I UPGRADED The GIGAS Enclosure! (READ THE PINNED COMMENT)

[@TheDarkDen]

This experiment failed, do not attempt to recreate it or else you will end up with one fat tarantula! The final update video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5eVo5WLeZ6ZfdU

[@startrekfangirl]

Idk if this applies to communal Ts but in some animal species they will kill anyone showing signs of sickness or weakness to avoid possible spread of disease or even drawing predators in. Just lil wheels turning I could be totally wrong because I know nothing about Tarantulas.

[@kyoukatsuariadust6744]

guessing the same, seems also pretty weird that her corpse was all the way in the corner, like far away from the "communal". Ant would do this, however they normaly got a graveyard / trashbin were they put all the leftovers from their prey

[@MissEwe]

I love that Petko builds his own furniture shelving and custom enclosures AND shares with us 😊 awesome inspiration helped me to build a new enclosure for my BCI & python (ok I cheated partially- I used old bookshelfs and then just framed plexiglass for the fronts - but I did draw inspiration from the Dark Den 💯 percent ❤️)

[@jamiemiller7316]

Hey making something into something else in my opinion, is building it yourself. I think it's awesome you repurposed an old bookshelf!

[@MissEwe]

@Jamie miller thx 😊 (and thx to the Dark Den for the inspiration 👍)

[@catandogclone7880]

You’re just reusing old stuff that would’ve probably been thrown out or left unused, that’s both creative and resourceful.

[@MissEwe]

@@catandogclone7880 you rawk yo

[@artilleryjoe1276]

Hey Petko, nice construction, but I'm a bit concerned about the weight in the middle of the constructions. Maybe a support beam in the middle? That will provide a better structure and gives you more space to put on light stripes 😁

[@fizzyb0mb]

Petko! Your LEDs are facing inwards on black paint, which may be contributing to the darkness. the light has nothing to reflect off of. Maybe you could paint the inside white or add something for the light to bounce off of, it may be lighter then.

[@laurenlittlerock6533]

Merry Christmas Petko. Blessings to you and your family. Here's hoping for an epic 2022 lord knows we need it!

[@CreepyPets_]

👍

[@kaylarose1992]

Amen!! 🙏🏻

[@D4RKSNIFFLES.]

Hope u have a good christmas petko and ur wife and kid get everything they want💙 u work so hard

[@leaholle6916]

One thing I would reccomend (if you havent already done) adding would these "slipping safe" pads you can also put underneath the chair so they dont slide over the ground too much. In case you´re accidentally hitting the enclosure it wont slide down and break as easily. Wood can sometimes be pretty slippery, broke a few things with my clumsiness! Also happy holidays to you and your little growing family!

[@effy_kujo]

I was thinking the same thing or to put one of those leveling mats under the balfouri tank.

[@leaholle6916]

@@effy_kujo another great idea, but something definitely has to go under it, it gives me anxiety hahahah

[@effy_kujo]

@@leaholle6916 same 😅

[@gigistarantulas4800]

I really enjoyed this video and with that one female balfouri it's almost like the slings claimed her as mom and was expecting her to bring food back and what's even more interesting is she was not bothered by them at all

[@dd462]

Petko has been really putting in the time to get us some longer videos and more content, and i appreciate it as this is my favorite channel by far. Merry Christmas buddy and thank you.

[@danastagg8783]

Once again….love your videos❣️Food for thought….maybe try removing the spider when it starts acting differently…could be multiple reasons for this including health issues as well as stress.? (Maybe there isn’t enough room and it’s causing tension between the spider moms lol). Not sure if the spider would’ve survived either way, but the outcome may have improved….even if only it was just the poor spider not being attacked/eaten. Happy holidays 🎉

[@donaldretallack9743]

I just got my "more substrate!" Shirt in the mail! I love it!!

[@SophieAnnie]

It would be so cool if you could get one of those tiny cameras on a cord to see inside the holes of the communal tank 😊😊

[@Iyewosot]

Petko I always thought it was super cool how you sorta do your own customization on things and build your own stuff as well as show the process

[@PO1l0]

You could probably get more brightness out of it by adding some reflective surfaces in the big hollow space. Also for the enclosures you could probably clean them easier with magnetic scrubbing tools like the ones they sell for cleaning glass aquariums, if you search for aquarium magnetic cleaners you should find them

[@V.I.C.]

FYI I love when you build and design your enclosures!! Wish you did more videos of you building! 😊😊 luv u Pecto!! 🥰🥰

[@tomjackson6268]

Merry Christmas!!! Bit of advice for building things square without a set square. Measure diagonally across it in both directions and when the measurements are the same it’s square!

[@Flaren48]

You could have painted it white on the inside of the frame, to prevent the absorption of light (also a reflective material under the topmost enclosure base would have helped). Watch out for the led stripes, the glue on those is usually pretty awful.

