Tarantula question

PeanutTheTarantula

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 15, 2017
Messages
0
Hello,
This is my first post. Ive had my Chilean 1492035235174-1201406172.jpg rose haired tarantula for 17 years. I thought he was a boy but a friend of mine is convinced hes a girl... I never thought of sexing him before. Anyways he was pretty much full grown when I got him from a shadey mall stand for $20. I have no idea how old he actually is and has stayed roughly the same size. He use to molt every year but hasnt in 5 years. Recently he stopped eating. Has refused food every chance and hasnt eaten in about a year. I think he ate 1 cricket. Now hes been sitting in his water dish for 3 days and yesterday moved to under his hiding log. I think hes dead... Hes lost some abdomin hair and is just laying there. I know hes old but Im sad and dont know if i should leave him or move him or what??
What do I do? Hes my old man and I really hope hes not dead and comes back around.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
... peanut? @Moakmeister, is this your attempt at a troll?

Assuming this isn't a joke, then yeah, that's a dead spider. Or at least a dying one, and it really shouldn't be a surprise. If you've had it for 17 years, then it is most certainly a female. The wood chips are an accident waiting to happen, and in fact it looks like the spider took a fall based on the chips stuck to the abdomen. It almost looks like it was impaled by a chip towards the right.

Frankly, I'm pretty shocked that it's lived like this for 17 years. Please, do research on how to care for an animal before buying it next time. I'm sorry for your loss, but take it as a learning experience.
 

Moakmeister

Arachnodemon
Joined
Oct 6, 2016
Messages
741
... peanut? @Moakmeister, is this your attempt at a troll?

Assuming this isn't a joke, then yeah, that's a dead spider. Or at least a dying one, and it really shouldn't be a surprise. If you've had it for 17 years, then it is most certainly a female. The wood chips are an accident waiting to happen, and in fact it looks like the spider took a fall based on the chips stuck to the abdomen. It almost looks like it was impaled by a chip towards the right.

Frankly, I'm pretty shocked that it's lived like this for 17 years. Please, do research on how to care for an animal before buying it next time. I'm sorry for your loss, but take it as a learning experience.
what? This ain't me fam. I'm pretty sure there's a rule against having multiple accounts.
 

PeanutTheTarantula

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 15, 2017
Messages
0
... peanut? @Moakmeister, is this your attempt at a troll?

Assuming this isn't a joke, then yeah, that's a dead spider. Or at least a dying one, and it really shouldn't be a surprise. If you've had it for 17 years, then it is most certainly a female. The wood chips are an accident waiting to happen, and in fact it looks like the spider took a fall based on the chips stuck to the abdomen. It almost looks like it was impaled by a chip towards the right.

Frankly, I'm pretty shocked that it's lived like this for 17 years. Please, do research on how to care for an animal before buying it next time. I'm sorry for your loss, but take it as a learning experience.
Wow thanks for being rude. Her name is peanut.. Not some stupid meme. No she is not impailed its just sitting on her leg/abdomen.The chip fell when i moved the log to get a good picture. And obvioulsy i took care of her if shes over 17 years old seeing as i had her after she was full grown so shes closer to 20. But thanks for your comment.
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
Hello,
This is my first post. Ive had my Chilean View attachment 236769 rose haired tarantula for 17 years. I thought he was a boy but a friend of mine is convinced hes a girl... I never thought of sexing him before. Anyways he was pretty much full grown when I got him from a shadey mall stand for $20. I have no idea how old he actually is and has stayed roughly the same size. He use to molt every year but hasnt in 5 years. Recently he stopped eating. Has refused food every chance and hasnt eaten in about a year. I think he ate 1 cricket. Now hes been sitting in his water dish for 3 days and yesterday moved to under his hiding log. I think hes dead... Hes lost some abdomin hair and is just laying there. I know hes old but Im sad and dont know if i should leave him or move him or what??
What do I do? Hes my old man and I really hope hes not dead and comes back around.
It was likely WC and there is no way to tell how old your tarantula was when you got it. Although wood chips isn't a good substrate for tarantulas I doubt that was the issue. It could have just as easily been age or any number of other things. With just the one photo and a small amount of info it's really just speculation. I'd give it time to try and recover before writing it off for good. If it does make it I'd change the substrate out for something more suitable.

Sorry to hear about your pet and I wish both luck.
 

PeanutTheTarantula

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 15, 2017
Messages
0
It was likely WC and there is no way to tell how old your tarantula was when you got it. Although wood chips isn't a good substrate for tarantulas I doubt that was the issue. It could have just as easily been age or any number of other things. With just the one photo and a small amount of info it's really just speculation. I'd give it time to try and recover before writing it off for good. If it does make it I'd change the substrate out for something more suitable.

