Need help, tarantula only drinking water & wont eat!!

[Rumble11]

 

[Rumble11]

So here is the story, one week ago I purchased 7.5" Lasiodora Parahybana by delivery that took 2 days, after I take a look on her abdomen it so small & seem shrunk (smaller than carrapace). Yesterday I put 3 cricket inside & she seem afraid of them (climbing the wall on enclosure, after get in contact). After that I call the seller, and said that LP only accept cockroach & wont eat cricket, I already put the mealworm juice & seem not have an effect too. Also I always see her drinking water from waterdish. By the way still not try the cockroach yet, so did you know the problem guys? Here is the picture of her fang & abdomen for references... please help!! Thanks a lot.

 

[Leonardo the Mage]

Probably in premolt or just not hungry. Don't panic, your tarantula is tarantulaing

 

[Leonardo the Mage]

And yes they will eat crickets, but make sure they are the big ones, the small ones are too small for them to catch. You can also try superworms.

 

[Rumble11]

And yes they will eat crickets, but make sure they are the big ones, the small ones are too small for them to catch. You can also try superworms.

The abdomen is small, if it on premolt abdomen will plum & big right?

 

[Rumble11]

Probably in premolt or just not hungry. Don't panic, your tarantula is tarantulaing

The last time she eat is 1 June, the seller says..

 

[Thistles]

Yeah, after a week I would expect an LP to have settled in enough to eat. Try the roaches like the seller suggested. I have some that won't eat roaches and only take crickets, so maybe she's the other way around. She does look thinner than I'd like, but not on death's door. As you said, she'd be bigger if she were premolt.

 

[Rumble11]

Yeah, after a week I would expect an LP to have settled in enough to eat. Try the roaches like the seller suggested. I have some that won't eat roaches and only take crickets, so maybe she's the other way around. She does look thinner than I'd like, but not on death's door. As you said, she'd be bigger if she were premolt.

I just want to make sure, is it a fang problem? Try to take a look at her fang, seem like have a red colored pattern surrounding it? Thanks a lot for the information..

 

[darkness975]

Fangs look fine to me.

 

[Thistles]

Red around the mouth is normal. When was her last molt? The seller says he fed on June 1... Was that the first feeding after a molt?

 

[Rumble11]

Red around the mouth is normal. When was her last molt? The seller says he fed on June 1... Was that the first feeding after a molt?

Seller says the last time molting is about 2-3 month ago. He also says after molt this LP only eat 4 cockroach, maybe on diet to prepare for mating.. because before try to pairing her with male, but the male got eaten instead (too small and can't hold the female with his hook). So maybe you know the problem? Thanks

 

[Thistles]

Seller says the last time molting is about 2-3 month ago. He also says after molt this LP only eat 4 cockroach, maybe on diet to prepare for mating.. because before try to pairing her with male, but the male got eaten instead (too small and can't hold the female with his hook). So maybe you know the problem? Thanks

I don't, sorry. I was asking because if they eat too soon after a molt sometimes they damage their fangs and can't eat properly again. Since she's eaten a few times since molting, I don't think that's the case. See if she will take a roach. Good luck to you both.

 

[Trenor]

I'd try some pre-kill. Crush a cricket head and leave it in there over night. See what happens. If it's used to roaches it might not go straight for crickets though I've not heard of that. If you were closer I'd send ya some.

 

[cold blood]

Red around the mouth is normal. When was her last molt? The seller says he fed on June 1... Was that the first feeding after a molt?

Small abdomen and not eating, yeah, that t molted recently, and even though the fangs are black, its still not ready to eat. Seller could have missed a molt in there. Have you noticed the t stretching out at all? To me this is the most obvious answer. If what the seller said is true, and it could be, if they were 4 big dubia that's a decent amount food...I'd assume they weren't tiny roaches for a t of this size...lol. Like thistles said, it doesn't look worrisome.

The other is that its just having a tougher time acclimating, most acclimate quickly, a few just don't for some reason...either way, more time is the answer.

Op, your seller doesn't sound like the most reliable place for info. Only eat a roach, on a diet for breeding...c'mon, that's just ridiculous.

 

[Rumble11]

I'd try some pre-kill. Crush a cricket head and leave it in there over night. See what happens. If it's used to roaches it might not go straight for crickets though I've not heard of that. If you were closer I'd send ya some.

Thanks for the suggestion, first I'll try using dubia/ madagascar roach. If the T still not eating it will try prekilled crickets.

Small abdomen and not eating, yeah, that t molted recently, and even though the fangs are black, its still not ready to eat. Seller could have missed a molt in there. Have you noticed the t stretching out at all? To me this is the most obvious answer. If what the seller said is true, and it could be, if they were 4 big dubia that's a decent amount food...I'd assume they weren't tiny roaches for a t of this size...lol. Like thistles said, it doesn't look worrisome.

The other is that its just having a tougher time acclimating, most acclimate quickly, a few just don't for some reason...either way, more time is the answer.

Op, your seller doesn't sound like the most reliable place for info. Only eat a roach, on a diet for breeding...c'mon, that's just ridiculous.

Well, the seller itself doesn't have time to take care of this T, he leave it to his cousin. And said only accept house roaches, will not make a move for crickets. I just leave mealworm juices yesterday, but seem like she not interested at all.

 

[14pokies]

Look at those colors, Its a relatively freshly molted T.. I've had females that size refuse food for more than a month after a molt..

I wouldn't trust a word the seller is saying if he had someone else taking care of it..

About a year back I had a friend pick up some Ts that my girlfriend was watching for me while I was away. According to her they were doing great ,according to him they were half dead... He was right!

Give her a week maybe two then offer her a roach,cricket whatever (LPs aren't usually picky eaters) and she will most likely eat.. If she doesn't I wouldn't worry as long as she is drinking..

 

[Rumble11]

Look at those colors, Its a relatively freshly molted T.. I've had females that size refuse food for more than a month after a molt..

I wouldn't trust a word the seller is saying if he had someone else taking care of it..

About a year back I had a friend pick up some Ts that my girlfriend was watching for me while I was away. According to her they were doing great ,according to him they were half dead... He was right!

Give her a week maybe two then offer her a roach,cricket whatever (LPs aren't usually picky eaters) and she will most likely eat.. If she doesn't I wouldn't worry as long as she is drinking..

She's drinking a lot, the only thing that make worries is her abdomen is small & refuses crickets yesterday. Didn't her fangs already turned black? I thought she already able to accept any food. Thanks for the opinion anyway.

 

[14pokies]

She's drinking a lot, the only thing that make worries is her abdomen is small & refuses crickets yesterday. Didn't her fangs already turned black? I thought she already able to accept any food. Thanks for the opinion anyway.

It's normal more or less...Molting takes a TON of fluid from a T.. The fangs being dark is really irrelevant a T that size can take a while to fully harden.. It will eat when it's ready...

Your worrying way to much...

 

[Rumble11]

It's normal more or less...Molting takes a TON of fluid from a T.. The fangs being dark is really irrelevant a T that size can take a while to fully harden.. It will eat when it's ready...

Your worrying way to much...

But didn't the T who preparing to molt have a plump & big abdomen? The only thing that make me worried is her abdomen so small compared to carrapace...

 

[Trenor]

But didn't the T who preparing to molt have a plump & big abdomen? The only thing that make me worried is her abdomen so small compared to carrapace...

I have had a few with smaller abdomens still refuse food for quite a while after a molt. Most of them were arboreals though I din't see why other types of Ts may not as well. I just kept offering pre-killed prey and eventually they took some and fed. Keep it with fresh water and it should eat when it is ready.