[@antonipiorek3778]

Hope you have a wonderful christmas petko

[@akranium311]

Nice Video! I want a 24/7 Stream of these 2 enclosures, please!

[@zulemazahir666]

I think this is my new favorite video of all time. Communals are just the most fascinating thing, I'm grateful to have all of my babies(T's) but boy I want a communal so bad. Needless to say vicariously living through communal videos on KZbin is the way to go until that time comes.

[@monrudee9894]

i just wanna say that your videos have really helped me get over being afraid of tarantulas!… i’m still a little scared of true spiders…. But because of your videos i have come to see how beautiful and adorable tarantulas are 😤💖

[@anubisplays3657]

I would call the four pieces of wood a "frame". Also I really like the design and think it looks much better with a "middle divider" like that. Nice Idea!

[@zacharyportch9303]

Awsome video like always!! I know you have the orb weaver in replacment of the green tree monitor but have you looked at mexican alligator lizards(Abronia), they are really cool looking guys and can be kept in pairs. I think that enclosure would he perfect🤌

[@ericbeeman8717]

Get urself a speed square they help immensely with squaring small projects up and always measure twice cut once I use to side houses build mini barns roofs pretty much interior exterior home remodeling

[@thenightscythe2030]

Sorry to hear about the Balfouri... Perhaps now you can add some more Sticks or something so the slings will start webbing more... maybe.

[@nanideckard]

What about the wall behind you Petko? Reno in the Den?

[@monicablaze3430]

Happy Christmas Petko, really interesting video. Thank you 😍

[@jom6829]

Wishing you and your family a very happy Christmas and that 2022 brings happiness and success.

[@elisag2055]

Merry Christmas Petko and family!

[@ImFakeStation]

merry Christmas Petko may your days be merry and bright and your Christmas's be white!

[@kenfawcett4818]

Merry Christmas to you all at the dark den

[@beckylietzow]

My guess would be that she died of old age or something and the slings scavenged on her corpse? Even though they look too old for that, it might explain the condition which you found her in

[@effy_kujo]

She was only a sub-adult if I recall correctly 😕

[@TheDarkDen]

Yeah she was still not an adult, there was something else wrong :/

[@hunterlandis8774]

@@TheDarkDen I've heard about tarantulas getting stuck inside there own body and just die because they cant molt. Is that maybe what happened to her?

[@skodass1]

@@hunterlandis8774 That can happen, but it didnt look like a failed molt

[@Fuzzypetrock]

Merry Christmas Petko and family! I just wanted to thank you so much for everything you do

[@JoshPhangurha]

I wonder if the dead female Balfouri could be Matriphagy - a process whereby the female lets her spiderlings eat her. As you say, she only looks partially eaten, which may have been enough for the spiderling's bellies. It may also explain why the spiderlings followed her around for a bit? This does occur in some true spiders (such as Amaurobius sp.), but I haven't heard of it in tarantulas. Just a theory!

[@TheDarkDen]

well she is still not and adult so it shouldn't be the case here!

[@robertschroder7959]

@@TheDarkDen and what about gerontophagy? it´s more common in social spiders and is about consuming the elderly not just the own mother

[@kakarikiIck]

Forgot to mention in the tour video, the pallidarium sorry for my spelling is going to look awesome! Great work with what you have started and how you explained with the waterfall part and the lake section. I can’t wait! Also Happy Christmas and hope that 2020 will be better for all of us. All the best to you and your family Petko. I’m sorry for your loss in the communal setup.

[@SafosYT]

My guy, you are like 2 years off lmao. It’s 2021 basically now 2022

[@kakarikiIck]

@@SafosYT oh yeah.

[@anylife_photography]

Definitely looked cool (after fresh batteries)🤣👍. Can't wait to see more balfouri escapes! It's been a good long while since the apartment incident!!!

[@raffatoot4581]

Do those flip flops have steel toe caps?

[@edgufler1122]

Happy Holiday to you and your Family. I always love your videos

[@stevenwoodward4318]

Excellent video

[@Pwnr145]

All I want for Christmas is sand for the texture

[@henlo5378]

Any ideas for bigger projects anytime soon? I really enjoy watching those videos when you build bigger enclosures. But great content anyway!

[@TheDarkDen]

Well I'm slowly building the biggest enclosure ever...however it is no where near complete!

