P. Cambridgei not webbing... Help?

[T noob]

I bought it about two months ago. It came in an enclosure but I had to rehouse it shortly after (few days) due to mold in the substrate.
It eats well, is fairly active and curious but it hasnt webbed since. I know P. Cambridgei are arborial, so thats how I set up its new enclosure... But it acts like a terrestrial T lol Maybe it likes the moss?

 

[MrTwister]

They generally use substrate to add to webbing and make dirt curtains. Remove the rocks, add some dirt and a vertical peice of cork bark.

 

[Arachnophoric]

Yes, it's an arboreal T, but not like Avicularia where they stay up high to make their webs. Psalmopoeus tend to construct little lean-to dirt curtains around the base of something they can web to, i.e. cork bark and almost make something resembling more of a burrow. The term arboreal can seem pretty misleading when it comes to tarantulas.

Like MrTwister said, get those branches(?) out of there and give your T a cork slab. You'll want to remove the rocks and moss, replace it with a good few inches of substrate like cocofibre. Your enclosure looks more like you took priority on aesthetics over what your T will actually be able to make use of.

View media item 54491
This is my Poecilotheria metallica's enclosure, but housing Psalmopoeus species is the exact same concept.

 

[T noob]

Thanks for the tips! I dont know if I can get cork bark anywhere near me... But I'll see what I can do about the substrate. Thanks again!

 

[Arachnophoric]

Thanks for the tips! I dont know if I can get cork bark anywhere near me... But I'll see what I can do about the substrate. Thanks again!

Not a problem and glad to help. You could possibly find cork bark from a local pet store, but if you can't other types of wood would work. I just prefer cork bark since it doesn't mold.

 

[cold blood]

Thanks for the tips! I dont know if I can get cork bark anywhere near me... But I'll see what I can do about the substrate. Thanks again!

Wood does NOT have to be cork....its a suggestion, like me telling you to buy a honda. I use driftwood exclusively, because its abundant, free and looks great.

As mentioned, the set up is all wrong for a cam....it needs leaned wood it can get under as well as on top of and ground clutter, unlike an avic which needs elevated clutter.

Also keep in mind, they aren't always a very heavy webbing species, in fact, most of mine barely web at all except for just before molting or dropping a sac.

 

[Ungoliant]

I dont know if I can get cork bark anywhere near me... But I'll see what I can do about the substrate.

Here is an enclosure I recently set up for my growing juvenile Psalmopoeus irminia. She has created a nice dirt curtain behind the log, which is slanted at an angle and surrounded by ground cover (leaves).

I'm not 100% sure what kind of wood it is, but it's not cork bark. I've used it in a few enclosures, and I haven't had issues with mold.

Psalmopoeus Juvenile Enclosure

• Ungoliant
• May 4, 2019
• enclosure female irminia juvenile juvenile female psalmopoeus psalmopoeus irminia suntiger tarantula venezuelan suntiger tarantula

 

[torioxford]

Yes, it's an arboreal T, but not like Avicularia where they stay up high to make their webs. Psalmopoeus tend to construct little lean-to dirt curtains around the base of something they can web to, i.e. cork bark and almost make something resembling more of a burrow. The term arboreal can seem pretty misleading when it comes to tarantulas.

Like MrTwister said, get those branches(?) out of there and give your T a cork slab. You'll want to remove the rocks and moss, replace it with a good few inches of substrate like cocofibre. Your enclosure looks more like you took priority on aesthetics over what your T will actually be able to make use of.

View media item 54491
This is my Poecilotheria metallica's enclosure, but housing Psalmopoeus species is the exact same concept.

Mine does the curtains on her cork bark allll the time haha this is my sling

 

[cold blood]

this is my sling

juvie or sub adult

 

[torioxford]

juvie or sub adult

Juvenile. My Metallica is about the size of a gold dollar right now.

 

[draconisj4]

Here's my P. cambridgei enclosure, she dug down beneath the cork bark tube and has a burrow that goes partially around the bottom of the enclosure. She will be rehoused after her next molt. It's hard to see but she webbed off the the opening of the cork bark tube so about half of it is open, but no webbing anywhere else.

 

[NukaMedia Exotics]

Definitely doesn't need those rocks, add some more substrate because they'll sometimes dig a little burrow & they use it to mix in their webs. Also some wider pieces of something like cork bark are very much preferable to those thinner sticks you've got in there.

 

[T noob]

Thank you all for your input, even though its been months since this post. (I lost this forum page and couldnt remember what it was called XD )
The P. Cambridgei mentioned is doing great in his new enclosure (was hoping for a female but oh well, he's adorable and a goof). "Papa Leggs" is happy and healthy, a good 4.5 inches long for as little time as I've had him.
Am open to sending him to another P. Cambridgei breeder in exchange for a juvenile or sub-adult but, in these times, theres no telling how long it will take to get from one place to another.
I am currently looking for some beginner species so my girlfriend and I can build knowledge and courage with keeping them. Curly hair or rose hairs would be great, even though I would die for an Arizona Blonde lol.
Shortly after I rehoused him, he molted and got much bigger than I'd expected.
(Pretty sure those are tibial hooks?)

 

[octanejunkie]

Yep, looks male

Arizona Blondes, Aphonopelma chalcodes, are readily available via internet orders. They are slow growing and basically pet holes as slings lol

Get yourself a few different slings to build your confidence and experience. If you can keep a Psalm happy you can keep pretty much any NW terrestrial, IMO and experience

 

[Arachnophoric]

That sure is a mature male Psalmo, aka a bundle of pipe cleaners in the shape of a tarantula. Awesome to see he thrived under your care, as sad as it is to know a male is reaching his sunset years, there's something particularly satisfying in seeing a male raised to maturity for me.

A. chalcodes is a fantastic NW terrestrial, mine is only a tiny sling but I love that little bugger. You can find sellers with well-started juvies and young adults for pretty decent prices on the regular.