B. albop sling advise

[Audrey16]

Hey all,

Just in need of a little bit of advice regarding to my little b.albopilosum sling (sue). I have had her for 4 weeks now, ive not been able to measure her but id say shes a little bit smaller than a 10p peice. Shes not moulted in the time ive had her.

Up until a week ago she was eating really well and her abdomen is nice and plump. She hasn't eaten in over a week now though and I am getting a bit worried about her. I have been offering her tiny crickets every few days, only leaving them in there for 24hrs or less.

The problem is that she has decided to live underground. I have her in a small cricket tub with eco earth substrate and gave her the little film cartrige that she came in as a a hide. Well within 3 days she had made a tunnel at the side of the tub down to the bottom and then excavated it out to a little underground burrow. I'm not sure if that is why she isnt eating, I thought maybe she isnt realising the little crickets are there above the ground (they wont go into her tunnel) and as yet I havent forced them down there incase she doesnt want them.

My other thought of course is that maybe shes going to moult soon, her skin doesnt appear that dark though and I thought they only stopped eating for a few days prior to shedding. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated, I am a bit nervous of offering her food incase she is going to shed (I just lost my obt due to a rouge cricket) but at the same time I dont want her to starve . This is the first time ive raised a sling so not very experienced with it. Apart from not eating she seems okay and im keeping her warm and hydrated.

 

[Hobo]

My other thought of course is that maybe shes going to moult soon

Ding ding ding! We have a winner!

Seriously though, definitely sounds like a molt!
It's been a month, she's eaten well, she's dug underground, and now she's not eating. All signs point to imminent molt.

So, my advice is: keep up with the humidity and hydration, definitely don't force crickets down her hole or dig her out, sit back, and relax. You aren't going to starve her. Actually, you should probably hold off feeding for a while until she actually molts or comes up looking for food. After her moult (if she does indeed molt) you could probably resume a regular feeding schedule after about 5 days or so.

To ease your mind, I have a B. smithi sling, just a bit bigger than yours(a little bit less that 3 cm) that hasn't eaten for a bit longer than a month now, and it still hasn't molted, and has just started turning dark a few days ago. The last molt she didn't eat for 3 weeks before the molt and 1 week after.

So, You've absolutely nothing to worry about except hoping that she actually molts while you are able to watch!

 

[Audrey16]

Shes still not doing anything :wall:

 

[MarSea222]

Just give her a lil more time, don't stress yourself out. My b.albopilosum (jane) decided to burrow as well, and when she finally got tired of crickets, she sealed herself in her burrow for a couple weeks. I took it as a hint to leave her alone and just watched from the side of her tank as she got darker. I made sure she had water and that the humidity was up and let her do her thing. She dug out two weeks later, skinnier, and proceeded to linger around her water dish. But she now measures one whole inch.

 

[Satellite Rob]

Most Brachy's will stop eating 2 to 4 prior to molting sometimes even longer
and her skin could start to turn dark any day now.But then it could darken in
2 to 4 weeks to.There are really no definite guide lines to a molt because
every can be so different.The usual molt for Brachy's is your T will stop eating.
Then a couple of days later her abdomen will turn black.Then there a 10 to 25
day waiting period before she starts to molt.If you keep close watch on her
there are signs to let you know that she is very close to molting.When she
starts making a molting bed she is less than 24 hours from molting and it's
usually closer to 12 hour before she molts.A molting bed is when your T spins
a thin mat type mat web and then starts easily brushes abdomen hair off on
the mat web.I would have said kicking hair but thay do this gently and the hair
falls straight down on the web.This is a natural defence to parasites while
thay are molting.Usually when she is finished with the molting bed your just
shes just a few hours away from molting.But any of these steps can drastically
change from molt to molt.

 

[Hobo]

Shes still not doing anything :wall:

she's fine. 2 days = 2 minutes for them. Patience is a virtue. Just saying it could actually molt as early as next week to as late as next month. As long as you keep it humid and watered, and her abdomen is plump, you've nothing to worry about.

 

[Satellite Rob]

If she is in premolt she'll need a constant water supply.I truely beleave that
more than 90% of all molting problems can be avoided just by leaving a fresh
open water bowl in with your T when she is in premolt.Even if your T shows
no of being dehydrated and she may not be dehydrated before she molts.But
just the extra fluid needed to molt can dehydrate her fast.Your T needs extra
fluid build up between the old and new skin to molt properly.When your T rolls
over on her back to molt gravity draws the fluid down away from there feet +
legs to your T's abdomen + carapace.The fluid build up between the old and
new skin acts as a lubricant and allows your T to pull free from her old skin
easily.That why T's sometimes lose legs while molting.Gravity draw the needed
fluid out of there legs and without that needed lubricant there legs get stuck
in there old skin.If you ever watch any of your T's in premolt.When thay are
getting close to molting thay will usually stay close to there water dish and
take a drink 2 or 3 times a day or even more.I beleave thats why some T's
try to molt in a standing position.If there slightly dehydrated and thay try to
molt while standing then gravity becomes there friend.Then gravity draws the
fluid to molt into there legs and let them free themselve from there old molted
skins.So the two biggest problems T's have when thay molt is dehydration and
gravity and we can't do anything about gravity.But we can easily do something
about dehydration and thats just something as simple as making sure she has
a nice clean open water dish.