[@henlo5378]

@@TheDarkDen Well then we have something to look forward to! :)

[@Alecsweet3057]

Petko. Feliz navidad ( merry Christmas) great video I cannot believe the spider jump like a dog to get its food that was awesome!!! 😂 I had to rewind it and watch it again that is so cool and I also enjoy your carpentry skills I would like to know where you found the cord with the LSD lights on that sticks on the other end of the lights?? Where exactly did you find those online or is there a store that you have in your area? I live in Boston Massachusetts United States so I was just curious I couldn't definitely use those LSD lights for my enclosure if you can help me with that that would be beautiful again I enjoy your video thank you so much for sharing many blessings to your new newborn soon to come. And Merry Christmas to the family.. Thank you My friend Alec

[@TheDarkDen]

I got the light of ebay, just search for batter powered LED strips!

[@danielsarachnids]

This video is Better than the Spiderman's film ,good job😍💪

[@zebedeemadness2672]

The slings could have eater the bigger Tarantula after it died, (hence the broken up remains). Socotra Island communal tarantulas, seem happy to eat fresh dead items, more so when slings.

[@ArDeeMee]

Hassle-free food. 👍

[@effy_kujo]

Great video (until the sad update of course)! I really enjoyed the communal feeding, so funny! As for your late female M. balfouri, perhaps she died naturally and the other female shredded her up for some reason? Maybe she or the babies attempted to scavenge her body but, maybe whatever killed her made her not taste like a good thing to eat or they're just not cannibalistic but, were trying to get rid of the body like they sometimes do to their molts? Idk, so weird and so sad. That communal seemed to be thriving (and seems like it still is besides the tragic death and sucks they haven't webbed more yet), I just hope that it wasn't parasites that could potentially spread to the others. Maybe she was impacted though, it didn't look like it from what I could see. Meh, sometimes we just get sick and there's no real explanation unfortunately. I'm sorry for the loss of one of your beautiful, beautiful females and am hoping the rest stay healthy and continue to thrive and you get some babies from your remaining female when the time comes for some haba haba action. Hope you and your wife and the little one who's on the way are all doing well and have happy holidays xx P.s. I can't remember if you mentioned it or not, I think you may have told us but, I'm drawing a blank but, where is Eight? How is he? I was hoping to get an update about him during the animal room tour 🐢

[@TheDarkDen]

I forgot to mention Eight and ants, they are all hibernating ^^

[@effy_kujo]

@@TheDarkDen thank you for the update xx

[@In.Darkness]

Fine display in The Dark Den. There are so many tunnels with legs LOL good one.

[@TreeWolf]

Hmm. Maybe she died and the other female or the slings tried to eat her. Or could it be that communal tarantulas kill some really weak/sick/injured ones?

[@ArDeeMee]

All communals practice occasional cannibalism. It could be they got into a fight, or one approached the other from a weird angle and was treated as hostile. It‘s just part of life. And once they‘re dead, well… waste not, want not. ;)

[@miillionsofcritters1729]

Maybe a resin dip of your pla print will strengthen it so they dont break

[@jdubbfam37]

Petko . jusr a heads up bro . I'm a big fan first off . with your lights ? Im sure if you had a way you mount the lights so they shine down and not into eachother? Just food for thought . and another thing maybe since you " have" to use battrys im wondering if you got one that has a sensor? So you sont have to turn it off and on ? Itle come on upon movement? Chears great job .

[@GIITW.5OKC]

Hi, lazy American here. For ease of saying and well more common slang, call AA batteries Double A's and AAA batteries triple A's. Happy holidays Petko!

[@joegrossman5073]

3:38 I need some clamps walks in with 2 huge clamps haha loved it. Keep up the hard work love vids.

[@CassieSmart365]

YAYYYYY!

[@shanemorgan-qk5tw]

Always cool to watch.

[@langdonfarm4326]

I have a Balfouri communal with four either adult or nearly adult females. They all still absolutely refuse to eat live insects. I have to crush their heads and leave them near the tunnel openings. I have had them since small slings and they have never eaten live prey.

[@MrDLYouTube]

Might want to consider Philips Hue solution, and you could control everything with your phone, create "regions" in the app etc. Even put names and label which lights go to specific enclosures.

[@_VIP.NIC_]

Setting up the whole basement with Hue will be super expensive. at least $400. Ikea has smart lights too and they are way cheaper. i'm using Philips Hue aswell and for my livingroom + bedroom i've spend about $350

[@MrDLYouTube]

@@_VIP.NIC_ I have tested out IKEA, but found them to be really bad. Often lost connection. Bad tech support (only help you get is to essentially return it and get a new one), and limited selection and options. Yeah, Philips is more expensive, but you get a way more solid product and not to mention a very very large community that you can look into for help and ideas, more functionality like automation etc

[@ericbeeman8717]

It would be cool to set up an enclouser for some h.gigas that has a cool water feature like a small fall and pond with fish and a small rocky hill side so that maybe they will make homes in the hill and take small fish from the pond

[@TheDarkDen]

Tried it once and it ended miserably xD But yeah, I should do it again!

