could be what you are seeing right now. She could be refusing food because she doesn't yet feel comfortable in her "new" environment...or, like you said, she could be entering premolt. I would keep and eye on her and see if she settle down in the coming weeks. Until you're sure that she is in premolt, you can try crushing the roaches heads before you drop them in to ensure that they don't dig or harm her if she happens to molt. I hope that helps!
@@TomsBigSpiders As her abdomen more or less remains plump (although having a lot of the hair loss makes it look swollen as well), I've asked my coworkers to not put any live prey in with her. She recently just spent the entire day huddled next to her water dish (which is small so it doesn't take up a lot of room), and I've been making sure to mist as much as I can down the sides without hitting her directly. However, I am only there one or two times each week. I might try the crushed head method though, see if she takes it. If not, I'll just continue to leave her alone.
I felt proud when he mentioned the Philippines HAHAHAHA I've always thought that it's hard to keep 'em because they're moisture dependent but then I knew right now that my country's humidity levels are just what they need. Awesome.
Hey, Angel! Of course! I've always had a lot of support from the Philippines, so I try to show some love when I can. :)
You can tell Tom is a teacher! Sooo good to listen to all the spider info and of course seeing them all! Awesomeness! 🕷👍🤗💜
Awwww...thank you so much!!!
Thank you so much for this video. I have a bird eater and I worry I’m not doing enough.
Hopefully, this helped to set your mind at ease. :) Thank you!
Beautiful girl! Thanks for sharing her with us :)
Thank you for watching, Whitney!
Awesome video Tom, thank you for your time creating it!
Thank YOU for watching and commenting, Matthew!
Just from looking at the gorgeous, pink setae on your specimen, I think I may go for a CB T. blondi. Thus far, I have 2 stirmi and an apophysis. I have had success in maintaining their more forgiving humidity requirements , even though it does stray below optimal for a would be T. blondi. It sounds like people forget that it is not the temperature that needs to be high for blondi’s. It’s the humidity. Speaking of temperature, since the planets cooled, most of the mega fauna have reached a limit on how big they can grow in our modern climate. The high temperatures were the main reason that animals grew so big. Higher temperatures stimulate activity and appetites. This is true for animals kept with a heat source in captivity. They eat, grow and reproduce more readily. I attribute this to my roach colonies breeding more vigorously than without a heat source. For my largest T. stirmi, I placed the heat mat further up the glass so the spider can’t burn itself, and also to keep its den cooler and more on the moister side. While they cannot sense heat, they can sense moisture or dryness.
They really are stunning and go through some gorgeous color changes as they grow. I have a T. stimi and 2 T. aphophysis as well, and I love them. I think that there was a lot of misinformation out there that said they needed to be kept super warm and humid. You'd have people set them up sopping wet and with extra heat sources, which created unhealthy environments. Luckily, we've realized that they are not as difficult to keep as they have been made out to be.
Great stuff!
Thank you!
'Teleport Leggies'! Damn Straight!
Bahahaha I was waiting for someone to mention the "leggies". I forgot to put a comment on the bottom making fun of myself for that! haha
Beautiful 💖 I haven't seen a spider yet that I haven't fallen in love with 😍😍
Hi, Angielou! I can totally agree with that! haha
Very tempting
Dooo itt... Hahaha Thank, Allen!
Great video Tom, I feel like this is a good time to watch yet another refresher on making it rain properly.
Your specimen is so stunning, I hope my sling ends up as well behaved as yours.
Hi, Zulema! We do a LOT of "making it rain" over here. haha Fingers crossed that yours are laid back as well.
What a well-behaved girl! I was expecting her to start kicking up a storm.
I am tempted to get a Theraphosa, but I just have to admire them in photos, as I am very sensitive to urticating hairs.
Doooo itttt... hahaha Just kidding! I totally get it. If you're already sensitive to the hairs, these could prove to be a bit of a nightmare.
Smooth rehouse, very informative, as always, amazing video!
Thank you so much, iExuvia!
It`s so hard to describe how majestic the Theraphosa genus is in person. I have 70+ Ts (mostly Asian OWs) however the two jewels are M. balfouri communal and female T. stirmi. I need to get hands on blondi and apophysis one day.
