# Cobalt Blue Tarantulas Advice please?



## Metallica Rules! (Jan 14, 2009)

Hello, further to my post asking advice on tarantula venom, and the risks of anaphylaxis, I wondered if there were any cobalt blue tarantula keepers on here? 

I have done a fair bit of research on them, and know that they are a fairly aggressive species. Obviously, I would not be looking to add anything like this to my collection until I have had a lot more experience. 
Are they available in this country, and what are people's experiences?
Cheers


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## Danhalen (Jun 6, 2008)

Metallica Rules! said:


> Hello, further to my post asking advice on tarantula venom, and the risks of anaphylaxis, I wondered if there were any cobalt blue tarantula keepers on here?
> 
> I have done a fair bit of research on them, and know that they are a fairly aggressive species. Obviously, I would not be looking to add anything like this to my collection until I have had a lot more experience.
> Are they available in this country, and what are people's experiences?
> Cheers


Its not too hard to get ahold of a lividum at all really.

I've had a few of both colour forms (there's a light and dark form), and to be perfectly honest, I'm not one to suggest them really.

Don't get me wrong, they are very attractive spiders, but if you are keeping them correctly, chances are you will hardly ever see it. They are obligate burrowers, and there were periods of time where I would not see one for months on end. In fact, I know of people who have not seen theirs in over a year.


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## shrek090 (Jun 24, 2008)

yes they are available in this country,i have a female who surprisingly is quite chilled out,but i think thats due to the fact she is coming up to a molt.
if you already have experience with tarantulas and have a bit of common sense when it comes rehousing and feeding, i dont see why you shouldn't add one to your collection.


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## Becky (Mar 26, 2007)

I see my girl on a daily basis, she sits at the top of her burrow waiting to eat me


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## Danhalen (Jun 6, 2008)

Becky said:


> I see my girl on a daily basis, she sits at the top of her burrow waiting to eat me


Was that the one I pawned off on you?


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## Elisha Metcalf (Sep 12, 2008)

i didnt take peoples advise and got one anyway when advised not to, because they are stunning, she wasnt in the correct set up when i got her, so i set it up nicely, and now she is in her burrow all the time! luckily sometimes when i go in she issat near her burrow , but as soon as you walk near her she goes back in, first day i got her she jumped on me from her tank and omg, you would never even believe how fast these things move....obscene! but gorgeous!


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## 9Red (May 30, 2008)

Metallica Rules! said:


> Hello, further to my post asking advice on tarantula venom, and the risks of anaphylaxis, I wondered if there were any cobalt blue tarantula keepers on here?
> 
> I have done a fair bit of research on them, and know that they are a *fairly aggressive* species. Obviously, I would not be looking to add anything like this to my collection until I have had a lot more experience.
> Are they available in this country, and what are people's experiences?
> Cheers


Better make that VERY, VERY AGGRESSIVE you mean!

These spiders are seriously bad-ass and will think nothing of launching a flying attack into your face given half a chance (speaking from experience here). We had an adult female sent to us by mistake (she was supposed to be an _A. metallica_ :bash and when she arrived she had been battered to within an inch of her life by Royal Mail. Despite being curled up and on deaths' doorstep, 'Precious' as she ended up being called still managed to launch a serious attack when my OH tried to gently move her into an ICU with a ladle. The curled up, dead-looking spider suddenly unfolded into a seriously p*ssed off set of fangs and had a good jump at the OH's face. She then dug a hole in her substrate and we didn't see her again for a week.

_H.lividum_ also have a very potent venom with the same levels of toxicity and effects as some of the pokie (Ornamental Aboreal) spiders. You can buy them quite readily in the U.K from most online bug stores like tarantulabarn.com etc, and some rep shops have them in or can order them in from suppliers. 

I like spiders, and _H.lividum_ are a beautiful species indeed. But personally I can't be dealing with that type of attitude in a T. Give me my Brachys and Avics any day!


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

I've got a young one, maybe an inch or so across not yet blue. Usually see a few legs at the burrow entrance. Nothing else to say really. Compared to some of my other spiders that strike at me through their tubs this one is pretty tame.

I bleieve that as long as you're careful and sensible then it doesn't matter what species you keep.


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## Lucifus (Aug 30, 2007)

Wimp they are not that bad. :lol2:
They do go psychotic when they are dug up though....frigging took me half an hour to repot it after it just sat on the door opening in the threat position. Most of the time they just run down back down the burrow and only attack when they cant run.



