Paranoid about Ts dying

[Driller64]

It is a 1" sling, in case you didn't read one of my previous posts on this thread saying that.

 

[BobGrill]

It is a 1" sling, in case you didn't read one of my previous posts on this thread saying that.

No, I guess I must have missed that.

The T could be in premolt. GBBs are usually pretty active, they only become lethargic and reclusive when they are approaching a molt. Or you may just have a specimen that is rather lazy.

 

[Tomoran]

I just had one GBB sling molt and another that is currently in pre-molt. Like the one that just molted, my GBB in pre-molt is quite lethargic and spends the majority of its time sitting in one of two spots. Both were fairly active before pre-molt. Hope that helps.

 

[Driller64]

The paranoia has returned, except with my LP, Zilla. It has decided to rearrange its enclosure, destroying my perfect setup where I could see everything it does, whether it is molting, dead, eating, etc.., in favor of having its paper cup hide obscure that area where I could see it, leaving only a small opening to where you can just barely see it. Here is what I mean:

The second photo is a picture of the area at which I could once see it, but no longer since it took out the structural support there causing it to collapse and obscure the spider. I tried just lifting the hide up a little, stirring the spider in the process and allowing it to be seen a little better through that small hole, but not much better. The paranoia has gotten so bad that my secondary reason for sleeping downstairs besides my room being too hot in my room because of the summer is to not constantly keep checking it throughout the night and shining my flashlight on it constantly (I don't think it bothers it too much, but it does wear out my flashlight). Is there any reassurance that you can offer?

 

[cold blood]

Perfect set up? Don't be offended, but I think you lost that when you went with the paper cup hide, wood is really cheap, if not free. And why would you put a hole in the top of the hide? This is the second time I have seen someone do this and can't grasp why.

Some t's just don't want to be seen, you're going to have to deal with that if you keep t's, unless they are all rosehairs. I understand that you worry, given past results, but you can't, or shouldn't expect to always be able to view them, they are very reclusive creatures. Don't lift hides with a t under them.

Best of luck in the future Driller, I'm pullin' for ya, but don't overthink everything!

 

[Storm76]

Perfect set up? Don't be offended, but I think you lost that when you went with the paper cup hide, wood is really cheap, if not free. And why would you put a hole in the top of the hide? This is the second time I have seen someone do this and can't grasp why.

Some t's just don't want to be seen, you're going to have to deal with that if you keep t's, unless they are all rosehairs. I understand that you worry, given past results, but you can't, or shouldn't expect to always be able to view them, they are very reclusive creatures. Don't lift hides with a t under them.

Best of luck in the future Driller, I'm pullin' for ya, but don't overthink everything!

This. The one thing you need to learn, threadstarter, is patience. It's a necessity in this hobby. It's basis to stay calm and relaxed while rehousing, it's basis to open a newly arrived container holding a T you haven't seen before carefully not to harm the animal and it's a lot more basis to waiting for a T to molt. These animals are secretive, nocturnal predators and for the most part will behave accordingly. A T that doesn't want to be seen and redecorates accordingly, should tell you something: That it wasn't fine with the setup in the first place. Ditch the paper cup (which, btw, can mold and get ugly) and offer a normal corkbark, wood or even plastic cup hide if necessary and accept the fact that tarantulas like to be hidden in general.

As a personal sidenote - don't ever consider T's like Psalmopoeus spp. because with those you'll have to have even more patience

 

[Jones0911]

Ever since being tramatized (I'm joking about that, okay?) by my Lasiodora parahybana sling suddenly curling up and dying, I am now extremely paranoid about my GBB sling dying. I mean, even if it goes into an even slighly out of the ordanary pose, I have to open the cage and poke it a little to reassure myself it is still alive. It cost me $40, so I don't want the money going to waste, which it will if it dies. Is there anything I can do about this? I do have ocd that could be a factor.

I have 2 GBBs and 5 LP slings.

I keep all my Ts in my outdoor shed and I only check on all my Ts no more than twice a day.

I don't give any of my slings water dishes I mist the enclosure lids once and not again until the lids are completely dry. the heat from outside causes condensation (well something does if that's not it lol) and the Ts can drink the condensation.

As far as food goes when I have crickets small enough for them to over power I toss them in and take them out the next day if they're not touched.

As long as they either recently ate the crickets or the lid is misted a water dish isn't needed.

I don't mist any of the substrate just the lids so the substrate is always dry for both species except for where the drips came off of the misted lid.

The GBBs eat well, the LPs just started to molt so they'll be eating within due time.

 

[Driller64]

Thank you for your words of wisdom. In fact I just went upstairs to my room to find a seemingly empty enclosure along with an expanded hole. At first I got worried that it somehow escaped, and briefly thought about opening up the enclosure to prod around a little. Then I heard light scratching and then saw a leg emerge from a patch of coco fiber near the hide, followed shortly by the whole spider. It is now sitting inside its now expanded hide, now having apparently realized that making burrows in shredded coconuts doesn't work so well

BTW I just got some plastic cups so I will make a new hide soon.

 

[Neoza]

Dont poke it. When you do this theres a bigger chance to die. Just do what the others said ( humidity, feeding,..)

---------- Post added 07-07-2014 at 12:46 PM ----------

Perfect set up? Don't be offended, but I think you lost that when you went with the paper cup hide, wood is really cheap, if not free. And why would you put a hole in the top of the hide? This is the second time I have seen someone do this and can't grasp why.

Some t's just don't want to be seen, you're going to have to deal with that if you keep t's, unless they are all rosehairs. I understand that you worry, given past results, but you can't, or shouldn't expect to always be able to view them, they are very reclusive creatures. Don't lift hides with a t under them.

Best of luck in the future Driller, I'm pullin' for ya, but don't overthink everything!

indeed! Rememner that you are holding a tarantula!! Not a dog. A tatantula is not a pet for playing with and stuff. You have to accept that you sometimes for weeks not will see him. And pleaasee stop poking and shaking the enclosure.

 

[Ghost Dragon]

No worries, Driller, it's easy to get paranoid, when you're just starting out. I lost a mature B. vagans last summer to a fall (not enough sub), and two regalis slings last month to dehydration. I was saddened at losing them, but it just made me more determined to keep the other 11 I have, and that promopted me to do more research, and ask more questions. The other 4 regalis are growing by great leaps now (I posted Victory's molt in the 'Who Molted Today' thread). Don't overthink it, do your research, and you (and your T's) will be fine.