My new pink toe hasn't moved in days. Is is because she's uncomfortable?

The pink toe has been stuck to the side of the tank for about 3 days. Hasn't moved. I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong, or if this is just normal.

Should I offer food?

They're arboreal, it's normal for them to stay on the sides, but it should start spinning a silk sheet/tube soon. How big is the spider? The cage should have dry substrate, a piece of cork, some plastic plants (cut to fit), cross ventilation, and a water bowl. Don't keep them on moist substrate with condensation on the sides, that's an Avic killer. They live in trees where breezes dry them out after rains. There's a lot of bad advice online about keeping Avics wet and humid.

Let it adjust to it's new home and don't handle it.

Zeusophobia said:

The pink toe has been stuck to the side of the tank for about 3 days. Hasn't moved. I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong, or if this is just normal.

Should I offer food?

Click to expand...

It's normal for any T to take time to adjust to a new enclosure. Mostly that means holding still or sticking to the wall. I would follow the advice of Poec54 on your setup. All this talk about humidity for avics is trash. Dry substrate, full water dish, hide and LOTS of ventilation.

Poec54 said:

They're arboreal, it's normal for them to stay on the sides, but it should start spinning a silk sheet/tube soon. How big is the spider? The cage should have dry substrate, a piece of cork, some plastic plants (cut to fit), cross ventilation, and a water bowl. Don't keep them on moist substrate with condensation on the sides, that's an Avic killer. They live in trees where breezes dry them out after rains. There's a lot of bad advice online about keeping Avics wet and humid.

Let it adjust to it's new home and don't handle it.

Click to expand...

I put in super damp bedding as advised by some moron on the front page of google. I am now completely pissed as I'm probably killing my new spider.

There is good ventilation, I think everything on your list is checked besides my super wet bedding. What do I do to fix this problem? The tank is filled with furniture large enough to kill the spider that would be hugely in the way of me replacing the bedding.

I think I'm just going to ask how to take care of a spider on here before I buy one. Google is crap.

What is cross ventilation? There's a screen on the top of the tank, but the rest is glass. I'm guessing that's not cross ventilation.

Zeusophobia said:

I put in super damp bedding as advised by some moron on the front page of google. I am now completely pissed as I'm probably killing my new spider.

There is good ventilation, I think everything on your list is checked besides my super wet bedding. What do I do to fix this problem? The tank is filled with furniture large enough to kill the spider that would be hugely in the way of me replacing the bedding.

I think I'm just going to ask how to take care of a spider on here before I buy one. Google is crap.

What is cross ventilation? There's a screen on the top of the tank, but the rest is glass. I'm guessing that's not cross ventilation.

Click to expand...

Part of the problem with spider care is that it varies depending on which part of the country you're in. In the SW US, it's very dry and humid is low, so they tend to keep their spiders moister and with less ventilation. In the east, where there's much more rain, we need more cross ventilation and need to watch humidity. This is especially important with Avics. The way some people keep them out there will kill them here, and vice versa.

I'd take everything out of the cage, put in dry substrate and reassemble things. We're going thru a pretty wet period in Florida now (after a wet summer), and a moist Avic cage is a bad idea. Cross ventilation is typically airholes/screen in the sides so air can move thru the cage. I'm not a fan of screen lids, but they can work. Make sure there's no cold or hot drafts blowing on it, or nearby fumes or smoke. If it's really open, you may want to partially cover it with something to create a microclimate (AFTER you put in dry substrate).

It took me a little while to get conditions right for Avics (I have 10 species), and I had some losses at first because of moist substrate and inadequate ventilation. Once I kept their cages drier and gave them more airholes, things have gone much better. I keep my other arboreals (Psalmos, Poecs, etc) on slightly moist substrate, and they don't need quite as much airflow. Avics are the oddball amongst arboreals.

It seems you have gotten all your info you need so this isn't directed to that.
I just had this thought...
Isn't it weird that the two biggest oddballs are the most common 1st tarantulas? (Avicularia, Grammostola porteri/rosea)

Poecs got it down. I'm lucky my Avic is doing well. I had pretty most substrate for a while. Luckily it dried pretty quick. I have 2 water dishes but they are real deep. So they're filled with non toxic gravel for making sure crickets aren't drowning. I have an upright corkbark and a large piece of terrarium wood bridging to that with fake plants. Lots of ventilation at the top. Cross ventilation is there, but could be better.

Ayways mine was WC. So it took it 3 and a half months to finally build a web retreat and settle in. And at first it barely moved too. It would Moe more than my porteri, but only to new spits to sit in that spot for hours on end.

It ate though and soon at least began to show a favorite hiding place abd wander more frequently.

Enjoy. They're fun little Ts. They tackle prey hard too. Busy be prepared to clean the enclosure a lot.

