Caribena versicolor "Antilles Pinktoe" Husbandry 

Indeed! :)

Clap clap clap

LOVE this species. I just had a bunch of babies from mine.

There is definitely an art form to the misting, Phil. I think good misting technique and practice is developed with experience. Great stuff! Thanks for chiming in!

SO sorry for the delay, Tina! Thank you so much! Billie says, "Hello!".

I had no trouble with mine, but many folks seem to have trouble with them. I think it's because they get bad info that leads them to believe they need to be kept super humid.

@Grodan - do you have any to sell?

+Roy Rugani Jr I will always have one of these in my collection. The color changes they go through are just stunning. It's funny, my kids LOVE mine, too. lol

+Waylon W Thank you so much! Sounds like we both got good advice starting off. Sadly, I've spoken to several folks who have not, and they are still keeping them really damp with no ventilation. And I agree completely on the ventilation.

Thank you! :)

Hey, Sean! Yeah, I started putting holes in the other sides later. And nice to hear that yours was the same! haha

@@TomsBigSpiders C. versicolor is one of my favorite NW species. I've found the difficulty of their care to be largely overstated. Full water dish, appropriate cross ventilation, and they thrive. A versicolor sling was one of my very first tarantulas, and she has never given me issues. From the cute, fuzzy, inquisitive blue spider to the wild juvenile colors (and attitude to match) that she has now, raising her has been on of my most rewarding experiences. I wouldn't reccomend them for a base beginner, but I had extensive experience with other exotics like lizards, geckos, and TONS of snakes (even a couple of hots). Some of this experience does lend itself well to the tarantula hobby, so I was not reluctant to make a C. versicolor my second species, and a P. regalis my 3rd. But, I digress. I want to thank you personally... your information, along with others like Petko of the dark den and Richard of the tarantula collective, are what sparked my fascination with tarantulas now that my living situation doesn't allow for snakes. You've made priceless contributions to the hobby and shaped its direction in a huge and positive way, and I (along with my 7 year old daughter, who also just got her first tarantula) want to express appreciation. Thanks for what you do, and for your compassion toward keepers as well as tarantulas.

Thank you!

Awesome species...both of them! Thanks!

They are gorgeous as slings and adults. :)

Sounds like you're doing great with them! I used to dribble water on the webbing. The trick is to not overdo it with the moisture. Thanks!

Tom Moran my sling just molted for the first time since I got it !! :D

Congrats! That's awesome! :)

Hi, Chris! Is she arachnophobic? If so, it can be a difficult sell. The trick, I think, is to do research and try to include her on what you're reading about and watching. Hopefully, even if she's not into them, she'll show a bit of interest in something you're obviously passionate about. What are her main objections to them? I've actually emailed with spouses before that had questions about them, so I'd always be open to chatting with you guys about them.

show her the pretty ones lol, but not how some of the pretty ones act (ex:cobalts)

I got 3

Watch exotics lair with her cuz it’s funny

Chris Matney u cant

You're most welcome! Have you seen the latest one on this species? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kTiUvmDmQHQ.html

Yeah, they do take a while to mature. However, they're a bit faster than Grammostola, Brachypelma, and Aphonopelma at least! :) I'm raising five slings from the sac I produced, so I'll be curious to see how fast these guys grow. :)

I agree :) They are not very big as adult maybe that's the reason why they don't grow fast. I'm tempted to buy a adult versicolor. How much would you pay for a female versicolor? I live in Europe and i heard Tarantulas is slightly cheaper here than in the US

I think that it's incredibly important to take into consideration local humidity. And, like you said, many don't stop to think about it. For example, I had a young man from the Philippines ask about how often he should spray his spider to keep the humidity up. What he was failing to realizes was that he lived in an area that already had high humidity. Spraying would be overkill. As for the avics, it gets VERY dry in my house during the winter, and I still keep them dry with a dish. I'll make it rain once a week over the plants and cork bark, but that's about it.

And great comment! Thanks!

