1/4" A. geniculata sling hasn't molted in over 1 year

[regalpaws]

So, I looked back on my records because I have been concerned about this sling, I got it exactly a year ago.
I understand that they are slow growing, but it has been exactly over a year at about 1/4" with no molt. I am starting to get concerned about impaction, although at taking a closer look, I don't see a plug. Or is the presence of a plug not necessarily always a symptom of impaction?

It hasn't ever dug a burrow this entire time, but it's very active.
Ate fine, I've held off on feeding it for a few months or so.

Do I just need to be more patient or is my husbandry in question? Can I do something to raise the temp in my animal room to help "induce" a molt?

Temps have been around 70, but lately I've been keeping my doors open, we have been reaching high 70s to low 80s. I did put a thermometer in my animal room to get a better idea, which I will update.

 

[viper69]

It’s fatter than the Sun


With no info on feeding at all, you can’t expect a better idea from us

70 is a meager metabolism temp IME. 78+ ups it.

 

[regalpaws]

It’s fatter than the Sun


With no info on feeding at all, you can’t expect a better idea from us

70 is a meager metabolism temp IME. 78+ ups it.

Yeah, I was feeding 1-2 times a week when I first got it. I backed off the feeding around 8 months ago, with maybe like 3-4 feedings since then. It's been fat for a LONG time.

All of my other Ts and slings have been molting just fine in these temps. All be it, it is "slower" than they would in an 80° house. But still getting molts every 5-6 ish months

 

[viper69]

Yeah, I was feeding 1-2 times a week when I first got it. I backed off the feeding around 8 months ago, with maybe like 3-4 feedings since then. It's been fat for a LONG time.

All of my other Ts and slings have been molting just fine in these temps. All be it, it is "slower" than they would in an 80° house. But still getting molts every 5-6 ish months

I keep most of mine at 70-73, no one grows fast until it’s 78+ regularly

just WAIT

 

[cold blood]

This is a housing issue plain and simple.

IMG_0472

• cold blood
• Feb 7, 2017

Keep your small terrestrial slings like this.

 

[regalpaws]

I keep most of mine at 70-73, no one grows fast until it’s 78+ regularly

just WAIT

Yeah, I was wondering if I needed to be more patient. But, it was still concerning because of how stinking fat this dude is.
I've left my thermometer in the room now for about 30 minutes, we're at 72°

This is a housing issue plain and simple.

IMG_0472

• cold blood
• Feb 7, 2017

Keep your small terrestrial slings like this.

I did just recently rehouse it from a dram vile that was pretty small, around 2x1", I wondered if it needed more sub.
So a deli cup then?

 

[cold blood]

You don't want....

1. Deep sub

2. Too many places to hide/clutter

Keep it simple.

 

[regalpaws]

You don't want....

1. Deep sub

2. Too many places to hide/clutter

Keep it simple.

Aight I'll try that! I might report back in a few months or if it molts, for others' knowledge and information.

 

[cold blood]

Your t isn't really that fat considering the species, and it's not even showing pre-molt signs.

This is a pre-molt sling, and a species that doesn't even get as plump as a genic

ezendami sling

• cold blood
• Jul 5, 2018
• augacephalus augacephalus ezendami ceratogyrus ezendami ezendami pre-molt sling

pre molt

 

[viper69]

Your t isn't really that fat considering the species, and it's not even showing pre-molt signs.

This is a pre-molt sling, and a species that doesn't even get as plump as a genic

ezendami sling

• cold blood
• Jul 5, 2018
• augacephalus augacephalus ezendami ceratogyrus ezendami ezendami pre-molt sling

pre molt

Oooh one that actually eats!

 

[Arachnophobphile]

So, I looked back on my records because I have been concerned about this sling, I got it exactly a year ago.
I understand that they are slow growing, but it has been exactly over a year at about 1/4" with no molt. I am starting to get concerned about impaction, although at taking a closer look, I don't see a plug. Or is the presence of a plug not necessarily always a symptom of impaction?

It hasn't ever dug a burrow this entire time, but it's very active.
Ate fine, I've held off on feeding it for a few months or so.

