Having Some Trouble Feeding Arboreals?

[Mr.Scorpion]

I'm havig some trouble feeding my avic. It seems since the crickets are ground dwelling and my T is tree dwelling. So what I think is happening is that she can't feel the vibrations of the cricket when shes on the glass or plant so she isnt going for the prey. How do I resolve this? When I get payed I'm going to go run out and buy a long slab of cork bark and slant it diagnally so the crickets can climb up and it will suffice for her needs. It will also fix some other maintenance problems I'm having. But until then, any suggestios? Also,have this other question that unanswwared in another thread.

My avic has a bit of trouble sticking to the tank then she should. She can still stick, but still prone to sliding a bit or falling. I know terrestrials sometimes can't climb walls approaching a molt, does the same apply for arboreals? I noticed she hasnt eaten since I got her but Ive only tried feeding her once. Also noted. I'm keeping her on damp coco-fibre and misting the climbing branch a bit every moring. In addition I have saran wrap covering 60% of the lid. Is this fine? Should I keep it dryer or moister?

 

[Skypainter]

One of my A. metallicas did this when I first got her. She could be getting ready to molt. Try offering her a cricket with some LONG bamboo forceps or a stick with the cricket clinging to the end. Place the cricket right in front of her and if she's hungry she'll pounce on it.

 

[Mr.Scorpion]

No luck with it. If I recall correctly, as long as her abdomen is a nice size and "plumpish" it means it is doing fine without food and is perfectly hydrated?

 

[Skypainter]

Yep. Sounds like she is fine and is probably in premolt. Make sure she has water to drink and a hollow log or similar shelter to go into if she hasn't built a tube web.

 

[Mr.Scorpion]

Yep. Sounds like she is fine and is probably in premolt. Make sure she has water to drink and a hollow log or similar shelter to go into if she hasn't built a tube web.

Dont have anything like that, cardboard tube ok? And someone else already answeared but I want more then one answears to be secure with this, is it ok to cover halF of my mesh lid with saran wrap? Also, how many times should I mist a day to keep a healthy humidity? Currently I do about 2 quick sprays in the morning.

 

[cheetah13mo]

A fat T is a Happy T. The cardboard tube will fall apart after a while with the humidity. Try cleening out one of those plastic, round, Crystal Light containers. Both ends come off pretty easy and it's plastic so it'll last forever. You can use a hot glue gun to mount it or just prop it up nice and secure like.
Arboreals are better adept to climbing than the terrestrials but as they grow and gane weight, they can have problems hanging on to real smooth surfaces. They will always do a better job of it than the terestrials.

I have my avics set up so they are within a 2 to 5 inches from the substrate. Getting down to water and to reach food is not so hard. Most of the time some of the web they spin reaches the substrate and they can feel when the food walks by. She might also spin some of the web to the cork bark your going to get. It's tricky but with a little persistence, you can force her to set up a home where life can be real easy for her.:clap: I hope this helps. Good Luck.

by the way, covering half the tank is fine, if mold pops up, pull it back and get more curculation going. You only need to mist the tank once or twice a week. It doesn't hurt to let the tank dry out a little evey now and then either.

 

[Mr_Baker4420]

really all you need to do is leave it alone for a while. stop opening the lid. don't shine light on it or anything. it's really weird, every time i buy a new tarantula it seems to molt within the week. also, from my personal experience, a.avicularia don't get confused when it comes to whether or not they are hungry. they are very adept at hunting as well. how large is the container? if it's not way too big and the t is hungry it will find the food. oh yeah, and welcome to the hobby, and don't worry you will learn as you go. and each new species you get takes a little observation to get used to their habits.

 

[Mr.Scorpion]

She has already settld in to the cardboard tube. I dont think it will peel or rot away either. I'm just laying it in thier till she molts and leaves it. And thanks for the help. Also, the tube is kind of positioned on a banch. Is it ok if I move the tube with her in it on to the ground on the substrate?

 

[cheetah13mo]

Sure, you can but if I were you I would just leave it where it is. She seems to like it there.

 

[Mr_Baker4420]

also, after your t molts don't try to feed it for a couple of days.

 

[Mr.Scorpion]

I decided to leave the branch where it is. I was just antsy it might fall out or something but I think it should be ok. And do avics molt on there back in the tube web or do they do it in any position?

Thanks again.

 

[Dragoon]

Hey
Some advice from someone who's killed some pretty nice avics...

You don't need humidity, you need airflow.
Here is where I house my avics, after a lot of trial and error.