I also wonder how many tarantulas that require a higher humidity die from mold spores

This is one of the species I keep that I wouldn't let stay in the mid to low 60s for too long. They tend to be a bit less tolerant of temps in the lower range. That said, the first year I kept mine (I got her as a sling) temps in my room would drop to 68 at night during the winter. She grew slowly, but is obviously fine. If you can keep things consistantly in the high 60s, she should be fine.

That's a great deal! :) It's a shame that many pet stores don't know what species they are selling. What size is he/she now?

Tom Moran about 3.5 inches very healthy they do wait for you to add their food in their cage

So sorry for the late reply, Claudia! Hopefully you got her and she's doing well. Congrats!

@@TomsBigSpiders ended up with three lol n thank you

@@ClaudiaMartinez-jn2jw sounds like me lol

Thanks! :)

Yes. a lot of folks keep theirs in one of those exo terra nano talls. They look great and work fine. :)

They seem to be a bit more fragile than many of the other species available. That's one of the reasons I didn't recommend them as beginners species for years. I had an Avicularia sp. amazonica do exactly what yours did. :(

Tom Moran Yeah you are right because I have a Mexican red knee, Goliath bird eater, Chilea Rose, Curley haired T and I had them all as Slings and now most of them are Juvies and Adults. Expect from my Chaco Golden Knee and this pink toe. Tbh I don't mean to sound silly so sorry if I do but I am shit scared of losing it. I just hope that it is in premolt because I litreally have no idea where I am going wrong

That is why the next Arboreal T I'm going to get is A P.Pulcher sling Rather than An A.Versi (plus A.Versi is very expensive in my country I don't want My money to be wasted ) I already have an adult P Regalis about 5 inch

Thank you. Elizabeth! One of my first was a versi. You'll do fine! Just don't overdo it with the spraying and moisture. :)

That's awesome, Robbin...congrats!

Hello, Mark! Was it dead or did it escape? If it was dead, how moist was the inside of the enclosure? These guys tend to be a bit more unforgiving than other species. :(

@@TomsBigSpiders it died. The substrate was dry but I wet down probably half of it, but it wasnt swampy or anything. Just a few drops so it could drink. It died right after molting.

I would probably start with Avicularia avicularia (or metallica). They seem to be more hardy than other Avic species, and they grow pretty quickly and are calm overall. Psalmopoeus species are very hardy, but they are fast and will bite if they feel threatened.

thank you for getting back to me on an older video. I was actually looking for slings for sale on reputable sites and came across an A. Metallica sling that I think I'm going to pull the trigger on. I've seen your videos on Avic's so I'm a little more educated on them now so hopefully I can keep this little guy alive.

I have a quick follow up question but it regards soil as substrate. I have a bag of Miracle-Gro Nature's Care Organic Potting Mix and I can't find anything about it on forums to see if it's safe for T's. I use Eco Earth for my other T and it seems to work well but I'm out and it can get pricey so if I can use that potting mix it would be awesome. Here's a link to it exactly so you can check it out: www.naturescare.com/en-us/products/plant/natures-care-organic-natural-potting-mix-water-conserve

Hello! This article will explain it. :) tomsbigspiders.com/2017/03/20/avicualaria-genus-revision/

Thank you so much, Tammy! Congrats on getting your first as well. :) Depending on the size of her, that can be completely normal. Larger spiders tend to spend more time in pre molt.

Is it possibly a female since it's getting bigger? I HEARD THE FEMALE PINK TOE IS USUALLY FEMALE AND HAVE S BBN LIFE SPAN OF ABOUT 13 YEARS..WHERE THAE MALE PINK TOE IS SMALLER AND LIVE ABOUT 2 YEARS..IS THIS CORRECT?👋🕸☮

Because mine has grown much bigger than she was when I got her.🕸

5.5 quart might be a bit large for a sling, but would be okay for a juvenile.

sorry she died at 5 months

Awwww...I'm so sorry to hear that, Kelli! Could you email me some pics of the setup? tomsbigspiders@outlook.com. I'll see if I can spot anything.

Yup, it sure would! I have an Avicularia Avicularia set up the exact same way. And, yes...I'd put a water dish in! :)

Tom Moran hey thanks so much for the response, I popped in a water bowl and got the T all moved in!

Thanks, Lisa!

