1.5" b. hamorii sticking near water dish most of the time

[poodude289]

I've had my 1.5" b. hamorii in a 12" Tarantula Crib for the last month or so ever since I got her, and things seemed okay. She's been staying around the water dish now and I have become concerned that I don't have enough moisture in a corner for an enclosure this large. The worst thing about owning Tarantulas is the paranoia with moist corners. It hasn't come around to using its new hide yet either, so I don't know if its just thinking the water dish is a hiding spot or what. I made a post the other day mentioning it does go into the hide to eat, but then just leaves again. This leads me to believe that something else may be wrong?

Thanks

 

[poodude289]

My thought here is that there's quite a bit of ventilation, maybe leading to not enough moisture for the poor T, as it isn't that big yet.

 

[Tarantula Trooper]

All the things you've described through your post all seem to be normal T behavior. If you think your T likes the water bowl with its damp spot then by all means it doesn't hurt to increase the area a little bit. Just don't overdo. To much damp can turn into a Tarantula death trap but everything is species specific when dealing with damp soil/ humidity and how much is enough. Your Hamorii may like its damp spot and then you increase this area it might go to the other side. Observe your T with this increase and it will let you know if it's too much by heading to a drier area. Basically, watch what happens if you increase your water bowl overflow. If the T stays it likes it. If it moves away back off the over flow.

 

[Eighth Eye Blind]

I 100% agree with Trooper.

In the wild, both B. hamorii and B. smithi tend to adopt burrows close to water sources. We don't know whether that's because they like it a little wet or because that's where the juciest insects live but either way they don't mind the damp. Their range is along the Pacific coast from the beach up into the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains and there's a rainy and a dry season on top of that so they're obviously happy with a wide range of moisture levels.

Just keep it roughly in the middle between bone dry and soaking wet and let the T decide how to regulate it's body moisture. I wouldn't worry.

 

[spideymom]

I've had my 1.5" b. hamorii in a 12" Tarantula Crib for the last month or so ever since I got her, and things seemed okay. She's been staying around the water dish now and I have become concerned that I don't have enough moisture in a corner for an enclosure this large. The worst thing about owning Tarantulas is the paranoia with moist corners. It hasn't come around to using its new hide yet either, so I don't know if its just thinking the water dish is a hiding spot or what. I made a post the other day mentioning it does go into the hide to eat, but then just leaves again. This leads me to believe that something else may be wrong?

Thanks

My hamori loves being ALL over her enclosure I put toys and ping pong balls in and she likes to move them around. Give her something to do they like to redecorate and when you put fresh water in they make “tarantula soup” by adding substrate. They really are a very cool species

 

[Tarantula Trooper]

My hamori loves being ALL over her enclosure I put toys and ping pong balls in and she likes to move them around. Give her something to do they like to redecorate and when you put fresh water in they make “tarantula soup” by adding substrate. They really are a very cool species

I have had a few Chilobrachys that like to add their water dish to the enclosure and make enclosure soup. Tip it over every time!! Lol. Happy Spoodering!

 

[spideymom]

My pretty girl this morning in her favorite spot on mamas hand

 

[m0lsx]

I have had a few Chilobrachys that like to add their water dish to the enclosure and make enclosure soup. Tip it over every time!! Lol. Happy Spoodering!

I use things like coke bottle, milk container, coffee jar & peanut butter lids & have several enclosures with several water dishes in them. If they want to bury or two lids, I am fine with that. I even have one who has moved a water dish & webbed it into it's burrow entrance.

And as for the original question. T's often spend long periods motionless. The fact it is close to a water dish, is probably nothing of relevance.

 

[Tarantula Trooper]

I use things like coke bottle, milk container, coffee jar & peanut butter lids & have several enclosures with several water dishes in them. If they want to bury or two lids, I am fine with that. I even have one who has moved a water dish & webbed it into it's burrow entrance.

And as for the original question. T's often spend long periods motionless. The fact it is close to a water dish, is probably nothing of relevance.

The record out of my brood belongs to my Ceratogyrus Marshalli for dish burials! She was in a 6*6 Tarantula Cribs cube and it was 8 soft drink size caps. Now she is in a 8*8 and has only webbed over her dish. I'll take it! Lol,lol!

 

[poodude289]

I'm mainly just scared of one of my T's (g. pulchra / b. hamorii) having a failed molt or dying of too little moisture, while at the same time being scared of having too much and killing them. It's really just a corner and that's it, maybe 1.5 inches worth of space moisturized.

 

[Tarantula Trooper]

I'm mainly just scared of one of my T's (g. pulchra / b. hamorii) having a failed molt or dying of too little moisture, while at the same time being scared of having too much and killing them. It's really just a corner and that's it, maybe 1.5 inches worth of space moisturized.

In a 12*12 T crib shouldn't cause any issues. If your Hamorii likes the moisture a little increase is no biggie. Your spood has plenty of room in that enclosure. If the added moisture becomes too much your spood should relocate. Both species are a hardy species and not generally known for liking things overly damp. Just keep the corner damp and observe your eight legged wonders and again they will let you know what they like. A spider will relocate if conditions are not optimal. This is true of Tarantulas and true spiders as well!!! Happy Spoodering!

 

[poodude289]

In a 12*12 T crib shouldn't cause any issues. If your Hamorii likes the moisture a little increase is no biggie. Your spood has plenty of room in that enclosure. If the added moisture becomes too much your spood should relocate. Both species are a hardy species and not generally known for liking things overly damp. Just keep the corner damp and observe your eight legged wonders and again they will let you know what they like. A spider will relocate if conditions are not optimal. This is true of Tarantulas and true spiders as well!!! Happy Spoodering!

I don't know whether to give more moisture or not because there's a lot of ventilation lol and it's just very concerning

 

[Tarantula Trooper]

I don't know whether to give more moisture or not because there's a lot of ventilation lol and it's just very concerning

T Crib ventilation IHO is adequate at best. You basically, inside of any enclosure, have dead air....no movement! Even if you have fans running around your enclosure air movement within will still be minimal. What I guess I'm saying is a little bit of moisture can go a long ways inside of a T Crib. How quickly does your water dish dry , how big is the water dish? These things need to be factored in for more moisture dependent species and the guy/gals you have don't really need excess humidity to thrive. It all boils down to if your T seems to like it. My T. Verdezi hangs around it's water dish but it's also where it's warmest. I don't think it's the humidity drawing her there so much as it's warmer at the front than the back. Most of my T's stay near the front because that is where the warmth is. Something to consider as well. The majority of T's love that warmth. As stated, if your T seems to like a bit of humidity a bit of overflow is good. You just have to be careful and not over do. It's a lot easier to add water to soil than to let it dry out. Relax and enjoy your spoods. The species you have are generally easy to care for and observe their behavior and you should be good. Happy Spoodering!

 

[TarantulaMamma]

My pretty girl this morning in her favorite spot on mamas hand

So beautiful! She looks very comfortable and content there.