[@VileLasagna]

If you search Petko's older videos, he tried that once. Was a pretty cool enclosure but ended up not working very well, unfortunately

[@ericbeeman8717]

@@TheDarkDen man nothing ends miserably we just learn a hard lesson and potentially lose a spider or 2 but it's a valuable lesson so far ur doing great with the ones now

[@stephaniebruner8534]

Merry Christmas

[@emmanuelsolano1935]

very nice

[@michaeltaylor2449]

AWESOME video mate

[@marissasmenagerie]

Maybe your M. balfouri female died and the slings started foraging off of her before you found her? Maybe those slings didn't think she was bringing food, and they were just waiting for her to become food. Just a thought.

[@kiinski]

Thanks Petko!

[@NukaCupcake01]

100th subscriber to like this video, I love watching your videos! Keep up the great work! 😁🕷🦂🦗

[@kevincastelan997]

I believe you could house a spiny orb weaver great!

[@chris_p6345]

Loved it Petco!

[@Billy-fj8sm]

Nice enclosures 👍🪳

[@jeffreyvillagrana3400]

Awesome video! I was hoping for a surprise visit from Felix :P

[@jenniferbeyer6412]

Merry Christmas and New Year. Any thing going on with the orb weaver and egg sack?

[@TheDarkDen]

You too! No update on the sac.

[@Stenssonx]

I´m in love with your tools, DeWalt and Makita, best of the best for the best!

[@pientje2007]

In honor of your Cappuchino, we named our hamster Cappuchino as well, two years ago. He passed two weeks ago.......

[@michaelbusst3451]

Love the content awesome enclosures for sure

[@BlueStratDude]

> Not a lot going on, but you guys are always asking for updates on these two setups Yeah this is cool!! Always good to see what's going on in these communals. Many of us have tarantulas; few of us have tarantula societies. Thank you so much for these - feeding and rehousing videos are always really awesome and so much fun to watch, but these videos about the communals are something else!

[@Alex-rx2cm]

This is so awesome!

[@ismewhat1234]

NICE video. love the dark Den👍

[@tarantulamum4322]

love the video. happy Christmas petko,maja and baby Erika xx💜💙🇬🇧 hows Linda?

[@karenstephens8788]

It looks like she was murdered and dismembered. Poor thing.

[@BeanzMeanzJen]

Petko please let us know if any theories come to light about the death of your balfouri female. I'm very intrigued by the bizarre behaviour too. Merry Christmas to you ❤

[@kylamulvanity7706]

Looks nice 👍

[@monsterkeys-portal4039]

Another way you could have brought power to the lights is bringing it down from the ceiling. All you would have to do to hide the wire is put a plant on top, then it also turns the overall design into a tree.

[@effy_kujo]

It wouldn't have lit up the tank underneath though

[@krjoyner56]

Great video!

[@scythezilla9163]

BraaaaaaaaaackEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPhelmaaaaahs

[@dineshjohn971]

Hello Dark Den Pls Post More Vid about pokies and other Tarasntula I love your videos a lot keep up the good work bro

[@ericplatz7200]

Just so you know I’m from America and and I am electrician we want that color LED light all the time under the cabinets we have to put it in a metal See channel with a plastic lens cover so if it does fall it stays in that little channel you should check it out

[@joannefamelio5615]

Do sad you had found that female murdered Wow she was in bits!!!

[@humanbeing8283]

Would it make sense for you get a little solar panel for the lights so they charge using the ambient light of the room? Would save money on batteries and there would be less waste. 🙂

[@giwrgostsirikoudis6799]

Nice yard

[@asinglebladeofgrass3194]

As an ark player I was really confused by the title and thumbnail for a sec

[@luisemoralesfalcon4716]

That is a great enclosure.

[@Gmoney-yg6zd]

They smelt the weakness and all said dinner .. That was torn apart

[@billysharpe3353]

White LEDs + batteries = a bad time. You will be eating through batteries.

[@boognish.]

This might be my favorite tarantula enclosure ever

[@ericbeeman8717]

Urbantarantulas has an awesome m.balfouri set up its the world's largest set up its insane

[@Raziel1984]

i can not figure out who was spraypainting there in the driveway ... at first i thought is was GANSTA-PETKO .. but it could also be NINJA-PETKO ... i am confused

[@debapratimtalukder6386]

When are u gonna buy the green tree monitor.

[@jimmystancliff2843]

And if you can provide any information on caring I love it too I watch your videos I know we need to eat plant food and dust for the crickets it's certain movie and UVB

[@thecatsmeow9972]

🖤🕷

[@tarantulas4all]

Hej give H.gigas a swimmingpool its a cool diving tarantula .thanks for All your cool mowies. Nice job your every time

[@Yugoslavz]

Zdravo!

[@ChantalsCritters]

Great video

[@richardbriansmith8562]

Awesome dark den