Info Please

Hello,
I'm planning on getting two P. Ornatas and possibly a P.Striata/OBT soon.
These will be slings between 1 and 3cm in size. They'll come in pots they can live in temporarily but i'd like anyone who owns/has owned any of the above for some tips on keeping them and if you can, post pics of there set-ups as well as it'd be a great help when I go to set mine up.
General Care tips (even though i've read up care sheets) would be great.

The P. Ornatas I will be getting for sure so anything a first time pokie/Old World T keeper needs to know that would be great.
Joe

Some interesting questions Joe and we have a few Pokie people here so hopefully someone will have some answers and images up for you soon.

I have P ornata Joe.
These are one, if not the, biggest and one of the most aggressive of the pokies.

For a small sling, housing not a major problem as long as you keep humidity up and can easily put food in.

But as it gets to a reasonable size...say near 2 inches then you need to think about having it in a reasonable proper mini-viv set-up and one that is ideal for transfering to the final viv when it gets to say 3 to 4 inches.
At that size, you'd need to take particular care and treat it as if it were a full sized 10 inch T.

Growth is rapid once you get past a certain size.

Food....never put more in than is needed.
Try cricket legs at first and see if they take them....if they do then that is a good method for a sling.
If they don't then feed one brown crix that is no bigger than the rump at a time and see what happens. If it gobbles it, then wait a short while and feed again.

Have in the viv an area where the spider can hide....but try to make it so that you can also see it.

You don't want to zapped by a pokie...and they are fast. So it could be a good idea to practice safe movement and feeding from a small sized specimen.

I think I posted a picture on one of your threads of the custom vivs that make for smallish but not sling sized pokies.

Is that the type of info you want?

ian.

Thanks Tan:)

@Ian, thank you so much, All that info is fantastic and some fears i had are over!...I will get a P. Ornata as they are the most beautiful and seem to come recommended as a beginner.

I also found a seller selling Avicularia Minatrix. A very beautiful Tarantula which i think i may get next week, i don't think they get very big but i need to do more research on them, but from the small bit i've read there fairly small spiders. Do you know much of them?

I have a 18x18x24 Exo terra which i'll set up nice and proper for the Ornata so i have plenty of time to set it up real nice.

I have some glass coffee jars which are quite tall, and the lids are perfect for poking air holes in which I've done. Once i get it properly set up i'll post some pictures for you and anyone else to judge as i am not buying any tarantula until someone with experience tells me it's suitable!
I also found some large tall sweet jars which look PERFECT for a big pokie so i'll buy a few of them and get some piccies up.
Joe

Ok so I'm 90% sure i'm going to go ahead and order a Trinidad Chevron sling to get me used to a quick arboreal...probs for the best!
But I'm also gonna stick to the A.Minatrix and get one or 2 of those also as there verrrry beautiful!

Cool Joe.

I just noticed you mentioned Coffee jars.
Coffee is toxic spiders.

ian

The A .Minatrix is nice, the old venezuelan red slate pink toe, i think they only reach about 8-10cm, if you come across any Joe give me a shout.

igmillichip wrote:Cool Joe.

I just noticed you mentioned Coffee jars.
Coffee is toxic spiders.

ian

Hmmmmmmmm........I've heard of them being used before though..
Would dishwashing and then soaking in boiling soapy water work in getting rid of anything harmful or should i just forget about them altogether Ian?

@jonty, PM on it's way dude And yeah they do stay quite small which is fun as they are also communal!

Wicked, cheers Joe

Sent, i hope it's of some use to you!
I'll keep you posted when i know whats going on:)

Those A.Minatrix really are something else.!

@Joe.....so have I heard of coffee jars being used. Some report no problems, but then again does the spider spin a proper web after it?

Personally, and that is just my personal opinion, I wouldn't use coffee jars.
I drink so much coffee and smoke so heavily that there is a chance that if any of my spiders did bite me that they may be poisoned by my blood.

Hmmmm..your right, I'll leave them altogether!
And I love a good cup of decent coffee!!!!!