HELP! Chilobrachys not doing well for 48 hrs :(

[BolusMe]

Hey guys! I need some help! A small life is at stake!

I have had some trouble w/asian tarantulas, I've had a Malaysian Earth Tiger die, and I love my Chilobrachys sp blue, which I got around the same time.

It has been a champ, but on Friday night I noticed it was curled up and not moving. I freaked and added water, I had just given it water a couple days ago, but it might have gotten dry in there. It last ate on 3-20 and has been refusing since. I'm worried it's stuck completely in its molt or something. It hasn't started molting, like it hasn't popped its carapace off. It does move, and has since been able to put its front feet out in front of it, but its back legs are under it!

I've been keeping it quite damp and right next to a heater since Friday night when I noticed this. I'm really trying not to put too much water in, because I don't know if it could drown, but the soil on the bottom where it is is pretty wet. The temp on the side of the enclosure is now ~88F, have been keeping this T at 72-75 degrees.

What can I do???? Its alive right now, but its in trouble. Should I dig it up and put its face in some water? or should I keep going w/my course of adding as much water as the sub can hold and keeping it by the heater. It seemed to show some improvement but nothing further for nearly 12 hours.

Guys I'm really upset I may get more attached to them than some people but I've had 3 deaths this winter, all OW burrowers (I kinda count my MET in that). I've even saved my G. pulchripes sling who had its butt stuck in its molt by just adding heat, but this sucks.

This spider is a juvenile, about 2.5"... I can take pics of the setup if anyone thinks it will help.

All 3 of my deaths are asian, were fine til premolt, and then didn't survive their molt idk. Maybe it's my feeders?

I truly appreciate any help anyone can offer! This forum is the best place to get good info from ppl w/experience ime, so I hope you all have some ideas!

 

[BolusMe]

@cold blood

 

[vancwa]

Pics always help.

 

[cold blood]

pic if the enclosure are necessary.

Adding heat isnt something I would reccomend though....if the subs damp,theres no point in adding more moisture, in fact too moist is almost always more detrimental than a little too dry.

Does it not have a water dish?

 

[BolusMe]

pic if the enclosure are necessary.

Adding heat isnt something I would reccomend though....if the subs damp,theres no point in adding more moisture, in fact too moist is almost always more detrimental than a little too dry.

Does it not have a water dish?

It does but it will not leave it alone so I had just been misting the webs and pouring water deep into the sub. The dish is buried/webbed up but I will try to put another one right in front of it. I keep the sub damp, but I'm definitely trying not to over-do it.

What actions do you think I should take? I will add pics of the enclosure to this reply in a minute I hafta do it from my phone.

Thank you!

 

[cold blood]

Ts dont drink often....so if you are misting things ftequently, this could easily be the root cause of the problem...but lets see the set up before jumping to random conclusions.

 

[BolusMe]

1st pic sides 1/2 one has xtra vent, the others are just one line on 2nd pic, u can see a buried water dish

i put a dish w/some fresh water right in front of it in its burrow.

here’s a pic from the top


It's now trying to molt. It popped its carapace off and new abdomen split the old. I'm really hoping it is ok obviously, we'll see. Seems to be molting upright, just in the same spot it was.

 

[cold blood]

Good luck, hopefully it molts just fine....for future reference though, its waaaay too damp. Let it dry out for a good while.

 

[viper69]

View attachment 338619 View attachment 338620
1st pic sides 1/2 one has xtra vent, the others are just one line on 2nd pic, u can see a buried water dish

i put a dish w/some fresh water right in front of it in its burrow.

here’s a pic from the top
View attachment 338621

It's now trying to molt. It popped its carapace off and new abdomen split the old. I'm really hoping it is ok obviously, we'll see. Seems to be molting upright, just in the same spot it was.

If that was an Avic it would be dead almost.

For most other Ts, that one too, too damp. Leave it for now due to molting.

 

[BolusMe]

It's not an avic tho, it's a chilobrachys. My avics/ybyrapora/caribena/psalmopoeus etc. are all succeeding in life. My asian burrowers are not. I've learned some things from coldblood, I'll have to find a way to make sure they always have a full water dish, even if they tend to bulldoze their whole enclosure. The only ones that don't have a dish are like that, including 2 baboon species. So maybe 4 total haven't been able to keep water in their dish and 2 are doing fine, 2 are dead. Clearly that's part of it.

It's alive and stuck in its molt. Carapace popped off, abdomen started ripping out, but that's it. I'm going to try to operate since there aren't really any other chances.
Let me know if you have any advice on this part. I know it's likely not going to go well. I'm using the "tarantula stuck in its molt" sticky.

If that was an Avic it would be dead almost.

For most other Ts, that one too, too damp. Leave it for now due to molting.

I appreciate your help. This is just a bad situation that I put my spider in. These species have such different needs though, I don't know if the comparison helps here. If you want to tell me how to properly setup a Chilobrachys enclosure I'm all ears, though.

 

[omni]

I think you can't help the T molt. it may take some time, as it's a tiring event. some take longer to chuck their old skin, resting in the process. plenty of ventilation and give it some time. pulling exuvia off while it is in the process will be stress on the T and you could pull off fragile limbs, then you'll have molds taking over the whole habitat in a week.
Hope the little guy manages it ok! keep us posted

 

[cold blood]

It's not an avic tho, it's a chilobrachys

Yes, he knows....he said "if" it were an avic.

. If you want to tell me how to properly setup a Chilobrachys enclosure I'm all ears, though.

Same as any asian arboreal...arboreal set up with deep enough sub to burrow, many anchor points and damp sub.

For the majority, its ok [and a good idea] to let the sub dry out periodocally.

 

[BolusMe]

It was no longer moving by the time I started to "operate". I honestly think if I had intervened sooner it might have been helped but I was really nervous to. I freed the carapace and got the abdomen completely clean. I was able to get a lot of water wicking into the exo so I think it could've gone differently. But I killed my spider via dehydration

Anyways, I've learned a hard lesson. I'm pretty upset about it ngl. I appreciate everyone's help and advice, though.

I do let the sub dry out for most of them, but I have been keeping my asians sorta how I'm keeping my phormictopus sp. which obviously is wrong. I think I took some of the care guidelines I had read about too far.