New T and webbing

gashadokuro

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Hello

Recently (about 2 week ago) I got a grammastola rosea and it seems to be in good health except it doesn't eat which is expected since it's in new house and might be ready to molt. Anyways I've had it's tube that it hides in and it stays in there a while. Will it eventually put down some webbing? or does it only do that when it's going to molt?
 

Crysta

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they will do it eventually. Provide some deep substrate and a start up burrow as well, my rosea used to dig tunnels like a monster.
They lay down webbing all the time, you just cant see it that well until its piled up, so they don't web that much overall.
 

gashadokuro

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Oh ok. Also my other question. Will a tarantula get bigger before molting? Not sure why but it just seems like the tarantula's gotten a tad bigger even though it hasn't eaten yet.
 

Chris_Skeleton

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The only thing that can change in size is the abdomen depending on how hydrated it is and how much it eats. Other than that, a T will not grow without molting. Post some pics of your setup.
 

ZergFront

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The coxa of the legs appear to look more "pulled away" from the sternum but other than that and the abdomen swelling, no, not before molt.

Be very patient with rosies. Lots of them go without eating for LONG periods of time but make sure it has water available(in a bowl. They hate even damp sub).

Oh ok. Also my other question. Will a tarantula get bigger before molting? Not sure why but it just seems like the tarantula's gotten a tad bigger even though it hasn't eaten yet.
 

RoosterG

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You'll see some heavy'ish webbing when the rosea is ready to molt... When I had my rosea she jus webbed the inside of the hide up quite a bit,but she blocked off the hide completely preparing for a molt.
 

gashadokuro

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The only thing that can change in size is the abdomen depending on how hydrated it is and how much it eats. Other than that, a T will not grow without molting. Post some pics of your setup.











Sorry if the images are too big/blurry, if there's a code for the img tag to resize let me know.

About the setup it's just an 8x8x8 exo terra. The t is about 3 - 3 1/2 inches so that should be a decent size for now. I usually have a cardboard tube in there for him/her to hide in, but i took it out for the pic. I'm actually going to the petstore tomorrow to buy something for it to go in.

Also would it be a good idea to get another bag of that subtrate and make sort of a slant on one side so it can try to burrow?
 

Chris_Skeleton

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A shorter enclosure would be a good idea. That one is too tall and could be dangerous for your T if it decides to climb.
 

gashadokuro

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A shorter enclosure would be a good idea. That one is too tall and could be dangerous for your T if it decides to climb.
I was actually thinking of taking out the foam background because it doesn't seem to be up to climb the glass, i've watched it and it couldn't. That's why i was also asking if i should get that 2nd bag of bedding to make a slope.
 

catfishrod69

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if you put more bedding in there it will come out the sides of the doors, you might want to try a different aquarium, or go to walmart and get a plastic tub for aabout $5, and drills some air holes in the top of the sides, make sure there is about enough bedding for the T's toes to touch the bottom and the top at the same time..
 

gashadokuro

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if you put more bedding in there it will come out the sides of the doors, you might want to try a different aquarium, or go to walmart and get a plastic tub for aabout $5, and drills some air holes in the top of the sides, make sure there is about enough bedding for the T's toes to touch the bottom and the top at the same time..
I might do that. When i was going to put more bedding it was going to be towards the back where the door's not at. But yeah I'll probably go get something shorter and maybe a bit wider.
 

catfishrod69

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well you could put more substrate towards the back, but the T will just move it around where it wants it no matter where you put it...walmart sells a clear 12.7 quart tub that the handles lock the lid on, it is perfect, i keep a rosea, and a B. vagans in these...getting ready to put a couple more T's in them...i think they are just a little under $5, and if you drill 1/8" holes around the top of the sides, instead of the lid, you can always get more of them, and stack them..let us know how it turns out..
 

advan

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The only thing that can change in size is the abdomen depending on how hydrated it is and how much it eats. Other than that, a T will not grow without molting. Post some pics of your setup.
Her abdomen could get larger if she's gravid. ;)
 

gashadokuro

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Ok so my t just started laying webbing down probably today or yesterday. I did notice that it's been very active today, like climbing around when it would just normally sit in it's tube/hideout. Is it possibly ready to molt or maybe looking for food since it hasn't eaten since i got it?

Edit: Don't think it's wanting to eat just yet. I got a grasshopper for it (had to remove the jumping legs so it wont be going all over the place) and if the t gets near it, it'll just shy back from it.
 
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Amoeba

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You'd never know my G rosea webbed unless you touched the substrate around her hide. There are a plethora of things that affect if they web a lot or little. You can't really make a spider do anything so it's all on their time and G rosea could probably be voted weirdest T species. congrats on the new T but as Chris_Skeleton said a shorter enclosure would be better suited for that species. :biggrin: good luck and welcome to the hobby.
 

pnshmntMMA

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got mine about 2-3 years ago, it ate for a few months then about 1.5-2 years without food. after 2 years it finally molted. mine isnt a big webber but it has before, and it did make a mat before molting
 

xhexdx

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Another thing - G. rosea aren't really heavy webbers, so you won't really see much. They will lay a fine layer of silk on the substrate, but that's about it unless they are making a molt mat, or dropping a sac.
 

gashadokuro

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Its been a while since I've posted here. My t molted last month on the 18th (I was lucky enough to watch it) . I've put it in a new housing since then (16in x 11in) since he got bigger. I'm sure its molting again today since its set up webbing. The thing is I have this cardboard box inside his enclosure that has a hole on the side for him to go in (he loves it in there when hiding) but its when I noticed the webbing is on top of him (touching his underside since he's on his back)) will that have effect with him getting out of his shell?
 

catfishrod69

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If he is upside down, and the webbing is over him, it sounds like a mature male loading his emboli. Can you get some pics of him?
 

gashadokuro

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I have pics but atm I have no net at home and its a pain to upload properly on my phone. However he did crawl out from under it, got on top and was rotating around using its short arms in the front. Initially he was half way under the web and was kinda moving his legs as they would do if they were molting and spinerettes moving too. When he crawled out it left it almost like a hammock with a whole on one end (similar to when he molted before).
 
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