Tips on Theraphosa stirmi?

[Tortoise Tom]

@Whitelightning777 mentioned something about care of his P stirmi on another thread, and I wanted to know more. I was going to send a PM, but I thought maybe I could ask on the open forum so everyone could learn from his experience.

Anyone with experience with this species, please feel free to discuss them and share some care tips here.

 

[Metalman2004]

Don’t make them mad or they do this

Other than that, damp/ moist (not wet) substrate, a hide and water dish and you’re good to go. Ventilation is also somewhat important. Too much ventilation and you’ll have to remoisten the substrate often, too little and it can grt stuffy. As for temps, mine had always stayed at room temps which is a high around 75-76 in the summer and low around 70 in the winter. Never had issues with mine.

 

[Arachnoclown]

@Metalman2004 pretty much hit the nail on the head. I've been keeping Stirmi's and blondi's since the mid 80s. They love the temps in the 70s and I have never stressed on a humidity number. Good cross ventilation and moist substrate is what they need. Here's a video of my weekly up keep...same thing every week. P.S. spray bottles are for squirting the cats!!!

 

[Dave Jay]

@Metalman2004 pretty much hit the nail on the head. I've been keeping Stirmi's and blondi's since the mid 80s. They love the temps in the 70s and I have never stressed on a humidity number. Good cross ventilation and moist substrate is what they need. Here's a video of my weekly up keep...same thing every week. P.S. spray bottles are for squirting the cats!!!

I always like seeing this tarantula and the enclosure, it makes me think about getting a more mature tarantula so I can have a big tarantula in a big enclosure sooner. I guess I'll wait though.
I like seeing this species in particular because of the resemblance to the Phlogius species I have, I like seeing other species too but these give me a more realistic idea of what I will eventually be seeing in my home.

 

[Whitelightning777]

He's getting more comfortable and I'm going to try feeding again sometime in June. I spruced up the enclosure. Like my other 2 terrestrials, he loves being upon it next to frog moss and has already started tearing stuff up.

They also hiss when they strike a threat pose and it can get hard to breathe if you take to long maintaining the enclosure or wiping out and refilling the water dish.

I check the water dish and humidity, moisture level etc 2X daily. Still, he's a great guy, totally fearless and always out in plain sight. He's become very tolerant of changes in light levels.

I'll know that he's hungry when he attacks the water dish as it's being filled.

No bulbous pedipalps to be exact, suspect male but not mature.

It's actually unusual to see him anywhere near his hide.

 

[Whitelightning777]

I'm not sure if I posted the size thing or not. I'm claiming about 6 to 6.5 inches DLS.

Another week or two and it'll be feeding video time!! I can't rule out him gradually knocking off the feeders I already have in there when no one is looking.

I think a flat out full size hisser or Dubai roach doomsday type of situation is what I have in mind. I'm sure he'll eat whatever my scorpion will eat.

Here's the zinger. He'll get much bigger then my scorpion!!

 

[Whitelightning777]

I'm wondering. Do they darken up in premolt?

The abdomen on mine is remarkably firm and quite thick. He's becoming lethargic and not at all interested in food. Occasionally I see him by the water dish. It also seems like there is some swelling between all the leg joints and the body with the gaps being almost clear in color.

I've heard that premolt takes a long time with these types. Even in the pics you can see that gap. None of my others has that.

 

[Arachnoclown]

If your lucky enough to see them darken up yes...they are usually deep in their burrows. When they hang out by the water dish too much thats usually a sign the substrates too dry. Mine all close off their burrows for the molt before they refuse food. I've never seen any of mine never take food.
Yours may not have a routine down like mine being new to his home. I'd not attempt to feed him for a while and make sure your substrate in moist. You can see in my video it takes lots of water weekly. No humidity gauge will help you out there...ive been down that road and they don't work. You'll get a eye for the moisture over time. I don't water too close to the burrow....that way they can dig down the the moisture level they need.

 

[Whitelightning777]

I keep the frog moss and substrate moist by the water dish but I leave a few dry areas. He tends to wander around the enclosure somewhat randomly and can easily enter the burrow whenever.

The warmer side of the cage is on the same side as the water dish.

I was putting the flashlight on his abdomen and I thought I saw just a hint of grey underneath but I'm not quite sure that's what it was.

Sadly enough, some of the wild caught ones are being destroyed from the inside out by parasites or disease. Others have been chased out of their burrows by natives pouring gasoline down the burrows or other noxious chemicals. Some recover. Others don't. Hopefully whatever happens, he'll be comfortable.

He is either getting calmer or more lathergic. He recently removed a section of moss between the water dish and burrow so he can make a straight line between both. There's no molting web mat but the way the substrate was leveled out looks almost like he's thinking about it. I just hope he molts within a month or two so I don't find him riddled with holes and repulsive worms everywhere.