Antilles pinktoe tarantula not eating

[Amy Higgins]

Hi all first time posting here but first thank you all for the already existing info on this species, before anyone worries I do not keep the enclosure super moist and I have tons of cross ventilation thanks to the info on these forums.
I got my tarantula about 6 months ago as a sling, and he has constantly been a picky eater, ignoring food, throwing food out of his web, etc. And he is yet to molt. At this point, I'm starting to get worried if there is something wrong. He has webbed the top back of the enclosure with two entrances, I've tried sending in food through both entrances but he usually ignores whatever comes through or just backs away from it.
Is there anything I can do to encourage him to eat? I was a bit concerned maybe heat could be an issue but its way to expensive for me to keep him in a heated area full time. So he's kept at room temp. If heat is definitely the issue I would love suggestions other than having the whole room constantly heated

 

[Thekla]

Room temperature as long it doesn't go below 18C for extended periods of time is fine. I keep my Avics and my C. versicolor at around 22-23C.

Please provide some pictures of the enclosure and the T. An Avic sling that hasn't moulted in 6 months is a bit unusual.
However, I wouldn't bother it with live food running through its den. If it doesn't want to eat that'll certainly stress it out. You could try placing a dead prey item in front of its web and see if it would eat.

Does it have a water dish? Have you seen it using it? Maybe he's not drinking enough. Dehydrated Ts aren't able to feed. Whenever I have the feeling an Avic of mine won't come down to drink I place a drop of water near him/her on the web.

How big is the sling anyways?

 

[Mini8leggedfreak]

What kind of “food”?

I have a few Avics that won’t touch a mealworm. I have 5 from the same egg sac and for whatever reason one of them won’t eat anything but crickets.

 

[Goopyguy56]

I have had similar issues with mine when they were slings. Sometimes they accepted prekilled food I left in the web overnight

 

[Amy Higgins]

Here are some images of the enclosure and T

As you can see he's about the size of my thumb
He does have that water dish however since he established his large web I have not witnessed him using it, I tried spraying some water on his web a few days ago and I'm not sure if it worked or not.
I'm feeding him small housecrickets, I tried mealworms and he wouldn't even register somethings in his web, he'd be perfectly still. When i first got him I did witness him eat a few times but even then he wasn't eating regularly.
Even prekill I find he shoves out of his web, usually found in his water dish since it is under one of the entrances forcing me to clean it and replace the water.

 

[Teal]

Is there any ventilation on that enclosure?

 

[Amy Higgins]

Is there any ventilation on that enclosure?

Yes there's about 10 holes on the top and around 10-15 holes on each side, none on the front and about 5 on the back

 

[Thekla]

It's hard to see, but I'd definitely add more ventilation. And when you do, I'd make some holes in the top as well. That way you can directly place some water on the web without the need for spraying the whole enclosure and therefore making it more humid.

Edit:
Okay, I read your last post after posting my reply. That should be enough ventilation, I guess, even though it doesn't look that way.

 

[Teal]

Yes there's about 10 holes on the top and around 10-15 holes on each side, none on the front and about 5 on the back

When you said "tons of cross ventilation," that is what I was expecting to see... but that is not what you have.

When you say "housecrickets," do you mean you are literally catching crickets?

 

[Amy Higgins]

When you said "tons of cross ventilation," that is what I was expecting to see... but that is not what you have.

When you say "housecrickets," do you mean you are literally catching crickets?

Heres the side view to see better, the holes are fairly crude but theirs quite a lot of them, do you think I need more? If so I can add more
And I mean silent crickets, I'm not sure the scientific name thats just how the pet shop describes them. Their small crickets that dont make noise. I'm not catching them

 

[Thekla]

Maybe the enclosure is too big? It's a Ferrero box, right? You could try something smaller with less clutter on the ground.

Or maybe remove all the clutter on the ground and move the water dish to different places to see if it's coming down to drink.

 

[Amy Higgins]

Maybe the enclosure is too big? It's a Ferrero box, right? You could try something smaller with less clutter on the ground.

Or maybe remove all the clutter on the ground and move the water dish to different places to see if it's coming down to drink.

The clutter is fairly new he was acting like this before that, I thought it might entice him to explore a bit. But I was worried it may be too big. I wouldn't mind moving him to something smaller like a deli cup. My one worry for that was destroying his web when opening it though.