Hey, Ivan! There is just something so amazing about a spider that can get this large (in my opinion!). Thanks!
@@TomsBigSpiders True. I keep mostly Asian OWs but LP, T. stirmi, Pamphobeteus sp. that is a must.
wow, Tom... what a well behaved girl... just goes to show, if you're calm in your husbandry, I swear it keeps the spider calm too. No hair kicking, no threat postures, she was just like "oh, I'm moving house, huh ?"
Yeah, she was a total puppy! I was really happy that she behaved, as I wanted to show one that wasn't so scary. Thank you!
I've always been a display tarantula type but I'm growing fond of the large T's. I have 5 giant specimens in my collection. Including a 8" male & female T stirmi. None of mine have been very "kicky" but they are definitely STUBBORN! When a spider that size don't wanna move; it ain't movin! 🤣. Great video as always. Thanks for sharing!
Hey, bud! Yeah, there is just something about the giant ones...I find them so fascinating. Thanks so much!
Stunning spider. They are such an impressive species. Absolutely great video.
Thank you so much, Haze!
Hi Tom. Over there y'all worried about heat source, driving those temps and metabolism up but here in the Philippines, the city where I'm at, temps would peak to about 35°C on a good day. You can tell during summer I get many death curls over the years with mostly juvies and adults being the casualties. Last summer season here I had to sneak my priority species like P. Irminia, T. Apophysis, etc. secretly into my workplace so they can enjoy that 20° to 24° environment under my desk where theres A/C round-the-clock and then move them back home when the rainy months kick in. Haven't gotten any summer heat related casualties for the second straight year now. I've been putting in more work this year so I can have that dream T-Room sooner and allow me to keep more advanced species.
Hey, Justin! I mentioned the Philippines in this one! haha You guys don't have to worry too much about humidity or heat. And those temps are SO hot. That was what I was worried about in my new tarantula room, as it can hit 33 on really hot days. Good luck on getting that dream T room!
Love these rehousing videos!! Just bought a Theraphosa Stirmi & this vid was so helpful!! Thank you ☺️😊
Thank you so much, Corinna...and congrats on your T. stirmi!
What a monster ! I find my 6" B. boehmei intimidating at times. A 10-11" T would make me more than just uneasy. Won't be tackling these giants anytime soon, but it will be considered at some point. Beautiful, beautiful T.
Stay safe and thanks for sharing :)
Hey, Luc! I know exactly what you're saying. That's why these are so fascinating to me. Like...a spider that huge is just amazing. haha Thanks, bud !
My dream T. I really can't wait till I get one myself.
They are awesome tarantulas, Isaiah!
Hey Tom . I just have one stirmi . I've been using clay balls under a mesh screen with a straw in the corner to hydrate from the bottom up . Soon as the heat kicks on it'll burrow till spring . Thanks for your help .
Hey, Dan! Sounds like a great idea to me! I've had good luck keeping them moist without the clay balls, but they are definitely popular and make it quite easy. :)
Pothos grows pretty fast but you can trim it.
Hi, Liz! Yeah, I have it in about a dozen enclosures. I love the stuff. :)
I just got one today and mine is a big time hair kicker, thanks Tom
That's awesome, Apex! Is it an adult? If it's a sling or juvie, it might calm down once it puts on size.
@@TomsBigSpiders It's a juvie, here is hoping lol :)
Oooo, she's gorgeous 🥰😍
Thank you, Melody!
I love big brown spiders, I really only have one "colorful" species and that's D diamantinensis!
Me too, Bobbie! I'm not sure why they get so much hate. :(
Excellent video as always Tom! After searching for a blondi for quite a while, I was luck enough to be able to purchase one from Tom Patterson about a month ago and now have 1 of each of the theraphosas. They are absolutely amazing species and hit like trucks during feeding. My stirmi and blondi are still relatively small but my apophysis has seemingly tripled in size in 2-3 molts. I'm going to need to rehouse them all pretty soon so that will be a fun video to make! I'm really looking forward to raising all 3 of them up
Hey, bud! Congrats on grabbing one! I absolutely LOVE Theraphosa genus. I will never get over the fact that there can be spiders that large. I'll keep an eye out for those rehousings! :)
So So Beautiful. I get jump scares but I'm totally in Love with New World...you know me, Tarantulas. Talk about a Fear being Overcome.