 

[Mina]

She sounds fine. B. albopilsums dig, its what they do, they are little bulldozers. With as long as you have had her she is doubtless getting ready to moult. Don't worry about it, they can fast for a long time before moulting, and up to a few weeks after.
Relax, read a book, chill out, and shortly you will find a small skin in her home.

 

[Audrey16]

Thanks guys for all your comments, I may be imagining it but I think she might have turned a little darker today, although its hard to tell just peering into her burrow from the side of the tub.

I'll keep you updated on her progress and hopefully get some pics up here if she ever decides to moult.

 

[-Sarah-]

Audrey, definitely DON'T worry. I had a tarantula that went 9 months until she molted, and she was my first, so you can imagine my confusion with the hobby! just as long as you have a full water bowl for her, and she's eating well (or ate well, at least) since her abdomen is a good size. Just check on her occasionally and see how she's doing!

 

[tarantulagooroo]

yup molting remember to be patient it will eat when its ready

 

[Audrey16]

I didnt think I should give her a water dish, shes only little wont she drown in it? I think shes just about under the size of a 10p when her legs are spread out, would maybe a bottle top be small enough to give her some open water? I am spraying her substrate everyday to keep humidity up. Shes still just sitting in the burrow not doing a whole lot im sure shes holding out on purpose lol.

 

[Audrey16]

Stil nothing, I went in to check on her this morning and shes just happily sitting there in her burrow *sigh* all of these waiting is annoying lol. I am a bit worried that even if she does moult I might not be able to tell, if she does it in the furthest part of her burrow I wont be able to see anything. hmm. I wish she would hurry up and do it, I cant wait to see how much bigger she will get.

 

[Abby]

Hang in there Audrey
Caring for T teaches us patience

I noticed that my slings molted within 12 hours of making their web mat.
I saw my slings laboriously making their web on their substrate, and a few hours later I saw them on their back!
Once they are on their back it will also take a few hours for them to complete the process

Hang in there, it will happen

 

[Audrey16]

lol thanks Abby I think im going to have to take up knitting or something to pass the time and take my mind off her. She def hasnt made a web mat yet and im not even positive that her skin is darker, so it could be a while yet. I am picking up a new addition to my collection next weekend so at least for now my excitement about that will subside my impatience about little sue.

 

[BrettG]

Mine molted the other day. Did NOT make a mat,just dug a hole,blocked itself in,and 2 weeks later I caught it mid molt.Just be patient,it will happen.

 

[Abby]

Hi Audrey,

Getting more Ts that will definitely help! I can't wait to hear about it when you get it
I got my first T Sep 6th this year. I was always obsessing about her so for Halloween I picked up 4 more slings.
And today I'll be picking up 2 more

I figure this way I have more Ts to observe and spread my obsession over all of them ...and I do knit hehehehe. Waiting for my first molts I already finished a scarf

 

[Audrey16]

Okay so my bf told me not to post on here until I was sure but im too excited not to!!! I think (dont quote me on it) that she may have finally done it!!!!!!! I didnt really check on her too much yesterday but I kept the room a bit warmer for her to try and encourage her to do it. Then I went in this morning and couldnt resit checking on her. Well straight away I thought hmm she looks different. Her abdomen looked smaller and more fluffy and then when I put a little bit of light on her, her legs are almost transparent when I am sure they were pretty dark a few days ago. I called my bf to come see but he thinks she looks the same so it could all be in my head lol. I cant really see if there is a moult in there because shes pretty in the way so for now im not gonna disturb her, just wait and see if she decides to come out at some point. Does that sound like it though with the transparent leg thing or am I just so desperate for her to do it im imagining it? The only thing that makes me doubt it is that she doesnt really look a whole lot bigger .

 

[Abby]

Oh yay Amy,
this might be it!
I do remember my slings having that see-through quality for a couple of days

I think B. albopilosum are slow growers so it might not look like she grew much.

Keep an eye on her and don't feed her for a few days.
I threw in a half mealworm or a half cricket a few days later since I wasn't comfortable throwing in a live cricket.

If she is still in pre-molt then the dead feed won't hurt her
Let us know if this was it, and if not I will still keep on waiting with you

 

[iluvspydrz]

once had a b. albop sling that did the exact same thing... then one day there was a molt! lol when a T doesnt eat usually it has a reason.. if they are hungry they will eat dont worry!