A. avic Terrarium Smelling Strange?

annanlove19 · Feb 12, 2015

My female juvie A. avicularia's terrarium started smelling funny this morning. She's in an Exo-Terra with good ventilation, a water bowl for moisture, and no additional humidity spraying.

I gave her a dead cricket a couple days ago (she won't catch them if they're live) and right away she took it back into her web, but last I saw it was just lying on the ground. It's very hard to see if it's still there, but it's possible it's decaying and that's what's causing the smell, but I can't get to it without dismantling her web.

There's no mold that I can see.

Can spider poop smell? I know that sounds silly, but she poops on the walls and I don't like bothering her to scrub, especially when I can't get to some of it because of her web.

Any suggestions for possible dead cricket extraction, poop scrubbing without disturbing anything, or other ideas for what could be causing it would be super awesome.

If it's not obvious, she's fine. It's not a mysterious dead spider incident. She's actually been extra active, climbing around and webbing up and drinking and generally acting like a healthy spider. I'm not sure what to make of it.

eldondominicano · Feb 12, 2015

annanlove19 said:
My female juvie A. avicularia's terrarium started smelling funny this morning. She's in an Exo-Terra with good ventilation, a water bowl for moisture, and no additional humidity spraying.

I gave her a dead cricket a couple days ago (she won't catch them if they're live) and right away she took it back into her web, but last I saw it was just lying on the ground. It's very hard to see if it's still there, but it's possible it's decaying and that's what's causing the smell, but I can't get to it without dismantling her web.

There's no mold that I can see.

Can spider poop smell? I know that sounds silly, but she poops on the walls and I don't like bothering her to scrub, especially when I can't get to some of it because of her web.

Any suggestions for possible dead cricket extraction, poop scrubbing without disturbing anything, or other ideas for what could be causing it would be super awesome.

If it's not obvious, she's fine. It's not a mysterious dead spider incident. She's actually been extra active, climbing around and webbing up and drinking and generally acting like a healthy spider. I'm not sure what to make of it.

It could be a dead cricket... It could be poo.. I would start with the dead food. has it been defecating in the water dish? That might be the issue, smelly water

annanlove19 · Feb 12, 2015

The water is fine, I cleaned it the other day and it still looks good. I can do the cricket excavation, try to leave as much of the web intact as possible. Maybe the cricket will smell really obviously and it'll be clear, hopefully.

eldondominicano · Feb 12, 2015

annanlove19 said:
The water is fine, I cleaned it the other day and it still looks good. I can do the cricket excavation, try to leave as much of the web intact as possible. Maybe the cricket will smell really obviously and it'll be clear, hopefully.

Yes start from there.Smell the substrate too.. I know it sounds weird but try it! Is your sub damp? A mix of too much moisture:too little ventilation can cause a stagnant environment, that you might not be able to tell right off

annanlove19 · Feb 12, 2015

Cricket has been excavated and oh dear lord I did not know they could smell that bad. The more you know! *rainbow*

Her substrate isn't damp at all, so I'm going to assume it was just the cricket and check on it again tomorrow to make sure it's better. I really had no idea that such a little bug could smell so disgusting. Blech.

eldondominicano · Feb 12, 2015

annanlove19 said:
Cricket has been excavated and oh dear lord I did not know they could smell that bad. The more you know! *rainbow*

Her substrate isn't damp at all, so I'm going to assume it was just the cricket and check on it again tomorrow to make sure it's better. I really had no idea that such a little bug could smell so disgusting. Blech.

Haha this is true, I often encounter this due to the large amount of bolus removal. Hopefully that is the issue sounds like it. Solved.

Btw, you can and should have your Avic's sub slightly moist. The only T that would need different is the A.Versicolor. and they would need larger water dish dry sub, and higher than average ventilation. Virtually all other Avics live in highly humid hot and wet regions. Believe me , this isn't coming out of nowhere I know with regards to Avics.

cold blood · Feb 12, 2015

annanlove19 said:
it's decaying and that's what's causing the smell, but I can't get to it without dismantling her web.

You can't worry about wrecking the web. You are going to have to at times, especially later, as it may be completely webbed and doing any maintenance may require tearing holes in its web to get to stuff. Keeping it clean is more important, and its not like the spider's got a huge workload and no free time. It will fix the webbing, it gives it a chance to do what it does.

Ellenantula · Feb 12, 2015

cold blood said:
You can't worry about wrecking the web... Keeping it clean is more important, and its not like the spider's got a huge workload and no free time. It will fix the webbing, it gives it a chance to do what it does.

Well, when you put it that way....
I feel horrible if I mess up any webbing so will try to prioritize better in future myself.

Sana · Feb 12, 2015

I avoid messing up webbing when at all possible, but sometimes it has to be done.

Squidies · Feb 12, 2015

Sana said:
I avoid messing up webbing when at all possible, but sometimes it has to be done.