Hahaha. I totally hear you, Tina!
Omg, yes they are fast😱😂‼️
Yesterday rehoused our stirmi female and the girl teleports 😂😂
Hey, Jean! No one ever mentions that about them! The slings and juvies can really boogie!
@@TomsBigSpiders yes, that's crazy!
In some cases you can't even see them when they move.
Always hungry and great grow‼️
Take care my friend
Jean🙂
Fab video as always :)
A species I’m sure I’ll get in a couple of years time!
Tomorrow...get one tomorrow. ;) hahahaha Just kidding! The good news is, they seem to be getting cheaper and cheaper as time goes on. Thanks so much!
Haha! I’d love to! But I don’t have the room just yet! About 80% of the tarantulas I’ve got turned out to be male :( when they mature I’ll send them off to breeders :) then there will be enough room to get some more t’s :D
Hi Tom. I hope you and your lovely wife are keeping safe and well. As always an amazing video. I can't wait to have one of these spiders, they are absolutely awesome. Just one of the things I like about your videos is that you cater for us limeys and tell us what temps to keep our spiders in Celsius. I'm also starting to think I'm watching your videos to see what awesome hoodies and t shirts your wearing. As always, a big fan. Take care brother.
We are doing great, bud...thank you! And thank you for noticing! hahaha I realized a couple years ago that most of the other countries use the metric system, so I started adding it. The idea is to make this information as accessible as possible. And, I might even learn the metric system someday! haha Thanks so much, bud!
Great video. I still have to rehouse my obt.
Thanks so much, Channy! Are you going to record it? :)
@@TomsBigSpiders im going to try lol
@@ChantalsCritters Hahaha. Well, let me know how it goes!
What a beautiful girl!
Thank you, Toni!
Beautiful girl and so very well behaved. I definately want some of those enclosures
Hi, Kim! Yeah, I couldn't ask for behavior better than that. lol
She is beautiful, I dont have a T blondie. Closest I guess I have is my Lp who I adore.
I still love learning about other species that I dont have.
You did a lovely job of her enclosure.
Wow i didnt know we got more sensitive to urticating hairs, that's fascinating. Usually we develop tolerance to irritants.
I'm very lucky that i really dont react to hairs, hopefully that continues xx
Thank you so much, Laura! Yeah, I've heard from many folks who had to stop keeping new world species because they could no longer even be in a room with them without burning and itching. :(
AWESOME Ts not got this species yet but its on my WISH LIST
That's awesome, Michael!
Wonderful video Tom,always educational and entertaining.
I REALLY wish I could get a theraphosa where I live,it's nearly impossible to get one..
Thank you so much, Jonothan! What country are you in again?
@@TomsBigSpiders south africa💩
Looks like I'm the first one to notice you're low key representing Danny from keeper cards with the Prognosis shirt 😉 i had to do a double take haha I was like heeeeey hes got a prognosis shirt on this time haha. Great band and Danny is a top notch guy. Nice rehouse vid too, Love the blondi, we have a male and female that we will hopefully get paired up when he matures. therephosa is my fav genus by far, we keep all 3 species. I honestly wish they would discover another one lol 😆
Hahahaha YES! I was surprised no one mentioned that until now. haha And I agree with you completely...I LOVE my Theraphosa!
Just caught some houseflies, it's a new hobby of mine now and I enjoy it, yes, I'm weird but I don't care. My Avic and C. versicolors love catching things. Maybe you could do an episode on the fact that arboreals love flying food.
Hey, Tina! I really wish that we had more flying food options, as the arboreals are GREAT at catching things out of the air. I'll have to see if I can order some flies, as I know that they sell the big ones.
Not an attack! But im surprised to see how small this new enclosure is. I generally try to keep a minimum of 2-3x DLS in length and width. Maybe im over doing it?
