Molting! should i panic?

[Arachn0Boy217]

My Juvenile G.Pulchripes has made its bed and turned upside down, i noticed this yesterday morning. when i checked on it this morning it seemed halfway through the molt.

Is this a normal time frame for the molting? is my T struggling to molt? its Winter in my country but there is a heating pad on the side of the tank with the humidity up as i can see condensation on the Terrarium walls.

Should i be stressing like i am or should i just let it be and wait it out?

 

[Ungoliant]

My Juvenile G.Pulchripes has made its bed and turned upside down, i noticed this yesterday morning. when i checked on it this morning it seemed halfway through the molt.

Is this a normal time frame for the molting? is my T struggling to molt? its Winter in my country but there is a heating pad on the side of the tank with the humidity up as i can see condensation on the Terrarium walls.

Should i be stressing like i am or should i just let it be and wait it out?

How many hours has it been since the carapace popped open? The tarantula can be on its back for a while before it actually pops the carapace. As long as it is making progress, I would not intervene.

If it's not making progress, you need to intervene ASAP. Time is of the essence. This thread has advice.

By the way, humidity is not relevant to molting. What matters is whether the tarantula is adequately hydrated, as they need to produce molting fluid.

 

[Arachn0Boy217]

How many hours has it been since the carapace popped open?

I cant say, last night i went to sleep at about 11 he was still on his back with no progress, when i woke up this morning at 7 i could see the old carapace separated. im currently at work but will be leaving in lunch time to take another look, i have read through the link provided if i get home and there is no change i will see if i can assist the T with the tips provided.

 

[Arachn0Boy217]

I got home and my T completed the molt, however one of his front legs are completely white? im taking it that one didnt make it through molt?

 

[Ungoliant]

I got home and my T completed the molt, however one of his front legs are completely white? im taking it that one didnt make it through molt?

Pictures?

 

[Nightstalker47]

Ditch the heat mat and forget about humidity, if you need to keep it warm a space heater is your best bet.

Being in South Africa your winter should be pretty mild. I wouldn't worry too much about supplemental heating unless your temps routinely drop under 65 degrees.

 

[Arachn0Boy217]

Pictures?

I tried to take some pics but didnt want to disturb the T =, he/she seems to be resting and its very awkward to get a pic of the leg from that angle, i will try later if the T moves.

Ditch the heat mat and forget about humidity, if you need to keep it warm a space heater is your best bet.

Being in South Africa your winter should be pretty mild. I wouldn't worry too much about supplemental heating unless your temps routinely drop under 65 degrees.

Over the evening it dropped to 44f (7c) its currently the month we experience the most rain and coldest temps due to the snow on the nearby mountains. i can see they need the heat as they tend to place themselves close the the mat? should i still remove the mat? its not a high temp mat very small and on the side of the tank not underneath.

Room temp is about 12c -18c (53-65f)

 

[AngelDeVille]

Room temp matters, not outside temp, unless you have no roof, or walls.

One of my spiders just molted and all the legs were whiteish shortly after, all good a few hours later.

 

[lostbrane]

Direct heat is inadvisable. If you turn that heat into secondary heat then it's safer for your tarantula. With a heat mat, the way to do this would be to place the enclosure inside of a larger enclosure, with the heat mat attached to the larger enclosure. However as Nightstalker said, a space heater is your best bet.

Yes, tarantulas are drawn to heat, which is what makes heat mats a problem, when directly on the inhabited enclosure. At best, it would probably dehydrate your t, and at worst, it would cook it. 53 is low...so I think you are right to be worried about the temp, just use a bit better practices to avoid potential issues.

Anyways, glad to hear it got through the molt!

 

[Nightstalker47]

Over the evening it dropped to 44f (7c) its currently the month we experience the most rain and coldest temps due to the snow on the nearby mountains. i can see they need the heat as they tend to place themselves close the the mat? should i still remove the mat? its not a high temp mat very small and on the side of the tank not underneath.

Room temp is about 12c -18c (53-65f)

You can probably get away with it seeing as you have it on the side and not the bottom. Those night temps are pretty low.

Just keep in mind that tarantulas are naturally drawn to heat, mats should be controlled by a thermostat to prevent them from overheating and roasting your spider.

When heat mats are placed on the bottom of an enclosure, its a death trap. The tarantula will instinctively burrow to cool off only instead it finds itself closer and closer to the heat source...resulting in a confused spider that literally cooks itself slowly.

 

[Arachn0Boy217]

Thank you for the advise guys, it seems the white leg is turning a normal color now but still doesn't look the same as the rest. As for the heating pad i will just leave it on for the extremely cold nights and keep it off majority of the time. Room temp last night was 14c

I can see alot more life in the spider now, more moving and made effort to drink some water. Will be sure not to panic that quick for the next molt. This forum really helps! thank you all.

 

[cold blood]

You can probably get away with it seeing as you have it on the side and not the bottom. Those night temps are pretty low.

Just keep in mind that tarantulas are naturally drawn to heat, mats should be controlled by a thermostat to prevent them from overheating and roasting your spider.

When heat mats are placed on the bottom of an enclosure, its a death trap. The tarantula will instinctively burrow to cool off only instead it finds itself closer and closer to the heat source...resulting in a confused spider that literally cooks itself slowly.

If a t climbs onto the side to sit on a mat, the negative effects will be the same....dangerous.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Personally I think that no one should panic when the molting time arrives... it's only a natural event, and something where (aside the logical, and previous, providing of a right set up/correct parameters to the spider/s) we, absolutely, have no control.

 

[Nightstalker47]

If a t climbs onto the side to sit on a mat, the negative effects will be the same....dangerous.

Some of our members have had success using them this way, @basin79 comes to mind.

 

[basin79]

All my tarantulas are heated with heat mats on the back connected to thermostats. Never had an issue with any of them moulting.

A mat connected to a stat is absolutely safe. They're like mini space heaters.

 

[Nightstalker47]

All my tarantulas are heated with heat mats on the back connected to thermostats. Never had an issue with any of them moulting.

A mat connected to a stat is absolutely safe. They're like mini space heaters.

I thought I remembered you saying that.

 

[cold blood]

Some of our members have had success using them this way, @basin79 comes to mind.

Yet other members have had issues.

 

[basin79]

Yet other members have had issues.

I'd be very interested to know if the keepers who had issues had their mats connected to a thermostat and set them up correctly.

 

[korlash091]

I'd be very interested to know if the keepers who had issues had their mats connected to a thermostat and set them up correctly.

can we get some pics of your heat mats? just to learn how you set them up, so we can do it correctly. ty.

 

[basin79]

can we get some pics of your heat mats? just to learn how you set them up, so we can do it correctly. ty.

Pics aren't needed. Mat taped to a foiled back insulation board (via the clear edges) with the stat probe against the mat.