I haven't seen one of those...I'll have to look it up! I'm assuming it's tall? Mine is currently in this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6T8DHzRKU1A.html :)

Has she been grabbing them up okay?

Tom Moran She’s been grabbing them really well and she never refuses food and is also a big drinker, I feel like I need to most more (since she always goes straight for a drink) but I don’t want to overdo the humidity. I’m looking at rehousing her once she moults and getting a water dish

Excellent! That is one of the few species I've kept that can have trouble finding prey if it stays on the ground. Is it really dry where you are?

Tom Moran It’s dry at the moment and my room tends to get quite warm. She also thinks she’s an old world 😂

Hi, Shelly! It's grown on me a bit, and much faster than I thought it would. Name changes are always difficult for the hobby, especially when it involves a popular species. Still, they mean that folks are actually taking time to study them and to sort out the taxonomy, which is always a good thing. And the name "Caribena" really does have a nice sound to it. haha

Hello, Carl! You need plenty of cross ventilation (more holes on all sides) and don't over do it with moist substrate. I give mine a water dish and moisten down a corner of it. Here's an updated care video that I did more recently: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kTiUvmDmQHQ.html

Thank you! I have to do an updated one soon. This one had babies last year, and now I'm raising a couple up.

Awwwwww...I'm sorry! :( Sounds like it was probably a male. Unfortunately, this species doesn't live as long as some.

+NirvanaFuckYes Congrats on your new acquisition! What size is the specimen? If you got her from Petsmart, i'm going to assume that it's a larger spider. I would keep her the same way I keep my Avicularia vesicolor; an arboreal setup with a piece of cork bark and some artificial plants for cover/webbing, a water dish, and plenty of ventilation. If you have a water dish, I don't usually find it necessary to keep the substrate moist (although I'll overflow the dish every once in a while). This is a genus that does NOT do well in stuffy cages, so ventilation is key. What are you currently housing her in?

shes about 2 inches, she came in a hermit crab cage, the people at petsmart said to mist her cage twice a day which ive been doing,, just a few spritz in the morning, and a few at night, i also like to keep her water dish pretty full for humidity purposes, but if you dont think its necessary ill stop that, i also want to move her into a medium sized arboreal tank when i get paid again

Do you have a photo of the setup? If so, you can email it to me (tomsbigspiders@outlook.com). Pet stores are notorious for giving bad tarantula husbandry advice, so good for you for seeking out advice from actually keepers. Misting does little to nothing for the most part besides irritate the tarantula with the sudden gusts of moisture. If you're doing this two times a day, the spider will likely have trouble settling in. If they are telling you to do this to raise humidity, the few spritzes of water will evaporate before they'll do that. Does the T have artificial plants or a hide? If so, you can dribble some water on that and let it soak into the substrate once a week or so. Once it webs, you can also dribble some on the webbing (they can and will drink off of this). Just make sure that there is good ventilation.

i'll take a pic of it right now and email it to you, right now i just have a water dish and some sticks i put in there for her to web on, but she hasnt yet, i read online that it can take MONTHS for a tarantula to get used to it's new habitat, but im not sure if this is true or not, but i did notice she gets irritated when i mist her enclosure so ill stop that, is a zoomed humidifier a good idea?

Definitely don't use the humidifier. I just shot you an email back with some suggestions!

I wouldn't advise it. I know a lot of what is out there says that they need high humidity, but that's not the case. Personally, I'd worry that you'd be doing a bunch of stuff to maintain the health of the bamboo that has nothing to do with the health of the spider. Still, if you give it a try, I would love to hear how it works out.

Will do! But a fish to agitate the water and a moss ball to eat the bad bacteria is a simple/natural way to filter right??

It's the natural way for a fish tank, sure! Unfortunately, in nature a C. versicolor wouldn't usually be living in such a situation. Is your versi an adult?

It just molted out of its baby stages. Just became no longer completely turquoise.

I've had a ceramic cat dish at the bottom as a pool for a couple years now.

Thank you, Shawntal! I just eyeball them. haha I have a background in fine are (I love pen and ink) so I've got a pretty steady hand. :)

+reptileboy91 She's about 5-6", correct? For an Avic that size, I would give her something around the size of a 5 gallon enclosure. Are you looking for something nice or something inexpensive?