I have a stirmi and blondi, both are nearly 3" DLS right now. Sure would be nice to have them in something smaller than a 40 gallon as adults lol
No worries! So far, she's doing great in this one. She has a pretty deep burrow on one end, and she's often sitting right at the mouth of it. Every once in a while, she ventures out, gets a drink, and then heads back to her burrow. She's about 9" now, but if she puts on a couple more inches, I will put her in something larger. A 20 long would probably work just fine for an 11" one. Hope that helps!
@TomsBigSpiders cool, thanks for the reply. 20g L is what I was planning long term but thought it would be too small. I'll work it out as I go, but will plan on 20g L as the final enclosure size for now. Thanks!
Also, glad to hear yours is thriving! Fun hobby 😁
Finally, been waiting whahahaha
Glad that we could finally get this one done. I've had those enclosures for over a year. haha
Hallo!! Thanks for this great video!! Do you know can urticating hairs from one Tarantula hurt an other Tarantula?? I often use a brush when rehousing my Spiders and when they kick their hairs the most of them hits the brush u can wash it but idk if this gets away every hair!! So when i use this brush next time for an old world spider for example without these hairs can they get hurt from hairs staying on the brush??? My english is not the best but i hope u understand what i try to ask you
Hello, Chris! I used to wonder that as well, but I don't believe that they can. The hairs can't embed themselves into the exoskeleton like they can in soft flesh. I have never had an issue with that myself (although I usually try to wash things off in between...just in case). ;)
As usual, love the content. The Theraphosa genus is one of my top favorites and I have plans to have multiples of each. I am currently on my second Apophysis and am going to start looking for "true" Blondis. As for the urticating hairs, I completely agree about the nastiness of this species hairs. Unfortunately, I am prone to sensitivity with them and have noticed that each time I am subjected to them, it does seem a little worse than the previous.... My question - what is your feeding regimen for your little Theraphosa? It is so easy to over feed them as they will eat anytime you offer food. The they seem to go into an extended pre-moult phase and hide. I am trying to avoid that. Suggestions for a 1.5" specimen? Thanks for everything you do for the hobby!
Thank you so much! I have all three, and I absolutely adore them. Luckily, I haven't had many issues with the hairs yet... Oh, sorry...I thought that I put my feeding schedule in the video! I feed the slings twice a week and my juveniles once a week to once every two weeks. At 1.5", I would likely feed it weekly. Hope that helps!
I have a T-Stirmi. Not only does she kick hair at me, she gives me the threat posture too. I renamed her: Goliath people eater! :-)
Hey, Lynnette! Hahaha LOVE the name! Sounds like you have a brat there. ;)
She's definitely a brat. Her name is actually Muffet as in Little Miss. I should have named her killer! :-)
11:00 I have planned for a bit to feed off my extra G. Ports to my T. Stirmi once they get to adults, but I had a couple small hissers actually pull the legs off 2 of my C. Cyaneopubescens. After that I figured I would have to frost and clip the legs off the hissers before feeding them now. Hissers are incredibly strong. What size hisser do you feed them and are they crushed? My T. Stirms refuse to eat pre killed at their current 2" size now.
Dang, I would never even have considered that issue! I've only fed the adults out to my largest spiders and my centipedes, and I've never had an issue. That said, yikes! I'll definitely have to keep an eye on them now.
A lot of people think that in the wild mice and birds are all they eat, they are CAPABLE of eating small mammals but don't eat them ALL the time, it's really just chance. I think if they did eat those 24/7 they'd probably die of calcium overload 😬.
Great point, Ethan! They have much more diverse diets in the wild.
@@TomsBigSpiders Btw man if you're into trying new substrates you should definitely check out "marshallarachnids" he's on Facebook and Instagram. He has really awesome substrates called "megamix" one for arid species, and one for tropical, both contain organic plant material, perfect for desert or tropical plants, you can mix both substrates for semi-tropical species too!!!
Hey Tom!! Could you do a update on your middle east gold tarantula have one in my collection and would like to see more about it....loved the first video 😁
Hey, Juan! Yes, I'm about to rehouse them soon, so I can totally do something on them. I love this species!
@@TomsBigSpiders what do you know about Aphonopelma serratum? Or do you know any keeper with them I could get some advice?
Tom, great video as always. I haven't seen these around for quite some time, do you know why? Any recommendations on who might have any? Thanks!