Sorry to hear about your pet and I wish both luck.
Thank you. Im waiting to see if she comes around... I assume shes just lived out her time. It was a good run. Still gonna miss her.
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
Thats what she came with. So i change them out every time i clean. Never had a problem. They are perfectly fine to use.
It was a common substrate to see Ts on years ago. Since then most people have moved over to using cocofiber or dirt for substrate which is better for Ts. Like you said though I've know people who kept them for LOTS of years on chips. The few people I knew that had them back then all did.
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
Thank you. Im waiting to see if she comes around... I assume shes just lived out her time. It was a good run. Still gonna miss her.
It rough to lose a pet after so long. I hope it turns out well for you. It would be hard to lose Fred after having him for so many years so I can imagine how you feel.
 

PeanutTheTarantula

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 15, 2017
Messages
0
It rough to lose a pet after so long. I hope it turns out well for you. It would be hard to lose Fred after having him for so many years so I can imagine how you feel.
Thank you. She was my first pet at 11 years old, begged for a T for years. I just hate that this may be the end.
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
It was a common substrate to see Ts on years ago. Since then most people have moved over to using cocofiber or dirt for substrate which is better for Ts.
Being completely honest my man I've never saw that crappy substrate until I've joined this site (only btw in very few pics).

Back then in early '90 here no one even suggested that :-s
 

14pokies

Arachnoprince
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Messages
1,735
Hello,
This is my first post. Ive had my Chilean View attachment 236769 rose haired tarantula for 17 years. I thought he was a boy but a friend of mine is convinced hes a girl... I never thought of sexing him before. Anyways he was pretty much full grown when I got him from a shadey mall stand for $20. I have no idea how old he actually is and has stayed roughly the same size. He use to molt every year but hasnt in 5 years. Recently he stopped eating. Has refused food every chance and hasnt eaten in about a year. I think he ate 1 cricket. Now hes been sitting in his water dish for 3 days and yesterday moved to under his hiding log. I think hes dead... Hes lost some abdomin hair and is just laying there. I know hes old but Im sad and dont know if i should leave him or move him or what??
What do I do? Hes my old man and I really hope hes not dead and comes back around.
The wood chips where deffinately a bad call but I doubt it killed your tarantula.. I'm sorry you lost an animal that you have taken care of and I'm sure bonded with in some way over the last seventeen years.. Must be tough..
 

Nightstalker47

Arachnoking
Joined
Jul 2, 2016
Messages
2,612
Thats what she came with. So i change them out every time i clean. Never had a problem. They are perfectly fine to use.
So because she came with it that means it's good? If you knew the basics of tarantula care you would know wood chips are a big no no. They can be toxic depending on what tree they are from and are filled with sharp jagged edges. They also slowly turn to dust like mulch over time, not good for your spider.

If you weren't prepared for criticism I don't know why you posted in the first place. I know it sucks to lose a pet but you need to look at this from a broader perspective, we are only commenting on what we see, and the reality is you owned a pet for 17 years that you know nearly nothing about.
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
Being completely honest my man I've never saw that crappy substrate until I've joined this site (only btw in very few pics).

Back then in early '90 here no one even suggested that :-s
Well here, in the 90s, everyone I knew who had them got them from local pet stores. That was what they were on in the store and what people were sold to keep them on. There was no internet or books to tell anyone other wise. I can't speak for anywhere but NC but every pet store here that had them (that I saw) had them on wood chips.

Lenny kept his on chips and sand for pretty much the whole time he had it. He had it for years before I knew him the early 90s and kept it till it passed away in the early 2000s. It didn't die from wood chips.

There are better substrates, some are a lot better, but I doubt that was the reason her T isn't doing well.
 

14pokies

Arachnoprince
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Messages
1,735
... peanut? @Moakmeister, is this your attempt at a troll?

Assuming this isn't a joke, then yeah, that's a dead spider. Or at least a dying one, and it really shouldn't be a surprise. If you've had it for 17 years, then it is most certainly a female. The wood chips are an accident waiting to happen, and in fact it looks like the spider took a fall based on the chips stuck to the abdomen. It almost looks like it was impaled by a chip towards the right.

Frankly, I'm pretty shocked that it's lived like this for 17 years. Please, do research on how to care for an animal before buying it next time. I'm sorry for your loss, but take it as a learning experience.
#Needs a therapist:doctor:..
 
Top