+Tom Moran she is like 4.5in but something inexpensive.

+reptileboy91 For my smaller arboreals, I use a Sterilite plastic bin and vent it well on four sides. The problem is, the one I usually use has become very difficult to find. Here is the blog I did on it with the bin I use: tomsbigspiders.wordpress.com/2015/06/28/quick-and-easy-diy-tarantula-enclosure-arboreal/ Now that I'm having a difficult time finding that bin, I will likely switch to this one for my smaller arboreals: www.target.com/p/sterilite-20-qt-air-tight-storage-tote-transparent-with-blue-latch/-/A-15066036#prodSlot=medium_1_20&term=sterilite These offer enough space to put in cork bark, some plants, and the dish. I also like that they open from the top and give you a lot of room to work. Let me know if those don't work or if you have any other questions!

+Tom Moran thanks tom i appreciate the time u have givin to me..ill repay u back some how.

+reptileboy91 Please, it's my pleasure! :)

So I went with My second Chromatopelma Cyaneopubescens sling A H.Pulchripes And C.Versi 😀

Sherap

Are you in the US? Fear Not Tarantulas, Jamie's Tarantulas, Pinchers & Pokies, Swift's Inverts, and Ken the bug guy are all great.

@@TomsBigSpiders thank you. I love your videos and learned alot.

Thanks, Nequisha! :) Definitely give Fear Not a look. I've bought a ton from them. Great people there!

Oh no! This species seems to be MUCH more finicky than other species in the trade. I'm glad to hear that the last one is doing well!

They should have both a hide and plenty of real or fake foliage to hide behind and to web to.

Tom Moran thanks just got my first pink toe

Awwww...that's adroable! :)

Would you recommend a gbb for my next T

@@gantify1301 Absolutely. They are great eaters, fairly fast growing, active, and visible.

I'm so glad! Thanks!

Hi, Linda. Although I understand where you're coming from in a way, the reality is that most of these animals face a harsh life in their natural habitats. In the wild, they are predated on by other animals (man being one), they face adverse weather conditions, and many are endangered due to loss of habitat. If kept correctly, they live long and relatively stress-free lives in captivity. Many species of tarantulas are already threatened and will likely be extinct in my lifetime. There will come a time where many of these amazing animals will only exist in collections.

i'm sorry but for me its black and white, what youre suggesting that by taking them in we're sparing them a natural life in the wild, that maybe a "harsh life?" we cannot impose our way of life we seem fit for these wild tarantulas, it's simply ethically wrong. i completely agree that people are destroying the natural environments of these beauties, then who is to blame? for the pollution, destruction, captivity, and deaths? not tarantulas i'll tell you that, they are perfectly fine without our aid. my stance is we all need to leave them alone i refuse to support tarantula breeders by being a consumer and true lovers of tarantulas should do the same.

absolutely deplorable that our closure for this situation is they "will only exist in collections" as if there are no other options. refuse to be a collector they are not commodities and refuse breeders. look into sanctuaries where they have the best care and might have the option of release.

But it's not a black and white issue. I'm sorry. I've had this discussion before, and quite frankly I don't agree at all and know that it's not worth my time to try and convince you. Look up Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica and tell me again that folks shouldn't breed them. They will be EXTINCT in the wild before I die. So, you're telling me I should put mine in the wild so they can be burned to death when people slash and burn the trees they live in to build housing? And you think that is ethical? THAT is deplorable and the reality of the situation. Again, in a perfect world, this wouldn't be an issue. But it's not a perfect world. Is it the tarantulas' fault they are losing habitat? I don't know anyone who would argue that. However, as someone who truly cares for and admires these creatures, I would rather my kids and grandkids have the opportunity to see these creatures than just reading about them in a book listed with carrier pigeons and the dodo bird.

Yes, it IS deplorable that this is probably the only way many of these species will exist in 20 years. Again, look up Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica. After researching, please tell me that I should put my girls back out in their natural habitat. And where are these tarantulas sanctuaries? Again, I appreciate what you're thinking, but I'm not so naive or unrealistic. We will just have to agree to disagree.