P. metallica very skinny after molt need advice

Tenebrarius

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Sep 8, 2018
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hello, my gorgeous cutie3.14 recently molted, it happened over night, it was pretty skinny when i checked on it, so i filled up water and misted, the sucking stomach thing was molted so thats fine, but it won't eat, tried a worm, then a cricket, and another cricket. I leave the fresh kill overnight. it is not being slow in movement, it is very skittish and runs when I open the enclosure. what else should i try or consider. here are some pictures.
 

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TownesVanZandt

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It´s normal that they are a bit skinny after a moult. You have to wait until its fangs hardens after a moult before you attempt to feed it. Depending on size this can take anywhere from 4-5 days for slings to a week or two for larger specimens.
 

Tenebrarius

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It´s normal that they are a bit skinny after a moult. You have to wait until its fangs hardens after a moult before you attempt to feed it. Depending on size this can take anywhere from 4-5 days for slings to a week or two for larger specimens.
thanks i waited three days must have been too early, and mines a picky eater.
 

Minty

@londontarantulas
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This is nothing to worry about. As said above, wait another few days and then try again. It’ll eat when it is ready and just make sure it has access to water.
 

SuzukiSwift

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I usually wait a week for juvies and 10-14 days for adults before feeding. If your met doesn’t take the food then wait a couple of days and try again. Keep the water bowl full though
 

The Grym Reaper

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Looks like a juvie, you should be waiting 7-10 days (or until the fangs turn fully black if it's out a lot and you can get a look) to feed at that size, they will not eat while they are still in the teneral phase after moulting.

Some tarantulas come out of moults looking really skinny, arboreals generally tend to come out skinnier than terrestrials (we're talking "abdomen smaller than the carapace" skinny), this isn't any sort of emergency though, just wait until hardened and feed as normal.

View media item 53595View media item 52033
 

Tenebrarius

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Sep 8, 2018
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Looks like a juvie, you should be waiting 7-10 days (or until the fangs turn fully black if it's out a lot and you can get a look) to feed at that size, they will not eat while they are still in the teneral phase after moulting.

Some tarantulas come out of moults looking really skinny, arboreals generally tend to come out skinnier than terrestrials (we're talking "abdomen smaller than the carapace" skinny), this isn't any sort of emergency though, just wait until hardened and feed as normal.

View media item 53595View media item 52033
thanks for the help, P. metallica is my only arboreal so I dont have much to go off when it come to arboreal experience.
 

Teal

Arachnoemperor
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My P. met went from "That's it, Fatty, I am cutting you off!" chubby pre-molt to "Holy skinny booty, Batman" post-molt. She also doesn't fast before molting.

She is probably close to 5" and I am going to wait at least 10 days before attempting to feed.
 

Aleetist

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Jun 4, 2018
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Just here to verify that practically all of my arboreals are scary skinny after molts and seem to take a little longer to accept food than my terrestrials. I normally wait two weeks to feed my arboreals after a molt.
 

viper69

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hello, my gorgeous cutie3.14 recently molted, it happened over night, it was pretty skinny when i checked on it, so i filled up water and misted, the sucking stomach thing was molted so thats fine, but it won't eat, tried a worm, then a cricket, and another cricket. I leave the fresh kill overnight. it is not being slow in movement, it is very skittish and runs when I open the enclosure. what else should i try or consider. here are some pictures.
Skinny after a molt-- common/expected, not sure why you are concerned on that. You should read up on tarantula husbandry and biology- it will make you worry less.

They don't eat right away after a molt - fangs need to be black to eat, if not, your T may die.

You need to leave it alone and let it do its thing. It knows far better than any of us about how to be a T hah.

Also for cage furniture, while those wood piece are nice, your P met would actually like a cork round much better. In the wild Poki live up in trees inside holes of the tree.
 

Tenebrarius

Arachnoangel
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Messages
912
Skinny after a molt-- common/expected, not sure why you are concerned on that. You should read up on tarantula husbandry and biology- it will make you worry less.

They don't eat right away after a molt - fangs need to be black to eat, if not, your T may die.

You need to leave it alone and let it do its thing. It knows far better than any of us about how to be a T hah.

Also for cage furniture, while those wood piece are nice, your P met would actually like a cork round much better. In the wild Poki live up in trees inside holes of the tree.
thanks for the advice, I have been studying the anatomy and biology more.

Also after waiting about five days more my T ate a superworm, and is plum.

I did not realize how Long I needed to wait after a molt and dont own another arboreals but now I do.

people have talked about cork bark but I cant find any at my local pet store.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
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Dec 8, 2006
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17,851
people have talked about cork bark but I cant find any at my local pet store.
Have you searched on the internet? There are PLENTY of sources for this type of wood product/shape ;)

Also after waiting about five days more my T ate a superworm, and is plum.
Just know that feeding a T post-molt based on an artificial time period is just Russian roulette, and when one does this, is merely getting lucky, nothing more.:D
 
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