# My Tarantula Wont eat



## Osmar (May 14, 2008)

Its been almost a month now and my costa rican tiger rump just wont eat ive tried everything crickets to pinky mice and i put in a meal worm right in its face and it just moved back and didnt do anything is it possible that its premolting. The color on it hasnt changed in anyway and the abdomen is getting small im really worried and i change the water daily just to make sure it has something to fill itself with.


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## Travis K (May 14, 2008)

what kind of set up do you have it in?
Can you post a pic of the T and the tank?


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## Osmar (May 14, 2008)

Im at school right now but as soon as i get home ill take a pic its in a 10 gallon with 100% peat moss and two rocks. also humid and under a redlight at night. another question is are tiger rumps climbers or burrowers?


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## Pestilence (May 14, 2008)

its common for a T to fast but when you said the abdomen was shrinking is something to ponder about. shrinking abdomen is always a bad sign. where do you keep your T? when was the last time it ate and what did it eat? how big is this T of yours? are you sure its shrinking or maybe its your mind thats playing tricks on you because you're much concentrated on your T not eating that you think the abdomen is shrinking? is it shriveled up? is it moving around the enclosure?


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## GOMER113 (May 14, 2008)

An upcoming molt would be my first guess.  A thinning abdomen isn't good.  How much smaller is it getting?  Is it possible that it might've been a little too plump before, and now it's coming down to an average size?  Pics would help.


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## Travis K (May 14, 2008)

I would ditch the red light it may be dehydrating your T


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## Osmar (May 14, 2008)

The upper part of the body which i have no idea what its called is about the size of a nickel and the abdomen looks likes pencil width sorry about the bad descriptions but im at night school and i cant take pics right now i will as soon as i get home but again are tiger rumps climbers or burrowers because it used to burrow but now it climbs the walls at night but i havent bought it a small tree trunk?


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## Osmar (May 14, 2008)

the last time it ate was about a 3 weeks to a month and it ate a cricket but not right away like my pink toe did it waited hours before it attacked


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## Aurelia (May 14, 2008)

I'm assuming you have a water dish for it? does it drink at all?


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## Osmar (May 14, 2008)

of course i change the water everyday


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## Pestilence (May 15, 2008)

well thats strange... and pencil width is bad considering the head is the size of a nickel.. tiger rump you say? Costa Rican Tiger Rump as i know are terrestrial and heavy webbers.


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## deez8legz (May 15, 2008)

*Icu*

I recommend placing him/her in an ICU. Get a Critter Keeper (if you don't already have one) make sure that it is totally clean and sterilized. Do not use alcohol, a very mild bleach/water solution is efficient. Wet a paper towel with plain water and place it in the bottom of the CK and place the T in it and put it in a dark, warm location NOT and area with a lot of traffic. Check in on it several times a day, make sure the paper towel is damp this raises the humidity for the T and stops the loss of hydration from the T. You should start to see it come back around after a few days but don't be suprised of it takes a week. The fasting is not as big a deal as the loss of fluids, so when you move the T back to it's home, be mindful of the traffic and or any other stimulation it may be getting and after a few days if it seems to be doing ok then introduce some food but don't be suprised if it's still not interested. This info is in The Tarantula Keeper's Guide and I highly recommend it to anyone that has Ts. Best of luck to you and your pet.


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## Aurelia (May 15, 2008)

> Do not use alcohol, a very mild bleach/water solution is efficient. Wet a paper towel and place it in the bottom of the CK and place the T in it and put it in a dark, warm location NOT and area with a lot of traffic.


I don't see a problem with using alcohol.  When it evaporates, it leaves no residue so there's nothing left behind to harm your T.  

BTW don't use the sterilizing solution to wet the paper towel, just use water....


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## deez8legz (May 15, 2008)

Thanks for adding that Aurelia, I added that to the original post just in case. Wouldn't want any mishaps. Alcohol is probably fine. The reason I didn't suggest alcohol is that's what the authors of the book said unless it was like 90% to make sure all residue would dissipate.


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## Osmar (May 15, 2008)

well now im fucked cause the worms burried under the soil and the tarantula has acted more active than usual when i woke up he was climbing the walls in the tank


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## deez8legz (May 15, 2008)

So how's he looking? Dude remember the profile of the forum is "family oriented" so edit your last post b4 they delete your account.


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## Cirith Ungol (May 15, 2008)

The following is my advice:

Does the water dish have a spunge in it? Does it have rocks in it? If yes, remove, clean the dish and refill with water, no rocks, no spunge.

Remove the lamp.

Remove any heating pad.

Buy maggots at an angler shop and toss in one infront of the T to see if it takes it. If it doesn't there is no need to freak out. The maggot will only develop into a fly within 10-12 days, so no need to worry.

Aurelia:
Alcohol has two drawbacks: If it is medicinal desinfecting alcohol it will have skin treatment oils in it which will not evaporate. Those oil are there to remoisten the skin after desinfection. The second drawback is that alcohol dims plastic. Bleach is always the best to clean out anything animal related.


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