Originally Posted by BlackRose

No. I read somewhere thr calcium in the powder is harmful for the spids. One thing though...you will need to gut load your crickets 24 hours before feeing to the spiders. But alot of the commercial gut loading diet you can buy to feed to them is packed with calcium, which then gets transferred to your spider which is no good for it.
The spider needs nutrients and moisture from the cricket.
I just feed mine fish flakes on the days I dont feed the spiders..so then they are always filled up ready to be fed the next day to the lucky spids.
But ideally a variety of fruit and veg should be offered aswell or instead such as apple, lettuce, orange etc to the crickets and then they get even more moisture too then.
My crickets dont eat anything apart from fish food and each other which is why they go straight for the water in the spiders tanks.
It depends on the temps in the room the crickets are kept in ..it affects how they eat. But a cricket is a cricket at the end of the day and it is nutrious in itself so if it only eats one thing then thats fine.

BTW.. most of the grammostola and brachypelma species (like chileas and red knees) like it dry, so a slight misting once a week around the sides of the tank (not on the spider or substrate) and a cricket once or twice a week will be all it needs really.
Enjoy your new spid! When you gettin it?
I will be happy to answer any more Q's you have the best I can.

Originally Posted by Richo

Don't use a sponge as they are the perfect place for bacteria to grow. Any spider over a couple of inches will be fine with a water bowl, and pebbles are a good idea. Anything smaller than that won't need a water bowl really. As long as the crickets are well hydrated and at least part of the substrate is wetted occasionally they will be fine.

Originally Posted by Becky

Nice starter species Any Grammostola sp. or Brachypelma sp. would be suitable.



NO NO NO!! NOOO SPONGES!!! They are a breeding site for harmful bacteria. Your spider won't need one, they're not silly. For spiderlings, they won't need a bowl. Misting the side of the container weekly will be enough. They drink droplets off of the side and off of their webs. Bug gel again no, good for keeping your crickets hydrated when you're not feeding them, but not good in a tank with a spider.



Well, spiderlings i keep in various tubs. As yours will be terrestrial i would use either film cannisters for 1-2cm spiderlings. Filled 3/4 of the way up with coconut fibre/peat (sterilised) and holes in the lid and sides of the pot. Perfect. Juves can use any tupperware tub.. anything really!



When picking the cricket size you don't want anything bigger than your spiders carapace. So bear that in mind when you go to buy the crickets. I feed spiderlings twice a week, juves twice a week if they're lucky (though normally only once with a couple of crix at a time) and adults i feed weekly with 2 or 3 crickets. Or if they take more they have more. Go by the size of your spiders abdomen on how much to feed. Too fat feed less often, not fat enough feed more often! It's easy

Originally Posted by davehuston

Cool, I learned something! Can I throw a question into the mix. How can you keep the humidity up while keeping it dry?

Originally Posted by matty__=)

I think that's why they mentioned to mist the sides of the tank/tub/pot..so that you raise humidity but don't wet the substrate

Originally Posted by davehuston

But doesn't gravity take a hold and wet the substrate anyway?

Sorry if that came out rude, as it really isn't ment to be.

Originally Posted by BlackRose

The substtrate is bound to get a little damp sometimes, but as long as you spray the sides then, especially for the species that prefer it dry, it will be just fine. The humidty will go into the air making it easier and safer when the T molts too.

Originally Posted by davehuston

Cool, I learned something! Can I throw a question into the mix. How can you keep the humidity up while keeping it dry?

Originally Posted by Becky

Keep a water bowl full all the time and flood it a little bit so its just wet round it. When the temps drop a bit at night is when its most humid. I only ever spray my arboreals, never my terrestrials. I just flood water bowls. My versi are having their dry season now so they just have a water bowl, no misting.