Metallic Pinktoe Being Strange

[ayton]

I've made a post with concerns about my Metallic Pinktoe before, and she's been fine since then and I haven't had too many problems with her. We have a feeding system I guess where she waits at the bottom of the enclosure in the same spot every time she's hungry so I'll know when to feed her then climb back up after she's full. But, I went away for 6 weeks and left her with my friend during my winter break, he said that she stayed at the bottom of her enclosure most of the time and would eat every time he fed her.
I came back and brought her home but she's pretty much staying exactly in her spot, she's pretty big (about 4 1/2 inches) but she won't eat more than one cricket at a time and won't eat anything but crickets so I'm thinking maybe it's more of an issue with not getting enough food and she's trying to eat more and waiting there? But I'm not sure how to get her to eat more if she refuses crickets. I'm also not sure if she's having issues with her enclosure but she's had it for a few months and seems to really enjoy it when she's up there although she hasn't webbed much.
So I guess the overall question is why won't she leave her little feeding spot when I am feeding her?

 

[cold blood]

but she won't eat more than one cricket at a tim

And why do you need to feed her more than one at a time? I never feed multiples....why, ts do not have that high of a food need. I never feed multiples to any of my avics...or most of my whole collection for that matter.

and won't eat anything but crickets

And? Crickets are fine.

I'm thinking maybe it's more of an issue with not getting enough food and she's trying to eat more

No, probably the exact opposite....if shes been eating, and ate every time for your friend, she more than likely just has her fill. Ts only need so much food, when they get their fill, they generally stop eating, its perfectly normal.

But I'm not sure how to get her to eat more if she refuses crickets

If she refuses food, you can probably just stop feeding her...at least for a good while. Give it a month. She will probably start webbing in that time and prepare to molt.

I'm also not sure if she's having issues with her enclosure

Post pics of the enclosure.

 

[ayton]

I figure she needs more just to have enough since she is kind of large but if that's not the case I won't continue. She hasn't rejected food she just hasn't gone back up into her little area so I'm a bit concerned since she usually spends so much time up there. I have a photo of her enclosure included and she seems to enjoy her time up there.
Do I just ignore that she's chilling on the ground and assume she'll eventually go back up? Or is something wrong? She's moving around but staying in the same small area, you can see her at the bottom in the photo.

 

[TriMac33]

I figure she needs more just to have enough since she is kind of large but if that's not the case I won't continue. She hasn't rejected food she just hasn't gone back up into her little area so I'm a bit concerned since she usually spends so much time up there. I have a photo of her enclosure included and she seems to enjoy her time up there.
Do I just ignore that she's chilling on the ground and assume she'll eventually go back up? Or is something wrong? She's moving around but staying in the same small area, you can see her at the bottom in the photo.

Based on your photo, that looks to be very abnormal. It looks stressed, in the way of its positioning. That enclosure is extremely large for your spood; it may feel too exposed and therefore stressed. There also isn't a whole lot of vertically placed foliage to offer coverage. I'd personally change its setup to something smaller. At the very least, provide more foliage. In the interim, slow the feedings. As mentioned above, Ts don't require much in the way of food. A large cricket every couple weeks is ample for a spider that size. Sometimes you can go even longer. Edited to add, you may want to add more ventilation to the sides of the enclosure too.

 

[Thekla]

I figure she needs more just to have enough since she is kind of large but if that's not the case I won't continue. She hasn't rejected food she just hasn't gone back up into her little area so I'm a bit concerned since she usually spends so much time up there. I have a photo of her enclosure included and she seems to enjoy her time up there.
Do I just ignore that she's chilling on the ground and assume she'll eventually go back up? Or is something wrong? She's moving around but staying in the same small area, you can see her at the bottom in the photo.

Add more fake foliage for cover around the top of your "tree", not these tiny leaves you have there but larger, more expanding ones. She probably feels most secure in that corner, because she has nothing else to hide really.

Also, as far as I can see, there is only ventilation in the front... I would add some more ventilation to the back and/or top to get the air actually flowing through the enclosure.

 

[viper69]

I strongly suggest you read up on Ts esp Avics or your T may end up dead.

 

[ayton]

I went and got a long garland with leaves on it and put it in there creating a lot more spaces for her to hide. There is a lot of ventilation in there it's just not easy to see with the photos. She was really scrunched up in that photo, she's a lot larger than she appears. I think with adding the leaves she'll feel a lot better about exploring since there are a lot of spaces now.