That's really what it all comes down to with anything involved with these things. Prioritizing. In the limited time I've spent learning everything I can, one of the most important things seems to be prioritizing the most important issue at the time. Sometimes it's more important to stress them and screw with their world if it means that you'll be saving them from harm in the long run.

Sana · Feb 13, 2015

Squidies said:
That's really what it all comes down to with anything involved with these things. Prioritizing. In the limited time I've spent learning everything I can, one of the most important things seems to be prioritizing the most important issue at the time. Sometimes it's more important to stress them and screw with their world if it means that you'll be saving them from harm in the long run.

There are also days for me that the less I can disturb them the better, whether I think they need something or not. P. fasciata sling that decided to hang upside down on the lid today got moved to the maintenance tomorrow category as it wouldn't relocate.

viper69 · Feb 14, 2015

Not sure why your T won't capture live prey, that's odd from what is written.

A single dead cricket is enough to smell up an entire container from a mile away in some cases.

You'd have to have enough T poop to fill a 55 gallon drum to notice those molecules, unless you're pregnant, then you'd need only a gallon.

annanlove19 · Feb 14, 2015

Everyone I've talked to about A. avic misting has said different things, so now I'm just going with a full water dish. She seems to be doing fine.

I don't know why she won't eat live prey either; she was a rescue from a petshop, I'm assuming that they didn't feed live prey there and she just isn't used to it? I don't know.

And good to know about the poop smell xD

cold blood · Feb 14, 2015

annanlove19 said:
I don't know why she won't eat live prey either; she was a rescue from a petshop, I'm assuming that they didn't feed live prey there and she just isn't used to it? I don't know.

There's only really 3 reasons why a t wouldn't/couldn't take live prey. 1. Its dying/in poor physical shape or severely dehydrated. 2. its in pre-molt and too lethargic to catch the prey. 3. it lost/broke off its fangs somehow.

I've never seen a pet shop feed pre-kill, actually most wouldn't even know to try. Getting "used to it" isn't something you should even entertain....its a spider, built to catch, kill and eat prey. Unless one of those 3 aforementioned criteria are met, I will 100% guarantee the t is more than capable of killing its own cricket.

annanlove19 · Feb 14, 2015

cold blood said:
There's only really 3 reasons why a t wouldn't/couldn't take live prey. 1. Its dying/in poor physical shape or severely dehydrated. 2. its in pre-molt and too lethargic to catch the prey. 3. it lost/broke off its fangs somehow.

I've never seen a pet shop feed pre-kill, actually most wouldn't even know to try. Getting "used to it" isn't something you should even entertain....its a spider, built to catch, kill and eat prey. Unless one of those 3 aforementioned criteria are met, I will 100% guarantee the t is more than capable of killing its own cricket.

Hmm, maybe it is in premolt. I finally got a good picture of her the other day and just by coloration I'd say she's in need. I'll try a live one next feeding day. Are avics known for fasting and/or particularly long premolts?

eldondominicano · Feb 14, 2015

annanlove19 said:
Hmm, maybe it is in premolt. I finally got a good picture of her the other day and just by coloration I'd say she's in need. I'll try a live one next feeding day. Are avics known for fasting and/or particularly long premolts?

They can be known for it, especially if its a female. I've known A. Avic females to stay in premolt for 8 months before molting.

cold blood · Feb 14, 2015

The warmer they are kept, the quicker the pre-molt period generally is. My room is pretty warm much of the time and 7-10 days is about what I deal with...the ones I'm speaking of are not full grown and only maybe 3" or so (urticans/versicolor).

Tfisher · Feb 14, 2015

Yup mine at least will stop eating for three weeks. As for that smell convo do you over fill the water dish? I do this in my Exo terra to maintain humidity. If you do it's the water that lays at the bottom of the substrate.

---------- Post added 02-14-2015 at 08:36 PM ----------

Just seen cold bloods and mine are about four to almost five in.

annanlove19 · Feb 14, 2015

He's in a size medium deli cup, I'm not sure about the ounces. He was just rehomed before I got him, and though I'd rather he be in a bigger container, I'm giving him some settling down time before I turn his life upside down again. I'm going to put him in a very small, maybe the smallest, KK, which should be good for quite a few molts. I know there's a lot of discussion on the topic, but I feel a lot better erring on the large side than the small. He's eating pinheads great right now, so I think he's getting enough moisture, and then I'll add a water dish in his new home. Really, as soon as I get the KK cleaned out, I'll be doing my first OBT/OW/aggressive&defensive rehoming. My biggest concern is that I feel prepared >.>

Sana · Feb 15, 2015

I have an A. avic that frequently fasts for two or three months at a time for no good reason. I just try to make sure she stays hydrated.

A. avic Terrarium Smelling Strange?

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