 

[Thekla]

I never used a deli cup for raising my arboreal slings, but I heard they do just fine. When you add food you don't have to open the whole lid, just lift up one corner of it. And don't worry about destroying their web. They'll start again and at some point, they'll probably learn not to web up the opening or the web becomes so thick it won't break up anymore when you open it.
My C. versicolor started to web up her door in her juvie enclosure, but after lots of destroying her web on my side, she made a web tunnel right in front of the door which holds itself when I open the door.

I raised/I'm raising my slings in the same 5x5x10cm DIY enclosure with a front door:

C. versicolor
Y. diversipes

 

[Amy Higgins]

I never used a deli cup for raising my arboreal slings, but I heard they do just fine. When you add food you don't have to open the whole lid, just lift up one corner of it. And don't worry about destroying their web. They'll start again and at some point, they'll probably learn not to web up the opening.
My C. versicolor started to web up her door in her juvie enclosure, but after lots of destroying her web on my side, she made a web tunnel right in front of the door which holds itself when I open the door.

I raised/I'm raising my slings in the same 5x5x10cm DIY enclosure with a front door:

Thanks for the input! I'll probably move him to a smaller enclosure and see how he does.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I wouldn't mind moving him to something smaller like a deli cup. My one worry for that was destroying his web when opening it though.

Don't worry about destroying webbing, they'll just make more.

A deli cup set up similar to this will suffice. You don't need to go insane with ventilation (some people go way overboard with it), just make a row of holes all the way around just above substrate level, do the same near the top, a few holes at mid height and about half a dozen in the lid.

Raised plenty of Avicularinae in similar setups and I've not had any issues that I can attribute to husbandry, I keep the substrate for slings slightly moist.

 

[Thekla]

Thanks for the input! I'll probably move him to a smaller enclosure and see how he does.

I strongly believe it's worth a try. And don't be a Scrooge when it comes to ventilation.

 

[cold blood]

Ok, first, all that ground cover/clutter needs to go...the floor should be free of clutter or feeders just hide indefinitely...a clear floor makes for easier hunting.

Get the twigs out and replace them with flatter, larger wood pieces....the wood should provide a hunting and stretching platform....twigs have no place in a t enclosure IMO.

Second, i disagree with the pre killed food suggestion...Avics and their cousins really key in on movement, and because they molt at elevated positions in a cocoon basically, leaving a cricket roam the enclosure is of no consequence. Drop in a cricket and forget about it.

How big is this t in question?

ive had many versi mature in 10-12 months....i cant imagine a 6 month cycle from anything but an adult...slings should be molting every 45-90 days.

Lastly, destroying web is not an issue, they have an unlimited supply (basically), and nothing but free time as few ts are employed. If it needs to be moved or adjusted, do it and dont concern yourself with its webbing.

 

[Mini8leggedfreak]

Might sound like a dumb question but are u sure it didn’t just molt and then eat the molt??

 

[cold blood]

Might sound like a dumb question but are u sure it didn’t just molt and then eat the molt??

a molt is not edible

 

[Amy Higgins]

Ok, first, all that ground cover/clutter needs to go...the floor should be free of clutter or feeders just hide indefinitely...a clear floor makes for easier hunting.

Get the twigs out and replace them with flatter, larger wood pieces....the wood should provide a hunting and stretching platform....twigs have no place in a t enclosure IMO.

Second, i disagree with the pre killed food suggestion...Avics and their cousins really key in on movement, and because they molt at elevated positions in a cocoon basically, leaving a cricket roam the enclosure is of no consequence. Drop in a cricket and forget about it.

How big is this t in question?

ive had many versi mature in 10-12 months....i cant imagine a 6 month cycle from anything but an adult...slings should be molting every 45-90 days.

Lastly, destroying web is not an issue, they have an unlimited supply (basically), and nothing but free time as few ts are employed. If it needs to be moved or adjusted, do it and dont concern yourself with its webbing.

Im going to be removing the clutter but as I said even with a clear floor he still wasn't hunting, and I was placing the live food into his web, his usual reaction is to back away or just ignore it completely. The t is about the size of a thumb, which is why I was concerned I expected a molt within a few months but still nothing. My current plan after reading everyone's responses is to move him to a simpler, smaller enclosure with a completely empty floor with a water dish but still drop water through holes on the top.