They seem to come in waves, Josh. There will be a bunch of slings for sale for a while, and then nothing for months. I'm sure that they'll be back again soon.
Hey Tom. Bit late to the party mate been so busy lately. I only know of four Lasiodora species but after a quick Google there is tons. How many different Lasiodoras do you have? Love the look of the subcanens, like a big G.rosea.
Welcome back! :) I currently have L. parahybana, difficilis, and itabunae. The L. klugi is another fairly common one. There are a lot of Lasiodora species, but not all of them are prevalent in the hobby.
Hello, Tom,
Thanks for your videos!
Do you advise to put a drainage layer in the terrarium of this species to keep a water reservoir permanently (provided that the enclosure is well ventilated)?
Thanks in advance for your answer ;)
Hello! Some folks will use drainage layers with Theraphosa, but I've never found that I had to. If you are going to use one, the definitely make sure that you have good ventilation.
Do you wear safety glasses when moving tarantulas like that? How airborne do the hairs float?
I usually do not. With normal airflow, they don't get too high. If there is a fan or a breeze in the room, then glass would be advised.
Hi Tom. Question, do tarantulas and the like ever suffer any type of psychosis, being kept in a smaller than natural sized area??
Short answer, no. In the wild, most have burrows that they adapt to, and they don't stray too far from their burrows. They are not active hunters like wolf spiders or huntman, but instead wait and ambush prey. So, if given enough room to have their burrow and a "front lawn", so to speak, they are usually quite content.
Brilliant video Tom, very informative and very enjoyable. That T Blondi is absolutely stunning and she was very laid back when you rehoused her Tom, anyway Tom credit to you and Billie for the hard work you put into putting out all these wonderful ❤ videos.
Thank you so much, George! I'm so glad that some of her pinks showed up!
What did we talk about having a schedule Tom? Lol
I'm doing this just for you, bud. hahaha
@@TomsBigSpiders I'll probably send you a calendar myself haha
I have a question. I have a gbb sling about 1.5" and I think it's fasting. I know other species are prone to fasting but it seems odd to me for this species that is a notorious eater to be fasting. Have you ran into this personally or heard of other keepers gbb exhibiting this behavior.
Hi, Cody. The only time this species usually stops eating is when it's in premolt. Was it eating big meals before it stopped eating?
@@TomsBigSpiders no it wasn't. It went probably a month and a half without eating. Before this fast I was feeding it b dubia nymphs just fine. So I recently gave it a cricket and gobbled it right up, so I learned that it's not a fan of dubias lol. Thank you for your help.
@@codyhinkle9499 I should have asked if you were feeding it B. dubias! haha I have several that won't eat them (hence why I still use a lot of crickets!). Glad that you figured it out!
Very interesting. The hairs start off out of the legs as black and then turn to the lighter colors, "pink" if you must. The camera doesn't do it justice.... sadly.
Hey, Dusty. Awwww...I thought we did a good job catching some of those "pinks". haha
Hey Tom glad you did a video on the t blondi,I wasn't going to get one but in the end I got me a sling and after about 5 molts it's big.it molted again yesterday.i will agree there growth rate is very fast.mine is more shy and skittish never kicked hairs or gave me a threat posture,they are fast though.it stays in the hide in the day and ventures out late at night.and had for feeding more better than a gbb or a a genic.i eventually want to get the other 2.
Hey, James! I'm amazed that the speed doesn't get mentioned more, as the slings and juvies can really move! I have all three now because I just love the genus. The T. apophysis is definitely a bit different than the other two in growth and appearance.
Really want to have this one 😭😭😭
They are amazing spiders. :)
Gotta adopt one someday 😍
My blondi is only about 4-ish inches, I can't wait until it gets bigger.
Hey, Alisa! It won't be too long! :)
I am having a tough time determining when my slings are ready for live prey. Any tips or suggestions Tom?
Hey, Linda! If I have one that won't take live prey the first time I try, I tend to feed them prekilled until they put on some decent size (1.25" or more). At that point, I will try them with smaller prey items than I would normally feed a sling of that size. If they don't take it, I'll switch back to prekilled for a while. It honestly depends on the spider, as some will move easily into taking live prey, and others will seem to be scared of the live feeders. I've also stunned prey items (crushed their heads) before dropping them in so that they are still moving but not a threat to the spider. This can sometimes entice a scared spider to approach and eat the live food item. I hope that helps!
