# tarantula water bowl advise



## pacorivan (Jun 20, 2010)

I put water bowls in with all my ts and in the bowl i put small stones so they dont drowned is this the best way or is the better . 
Ur views on bug gel /reptile gel please


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## mcluskyisms (Jan 24, 2010)

pacorivan said:


> I put water bowls in with all my ts and in the bowl i put small stones so they dont drowned is this the best way or is the better .


You dont really need the stones in there unless the T's are tiny, the only other advice I could give is to maybe sink the bowls into the substrate so that they sit just above flush, that way the tarantula can locate the water easier


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## rep666 (Apr 1, 2010)

use the reptile gel for spiders then they cant drown:2thumb:


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## mcluskyisms (Jan 24, 2010)

rep666 said:


> use the reptile gel for spiders then they cant drown:2thumb:


Your obviously very "fresh" to the hobby, Its the dumbest thing in the world to give tarantula's that crap.

:roll:


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## MrGaz (Jun 6, 2010)

mcluskyisms said:


> Your obviously very "fresh" to the hobby, Its the dumbest thing in the world to give tarantula's that crap.
> 
> :roll:


 
lmao yer i have seen a tubs of it out in the open when i have been looking for T's 
they just open it up have a drink and then go on there way : victory:


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## pacorivan (Jun 20, 2010)

wont give them my bug gel to un sure about it , it seem to artificial


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## pacorivan (Jun 20, 2010)

thats what i fort ionly give it to my live food crickets an locusts


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## rep666 (Apr 1, 2010)

my best mate has over 2000 spiders and owns reptiles plus think i know what im on aboat i also keep over 50 diffrent reptiles


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## mcluskyisms (Jan 24, 2010)

Never give tarantulas bug gel, they cant get any hydration from it


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

Yes I was advised by several experienced keepers that the gel was no good for spiders, I keep that for the crickets and my slings have bowls of water. I use plastic bottle caps with a small piece of porous rock (actually Alfagrog which I use in my aquarium filters) to stop the spiders drowning, I see the Red Knee which is the biggest of them drinking water from the rock quite regularly.


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## pacorivan (Jun 20, 2010)

2000 ts must take forever to change all that bug gel lol


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## rep666 (Apr 1, 2010)

its still normal water you put reptile crystals in the bowl to stop drowning often get used for poison arrow frogs ... its not the blue gel you buy of the shelf :2thumb::2thumb::2thumb:


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## rep666 (Apr 1, 2010)

they wholesale to most shops so have alot of everything :2thumb:


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## mcluskyisms (Jan 24, 2010)

rep666 said:


> its still normal water you put reptile crystals in the bowl to stop drowning often get used for poison arrow frogs ... its not the blue gel you buy of the shelf :2thumb::2thumb::2thumb:


That just lazy ass pet shop crap attitude where they don't give a :censor: about the actual animals, I wont give my tarantulas bug gel, as the stuff is only meant for hydrating your livefoods.....

:roll:


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## mcluskyisms (Jan 24, 2010)

rep666 said:


> they wholesale to most shops so have alot of everything :2thumb:


Whats the wholesale price on water these days?

:hmm:


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## rep666 (Apr 1, 2010)

its not bug gel!!!!!!!


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

mcluskyisms said:


> That just lazy ass pet shop crap attitude where they don't give a :censor: about the actual animals, I wont give my tarantulas bug gel, as the stuff is only meant for hydrating your livefoods.....
> 
> :roll:


hear, hear! you don't need gel, sponges, stones or any of that crap- just a small dish or a plastic bottle top & fill it with tap water- t's don't drown in their water dishes!


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## AdieSWA (Jun 9, 2010)

rep666 said:


> my best mate has over 2000 spiders and owns reptiles plus think i know what im on aboat i also keep over 50 diffrent reptiles


its great for reps n livefood but honestly mate the spiders cannot get hydrated from this crap...dont even know why they put for spiders on the bottles coz its bollocks


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## rep666 (Apr 1, 2010)

they do drown even in the crystals,i picked up two last week that were dead yes dead DROWNED and a poison arrow


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## rep666 (Apr 1, 2010)

its not the gel ive already said its not the blue gel ,,,you mix this urself with water


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## mcluskyisms (Jan 24, 2010)

rep666 said:


> its not the gel ive already said its not the blue gel ,,,you mix this urself with water


I'm not talking about "blue gel" I'm talking about little white crystals that soak water up, its clear.

