Question for people who have taken care of GBBs slings...

[ic32k]

Hello,

This is my first GBB sling and molted for the first time since I have it the last thursday, from 2.5cm to 3.6cm (0.98inch to 1.18inch), I offered food several times (crickets and mealworms) and it simply ignores it....
I know that several species have several behaviours and times to harden, but other slings (b. hamorii and obt) had taken very little time to harden and eat. This GBB looks hardened since Saturday and before pre-molt the appetite that she showed was insatiable eating crickets bigger that the spider itself (was so fun looking at her with the cricket in her mouth shaking for the crickets movements). Now her abdomen looks so tiny.
Is there something I need to worry about? Or is this behavior normal for GBB sling?
I know that I make very noob questions, but is my first time with slings and I don't want to learn by the hard way losing any spider

 

[buzz182]

Sounds like it may just not be ready, I try to feed my slings when the fangs are hardened, some take straight away like my D.pentaloris But my N.chromatus takes a little longer so I offer again after 3-5 days. If he refused again, last time he molted he refused again so I left prekilled cricket overnight and he was having Breakfast when I checked on him in the morning. People will have different variations on what they do in this scenario but usually if they look healthy it is nothing to be majorly concerned about IMO. As they mature you will most likely find that this post molt period gets longer.

As a newer keepe I understand those who get a little impatient and worried in these situations, but there are very few stupid questions to be asking here.

 

[Garth Vader]

Are the fangs black?

My GBBs usually wait a few days it up to a week to eat after a molt.

I wouldn't worry about this at all. Your T will eat when ready.

 

[AnObeseHippo]

Make sure it has water. Molting is quite dehydrating and they can’t eat if too dehydrated. Otherwise just wait it out, nothing to worry about

 

[ic32k]

I readed all I found about each of the slings I own, but this is not the same as the knowledge of the people that had passed by the same situations. According to everything that is said out there, this species is very webber and the mine has no web at all, this plus the tiny abdomen and the fact that she is in the lid of the container and doesn't move of that spot make me doubt

Are the fangs black?

My GBBs usually wait a few days it up to a week to eat after a molt.

I wouldn't worry about this at all. Your T will eat when ready.

Yes, his fangs are black since the saturday. One hour to flip and molt and two days to get the fangs black. It is awesome how fast the slings do the molting process. I woke up look at the spider, is in the ground looks normal, go to shower and breakfast and when look at it again is in the side of the container and the molt in the ground :wideyed:

 

[AnObeseHippo]

I readed all I found about each of the slings I own, but this is not the same as the knowledge of the people that had passed by the same situations. According to everything that is said out there, this species is very webber and the mine has no web at all, this plus the tiny abdomen and the fact that she is in the lid of the container and doesn't move of that spot make me doubt

I have a 2inch B albo that molted on friday, its fangs have been black for about 2 days now and it still hasn’t come out of its burrow (as far as I can tell)

Seriously, you are over thinking this. It is showing no symptoms. It is literally just doing nothing

 

[cold blood]

Theres no hurry to feed...just be patient and wait...could be another week ir so even.

 

[aphono]

It seems you might be pushing too hard for them to eat so quick. With slings that little, I wait a close to a week before trying to feed again. And for the first feed after a molt, I would suggest feeding it smaller than usual prey. Always keep the water dish full.

No webbing and up on lid.. I wonder if you are keeping it too wet? This species likes it very dry, same as OBT. If the substrate is moist or you're spraying the container it may be too wet. I raised five GBB with only a water dish, never any spraying. Every time I tried to wet a little bit of the substrate they were up on the walls. So I stopped that, just filled up the water dish.

As for webbing, some of them were a little slow to make a lot of web so that is not very much of a concern. It will eventually make a nice thick web.

 

[ic32k]

It seems you might be pushing too hard for them to eat so quick. With slings that little, I wait a close to a week before trying to feed again. Always keep the water dish full.

