Haplopelma lividum keeps climbing tank?

Hi,
Hope this is in the right forum to post this. I recently got a juvenile haplopelma lividum. I have had it for about 10 days. It keeps climbing the sides of the tank & has even webbed up in some corners. It doesn't seem to burrow at all. I dug out a small hole in the corner of the tank, hoping it would start, but with no luck. I mixed about 6 inches of eco soil with some vermiculite. These are some quick pics I took with my phone. I admit there not great quality though. If anyone has any advice or thoughts I would really appreciate it.
Thanks

Can you post some clearer pics of the T? Are you sure it's an H. lividum? Seems pretty odd that it would be webbing up in the top corner.

Is it my eyesight or does the substrate look overly wet? Too humid? Doesn't like the feel of the substrate? Looks like she's making a pocket by the vents to maybe regulate humidity?

The humidity is at 80. I have covered up some of the vents at top to keep humidity in though. That could be the problem i suppose. I'll try to post clearer pics up. As I said any opinions are really grateful. Thanks

Substrate looks overly wet to me

I'm betting the substrate is too moist, too. I have had them web in a semi-arboreal manner until the substrate was to their liking. Starting a burrow was a great thing to do. I bet he'll go for it once it dries out some.

Chris_Skeleton said:

Can you post some clearer pics of the T? Are you sure it's an H. lividum? Seems pretty odd that it would be webbing up in the top corner.

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poisoned said:

Substrate looks overly wet to me

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providing that it is H. lividum, i'd second the sub too wet. i believe this post has the link concerning discrediting the whole thing with Haplos and excess humidity.

Give this a read: http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/sho...ical-substrate-question&p=1754924#post1754924

For H. lividum you want the soil to be only as moist as needed for you to compact it and make it suitable for the T to dig.

RoyMunson said:

... I recently got a juvenile haplopelma lividum. I have had it for about 10 days. It keeps climbing the sides of the tank & has even webbed up in some corners. It doesn't seem to burrow at all. I dug out a small hole in the corner of the tank, hoping it would start, but with no luck. ...

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There are a bunch of reasons why a tarantula hangs from the wall of its cage.

1. It's extremely ill at ease in an unfamiliar place. Read this posting.

2. It doesn't like the substrate. See below.

3. The cage is too damp. There is a misconception in the arachnoculture hobby that members of the genus Haplopelma require a damp cage. This is untrue, and I present two converging lines of evidence to back up my contention.

a. Practical Experience: We and many other hobbyists have kept H. minax, H. albostriatum, and H. lividum in arid cages with little trouble for years, even decades. The only difficulty we have had is with H. lividum because they apparently require the ability to dig a burrow to thrive. However, this seems to be psychological issue, not the result of a need for an elevated humidity, or any other magic property. They just wanna dig!.

b. Photos and written descriptions of members of the genus Haplopelma have been published that clearly show the tarantulas living in very dry, very well packed soil in their native habitats. See Spinnen in der Natur for excellent examples of these. (You will have to scroll down the page. Be sure to read the captions.)

RoyMunson said:

... I mixed about 6 inches of eco soil with some vermiculite. ...

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Read Substrate. I can see three things wrong with the substrate:

1. It's too damp, as mentioned by several other responders. Read Humidity....

2. It's too fluffy. Tarantulas demand a firm base on which to walk. They abhor substrate that rolls or moves under their "feet," or that they sink into. Pack it into a firm pad while it's still a bit damp, let it dry out completely, and never dampen it again. If you think your tarantula needs a higher humidity, cover the openings in the cage (plastic food wrap works well in most circumstances), and simply and effectively allow the water evaporating from the water dish to do the job. DON'T MIST!

BEGINNING OF RANT

If you have the cage well covered to restrict almost all ventilation, the humidity is already high and misting only wastes your time and annoys the tarantula. If your tarantula cage is open to the room air, all that wonderful humidity you're convinced you've added will have wafted away almost before you can put the mister away. All you've done is waste your time and annoy the tarantula!

DON'T ANNOY YOUR TARANTULA!​

(Also, by misting you've also dampened the substrate, and are risking a mite, springtail, fungus, etc. infestation.)

END OF RANT

(And no, I'm not accusing you of misting your tarantulas. I'm including my rant for the sake of the other enthusiasts who may be reading this over the next five years or so.)

3. You've mixed vermiculite with the substrate. Vermiculite has the property of making soil LOOSER AND LESS EASILY PACKED, exactly the opposite of what a tarantula wants. Use ONLY either pure, unadulterated horticultural peat or pure, unadulterated shredded coconut husk (coir) following the instructions in the link above.

Best of luck. Enjoy your little 8-legger cliff hanger!

Just wanted to add that my Haplopelma albostriatum did this exact same thing for a good while before it started a burrow of its own. The overly-wet bedding could be a cause, as many others have suggested.