unhappy smithii

Lori

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 6, 2006
Messages
25
Hi All:

I have had my smithii since November. Until recently it seemed very happy. A couple days ago it quit using its hut. Then it started trying to climb the walls of the glass terrarium. I am not sure what changed and why it seems so unhappy. Any ideas?

Lori
 

tarsier

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Messages
678
mine scoots around all the time. there are other posts describing this behavior as normal (assuming that the humidity, etc. in its enclosure are all the same)
 

Cirith Ungol

Ministry of Fluffy Bunnies
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 22, 2004
Messages
3,886
If it's a one time event it's nothing out of the ordinary, but if it climbs the glass frequently then some of the following might apply:

Many ground dwelling T's will resort to climbing the walls when the substrate is too moist. So, did you moisten the substrate lately?

It's also possible that your T is a male, roaming the tank in the search for a mate.
 

Lori

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 6, 2006
Messages
25
Yes, I did moisten the substrate recently. I forgot to mention that in my original post. I am using the "forest subsrate" from petco. I think I went overboard. It now smells like a northwest forest in the terrarium. Should I remove the moist substrate?
 

Cirith Ungol

Ministry of Fluffy Bunnies
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 22, 2004
Messages
3,886
Nah, just let it dry up on its own. You never need to bother moistening the substrate, humidity is way overrated. Just have the water dish filled at all times and the T will drink whenever it needs moisture (don't put a sponge or similar into the dish, it's just a breeding ground for fungi).

What does that forest substrate consist of exactly? If it's cedar or pine shavings or their bark I'd strongly recommend that you switch to other substrates since those and similar substrates arn't good for inverts. The oils (or whatever it is) in those substrates can kill of the T if given enough time (many keepers say). In that case you could switch to straight peat or perhaps a peat and vermiculite mixture. Most people here use those and I think they are the best. Peat is pretty cheap and readily available.
 
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