Xenesthis sp. Blue
Giant Blue Bloom - complete care guide
Giant Blue Bloom
Temperature
20-24 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
65-75 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
20-25 cm
Average - varies per individual
Moult interval
Sling 4-9w - Juv 2.7-4.3mo
Adult 12-17mo
Adult cycle = mature females; males never moult again after maturity
About
The Giant Blue Bloom - the hobby's hot Colombian grail: powder-blue legs over a pink starburst carapace on a 20-25 cm frame, distinct from X. immanis in the trade long before any formal description (which is still pending - this remains an undescribed Xenesthis). Montane stock that runs COOLER and DRIER than lowland South American terrestrials - overheating kills these, so a British living room is closer to ideal than a heated vivarium. Nervous, hair-flicky and slow-growing, with UK slings commanding £100+. The spider everyone points at when the tub opens.
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- Colombia (lower montane forest)
- Habitat
- Foothill forest floor
- Temperament
- Skittish
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maturity
- ♀ 72mo ♂ 54mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 20yr ♂ 5yr
- Continent
- South America
- UK availability
- Rare in the hobby
Care Guide
Xenesthis sp. Blue
Giant Blue Bloom - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does a Giant Blue Bloom Tarantula need?
Adults
45 × 30 cm (18 × 12 in) for a mature adult - one of the biggest terrestrials in the hobby. Floor space matters more than height.
Slings & Juveniles
House spiderlings in small, appropriately sized deli cups or sling enclosures.
To map exact floor space and substrate safety limits for your setup, use our free interactive tarantula enclosure planner.
What temperature and humidity does a Giant Blue Bloom Tarantula need?
Heating
The Giant Blue Blooms is comfortable at 20-24 °C - keep them COOL; UK room temperature is usually ideal and supplementary heat is a mistake.
Humidity
65-75 %: dry substrate with a full water dish; skip routine misting - the dish covers their needs.
Ventilation
Cross-ventilation is essential - side-vented enclosures, never stagnant.
What substrate is best for a Giant Blue Bloom Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
8-10 cm
Notes
Keep substrate dry to barely moist - never soaking. Pack firm; 8-10 cm for opportunistic digging.
How do you set up a Giant Blue Bloom Tarantula enclosure?
Décor
The Hide
A cork bark half-log, leaning slab, or cork tube; established animals web around it heavily.
Water
Always provide a large shallow water dish - montane stock takes moisture from the dish rather than misting.
Lighting
No special lighting needed. Ambient room light is enough.
How often should you feed a Giant Blue Bloom Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my Giant Blue Bloom Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - a healthy Giant Blue Bloom Tarantula fasting is almost never an emergency in itself. Watch for slowing down and spending more time in the hide, laying a thick moult mat of web on the floor. New World species like this one often show a bald spot on the abdomen that darkens to near-black as the new skin underneath readies - a darkening bald patch is a reliable countdown, not a disease.
On its back is MOULTING, not dying
A Giant Blue Bloom Tarantula lying upside down or on its side with legs curled inwards is almost certainly mid-moult. Do not touch it, do not right it, do not mist it - just remove any live prey (crickets can kill a defenceless moulter) and leave the room.
How long between moults?
For this species, expect a moult roughly every 30-60 days for spiderlings, every 80-130 days for juveniles, and every 180-290 days for sub-adults, with adult females moulting around every 11.7 months (up to 16.7 months at the extreme). Males never moult again after their ultimate (mature) moult.
After the moult: fang hardening time
The new exoskeleton stays soft, with fangs that cannot grip, for roughly 9 days in this species. Offer no food and no handling for about 9 days - feeding too early is how fresh moulters get injured. The shed exuvium is also the best sexing tool there is - see our tarantula sexing guide for what to look for.
Genuinely worried about behaviour that is not moulting? Our "Is my T okay?" triage tool walks the danger signs one by one.
What ongoing care does a Giant Blue Bloom Tarantula need?
🪞 Moulting
Signs: refuses food, abdomen darkens and goes glossy, becomes sluggish, often heavy webbing or a moult mat. During the moult: do not disturb, remove any live prey, keep water available. Wait until the fangs are black and hard (about a week for a big adult) before feeding again. Adult intervals apply to mature FEMALES - a mature male never moults again.
🧹 Cleaning
Daily: check the water dish. Weekly: remove uneaten prey boluses and spot-clean. Full deep clean only every few months.
✋ Handling
Nervous and quick to kick hairs - look, do not hold; wash up after maintenance.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping Giant Blue Bloom Tarantulas?
✓ What They Love
- Cool, stable temperature - montane stock
- Dry-side substrate with a full water dish
- Cross-ventilation
- A proper hide and deep substrate
- Patience - glacial growth is normal
✕ Common Mistakes
- Overheating - above ~26 °C montane stock declines
- Misting the spider directly
- Free handling - nervous and hair-flicky
- Expecting fast growth even as slings
Keep exploring: related care guides
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