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ally b

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 2, 2005
Messages
28
HI,
I DON`T KNOW IF I TOLD U ALL BOUT MY OBT TAKEING FOREVER TO MOULT. WELL I PUT HER NEXT TO A HEAT PAD FILL HER WATER UP AND LEFT HER TO GET ON WITH IT (A WATCHED KETTLE)THAT WAS BOUT A WEEK AGO NOW I LOOKED IN ON HER BOUT 5 MINS AGO AND SHE WAS IN A DEATH CRUL *SPELLING.
MY HEART WAS IN MY THOART
I BLEW ON HER AND SHE MOVED :flag:
BUT SHE IS VERY LATHARIC AND DIDN`T EVEN GO FOR ME WHEN I MOVED HER WITH MY FINGER FROM HER WATER DISH.

I KILLED 2 CRICKETS AND PUT THEM NEXT TO HER AS SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THIS COLOUR I ASUMED SHE WAS MOULTING SO I HAVEN`T FED HER SINCE I GOT HER BOUT MONTH AND A HALF AGO MIGHT BE 2 MONTHS.
ANY WAY SHE MOVED AS IF TO GO FOR THE CRICKETS BUT THEN TURNED AWAY FROM THEM .
NOW SHE WAS FULL OF LIFE WHEN SHE WASN`T ON THE HEAT PAD BUT SINCE I PUT HER ON IT TO TRY TO SPEED UP THE MOULT SHES BEEN HOOVERING ROUND HER WATER DISH WHICH I HAVE BEEN TOPPING UP REGULAR AND SPRAYING THE ENCLOSURE SO SHE COULDN`T BE DEHYRATED.
I HAVE NOW MOVED HER OFF THE HEAT PAD AND BACK WHERE SHE WAS IN HOPE THAT SHE WILL GO BAD TO THE WAY SHE WAS.
HAS ANY ONE GOT ANY IDEAS WOT ELSE I COULD DO.
DO U THINK IT MIGHT BE WORTH CLEANING OUT THE TANK IN CASE ITS SOME THING U CARN`T SEE WITH THE NAKED EYE..

HELP
 

Amanda

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Messages
652
So, you just got her a month and a half ago and you haven't fed her since? Why do you think she might be molting?
 

elliot

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 25, 2005
Messages
197
I'm confused by several things you wrote. Did your spider start molting or not? Was it on its back at some point? If it has started molting then how could it be "hovering around the water dish"? What do you mean you put her next to a heat pad? And what do you mean that you took her "off" the heat pat?

I can't really tell what's going on, but I'll make some guesses. It is possible but very unlikely that your spider is sick from not eating for almost two months. (How exactly did you decide that it was in pre-molt?)

Most likely I think that the heat pad was too hot and might have hurt her. Where exactly did you put this heat pad? Also, if your spider actually was molting, it is quite possible you hurt it by touching it. This is a very risky thing to do.

Sorry I can't be more help, but maybe we could narrow it down if you give us some more information.

P.S. Now is not a good time to change the substrate.
P.P.S. A heat pad does NOT help to speed up a molt!!
 
Last edited:

Windchaser

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 13, 2004
Messages
2,996
First, why are you trying to speed up the molt? Let nature take its course and allow the tarantula to molt on its own schedule, not yours. Unless you are absolutely sure that a molt is imminent, you should always offer it food on a regular basis. I feed all of mine a couple crickets once every week to week and a half. Only when I can clearly see a molt is close do I stop offering food.

As others have stated, the heat pad may be making it too hot. Without knowing how you have it set up, it is hard to say for sure. However, there are plenty of cases where people have cooked their tarantulas with heat lamps and heat pads. They are generally not needed. The only time you really need it is if your room/house is particularly cold (less than 65 F for long periods of time). Usually if you are comfortable, your tarantulas will be comfortable.

Based on you description of the T continually hanging around the water dish, I would say that it is dehydrated. Make sure it has access to water at all times. You should know though that P. murinus (OBT) prefer drier conditions. So, provide a water dish for it to drink from, but don't wet the substrate too much or mist all the time.

Highly stressed tarantulas can appear quite docile and not react to outside stimuli. I am not sure how much you have been poking and prodding your tarantula, but it may simply be stressed. Another thought is that depending on where you got it, it could be sick. How big is it? Where did you get it? You may want to try putting it in a quiet, dark place for a while.

Unless there is a mold or fungus outbreak, there is no need to clean the enclosure.

One final note, please turn off your caps lock. Reading posts in all capitals is rather annoying.
 

becca81

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 17, 2004
Messages
3,783
How hot was the heat mat? Is this a typical heat mat that is sold for aquariums? What kind of enclosure is the spider kept in?

There really is no need to "hurry up a molt" in most cases - they will molt when they are ready to.
 

David Burns

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 18, 2003
Messages
1,681
The heat pad, if you need to use one, should go on the side of the tank. OBTs like it dry, misting and eccessive moisture will hinder the molting proccess in this case. I don't use water dishes in my OBT tanks unless I am trying to hatch an eggsac. IF it doesn't molt within a year then I would start worrying and then only if the abdomen is shrinking. Do you know if maybe you have a mature male?

Did you know your caps lock in on.;)
 
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