cyclosternum fasciatum (Costa rican tiger rump) is restless before ultimate molt, Help please!

titanT

Arachnosquire
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Jul 27, 2014
Messages
55
Hi all, im new to the forrum, got my first tarantula (rose hair) 22 years ago, and recently got back into the hobby last october, im from the uk, I have 3 T's, a scorpion and a chinese mantis since october, all are doing well but 2 days ago I recieved a cyclosternum fasciatum, 2 inch legspan, it was extreamly skinny, and nearly lifeless when getting it out of the bottle it came in, so fed it 3 medium crickets staight away before it could settle in, think it was starvasion no need for an ICU to rehydrate it, anyway it ate the 3 crickets and another one today which i brought it back to life. but now it is restless!!

The hydometer reads 76%
temperiture reads 22c and have a 3 watt heat matt since i live in the uk.
havn't ventrically sexed it since im new to it, but i believe its a male by the long skinny legs and oval shaped abdomon, it hasn't had its ultimate molt yet and probaly wont for a good while yet, it walks around the enclosure wall constanty for the last 2 days, don't think its humidity which ive heard should be between 60 to 80%. It has plenty of hides and substrate to dig in, (5 inch cocanut husk). so after these facts anyone who owns this species had the same problem, help would be much appreciated:biggrin:
 

skippydude

Arachnobaron
Joined
Feb 3, 2013
Messages
487
This is how C fasciatum behaves, always busy, nothing to worry about.

If you have a heat pad directly on the enclosure you should unplug or remove it. Tarantulas are drawn to the heat and cooked by heat matts. The proper way to provide heat is by adjusting the ambient temperature in the room where your enclosures are kept.
 

titanT

Arachnosquire
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Jul 27, 2014
Messages
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Thanks for the quick reply, does your tiger rump behave this way too and others you've heard about? didn't find anything online about this behaviour. i only use a 3 wat heat mat only because its cold in the uk and in my appartment most of the year. got it hooked to a thermostat.
 

titanT

Arachnosquire
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Jul 27, 2014
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Both of my C fasciatum behave this way ;)
thats good to know, cheers, i thought the humidity was to high or i had a crazy T looking for a mate early, lol
im hoping that it will make a borrow under the cork bark, started a stater hole for it, its checked it out a few times but much prefers to circle around and around and around again! its making me dizzy!!! has the name of this species changed to someting like davis ............? and have both of yours borrowed skip or stayed terestrial?
 

skippydude

Arachnobaron
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Feb 3, 2013
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487
nice! im hoping mine webs up its burrow, ive got an OBT last year and i was hoping it would web up everything but its only webbed up the cocanut, :mad: can you try ventracly sexing my LP. put up a post on the sexing section but dont no how many peeps will respond.
Ventral sexing is never 100%, with that said, I'm guessing male for this one
 

titanT

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Jul 27, 2014
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yeah cheers for letting us no. I had a suspicion it was male. Ashame....:cry: had this T from an egg with legs was really hoping for a female after ive just bought a 50 gallon tank last week for it. But atleast it will walk around alot.:sarcasm: got the tank cheap from charity shop.full of snake shite. And a broken pannel. Spent 8 hours cleaning, fixing and sanding it down. Had £15 worth of orniments in it to all for £15 so not to bad. Thought there would be more people replying. This thead and website seems dead. Is there an instant chat on here skip?
 

skippydude

Arachnobaron
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Feb 3, 2013
Messages
487
yeah cheers for letting us no. I had a suspicion it was male. Ashame....:cry: had this T from an egg with legs was really hoping for a female after ive just bought a 50 gallon tank last week for it. But atleast it will walk around alot.:sarcasm: got the tank cheap from charity shop.full of snake shite. And a broken pannel. Spent 8 hours cleaning, fixing and sanding it down. Had £15 worth of orniments in it to all for £15 so not to bad. Thought there would be more people replying. This thead and website seems dead. Is there an instant chat on here skip?
No instant chat :(

I'm sure you'll find a nice another T after this one has passed or been eaten by a female(If it proves male) to house in that nice set up you built. You probably have a couple years with this one still too
 

titanT

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Jul 27, 2014
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Yeah im hoping so. Not sure if ill be able to let it go. Its grown on me. Havn't tried any breeding projects but might do when my spiders grow up abit. Juviniles when i got them from last october. Probaly replace it with a goliath since i can keep humidity 90% easily here in the uk. Heard they die easily if conditions arn't perfect, checked your profile. Nice set of T's. Notice youve got one. What are they like? Also notice youve got a green bottle blue. Got a tall enclosure free by crimbo when my chinese mantis dies of old age. So in your opinion versicolour or green bottle blue? Lol
 
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Tongue Flicker

Arachnobaron
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Jan 26, 2014
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462
Due to my geographical location i have constant high humidity partnered with high temps. The only issue i had with my C.fasciatum was that it doesn't like a moist substrate and was restless even with slight ground moisture
 

titanT

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Jul 27, 2014
Messages
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Due to my geographical location i have constant high humidity partnered with high temps. The only issue i had with my C.fasciatum was that it doesn't like a moist substrate and was restless even with slight ground moisture
thanks for the imput. Sounds like restless behaviour is to be exspected with c. faciatum from what your both saying. None of my other T's behaved like this when i bought them... maybe ill just wet a small area from now on but keep the humidity in the 70's. You would of thought it would like moist substrate being a rainforest species.. Cheers for the advice. Will try that
 

Tongue Flicker

Arachnobaron
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Jan 26, 2014
Messages
462
thanks for the imput. Sounds like restless behaviour is to be exspected with c. faciatum from what your both saying. None of my other T's behaved like this when i bought them... maybe ill just wet a small area from now on but keep the humidity in the 70's. You would of thought it would like moist substrate being a rainforest species.. Cheers for the advice. Will try that
Individuals vary in terms of prefered substrate. I've seen some like moist substrates then there are those like mine that wants it a bit dry.
 

titanT

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Jul 27, 2014
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My c.faciatum has turned aborial.lol. Still hasn't come down to the substrate, its started to web up a plant at the top of its enclosure....strange git lol.
 

lacrosse5001

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
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Aug 25, 2009
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84
It might. It like your sub if it's too wet, but if not that's just him being silly. In response to your tall tank, a avicularia species would do better. GBBs have arboreal tendencies, but at the end if the day, it's still terrestrial.
 

titanT

Arachnosquire
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Jul 27, 2014
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Yeah, im letting the substrate dry out now, but u no what coconut fibre's like....it takes forever! Once i tried a hair drier on my OBT's substrate...went everywhere..lol then tried the grill which worked a charm, turned substrate every 5-10 mins for 2 hours, the substrate is pretty dry and you would of thought that would be fine for a rainforrest species. Just being a little git!! ha! i havn't got an aborial species but want one. Thats why i was looking at a versicolor but if a gbb will show aborial tendancies, that will be great for my tall tank! Love a good web too..
 
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