9Red said:


> Better make that VERY, VERY AGGRESSIVE you mean!
> 
> These spiders are seriously bad-ass and will think nothing of launching a flying attack into your face given half a chance (speaking from experience here). We had an adult female sent to us by mistake (she was supposed to be an _A. metallica_ :bash and when she arrived she had been battered to within an inch of her life by Royal Mail. Despite being curled up and on deaths' doorstep, 'Precious' as she ended up being called still managed to launch a serious attack when my OH tried to gently move her into an ICU with a ladle. The curled up, dead-looking spider suddenly unfolded into a seriously p*ssed off set of fangs and had a good jump at the OH's face. She then dug a hole in her substrate and we didn't see her again for a week.
> 
> ...


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## Scaley (Sep 25, 2007)

i actually saw mine this morning!!! she was just webbing a bit more at the top of her burrow, i sat there for a while watching and she wasnt bothered by my presence! she is also for sale if you fancy it? :whistling2:


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## Paulie B (Oct 28, 2008)

Personaly, I think they are a must in any T collection but if you are planning on getting one read up on the Haplopelma genus firstly and know what to expect.


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## Metallica Rules! (Jan 14, 2009)

hmmmm. this dosent seem like such a good idea anymore . obviously i intend to get more experience before attempting to keep anything as gnarly as this however im really interested in blue tarantulas. i dont suppose there are any more manageable species of blue tarantula? btw thankyou all for your advice


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## Metallica Rules! (Jan 14, 2009)

i have just discovered another type of blue spider the greenbottle blue. its awesome thats a wacky colour combo. ive done some research and this seems a wiser choice than the cobalt blue. anyone got any advice or experience with them y'all were helpful with the cobalt blue and i would really appreciate a heads up on them thanx.


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## enlightenment (Dec 14, 2006)

Metallica Rules! said:


> Hello, further to my post asking advice on tarantula venom, and the risks of anaphylaxis, I wondered if there were any cobalt blue tarantula keepers on here?
> 
> I have done a fair bit of research on them, and know that they are a fairly aggressive species. Obviously, I would not be looking to add anything like this to my collection until I have had a lot more experience.
> Are they available in this country, and what are people's experiences?
> Cheers


Yes, you can commonly buy them.

Personally, I have never found them to be as bad as some might tell you.

As long as you are sensible, of course.


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## Willyleigh (May 25, 2008)

I know of someone who had to use a snake hook to move his haplopelma albostriatum to it's new enclosure, and he is not some one who is frightened of spiders, I have seen him moving T. Blondi by hand to a new enclosure and it was the biggest spider I have ever seen.


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## lycanlord20 (Jul 11, 2008)

I love our H.lividum gorgeous T, had to dig her up last week, poured some water onto her substrate and most of it collapsed she had made many tunels lol, found her and she was twice as big as when she went in there lol.
In general this species is agressive but its never really an issue, as like has already been mentioned you will rarely see them, usually you just see some legs at the opening to there burrow lol
I am one of the lucky ones mie has burrowed against the glass and hasnt webbed the glass up so I can see her when I like


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## shrek090 (Jun 24, 2008)

Metallica Rules! said:


> i have just discovered another type of blue spider the greenbottle blue. its awesome thats a wacky colour combo. ive done some research and this seems a wiser choice than the cobalt blue. anyone got any advice or experience with them y'all were helpful with the cobalt blue and i would really appreciate a heads up on them thanx.


gbb are very nice spiders,but don't expect to see it much. they cover everything with web.


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

shrek090 said:


> gbb are very nice spiders,but don't expect to see it much. they cover everything with web.


Thats not completely true mine is always out.


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## lycanlord20 (Jul 11, 2008)

yeah but your lucky :lolsign:


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## DAVE3485UK (Nov 4, 2008)

For some strange reason, mine has never made a borrow. Its in a deep tank with plenty of substrate but just sits on the top on some web & doesnt move till night unless something goes near it. 
Its gone for me a few times. Its been close but has not bit me yet. Everything i read about this great spiders venom said "venom effect: Not yet known"
its the maddest spider i have ever had.


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## Becky (Mar 26, 2007)

selina20 said:


> Thats not completely true mine is always out.


But so is my lividum....?

GBB are lovely spiders, quick growing and easy to look after.


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## Paulie B (Oct 28, 2008)

My GBB webs up everywhere and everything in her enclosure however, she is always out and about and rarely hidden away if at all. Bit of a hair flicker but great spiders. You should try and track one down.


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## DAVE3485UK (Nov 4, 2008)

i ment my cobalt. i havnt got a gbb.


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## enlightenment (Dec 14, 2006)

selina20 said:


> Thats not completely true *mine is always out*.


PARDON????


:whistling2:


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## DAVE3485UK (Nov 4, 2008)

i left a comment earlier and how & when i put it,it seemed like i was on about a green bottle but i was on about my cobalt


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