Need help!! Ami sp. Columbia!!

[Mini8leggedfreak]

Hey guys I need help. I have a young Ami sp. Columbia that has refused food for a long time, probably over a month. It’s about 1/2” long and just hides. I’ve tried feeding it every time I feed my other slings but it would always run away and want nothing to do with the cricket. The crickets were small enough for the spider to easily kill but it didn’t. I also tried pre killed prey, no luck.

My room is around 70-75 in the day and maybe 68-71 at night. Everything else in my room is growing great so I don’t think it’s a housing or heating issue. (I have around 20 other spiders)

I wouldn’t be posting if I wasn’t worried about it. The spider is thin, not plump like it should be.
Any advice will be appreciated.

(Took cork out to take picture)

 

[MetalMan2004]

Put a large cricket leg in there and leave it for a couple days before taking it out. I’d also dampen a small bit of the substrate. Thats about the only thing you can do.

 

[Toddydog]

Try a superworm. My slings love supers chopped up. It might also be an issue of size. Try chopping pray up. I found some slings can be particularly picky when it comes to type and size of food.
I would also add a water dish. Ink pots for tattoo artists are cheap and small enough for slings enclosures.

 

[Nightstalker47]

View attachment 266336 Hey guys I need help. I have a young Ami sp. Columbia that has refused food for a long time, probably over a month. It’s about 1/2” long and just hides. I’ve tried feeding it every time I feed my other slings but it would always run away and want nothing to do with the cricket. The crickets were small enough for the spider to easily kill but it didn’t. I also tried pre killed prey, no luck.

My room is around 70-75 in the day and maybe 68-71 at night. Everything else in my room is growing great so I don’t think it’s a housing or heating issue. (I have around 20 other spiders)

I wouldn’t be posting if I wasn’t worried about it. The spider is thin, not plump like it should be.
Any advice will be appreciated.

(Took cork out to take picture)

Sub looks way too dry for the sling, this species is sub tropical. They should be kept moist, might be fasting if its dehydrated.

Moisten down the sub, and try feeding pre killed again tomorrow.

 

[Nightstalker47]

Put a large cricket leg in there and leave it for a couple days before taking it out

Bad idea with small slings like that lol, crickets can be vicious.

 

[MetalMan2004]

Bad idea with small slings like that lol, crickets can be vicious.

Cricket leg, not cricket.

 

[Nightstalker47]

Cricket leg, not cricket.

Oh right, missed the leg there my bad. That makes much more sense lol.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Looks way too dry in there, slings should generally be kept on moist substrate, tarantulas can refuse food when dehydrated.

As said above, try moistening at least half the substrate (pipette water down the side so that it soaks into the bottom layers of sub) and try feeding again after a day or so.

 

[Mini8leggedfreak]

Thanks everyone, I have been putting a few drops of water every 3-4 days or so. I did wet one side last night and made sure it soaked in so we will see how it goes.

 

[Vanessa]

I have one as well and they can be worrying at that size. I would use a cricket leg or pre-killed pinhead at that size. Also, as others have mentioned, they need it more damp than that. I keep a piece of damp sphagnum moss in their enclosure, in addition to wetting the soil under the piece of moss. This is a slower growing species, for a dwarf, so you will have to be dealing with them being this size for a while.
They don't have huge appetites, but they do eat.

 

[Mini8leggedfreak]

I have another one. Got both at the same time and the other one is fine.

 

[StampFan]

Unless you're watching 24 hours a day you have no idea if they are eating or not. At that size or smaller they seem to snack IMO. Crush a mealworm, waxworm, phoenix worm, whatever, drop it in, take it out in a day or two. Rinse and repeat.

 

[Mini8leggedfreak]

The other one is bigger and killing crickets when they’re dropped it. I’m positive it’s eating.

 

[Mini8leggedfreak]

Idk how many people tell like an end story with these things but my Ami sp Columbia died today .
I know they’re like only 5$ and it’s basically just a spider but it still makes u feel bad. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Shannon1978]

That sucks dude.