Dying avicularia please help!

[Niko77]

Hi,

I have a sub adult/juvenile Avic. Avic. It’s a confirmed female and molted recently (1 month ago). I have had her for about 2 weeks and everything seemed fine until tonight when I went to check on all my animals. Last night she ate and bolted into her hammock when I opened her enclosure which looked healthy and normal to me.
10 minutes ago I was checking all the Ts and I noticed she wasn’t at the front of her hammock where she usually is and I pulled up one of the leaves of her tree and saw her in a death curl.

I know she isn’t in pre molt because she molted recently and I don’t think she would be due to molt this soon after since she is almost an adult. I tried to push her out but she can’t move and her legs are slowly curling all the way in I don’t know if you can see in the pictures but she’s gonna die soon she can barely move.

I’ve seen people on YouTube make ICU cups with increased humidity but I doubt she’s dehydrated as her water dish is always full and humidity is kept around 70%-80% while ensuring high ventilation.

I’ve never had a T die on me so I’m pretty bummed about this, is there anything I can do to save her?

Thanks in advance!

 

[boina]

humidity is kept around 70%-80%

Your enclosure looks to be an Exo Terra - they don't have high ventilation, it's just barely enough. With humidity as high as that - that's a recipe for a dead Avic.

Avics thrive in a DRY enclosure with a water dish. If you have humidity as high as you did you need a mesh enclosure with wind all around for enough ventilation. A setup like yours ends with a dead Avic more often than not. The idea that Avics need high humidity is an old one and has killed more Avics than anything else.

Oh, and putting her in an ICU will kill her faster since she is most likely suffering from too much humidity and not too little.

 

[Niko77]

Your enclosure looks to be an Exo Terra - they don't have high ventilation, it's just barely enough. With humidity as high as that - that's a recipe for a dead Avic.

Avics thrive in a DRY enclosure with a water dish. If you have humidity as high as you did you need a mesh enclosure with wind all around for enough ventilation. A setup like yours ends with a dead Avic more often than not. The idea that Avics need high humidity is an old one and has killed more Avics than anything else.

Oh, and putting her in an ICU will kill her faster since she is most likely suffering from too much humidity and not too little.

I keep a C Versicolor in a similar set up but in a smaller tub with holes in instead. I’ve had it since it was a sling and it’s doing fine at the same humidity, is it too late to rehouse the Avicularia into a dry enclosure or should I change the sub for some dry coco fibre?

I was told to keep the humidity higher for them and that it should be fine as long as there is ventilation

 

[boina]

I keep a C Versicolor in a similar set up but in a smaller tub with holes in instead. I’ve had it since it was a sling and it’s doing fine at the same humidity, is it too late to rehouse the Avicularia into a dry enclosure or should I change the sub for some dry coco fibre?

I was told to keep the humidity higher for them and that it should be fine as long as there is ventilation

Yes, that's how it was done in the early days of Avic keeping - and they kept dying, giving rise to the term "Sudden Avic Death Syndrome" or SADS. Then people figured out the Avics died because of the humidity, but unfortunately not all keepers have learned it yet and old and wrong care sheets abound on the net. Not every Avic (or Caribena) will die in that setup but many will.

I'd really see to it that your versicolor get's her setup changed to dry so that nothing can go wrong with her, too. If the Avic is already curling it's probably too late for her, but you can try getting her as dry as possible.

 

[Niko77]

Yes, that's how it was done in the early days of Avic keeping - and they kept dying, giving rise to the term "Sudden Avic Death Syndrome" or SADS. Then people figured out the Avics died because of the humidity, but unfortunately not all keepers have learned it yet and old and wrong care sheets abound on the net. Not every Avic (or Caribena) will die in that setup but many will.

I'd really see to it that your versicolor get's her setup changed to dry so that nothing can go wrong with her, too. If the Avic is already curling it's probably too late for her, but you can try getting her as dry as possible.

This is what I keep the Versicolour in, do you think the ventilation is better on this enclosure? I feel so stupid for keeping the humidity this high I’ll change the sub and hope she pulls through.

Thank you for your advice!

 

[boina]

This is what I keep the Versicolour in, do you think the ventilation is better on this enclosure? I feel so stupid for keeping the humidity this high I’ll change the sub and hope she pulls through.

Thank you for your advice!

That's good ventilation. I'd still let it dry out - and your versi might appreciate a couple of fake leaves or similar to attach a web to

 

[Niko77]

That's good ventilation. I'd still let it dry out - and your versi might appreciate a couple of fake leaves or similar to attach a web to

Just changing the sub now it’s really wet it hasn’t dried at all ! I’m gonna put some dry sub in now and cut out the mesh on the top. And I’ll get some leaves for the small Versi!

Thank you so much!

 

[Niko77]

That's good ventilation. I'd still let it dry out - and your versi might appreciate a couple of fake leaves or similar to attach a web to

Good news! I put her in a catch cup with bone dry sub for the night and this morning I put her back in her enclosure and she seems much better still a bit sluggish but definitely alive!

Thanks for the advice I’ll definately change the way I keep my animals when it comes to humidity and ventilation

 

[viper69]

I was told to keep the humidity higher for them and that it should be fine as long as there is ventilation

There's very few people who can maintain rainforest/ high humidity environments for exotic animals successfully. You are better off doing dry.

 

[Whitelightning777]

C versicolor as well as other Avics are dry spiders that need elavated large water dishes when they do need to drink.

I keep an accurate digital humidity gauge in my enclosure as an additional safety precaution just to make sure it stays under 50%.

You can never be too careful with that. The roommate overfilled the water dish once and I had to air out the enclosure.

While pulling out the T is a viable option, I chose to set up a fan to gently blow on the vent holes on the bottom of the enclosure.

I use an ExoTerra nano enclose for mine. The screen is bonded so issues with it are unlikely.

With this enclosure, ventilation is very good.

 

[Venom1080]

C versicolor as well as other Avics are dry spiders that need elavated large water dishes when they do need to drink.

I keep an accurate digital humidity gauge in my enclosure as an additional safety precaution just to make sure it stays under 50%.

You can never be too careful with that. The roommate overfilled the water dish once and I had to air out the enclosure.

While pulling out the T is a viable option, I chose to set up a fan to gently blow on the vent holes on the bottom of the enclosure.

I use an ExoTerra nano enclose for mine. The screen is bonded so issues with it are unlikely.

With this enclosure, ventilation is very good.

View attachment 278283

No, ground is fine.

And hygrometers are useless. They don't need it dry all the time. Some moisture is fine. I overfill dishes pretty regularly.

@boina exo tera are just fine IME. Raised a handful of Avicularia in them over the years, even kept them damp for months at a time.

 

[boina]

exo tera are just fine IME. Raised a handful of Avicularia in them over the years, even kept them damp for months at a time.

Yeah, I wasn't too clear on that. I think they are fine as long as you have relatively low humidity. After all my C. versicolor is in something very similar (only less expensive ). When you go overboard with moisture and have humidity constantly at 80% I'm pretty sure the ventilation is not enough to counteract that, though.

 

[Venom1080]

Yeah, I wasn't too clear on that. I think they are fine as long as you have relatively low humidity. After all my C. versicolor is in something very similar (only less expensive ). When you go overboard with moisture and have humidity constantly at 80% I'm pretty sure the ventilation is not enough to counteract that, though.

Hmm, maybe.