No substrate. No misting. Just a waterdish. (which you'll have to clean often since no matter where you put it, the avic will drop its food bolus into it. )
After some unexplained deaths, I now have one whole side totally open. I cut out the plastic, and glue gunned metal screen (crickets chew open the plastic kind) over the side. LOTS of air now, and no deaths in a couple of years.
I glue gunned bark in one corner. It will pull off for cleaning with a good tug, and not damage the cage. You can reglue it as needed.
Pictured are an A. avic (left) and A. laeta (right), both adult females.
Cheers
D.

 

[ErikH]

That is a really cool set up. Doesn't the T want to bolt though when you lift the enclosure off off the lid/bottom? I don't have any experience with avics or other arboreals at this point, but I am looking into getting one after Christmas.

 

[Dragoon]

Thank you.
Do the avics bolt? hahahahaha, that's a funny one!

Let's put it this way...you need a crowbar to pry them from their webs, and if you do manage to drag them backwards and out, they hop from your hand or cup back into the enclosure as fast as they can. Its quite the struggle to remove them. They dart around your spoon or fingers and stubbornly stay put. Literally planting each foot and refusing to lift them.
This is the adults, anyways.
To change the water, I just lift off the cases from the base and set on the counter. Not because the spider will run, but just to keep them oriented the same way.

I thought some more about the above post, and I'd like to point out that this is how I keep bigger avics. The babies get substrate, misting and less airholes like most baby spiders. Here is an A. braunshausenni baby to illustrate.

IMHO, once they grow past the 2.5 inch mark, the need for airflow increases. I say this because I lost several avics that just slumped over and died after a molt once hitting the bigger size. The molts were sucessful and the avics were in the rectangular cases that they had previously thrived in.
Once I replaced one wall with screen, this stopped happening.
Hope I've helped.
D.

 

[Mr.Scorpion]

So humidity isnt important for avics? Even despite I'm in canada and it gets pretty dry? Just a water dish will do fine? I pulled off the saran wrap right after I read this. I have one concern: I'm pretty sure mine is in pre-molt. She doesnt bolt, and when if I tap her legs, she only slowly walks for a short period of time. These are signs of pre-molt and not death or anything, right? She webbed up the opening entrance of the cardboard tube very thinly. The other end of the tube is lined up with the side of the tank. So really, both ends of the tube are covered. Will she die, because inside the tube their is a lack of air? Also, do avics molt in any position or on it's back?

 

[ErikH]

I should have phrased my question better. I meant do they try to bolt before they establish themselves in the enclosure and build a web tube.

So, if I am understanding correctly, the back of the enclosure has been replaced with screen?

 

[elyanalyous]

she will molt however she feels is necessary. but most of the time is on back/side...

i'm in canada too, and i just sprayed once a week really well, always keep an open water dish! that will keep the humidity stable, slightly higher than the room around it for the most part. covering the tank helps alot too. most care sheets put too much emphasis on humidity and not enough on ventilation, which is way more important. if your finding that you have too much ventilation with the saran, but not enough humidity without it, then try using a towel instead (like a kitchen towel folded on top). the cloth will help keep the humidity up, but also allow for the ventilation to breath.

here are some pics of my set up for comparason...





post some pics of yours and its setup, always interested in other setups for avics.

also, you spider is ok for air, they have very small lungs, with little oxygen requirements. when an avic bolts it generally will run up and out, so those enclosures are perfect for escapee's, but would be hard to capture in, i'd just flip the tank up side down tho, that might help wouldn't it?

 

[cheetah13mo]

She might be in premolt.:? T's are not going to web up there inclosure so much that they can't breath. That would be T suicide. Touching her leg and not bolting but walking just means that you aren't scareing her. From what you discribe, Your T is healthy and happy.

 

[Vys]

While Avics aren't the best hunters (my A. Avic went 'KLUNK' a few times as it charged the side of its enclosure, narrowly missing the insect it was aiming for) I suspect they'd find any moving, non-burrowing prey in the end. I.e, even if they don't notice the food immediately, they will eventually. If it climbs all over the spider though, without getting killed, the spider is for some reason not inclined to eat, and the insect should be removed.

 

[Mr.Scorpion]

Thanks! Im almost certain she is in premolt now. She hasnt moved ut of the cardboard tube in three days now. Shes only moved a few times inside the tube to change positions. I suspect in the pet store she was due for a molt but ouldnt because she couldnt really make a web and their were no hides. Any idea when shell flip over nad molt?