b smithi problems

[Bibster]

hello, i have a b smithi(2cm legpsan), a small sling. It is my first T and im worried because i got it one month ago, and since then it hasnt eaten anything. For 3 weeks it borrowed its self and no sign from the little guy, i havent seen it yet. I know it may be in premolt but how long will it take until it will come back up, and how do i know when to feed it. I tried everything, prekilled mealworms/cricket/roach, it didnt touch anything. Here are 2 photos right as i got it. hope you can help me

 

[Enn49]

Most slings will burrow and Ts taking different lengths of time to settle into a new home. Is the substrate dry, it looks quite wet in your pics? Brachypelma hate wet substrate, all they need is a water bowl. Have you left the food overnight?

 

[Bibster]

i sometimes wet the substrate, ok not gonna do that anymore im just gonna stick to the water dish, and yes i left some of them over night and both days between, still nothing.

 

[Enn49]

i sometimes wet the substrate, ok not gonna do that anymore im just gonna stick to the water dish, and yes i left some of them over night and both days between, still nothing.

I'd let the substrate dry out and then try feeding it again.

 

[Logan D]

if your looking for water dish ideas I like to use water bottle caps for slings that size nd then as they get big I go to a milk jug cap then to a Gatorade cape then to a full size water dish like from a pet store that is for reptiles best thing about all the plastic ones is that when they get dirty you can just toss them and replace

 

[Bibster]

thanks for advice but im fine with the water dish i use a bottle cap, my concern was that i cant feed it/wont eat, should i rehouse the t into a smaller enclosure so maybe i can see what its doing ,etc?

 

[Logan D]

from the looks of it is in pre molt so it wont eat till it molts and since its so fat I wouldn't worry about it to much ts can go without food they do need water though I got a p.regalis female on the 21 of august and she still wont eat but I make sure she has water at all times

 

[Logan D]

can you take a picture of him/her with flash if its abdomen is shiny and darkened underneath then its in heavy pre molt

 

[Bibster]

thats the problem, havent seen the little guy in 3 weeks, not even a flash of it, its in hide mode. Those 2 photos are the only ones i have

 

[Logan D]

hhhmmm did It ever close its borrow entrances?

 

[Bibster]

since the beginning, but now its a small opening, read that if it borrows its self, it will reopen the burrow if it will be ready to eat, nope, it didnt eat an pretty much reopened

 

[Bibster]

in the first photo is the entrance to the hide i made for the T, completely sealed, and the second is a little hole the T made in the back of the hide

 

[Logan D]

hhhmm if you cant see him in any of the tunnels I guess its a waiting game the sub still looks very moist just make sure theres water in the dish and wait maybe try adding more ventilation so the sub dries out quicker

 

[Arachnoclown]

If that's a egg crate for a hide it will mold. Hard to tell by the photo...you will want to change it out if it is.

 

[Bibster]

If that's a egg crate for a hide it will mold. Hard to tell by the photo...you will want to change it out if it is.

no, thats actually a type of soft wood called balsa, i use it at uni, i think its fine. About rehousing, should i try it? into a smaller enclosure so maybe i can see what the t is doing?

 

[Casey K.]

hello, i have a b smithi(2cm legpsan), a small sling. It is my first T and im worried because i got it one month ago, and since then it hasnt eaten anything. For 3 weeks it borrowed its self and no sign from the little guy, i havent seen it yet. I know it may be in premolt but how long will it take until it will come back up, and how do i know when to feed it. I tried everything, prekilled mealworms/cricket/roach, it didnt touch anything. Here are 2 photos right as i got it. hope you can help meView attachment 32992 View attachment 32993

That baby looks like it is in premolt so I will have to agree with @Logan D. No worries! Usually when they dont eat and their abdomens are dark like that they are getting ready for a molt. I wouldn't rehouse it. The substrate is damp but it doesn't appear to have any mold. The moisture (humidity) that it has will actually aid your tarantula during the molting process and help it come out of its exoskeleton. If you feel the need to rehouse I would wait at least a week or so after the spider molts to give its exoskeleton plenty of time to harden up prior to moving it at such a delicate stage.

 

[Orangebiteything]

Yea, it buried itself good! Give it a while and be patient. That’s their way of saying do not disturb! It looked pretty shiny and dark in the pictures you had above. If it stays buried for a long time, month and a half or more, then you can worry. If it has a little hole going, it may be ready to peek out at you here soon, can try leaving pre killed pin head crickets or Dubai’s by the entrance and it will come out and grab it, probably at night.

 

[Rs50matt]

I wouldn't worry about a smaller enclosure. Rehousing it again will just stress it out more. It's your first T and most of use were the same but they go so long without food. Some of mine haven't eaten in weeks/months and my Campestratus has never eaten since I got her so I don't know how long that's been.

Let it do its thing and once a week leave something prekilled overnight. It'll be fine

 

[Bibster]

well, i didnt update this, the little guy has been eating for like 2 weeks and im very happy, the entrance is wide open, but what is weird is that it has a big black spot in the abdomen like being near a molt but stil eating. so if it didnt molt i have no ideea why it stood like a whole month buried, but everything is fine now.