Question about molting?????? please help...

dougnash

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 6, 2008
Messages
5
Hi Folks,

I did a search but couldn't find the answers I was looking for.

I have a T. Blondi for a couple of months now.

Has already molted once for me. (it is a juvenile)

He is always in his den, a piece of slate angled on the substrate.

Well, he came out on Friday, and was moving wierd, I thought he was going to start molting.

He is a great eater, abdomen is nice and plump.

Well then yesterday I found him on his back, so I really thought he was going to molt.

So, he stayed like that all day, gently moving his legs around.

Well, a day later, still on his back this morning, not really moving at all.

Is he dying??

There is always a full water dish in his tank, and I spray the substrate to keep it damp every couple of days.

How long should a molt take?

Temp around 70-72 degrees.

ANy help would be great.

Thanks again.
 

Shogun

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 15, 2008
Messages
126
Has the carapace popped or anything?

How big is it?

24 hours and no progress doesnt sound very good...but really nothing you can do besides wait..

EDIT: Also, I seems like you were doing everything right, blondis are notorious for molt issues...someone with more knowledge than me will hopefully have more to tell you.
 

dougnash

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 6, 2008
Messages
5
Thank you for responding.

I put a heating pad under the tank to raise the temp a bit.

I fear the worst.

Is this the "death curl" I have been reading about...
 

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dougnash

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 6, 2008
Messages
5
[QUOTE=Shogun;1188563]Has the carapace popped or anything?

How big is it?


His abdomen is about the size of a dime.
 

crpy

Arachnoking
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Apr 19, 2008
Messages
2,567
does not look good imo, but wait for the abdomen to shrink in obvious death condition for you trow away or bury.
 

crpy

Arachnoking
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Apr 19, 2008
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yeah, just wait, but not to be defeatest, it doesn't look good still. Warm the tank slowly up to 78-80 just for the sake of it.
 

thirtysixwood

Arachnoknight
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Mar 20, 2006
Messages
184
Its always a sad day to me when someone looses a blondi... I lost my first 2 blondi's for no reason... I bought my 3rd blondi, sold as Female, turned out male, Shipped him off to do his business, but no luck with the children... Then I bought a 2in sling... had him for a while, he molted once, then ate, next thing you know, he's not eating and walking funny as well... and off to spidey heaven he went... So I feel your pain!!!

Blondi's are known for there problems, if they dont just die, they loose fangs, and so on... I've seen it a million times... lol... The Temps could use a readjusting, Blondi definately need that high temp 80-90+, at least thats where I keep mine... Happy campers they are...

Sorry for your lose..
 

fartkowski

Arachnoemperor
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Jan 5, 2007
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4,904
I've seen many of my T's look like that right after a molt.
I would just leave it alone for a while.
 

GForce14063

Arachnobaron
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May 24, 2004
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368
Time will tell perhap transfer to container with moist paper towel and keep warm.
 

Zoltan

Cult Leader
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May 20, 2008
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Blondi definately need that high temp 80-90+, at least thats where I keep mine... Happy campers they are...
Not meaning to get into an argument, but I think that 90 F is way too much for a blondi, and a lot of people here lost blondis because they were kept at 90 F. I'd say the optimal range is between 72-73 F and 80-81 F, but 90 F is gonna do more harm than benefit to the spider. Just my 2 cents.

Cheers,
 

hardlucktattoo

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 17, 2008
Messages
579
maybe an icu would help it cant hurt much at this point moist paper towel, keep it warm and keep it dark
 

thirtysixwood

Arachnoknight
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Mar 20, 2006
Messages
184
Not meaning to get into an argument, but I think that 90 F is way too much for a blondi, and a lot of people here lost blondis because they were kept at 90 F. I'd say the optimal range is between 72-73 F and 80-81 F, but 90 F is gonna do more harm than benefit to the spider. Just my 2 cents.

Cheers,
I may have overshot the truth by a few degrees... it however has been a while since I've owned a blondi, and now tend to keep all my T's at a lower Temp... Guess I just wanted to say that I think Blondi Temps need to be followed a little more strict than some species....
 

arachyd

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
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Feb 4, 2008
Messages
539
Please don't move it. If it is only having a slow molt moving it could kill it. ICU simply raises the humidity and helps the T recover in a small place that feels safe. If you add another water dish or 2, keep it warm and darken the tank with paper around it you will accomplish something similar to ICU without moving the T from it's home (where it already feels safe).
 

Philth

N.Y.H.C.
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Jan 4, 2003
Messages
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Well, he came out on Friday, and was moving wierd, I thought he was going to start molting
Did you feed it a bug from outside or could it of ben exposed to any kind of pesticide? I keep all my blondi at room temp, and they seem to do fine, I wouldnt make yourself crazy with temperature, as I doubt that it had anything to do with it. The only thing you can do is wait it out, I wouldnt move it.

Thats what a "death curl" looks like except there usually right side up. On the other hand it dosent look like its molting either as it dosent look like it liad a mat to molt on.

Later, Tom
 
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