But yea I'd follow Poec precisely. I'm still pretty inexperienced. He's been doing this a long time.

And yes ask advice here. Do you have the tarantula keepers guide? If not buy and read it! ASAP!

gobey said:

mine was WC. So it took it 3 and a half months to finally build a web retreat and settle in. And at first it barely moved too.

Click to expand...

I've found Avics to do MUCH better once they've spun a sheet/tube. It's like their way of saying 'This is my home now, I'm comfortable here.' I use Zoo Med plastic vine-type plants, cut to fit, and the additional contact points from that promotes spinning.

stupid android always uploads sideways and upside down pictures!

Here's his newly made home.

I've heard varying success about keeping Avics in KKs but mine is in a large which is about 10" tall. He seems to be doing fine. Maybe if he molts and gains size I'll make a more vertical enclosure and try more cross ventilation rather than get a $30 14" KK. I wish I could find the taller round ones and just drill some holes in it. But hey custom ones save $.

I'm open to constructive criticism as always.

Anyways I was quite pleased to see him web up and make a home.

Made me feel like a bit better keeper for him.

OK, another question.

My experience is with snakes and they won't eat until they've acclimated to their new home.

And spiders the same way? Should I hold off on the first feed until I see a web?

Zeusophobia said:

OK, another question.

My experience is with snakes and they won't eat until they've acclimated to their new home.

And spiders the same way? Should I hold off on the first feed until I see a web?

Click to expand...

No. Try one cricket at a time. They may leap on it. If they don't eat it, take it out after a day and try again the following week. If the spider's fat and/or premolt, hold off on feeding. Some spiders take days or weeks to acclimate, others don't. Slings acclimate faster than larger spiders.

I've maintained the adult/juvenile spiders at reptile dealers/importers/pet shops, that were kept in 16 oz deli cups. I'd put the spider in a clean cup, put in a wet cotton ball, and a few crickets, and move on the to next spider. They'd usually grab the crickets within seconds. No acclimation there.

Zeusophobia said:

OK, another question.

My experience is with snakes and they won't eat until they've acclimated to their new home.

And spiders the same way? Should I hold off on the first feed until I see a web?

Click to expand...

Feed it. As I said my Avic didn't web until over 3 months after bieng put in this enclosure.

I just purchased a pink toe. Brought it home and placed it in a new inclosure, 5 gallon tank. It hasn’t moved since. Curled up on the substrate. A bit worried at this point. Going on 2 days.

Brad hodge said:

I just purchased a pink toe. Brought it home and placed it in a new inclosure, 5 gallon tank. It hasn’t moved since. Curled up on the substrate. A bit worried at this point. Going on 2 days.

Click to expand...

I have since removed the large water dish and placed a bottle cap next to the tarantula

Brad hodge said:

I have since removed the large water dish and placed a bottle cap next to the tarantula

Click to expand...

Read through the links below. The amount of moisture in there is going to eventually kill it.

Guides for Specific Genera or Species: Beginners

• Husbandry Notes and Videos (by @Tomoran): These focus on the care of particular genera or species (not all of these are beginner-friendly).
• Avicularia and Caribena (by @Venom1080): These are the most beginner-friendly arboreal species, commonly sold as pinktoe tarantulas. These species are less tolerant of newbie mistakes, so we recommend getting feedback on your enclosure beforehand.
• Avicularia and Caribena (by @viper69): More helpful advice. See above.

Craig73 said:

Read through the links below. The amount of moisture in there is going to eventually kill it.

Guides for Specific Genera or Species: Beginners

• Husbandry Notes and Videos (by @Tomoran): These focus on the care of particular genera or species (not all of these are beginner-friendly).
• Avicularia and Caribena (by @Venom1080): These are the most beginner-friendly arboreal species, commonly sold as pinktoe tarantulas. These species are less tolerant of newbie mistakes, so we recommend getting feedback on your enclosure beforehand.
• Avicularia and Caribena (by @viper69): More helpful advice. See above.

Click to expand...

It’s back in its original container I brought it home in. Dry with a bottle cap of water, small cork and a leaf or 2. It still hasn’t moved at all. Was in the other container being wet over night until I started this thread. I’m afraid it’s now gone but will wate another day or so to see.

Brad hodge said:

It’s back in its original container I brought it home in. Dry with a bottle cap of water, small cork and a leaf or 2. It still hasn’t moved at all. Was in the other container being wet over night until I started this thread. I’m afraid it’s now gone but will wate another day or so to see.

Click to expand...

The info in the links will help tremendously if you try again. Key is good ventilation for air exchange and what I do is a full water dish and overflow, let the substrate dry and repeat. Occasionally I drop water on leaf’s higher up. I also keep mine in a smaller enclosure when small to help monitor feeding and husbandry.