M. balfouri, communal or individual?

[octanejunkie]

Ordered a 1/2" pair of these and wanted to hear from other keepers on enclosures, temperment and whether to house communal or individual

 

[testdasi]

Ordered a 1/2" pair of these and wanted to hear from other keepers on enclosures, temperment and whether to house communal or individual

Definitely communal. This specie, by all accounts and by my personal experience, is genuinely communal (unlike for example, P.met, P.regalis, N.incei etc that are more appropriately described as tolerant).

Temperament: kinda like Pokies (run-threat pose-slap-bite in that order) but way slower. Personally I consider this specie a sweetheart.

Enclosure: like a GBB i.e. terrestrial with many points to anchor their web. (if you give them more substrate, they will burrow more but will still web extensively so anchor points are pretty much requirement).

Caveat: I only have experience with M. balfouri in a communal setup and I have read that they do behave differently when housing individually.

 

[octanejunkie]

Housing 2 together is hardly communal, IMO, but I figured I'd ask opinions...

What about adding new slings in the future to get up to a colony of like 6?

 

[testdasi]

Housing 2 together is hardly communal, IMO, but I figured I'd ask opinions...

What about adding new slings in the future to get up to a colony of like 6?

Have never done that so unfortunately haven't got an answer for you.

I received my M.bal packed individually, some even webbed up its packing tube as a burrow of sort so I assume the T's don't quite remember that they were in a communal setup prior to being sold and then reintroduced back into a brand new envi together.
"Communal" Pokies, for instance, would start eating each other if separated for anything more than a few hours.

So I would think if you have to introduce new T's to the communal, you might want to do that during a rehouse. That's just my speculation as mentioned I have never had to do that.

 

[Lawrence b]

More then ones a communal ,think it said its better to house them in communal . They say them seem to grow better communally . but keep them well feed . I have a few communal .

 

[octanejunkie]

More then ones a communal ,think it said its better to house them in communal . They say them seem to grow better communally . but keep them well feed . I have a few communal .

Thanks for your reply!
How many do you have housed communally?

 

[PanzoN88]

I think I heard somewhere that those who keep M. balfouri communally tend to have a hard time getting them to reproduce.

 

[Lawrence b]

I have about groups ranging from about 5 to 10 in 4 different groups and 10 or more with mother .

 

[octanejunkie]

I have about groups ranging from about 5 to 10 in 4 different groups and 10 or more with mother .

Have you ever kept just 2 together for any length of time?

 

[Balfouriboi]

I think I heard somewhere that those who keep M. balfouri communally tend to have a hard time getting them to reproduce.

If the male is pulled out and reintroduced later it usually works

 

[Thistles]

I have kept and bred balfouri for years, both communally and solo. If I were you, I would keep them separately. Introducing more later is hard, there's always the chance that they'll eat one another, even if you introduce them together. 2 isn't enough for the full communal experience, but it does give you the full communal risk. Get a bigger group if you must try a communal, or just enjoy your two separately. Just my suggestion.

I've attached a few pics of a group of mine eating their sibling. Lil monsters.

 

[octanejunkie]

I have kept and bred balfouri for years, both communally and solo. If I were you, I would keep them separately. Introducing more later is hard, there's always the chance that they'll eat one another, even if you introduce them together. 2 isn't enough for the full communal experience, but it does give you the full communal risk. Get a bigger group if you must try a communal, or just enjoy your two separately. Just my suggestion.

I've attached a few pics of a group of mine eating their sibling. Lil monsters.

Exactly what I was looking for, thanks!

 

[Thistles]

Exactly what I was looking for, thanks!

Happy to help. Enjoy your beasties!

 

[Lawrence b]

Have you ever kept just 2 together for any length of time?

Have you ever kept just 2 together for any length of time?

No I never had just to together .

 

[Lawrence b]

Should of said 2

 

[octanejunkie]

Thanks for all the input, I've decided to keep them separately

 

[Grandsouls]

Nice! I love those
I’m dying to save enough money to buy a group of them and raise them communally. There webbing is so sick. Something about a enclosure webbed out with tunnels and multiple Ts just tickles me pickle!

 

[testdasi]

There's something about the baboon tarantulas that just make them look very goofy. These balfouri makes me think if Elvis were a tarantula, he would very certainly look like a balfouri.

 

[Krystyna]

Housing 2 together is hardly communal, IMO, but I figured I'd ask opinions...

What about adding new slings in the future to get up to a colony of like 6?

i can answer this one from experience...

The short answer is yes you can add more spiders to your communal... many ppl do this as once upon a time the cost for 1 balfouri was high so ppl couldn’t buy all they wanted at once and had to buy a couple at a time.

the key to adding new spoods is this - rehouse em all into a new container. Don’t use the home of the original 2 and add to it, start “fresh” with a completely new home for all of em, then just literally put em all in the new home.

this advice stands for anytime u add to the communal... for example - I’ve occasionally removed spoods from the communal because they were substantially smaller than the rest, I feed em up and get a molt or 2 before adding them back into the communal. When they are rdy to go back, the entire colony gets rehoused because I don’t know if spiders would “remember “ the ones I removed or not.

Same goes w adding different sacs together. Always in a new home.

i wish you all the best! Balfouri communals are absolutely amazing, educational and just, different than any other tarantula.

if u have more questions, I’d be happy to help out. I’m far from an expert but I’ve done a TON of research, have had up to 3 communals (sold 1) and spend many, probably too many, hours watching my Balfouri do their thing lol

 

[Thistles]

There's something about the baboon tarantulas that just make them look very goofy. These balfouri makes me think if Elvis were a tarantula, he would very certainly look like a balfouri.

Hah, I had an Idiothele mira named "Elvis." She was a good girl.