# My Tarantula will not stop climbing. Please help.



## dcastillo65 (Jul 26, 2013)

Hello, 
So i am a relatively new T owner and got my Brachypelma Boehmei about less than a month ago. I have an 5.5 gallon tank and she is a juvenile i believe. I originally had bark chips as substrate for her ,but she didn't seem to like it because she would always be on the top or sides of the tank. I figured this was only because she is just exploring and getting used to her enclosure. However, she kept doing it and she has fallen once or twice. I got kinda worried so i changed out the bark chips with regular coco fiber substrate to see if that will maybe work since she didn't really enjoy the bark chips. Not sure, but i hear they don't like the feel of bark chips on their feet. However, despite using different substrate she is still climbing on the sides and top of the tanks i am very worried she will hurt herself when and if she falls. I don't know if she is just crawling on the sides and top of the cage because she's a juvenile or if its because she doesn't like something about the cage. She eats fine and is hydrated she just very ever rarely stays on the ground. Shes trying to be an arboreal T or something. Please if any one knows why shes doing this or how to fix it please let me know. Thank you.


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## Smokehound714 (Jul 26, 2013)

A far better substrate would be a dry sandy sub.  Brachypelma are alot like aphonopelma in both habitat preference and behavior.


   Does she have a hide?   Does she have enough substrate to burrow?

  Do you mist or moisten the substrate?  This species doesn't like high humidity.

  Don't mist to water a tarantula, use a water dish.


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## Marijan2 (Jul 26, 2013)

substrate too wet?  -    let it dry out and it should be fine
mature male?     -    well, nothing you can do about it, find him a mate
just a restless T?    -   try putting her in a smaller/bigger cage, and/or providing different hide


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## dcastillo65 (Jul 26, 2013)

She does have a hide and definite enough substrate to burrow. I wouldn't really mist her cage hardly ever maybe once. But it was strange because the humidity was pretty probably about 35 to 40% and for some reason she just keeps climbing like crazy. She will stay suspended upside down for hours at a time and barely move. Just a little worried about her falling.


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## Marijan2 (Jul 26, 2013)

give us a picture?


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## dcastillo65 (Jul 26, 2013)

ah damn my stupid picture is not going through ill have to upload it tomorrow. But basically she has a great hide she definitley likes it, the substrate is dry, humidity is at 40, temperature is fine, and she has a small water dish. I have no idea why she keeps climbing though. She will stay upside down fer a long time or on the side on the tank for a long time. Sometimes ill hear like something hittin the glass but i don't think its tapping. I don't know its maybe her falling or what but im definitely trying to do everything to keep her off the top. I don't know guys maybe shes just a very active juvenile maybe?


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## MarkmD (Jul 26, 2013)

Cocofiber for substrate is fine, could be to moist, Mostly all T's big/small climb from time to time when new, so give it more time to settle in and she should come down, if not change things around like completely dry sub with a bottle cap waterdish, dependig on how  big she/he is (DLS)? you may have to change the setup to something smaller. as said a pic of the enclosure would help.


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## Hobo (Jul 26, 2013)

Coco fiber is just fine as a substrate.

You also say you got her _less than a month ago_, and in that time you have changed out her enclosure once.
Tarantulas can take up to a month sometimes to settle in, more if housing is inadequate. You just need to let her be. Changing things around will effectively prolong this time period, as you are experiencing now.

If you're worried about her falling, chances are you don't have enough substrate. Add more coco fiber until damage from falls becomes a non-issue (About her leg span and a half to the top of the enclosure).
You don't need to mist at all, just keep a dish full of water available.

Reactions: Like 4


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## dcastillo65 (Jul 26, 2013)

Okay thank you all very much. I ll just leave her be then. Definitely appreciated i did a lot of research about my T but still have a lot to learn so thank you all. Hopefully shes just not settled in and calms down after a month or two hopefully.


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## dcastillo65 (Jul 26, 2013)

So she seems to have calmed down more but only after i held her n interacted with her for an hour or two. She seems pretty calm and isn't climbing at all. I'm wondering can Tarantulas get maybe stir crazy or want to be held? just to move around? She was crawling for a long time from hand to hand.


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## goodoldneon (Jul 26, 2013)

You want we should come to your house and hold your tarantula down for you?


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## freedumbdclxvi (Jul 26, 2013)

dcastillo65 said:


> So she seems to have calmed down more but only after i held her n interacted with her for an hour or two. She seems pretty calm and isn't climbing at all. I'm wondering can Tarantulas get maybe stir crazy or want to be held? just to move around? She was crawling for a long time from hand to hand.


No, they don't *want* to be held.  Leave her be for a while, outside of feeding and watering.


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## RyTheTGuy (Jul 26, 2013)

freedumbdclxvi said:


> No, they don't *want* to be held.  Leave her be for a while, outside of feeding and watering.


I think tarantulas may have an urge to explore beyond their living quarters. Go out for a little walk and just see whats happening out there, then go back home.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Smokehound714 (Jul 27, 2013)

RyTheTGuy said:


> I think tarantulas may have an urge to explore beyond their living quarters. Go out for a little walk and just see whats happening out there, then go back home.


Definitely.  I've seen them wander quite far from their burrows at one of my spots.   The silken trails they leave are very important to male tarantulas, too. 

   You cant get enough to eat by just staying by your burrow, even if you can survive a year without food!  They definitely do leave to hunt for a meal, they make their way back with that thick silk trail.  I'd assume they're forced to leave to catch something in order for their slings to survive.


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