New to the hobbie

[Grizzly]

Hello I recently got into the hobbie this last reptile show and I got a pumpkin patch t. And I got a aclerlike cages for her and she has not came out of her hide she built. It's been about a week and I put a cricket in there for her and she hasn't eaten it. Should I got looking for her or just leave her alone for a little bit longer. They guy I got here from said she just molted and he had no trouble feeding her. I have her a medium cricket.

 

[Johnnyp1987]

Maybe just settling in, or just not hungry. A week without food for a T is like a human not eating for an hour.

 

[Tomoran]

Hello I recently got into the hobbie this last reptile show and I got a pumpkin patch t. And I got a aclerlike cages for her and she has not came out of her hide she built. It's been about a week and I put a cricket in there for her and she hasn't eaten it. Should I got looking for her or just leave her alone for a little bit longer. They guy I got here from said she just molted and he had no trouble feeding her. I have her a medium cricket.

Congrats! I LOVE that species...they are just so unique.

What size is your Pumpkin Patch? How are you keeping her?

I have two, and they are normally very voracious eaters and quite skittish. I definitely wouldn't try digging her up...she may still be settling in, which may be why she's not eating yet. If you dig her up, this will just reset the process. Maybe give it a couple days and try her again.

 

[Kymura]

I have a small and a large and they both are spastically skittish. My small more so than my large. Such pretty things though

 

[Grizzly]

Congrats! I LOVE that species...they are just so unique.

What size is your Pumpkin Patch? How are you keeping her?

I have two, and they are normally very voracious eaters and quite skittish. I definitely wouldn't try digging her up...she may still be settling in, which may be why she's not eating yet. If you dig her up, this will just reset the process. Maybe give it a couple days and try her again.

Hello Tomoran
Ok thank you for information. I am keeping her in a acrylic cages that is about 6" by 6" by 3". I would say she is about a 1" 1.5". I have some other questions like water how other should I spray her cage. They guy I bought her from said to only spray a little in one corner but I been ready of other T. and they said to keep it pretty high humidity.

 

[Tomoran]

Hello Tomoran
Ok thank you for information. I am keeping her in a acrylic cages that is about 6" by 6" by 3". I would say she is about a 1" 1.5". I have some other questions like water how other should I spray her cage. They guy I bought her from said to only spray a little in one corner but I been ready of other T. and they said to keep it pretty high humidity.

Wow, she's gorgeous!

I got mine as .3" slings, and I kept their substrate moist at all times. Now that mine are grown, I keep one end of the substrate moist and give them both water dishes (which they just LOVE) to web up. If you're not using a water bowl, you could spray down one side of the substrate once a week or so. I don't spray as much as pour some water on the sub and allow it to soak in, as well as drop some on the webbing if they want a drink. Hope that helps!

 

[Grizzly]

Yes thank you it helped a lot. She finally came out today when I got back from school. I'm going to wait a day for till I feed her. I did take your suggestion to pour some water on one corner might add a water bow when she gets a little bigger. This is the enclosure I have here in.

 

[Grizzly]

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[Tomoran]

That enclosure is gorgeous! I give all of my slings dishes (bottle caps for the smallest ones and milk caps for the larger ones). If she's an 1-1.5" or so, you could definitely go with the bottle cap. Although I've seen some folk keeping the adults dry, I've read about some molting issues when the slings are kept too dry.

 

[Grizzly]

That enclosure is gorgeous! I give all of my slings dishes (bottle caps for the smallest ones and milk caps for the larger ones). If she's an 1-1.5" or so, you could definitely go with the bottle cap. Although I've seen some folk keeping the adults dry, I've read about some molting issues when the slings are kept too dry.

I been spraying the bottom rigbt of her enclosure once a week so that there is some humidity. Or do you recommend giving her a water dish instead? If so why?

 

[Grizzly]

The reason why I ask why is because i was doing some research and I came upon a dicusion about weather or not to put a water dish or just spray the cage once a week. So I wanted to hear you view and thoughts about it.

 

[Tomoran]

I been spraying the bottom rigbt of her enclosure once a week so that there is some humidity. Or do you recommend giving her a water dish instead? If so why?

Spraying only raises humidity in enclosures very temporarily, as the sprayed water will evaporate in a few hours. It's a great way to give a spider another source of water for drinking (I'll sometimes spray the foliage in my enclosures for my arboreals to give them an alternative) but unless you really soak things down, it's not great for keeping moisture levels up. I've found that if you're trying to raise the moisture levels in an enclosure, the best way is to wet part of the substrate. I have an old juice bottle that I put holes in the top of to pour water in and simulate a rain shower. I allow the water to percolate down to the bottom, keeping the lower levels moist. As the water slowly evaporates, it raises the humidity inside the enclosure. On the other hand, if spraying is the method is being used to give the spider an opportunity to grab a drink, you're only giving that animal a small window of opportunity to grab one. Also, as spider react to change in air pressure and movement, the spraying itself can be quite upsetting for them (something to keep in mind).

A water dish, on the other hand, allows the tarantula to drink whenever it wants, not just once a week when sprayed. I've been collecting pics of spiders drinking, as you only need to see it once to realize how important a dish can be. Even better, as the water in the dish slowly evaporates, it naturally raises the humidity inside the enclosure. I have a three T. stirmis (moisture dependent species) who all have large water dishes. Even when their substrate dries up a bit, the humidity inside their enclosures is higher than that in the room. This becomes particularly important in the hot summer months or in the winter when the furnaces turn on, drying the air to dangerously low levels.

You might find the article below interesting; it examines both sides and give my views as well:

https://tomsbigspiders.wordpress.co...sies-should-you-give-tarantulas-water-dishes/

I keep a lot of tarantulas, and I give almost all of them dishes. I like having the piece of mind knowing that there is back up if it should get dry or hot in my home.

Hope that helps!

 

[Kymura]

Tomoran will never give you bad advice.
Here, Just examples..small and large,
Sling is an LP adult is an A genic
I have seen nearly everyone of my T's drink
Even my so-called dry species.

 

[Tomoran]

Tomoran will never give you bad advice.
Here, Just examples..small and large,
Sling is an LP adult is an A genic
I have seen nearly everyone of my T's drink
Even my so-called dry species.
View attachment 19601 View attachment 19602

Thank you, Kymura!

I would like this a hundred times just for those pics. I LOVE it.

The tarantula I've caught drinking the most is my G. porteri.

 

[Redacted]

That's interesting. Nearly all of my Ts are Chileans from dry rugged areas. I provide all of them with a constant supply of water in c.a. 2.5" diameter condiment cups. As Tom notices his G. porteri drinking most, I commonly see my Chilean gramms and Euathlus drinking. Just because they live in an area that has little rainfall (most water from fog and food), doesn't mean they don't want it. That's for sure.

 

[kormath]

I've only caught my avic's drinking from the mist on the webbing. I have some that like to stand over the water dish, so they may be drinking and i'm missing it - A. genic, G. rosea, and both B. albo's come to mind.

 

[Grizzly]

So an update to my T. she still doesn't come out I barely see her. I only saw her out like once or twice sense I put her in the cage. It's been a couple weeks two. I tried feeding her It's hasn't eaten in about two weeks. Is she ok?