Its no good for tarantulas at all & you pay money for it, water comes out the tap for free.....


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

Surely the crystals are just Polyacrylamide, the same stuff that's used in Bug Gel except they haven't been soaked in water yet?


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## mcluskyisms (Jan 24, 2010)

Graham said:


> Surely the crystals are just Polyacrylamide, the same stuff that's used in Bug Gel except they haven't been soaked in water yet?


Yeah exactly the same, and its no good for tarantulas!!!


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## MrGaz (Jun 6, 2010)

WTF! please just think how many T's would use gel in the wild. what do they use in the wild o yes thats right WATER
its free !!!! :bash::bash::bash:


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## rep666 (Apr 1, 2010)

its up to the person whos spider it is theres no right way....the right way would be to have no animals in captivity:gasp:


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

I recently read that tarantula are becoming extinct in the wild due to the lack of bug gel, crystals and sponges in their natural habitat. I think that's why the hobby is saving them from such environments. Reports have concluded that providing water bowls in the wild is encouraging mass suicide but they're hopeful of a solution with mini-life buoys. Fingers crossed eh!


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## MrGaz (Jun 6, 2010)

lol :no1:


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## mcluskyisms (Jan 24, 2010)

Poxicator said:


> I recently read that tarantula are becoming extinct in the wild due to the lack of bug gel, crystals and sponges in their natural habitat. I think that's why the hobby is saving them from such environments. Reports have concluded that providing water bowls in the wild is encouraging mass suicide but they're hopeful of a solution with mini-life buoys. Fingers crossed eh!


Epic win :no1:


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

well, i can honestly say that in 13 years i've never lost a tarantula to drowning in its water dish- & i've never used a sponge, stone or gel. in fact, stanley schultz states in his book that sponges etc are a rip-off, & the only ones who benefit are the manufacturers!


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## rep666 (Apr 1, 2010)

its ones opinion peoples judgement i have seen alot of reptiles die from drowning spiders not being one of them but it does happen .:2thumb:


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## Simon M (Oct 9, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> hear, hear! you don't need gel, sponges, stones or any of that crap- just a small dish or a plastic bottle top & fill it with tap water- t's don't drown in their water dishes!



Agree!


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## Simon M (Oct 9, 2008)

rep666 said:


> its ones opinion peoples judgement i have seen alot of reptiles die from drowning spiders not being one of them but it does happen .:2thumb:



In the bath doesn't count! :lol2:


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## mcluskyisms (Jan 24, 2010)

rep666 said:


> its ones opinion peoples judgement i have seen alot of reptiles die from drowning spiders not being one of them but it does happen .:2thumb:


Tarantulas aren't reptiles they are invertebrates, and we tarantula folk don't tend to give the tarantulas water dishes big enough to swim in....


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## DannyB (Nov 8, 2009)

rep666 said:


> my best mate has over 2000 spiders and owns reptiles plus think i know what im on aboat i also keep over 50 diffrent reptiles


My best mate is an electrician, doesnt mean i could rewire my house though....


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## SkinheadOi85 (Sep 28, 2008)

Rep666 You seem to (in my reading) come across that Mc`s having a go...

Now I agree I used to use gel with my T to start n she was always on it...I then changed to water NO T on it so i paniced....then read up on the make-up of T`s( no Mc and other regulars not eyeliner or blusher for T`s) and realised that they dont gain anything from gel at all....I researched and spoke to shop keepers and people who have kept for longer then I have been alive and the outcome...use water...yes we sell gel but waters the stuff we use.

Again it is personal preferance as is a lot of things that we do as keepers of animals of any kind. But I dont see the need for it apart from with feeder food. but i sometimes just use shallow water bowls for them also.


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## Tavor21 (May 24, 2010)

Mate the stuff chemicals in bug gel is dangerous for ts the reason why feeders dont die is because they normally defecate most of the chemicals out and can extract the water. Ts dont defecate every day so they cant get rid of the chemicals. All guides advise against water gel for a reason it not because we hate it for no reason


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## Hedgewitch (Feb 12, 2008)

Tavor21 said:


> Mate the stuff chemicals in bug gel is dangerous for ts the reason why feeders dont die is because they normally defecate most of the chemicals out and can extract the water. Ts dont defecate every day so they cant get rid of the chemicals. All guides advise against water gel for a reason it not because we hate it for no reason


Lolwut?