Do I just need to be more patient or is my husbandry in question? Can I do something to raise the temp in my animal room to help "induce" a molt?

Temps have been around 70, but lately I've been keeping my doors open, we have been reaching high 70s to low 80s. I did put a thermometer in my animal room to get a better idea, which I will update.

A. geniculata actually has a medium to fast growth rate dependant on temps & feeding.

Are you 100% it's a genic? 1/4 is a very small sling but not the smallest. I've raised slings from 1/16 a dwarf T to 1/8 so 1/4 is bigger than those.

Could be you have an Aphonopelma genus or some other NW slow growing genus.

Then again could just be genetics and yours is a very slow grower.

Sellers have made mistakes before so maybe double check to verify, if they even admit it. Either way when it gets bigger you'll know.

 

[regalpaws]

A. geniculata actually has a medium to fast growth rate dependant on temps & feeding.

Are you 100% it's a genic? 1/4 is a very small sling but not the smallest. I've raised slings from 1/16 a dwarf T to 1/8 so 1/4 is bigger than those.

Could be you have an Aphonopelma genus or some other NW slow growing genus.

Then again could just be genetics and yours is a very slow grower.

Sellers have made mistakes before so maybe double check to verify, if they even admit it. Either way when it gets bigger you'll know.

That is a thought, it was given as a freebie and came with the A. geniculata tag on it.
We'll try raising the temps and a less swimmy enclosure and see what happens.

And yeah, I've raised slings so far as little as 1/8", many of them also dwarfs, never had as many issues with them as much as I have with this one, so it stumped me.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

That is a thought, it was given as a freebie and came with the A. geniculata tag on it.
We'll try raising the temps and a less swimmy enclosure and see what happens.

And yeah, I've raised slings so far as little as 1/8", many of them also dwarfs, never had as many issues with them as much as I have with this one, so it stumped me.

It's possible it's not a genic but time will tell

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

That is a thought, it was given as a freebie and came with the A. geniculata tag on it.
We'll try raising the temps and a less swimmy enclosure and see what happens.

And yeah, I've raised slings so far as little as 1/8", many of them also dwarfs, never had as many issues with them as much as I have with this one, so it stumped me.

My A. geniculata sling has gone from 1/4” to about .7” in a year. And that’s slow for the species.

 

[Andrew Clayton]

So, I looked back on my records because I have been concerned about this sling, I got it exactly a year ago.
I understand that they are slow growing, but it has been exactly over a year at about 1/4" with no molt. I am starting to get concerned about impaction, although at taking a closer look, I don't see a plug. Or is the presence of a plug not necessarily always a symptom of impaction?

It hasn't ever dug a burrow this entire time, but it's very active.
Ate fine, I've held off on feeding it for a few months or so.

Do I just need to be more patient or is my husbandry in question? Can I do something to raise the temp in my animal room to help "induce" a molt?

Temps have been around 70, but lately I've been keeping my doors open, we have been reaching high 70s to low 80s. I did put a thermometer in my animal room to get a better idea, which I will update.

Doesn't look like it's ready to moult, the abdomen will start to darken, this is a great indicator. As mentioned before, house it in something smaller, and up the temps. I get pretty fast growth rates for all my T's, keeping it above 80°f.
Also it's a sling, I'd keep feeding it, until it refuses to take it. A slings only job is to grow, so no such thing as overfeeding them.

 

[Mike41793]

I'd bet there was a mislabel mixup and it's actually one of the slower growing NW species. A geniculata not molting for that long sounds very out of the ordinary to me. Time will tell as it gets some size. They develop adult markings when they're still very small

 

[Moakmeister]

That doesn't look like a genic at all. Genics have their adult colors as slings. If it was a freebie then it's even more sus. I'm betting this is an Aphonopelma. I remember a few stories from years ago about people who were given Aphonopelmas also labelled as genics and they grew slow as sh*t too until they bought a real genic sling and instantly realized they'd been lied to.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

I add to the maybe not a genic vote. Mine started molting once a year at about 3”. I kept him in a way too big enclosure at just under an inch at temps mostly 68-75 and he was molting every few months at first, slowing to 6 months and then a year. He’s probably pushing 4” now and I’ve had him 2.5 years.