# Tarantula Not Eating (still)



## BRavorius (Apr 11, 2008)

Ever since I received my Avicularia sp. [Peru Purple], she has never really been a big eater. I've had her for about half a year or so now and shes around 3-4''. Her abdomen seems to be incredibly small as she refuses to eat. I know it seems obvious that tarantulas would eat if they're hungry but what I want to know is: Is there any other feeding techniques that could encourage the spider to eat?

Say for instance, putting her in a Tupperware and throwing some crickets in there?

I don't know. I'm just trying to get her to have some nutrition in her so she doesn't look unhealthy. Definitely moves and seems healthy of all sorts other than her very small caboose! She's a sweetheart though, never got defensive, loves to climb when handled, but any advice on this matter is greatly appreciated.  

Here's some pics


















As you can see, her butt is pretty small, especially for a female.


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## ballpython2 (Apr 11, 2008)

How much stuff do you have in the enclosure? Maybe if you have too much stuff in there its hard for her to even find the crickets could that be the case?

When is the last time she molted? Sometimes Tarantulas go a 2 weeks or more without eating because they are going to eventually  molt. As long as she has water available (you can mist her webbing when she is not in it to give her water) she should be fine. Just try  every 3 - 4 days to feed her. And remember only keep a cricket in the tank for about 24 hours, if its in there the next day around the same you put it in there the day before then just take it out because she isn't hungry.

Talken always said the best way to keep an aboreal eating to keep it in the smallest enclosure you can compared to its size. and it will eat better. what size enclosure is it in now?


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## SuperRad (Apr 11, 2008)

I've got a 3.5" Avic avic who is more content to drink water than to try and hunt down food. Crickets would go in, then come out the next day. I tried dangling food in his face and for a while he'd take it but lost interest after a while. 

Now I toss him in a deli cup that's 3" deep and 4" in diameter with a couple meal worms or crickets overnight and the next day they're gone. Every time he goes in the "feeding bucket" he always eats. Has yet to refuse food. 

I'm breeding Nauphoeta cinerea (lobster roaches) now with the hopes that their climbing abilities will trigger a hunting instinct in my T. I just think he had problems registering that there was prey on the ground.


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## BRavorius (Apr 11, 2008)

ballpython2 said:


> How much stuff do you have in the enclosure? Maybe if you have too much stuff in there its hard for her to even find the crickets could that be the case?
> 
> When is the last time she molted? Sometimes Tarantulas go a 2 weeks or more without eating because they are going to eventually  molt. As long as she has water available (you can mist her webbing when she is not in it to give her water) she should be fine. Just try  every 3 - 4 days to feed her. And remember only keep a cricket in the tank for about 24 hours, if its in there the next day around the same you put it in there the day before then just take it out because she isn't hungry.
> 
> Talken always said the best way to keep an aboreal eating to keep it in the smallest enclosure you can compared to its size. and it will eat better. what size enclosure is it in now?


Her last molt was about 5 months ago. I have her in a small Exo Terra terrarium with opening plastic doors. Another part that does bother me is she has not webbed once since I've had her for half a year. I even changed her enclosure and still nothing. I don't have huge amount of stuff actually inside of the terrarium but maybe I'll just put her in something smaller soon. As for now, I think I'm going to try the "feeding jar" method until I go out and make her a new home.


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## Mushroom Spore (Apr 11, 2008)

BRavorius said:


> I even changed her enclosure and still nothing.


Changing a tarantula's enclosure will make them LESS likely to web soon, not more. Every time they get put into a new environment, it starts the "settling in" phase all over again - heck, they'll do it even if you just change a terrestrial's substrate. Yes, it can take half a year or more for a tarantula to "settle in" and web or whatever, and it probably would have done so by now if you hadn't gotten impatient and changed things again.


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## BRavorius (Apr 11, 2008)

Mushroom Spore said:


> Changing a tarantula's enclosure will make them LESS likely to web soon, not more. Every time they get put into a new environment, it starts the "settling in" phase all over again - heck, they'll do it even if you just change a terrestrial's substrate. Yes, it can take half a year or more for a tarantula to "settle in" and web or whatever, and it probably would have done so by now if you hadn't gotten impatient and changed things again.


It wasn't that I was impatient. The 2.5 Gallon she was in before wasn't a good enclosure for her so I wanted to give her some stuff to actually climb on and something that kept moisture in better. Right now I have her in a medium-large critter keeper turned sideways with lots of things to climb on. Hopefully this smaller environment will suit her better and she'll start eating and eventually web.


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