Simply put Ts mouths have filters on them, they cannot ingest solid foods. Nor can they ingest gels, they need liquids. This is why they pre-digest their food and suck up the liquid that results.

Bug gel or any variant thereof is bad for Ts because they cannot drink it, the risk is not chemicals or anything specifically wrong with the gel, the issue is that they dehydrate as they have no access to drinkable water.

Bare in mind also that most T's past a 3cm legspan can survive a dunking, being able to pull themselves off water dropplets. Also: many Ts are proficient swimmers, they actively use swimming to escape predators etc. They are highly unlikely to drown, the ammount of water you'd need to drown most adult Ts would not fit in their tank.


Also:


Poxicator said:


> I recently read that tarantula are becoming extinct in the wild due to the lack of bug gel, crystals and sponges in their natural habitat. I think that's why the hobby is saving them from such environments. Reports have concluded that providing water bowls in the wild is encouraging mass suicide but they're hopeful of a solution with mini-life buoys. Fingers crossed eh!


Sig Quoooooooote!


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## MissCat (Mar 9, 2009)

Hedgewitch said:


> Lolwut?
> 
> Simply put Ts mouths have filters on them, they cannot ingest solid foods. Nor can they ingest gels, they need liquids. This is why they pre-digest their food and suck up the liquid that results.
> 
> ...


THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Plus, water's free! lol. 

Sponges can harbour bacteria and mold spores.
Stones/pebbles don't really need to be used for the spiders sake, but if the water bowl has sheer sides i'll pop one in so livefood can escape it if they fall in the bowl.


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## prayingmantis123 (Jul 20, 2010)

Use a Shallow water dish fill it just enough for the tarantula to step into


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## 8legpet (Mar 25, 2010)

*Use this forum to learn, not appear stupid.*



rep666 said:


> i have seen alot of reptiles die from drowning spiders not being one of them.


 


I am more than prepared to be corrected if I'm wrong, but having researched much before even remotely considering keeping any Exotic Animal (Some of which are indeed so scarce in the wild that captivity is the only way to see them alive) these gels/crystals are all identically produced. They get packaged differently for use in

Hanging Basket Compost
Orchid Glasses
Tampons
Tena Pads
Baby's Nappies
The last two should give you all the indication you need that these crystals just take the :censor: in more ways than just giving false security to inexperienced exotic keepers.

When did NatGeo last show Dr Attenbourgh's famous picture of Tarantulas sucking on a sponge just for a drink?

*Perhaps a minor point of syntax would also suggest that a Tarantula isn't a reptile, drowned or not.*

What astounds me sometimes is that people who clearly have access to one of the greatest learning networks this world has ever seen can still spout :censor: like its the law. The same ones always seem to have a "My Dad is Bigger than Your Dad" attitude to go with it.

Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge, fitter to bruise than polish. [Anne Bradstreet, poet Dede Aday MacDonald]


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## Moggy (Jun 7, 2010)

8legpet said:


> I am more than prepared to be corrected if I'm wrong, but having researched much before even remotely considering keeping any Exotic Animal (Some of which are indeed so scarce in the wild that captivity is the only way to see them alive) these gels/crystals are all identically produced. They get packaged differently for use in
> 
> Hanging Basket Compost
> Orchid Glasses
> ...


Its true. I have noticed that a few new members are quick to say what they think is law. It can ruin it for people like me, who joined the forum to genuinely get help and advice from ppl who have the experience and who are decent enough to give it. 
It ruins it for people like me, who are new to the hobby but who have researched but still need a helping hand now and again. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but there is no reason to be so blunt about it. It can make some people start to be judgemental to new members. If you cant give your opinion nicely and accept any criticism given in an adult way then dont post/reply!!!!


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## Hedgewitch (Feb 12, 2008)

Moggy said:


> If you cant give your opinion nicely and accept any criticism given in an adult way then dont post/reply!!!!


I believe more than a few members on here could do to listen to this advice...

*Just because you know, or think you know, more than other people, it does not make you better than them. If you think it does, then you're probably worse. Nor does it mean you can talk down to them. Seriously, who do you think you are? *


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