@@TomsBigSpiders it does. Thanks so much
I have a question if you don’t mind please, I’m fairly new to tarantula keeping and have got 12 so far of various ages and species, at the moment they are all kept in my living room as I need to sort out some actual storage space for the enclosures, I also have a little dog that obviously barks occasionally and jumps on and off my sofa, is this a problem for the T’s? I know they are very sensitive to vibration so I’m wondering if the noise and general movement around the room would be an issue for them? I don’t really watch tv so there isn’t a loud volume going very often or anything but it is a relatively high traffic area as I also work from home too. Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated thanks and best wishes from South Wales UK x.
Hi, Lyn-Ann! Great question! I actually did a podcast on this a while back. I used to have mine in a room that got quite a bit of traffic. I have four dogs, and I'm always blasting metal when I'm feeding. They had NO issues with it. I wouldn't put a subwoofer under one of the cages, but that's about it. You should be totally fine! :) And hello from the US!
@@TomsBigSpiders Great thank you so much for the reply and the information 😊 I also have a young adult female Blondi and I have to say she’s the love of my life and I’m a former arachnophobic 😂 x.
Oooooo, my favorite. I have a stermi now, but did have a blondi a few years back. I'm in love with the giant species. Because yes, size does matter. Also appreciate how you discuss humidity and moisture. Location definitely effects how it should be maintained. Being in SC, we have humidity to spare. Great video. Thank you for creating informative care videos. I've used several in the last 6 months for new species I've added to my collection.
Hi, April! I love the giants as well. I just find them so fascinating! Yeah, we often forget to mention that if you live in a humid area, you don't have to go crazy with keeping things moist. It's been humid here on and off for most of the summer, and I've been adding water much less frequently. Thank YOU for chiming in!
Question please, Tom 🙋🏼♀️ How come they don’t run out of the enclosure when you leave the lid off?
she was insanely well behaved. thats not necessarily a common thing
As someone else said, this was a very well behaved spider. Regardless, running out of the enclosure is less of a problem than you'd think. Their cage is their home, they hopefully feel safe there, and recognize their surroundings. The vast majority of tarantulas would prefer to run deeper into their home than jump out of it!
@@lillyh3447 This is my experience with most of my spiders. I'm extremely cautious with my C. Versi's because they hang around the top as I open their containers. They're slings verging juveniles. Even so, when I open the top they move down, not up. I'm cautious but they have yet to try to escape even when they're rested right on the opening. They're just much calmer (I meant "comfortable" here) when in contact to their webbing.
Hi, Chez...great question! Those enclosures are their homes, and they feel safe there. Most will stay in the enclosure and stand their ground rather than flee into an unknown area.
@@TomsBigSpiders Thanks, Tom. And thanks to everyone else who replied too.🥰
Do you keep stirmi? I wish they got more love, they are without a doubt my favourite of the Goliath bird eaters. It’s the only one with shorthair which is uncommon for a tarantula, it seriousley looks terrifying which fascinates me
I do! I had a mature male and two that I grew up from slings. I now have a fourth that I'm raising up. I love the T. stirmi, although they look like 8-legged puppies to me. :)
Mine Theraphosa blondi is molting just RIGHT NOW, with her legs up in the air...
Congrats, Lucas! How did the molt go?
@@TomsBigSpiders It went really good... I got two lings in february 05 with 1,5 inches, and they are now around 4 inches... They are growing in a pretty fast rate, im from Brazil, it's really hot here at most part of the year, so it help alot too.
Tom. Im told that buying an imported goliath that it will die. What your opinion thanks.
Hi, Jeff! You mean a wildcaught one or captive bred slings imported legally from another country? Captive bred slings will do fine. If it's wildcaught, it will be more difficult to care for and, quite frankly, wrong as captive bred ones are now readily available in the hobby.