No webbing and up on lid.. I wonder if you are keeping it too wet? This species likes it very dry, same as OBT. If the substrate is moist or you're spraying the container it may be too wet. I raised five GBB with only a water dish, never any spraying. Every time I tried to wet a little bit of the substrate they were up on the walls. So I stopped that, just filled up the water dish.

As for webbing, some of them were a little slow to make a lot of web so that is not very much of a concern. It will eventually make a nice thick web.

As this species is from desert I kept the substrate is almost dry bone in the top layer...

 

[Thekla]

As a sling my GBB also took longer to eat again compared to other slings, 7-10 days if I remember correctly. Now, she's a juvie I wait 7-10 days anyway and don't try it earlier.

As for the 'not webbing' part, you could post some pics of the enclosure. Just to make sure there's nothing amiss.

 

[ic32k]

As for the 'not webbing' part, you could post some pics of the enclosure. Just to make sure there's nothing amiss.

I will try, but as the spider is in the edge of the lid with the wall of the deli container, I'm afraid that she can run in the moment I try to open to take the picture, and the plastic is so cloudy to take the picture from the outside

Here are some pics of the enclosure:

And one by side to see the dry of the substrate:

 

[AnObeseHippo]

Here are some pics of the enclosure:
View attachment 284367
And one by side to see the dry of the substrate:
View attachment 284368

Maybe theres not enough hiding spots. Not sure

 

[aphono]

Set up is good. Abdomen is perfectly normal for post molt. Really nothing to worry about.

Personally I would replace the fake plant with either a lump of wood, fake leaf or something broad. To me it seems this species likes large broad surfaces because mine web over broad surfaces heavily and spend most of their time on these surfaces. A lump of wood is good as it both gives a broad surface and sort of a space by the wall where it can make a den. Or thick sticks propped up in there would work well. However it is also fine if you don't change anything, as they are flexible. This spider is not ready to eat yet and it will eventually start to web.

Also they seem not like touching substrate very much. For that issue, it's only a matter of waiting until they web over the substrate enough for them to keep their toes off it.

Not so important that you need to correct it now(it will be fine in that set up), for this species it is a good idea to give extra room because they web so much. It gets annoying when they freak out every time you open the lid because that tears up their webbing. It doesn't hurt them though. So when you rehouse(it will need to be rehoused by the next molt), give it a lot more vertical and horizontal room.

 

[ic32k]

@aphono Thanks for all the info I will put that in the next enclosure

@AnObeseHippo Previously I put in the enclosure some wood sticks making teepee and a hide (a piece of tube with 3/4" diameter) she ignored the wood sticks and the hide only was used to stay out in the upper part between his top part and the lid, apparently this one likes to be squished I saw this kind of plats in other gbbs enclosures... maybe saw isn't the word... I glimpse this type of fake plant under the webs of other gbb

 

[AngelDeVille]

My sling was about the size of yours and I put her in a much larger enclosure with a lot of hides.

She took a few weeks to make herself at home, and she has webbed up nicely and uses a couple different spots to hang out. I'll post a pic when I get home.

I keep it dry, and don't even fill the water dish anymore.

I do web misting twice a week like I do my Avic.

 

[ic32k]

@AngelDeVille I want to see your setup sounds great
Maybe one like I used for the obt will be ok for the gbb? The big enclosure of this three:

 

[aphono]

Yes that big one would have been great. Don't have to use very much substrate for gbb, they don't dig and that gives more head room for decorations etc.

 

[AngelDeVille]

@AngelDeVille I want to see your setup sounds great
Maybe one like I used for the obt will be ok for the gbb? The big enclosure of this three:
View attachment 284407
View attachment 284409

The big one might just do...


She’s under the leaves on the left, but she heard a commotion and came out to investigate...

 

[The Grym Reaper]

two days to get the fangs black

At over 1" I wait at least 5 days after a moult to attempt feeding

 

[ic32k]

@AngelDeVille Looks great I like it, here in Asturias, Spain is hard to find cork bark in apropiate size, all I could find are big pieces of more than one foot for bigger animals like big adult iguana...