You see when you're waiting for a band you really like to release an album that they haven't announced but you know it's coming some day? Well, that's the way I felt when I saw this on my feed. I got my first T blondi 2 months ago. She has molted once in my care. It's a 6 cm sling that never comes out of it's fake coconut hide and it worries me.
I keep her in a M size critter keeper and she's been doing good. I use peatmoss + some moss. This substrate keeps moisture pretty good but I generously pour water once a week and I make sure it gets to the lower levels. That's what matter, right? Ha! I've been learning a lot in your podcasts hahaha. Do you think pouring water and refilling the water dish (it evaporates, she doesn't come out at all neither to eat nor drink) with that frequency is ok?
How do you avoid getting mold when you use leaf litter in these moist enclosures?
Great video! Thanks for doing it!
Braulio! Man, that's like the best compliment ever because I totally know that feeling! haha Thanks, bud! Yes, that's what matters. You want to make sure the lower level stays moist. If she's burrowing, it could mean that she is seeking more moisture in her burrow. The critter keepers have great ventilation, so the surface might be a little too dry for her. It sounds like you are keeping her fine! As for the mold, if I notice anything too nasty, I'll scoop it out. A little bit on the leaves is natural, though, so I don't freak out about it.
Hey Tom, I hope all is well, I wanted to talk to you about an issue that happened to one of my Ts and it’s something that is not that common to happen, and I wanted to know if there was a different source I can reach you at? It would be too much to type :(
Hi, Geoffrey! You can email me at tomsbigspiders@outlook.com .
Be honest, Tom... did you guys drug her before this rehousing??? 🤣 JK, we know she's behaving because of your calm approach. Another awesome video✌💜🕷🕸
Shhhhhhh...I'm not telling. hahaha I was honestly shocked at how well behaved she was! I'm not complaining though. :)
@@TomsBigSpiders 😂😉👍
Doesn’t help if the Amazon rainforest is being destroyed by people who don’t care about the planet they live on, that means you Brazil.
Hey, Bill. VERY good point about habitat distruction. :(
Blondi's scare me because they are so large. I can see it eating a bird. She is beautiful tho.
Hey, Joyce! That's one of the reasons that I love them. I'm in awe of the size! :)
My husband has graciously offered to build me enclosures for my growing spider habit. Could I please get the dimentions of your enclosure?
I just found the dimentions. Thank you
That's awesome! Good luck!
I am new to the hobby. I have a question. I have a T. Stirmi. I am setting up the bioactive enclosure today. My question is. Can I put a Venus fly trap in it? Someone please help me. I don't want anything that will harm my tarantula. I don't think it will I just don't want do it if it will.
Hi, Edward! I would be shocked if the venus fly traps didn't get trampled and killed. They are large, heavy spiders, and they are not going to walk around any plant that's in there.
@@TomsBigSpiders I get so many mixed reactions on this. I looked it up people say my Goliath could get killed by the plant. But I don't believe that. It's way bigger. But I just want it to be safe and happy is all I want. I just figured the plants would be a pretty cool addition
@@TomsBigSpiders mine I guess would be a juvenile. It's about the size of my hand
Apophysis, Blondi & Stirmi
Which is your favourite?? 🤓
I honestly don't know if I could pick one. I might have to go with T. stirmi, as that was the first species that I raised. They are all awesome.
@@TomsBigSpiders Lol yea pretty hard to pick one they're all amazing species... I'm low-key happy you picked Stirmi tho 😂
Can anyone please give me some knowledge. Would a 30×30×48cm (12×12×18in)Zoo Med enclosure big suitable for an adult Poecilotheria miranda or do i have to invest in a bigger enclosure? Thanks have a nice day.
Hi, Liam. That would give you plenty of room.
@@TomsBigSpiders thanks so much. The GOAT🐐 to the rescue again 🙌
No really thanks she will be my first Poki
Hi, my Precious Morans. Another wonderful video, Tom. You really should be on the discovery channel. I need to talk to you. Be aware please, you or Billie, that I will be messaging you on FB where I'll give you my personal email. Just really need a little friendly cheering up and I'm coming to you and Billie. Bet you never thought you guys could touch a life as much as you have mine. No matter what happens in this world, I am Blessed. Love and Tight Hugs
Thank you so much, Tina! Billie and I both appreciate it. :)