A. hentzi wandering - enclosure issues?

Jake94

Jake94

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http://imgur.com/a/PgRzp

The above link is an album with pictures of her and her enclosure.

She was originally on coco fiber, and made a burrow down the bark to the bottom of the enclosure. Now she's on a mix of peat moss, top soil and coco fiber, but she won't make a new burrow.

It's been over 3 weeks since I changed the substrate, and she has a couple times gone down the bark and webbed the entrance, and stayed put for a few days or a week or so, but then I'll come home from work and find her climbing the walls of her enclosure.

I've been keeping the sub as dry as I can because I read that is what hentzi's like, and she seems happier now than when it was more moist, but still no burrow.

I thought she would molt after the sac - maybe she doesn't want to burrow before molting, but the log isn't wide enough for her to molt?

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!
 
EulersK

EulersK

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Very nice looking enclosure, good job. All seems fine, sounds like it's just scoping out its new enclosure. And yes, to the spider, that is a completely new environment - no familiar smells, no familiar feelings, nothing. Burrowers in particular either get settled in overnight or take weeks to do it, there never seems to be much in-between. As for the log being wide enough, it certainly looks big enough to me. You'd be surprised at the cramped spaces that tarantulas can molt in, I wouldn't worry about that. If she is indeed in premolt, then she likely won't burrow. Being in premolt makes movement relatively difficult for them, let alone digging a hole. You're right that they'll like it on the drier side, especially with where you live. I'd give it a few more weeks and see what happens. Try offering a large meal, sometimes burrowers won't do their thing until they have a full belly... that being said, is she still eating? You mentioned a sac; did she lay a sac? Not that it's really relevant, I'm just curious.

TL;DR
I really wouldn't worry about it so long as it's still eating.
 
shining

shining

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Jake94 said:
http://imgur.com/a/PgRzp

The above link is an album with pictures of her and her enclosure.

She was originally on coco fiber, and made a burrow down the bark to the bottom of the enclosure. Now she's on a mix of peat moss, top soil and coco fiber, but she won't make a new burrow.

It's been over 3 weeks since I changed the substrate, and she has a couple times gone down the bark and webbed the entrance, and stayed put for a few days or a week or so, but then I'll come home from work and find her climbing the walls of her enclosure.

I've been keeping the sub as dry as I can because I read that is what hentzi's like, and she seems happier now than when it was more moist, but still no burrow.

I thought she would molt after the sac - maybe she doesn't want to burrow before molting, but the log isn't wide enough for her to molt?

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!
Click to expand...
It may be still too humid or she might just be taking her sweet time to settle in. I've also read about some people's Ts being really picky on their substrate.

Do I see some Emericas in that last picture?
 
Jake94

Jake94

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EulersK said:
Very nice looking enclosure, good job. All seems fine, sounds like it's just scoping out its new enclosure. And yes, to the spider, that is a completely new environment - no familiar smells, no familiar feelings, nothing. Burrowers in particular either get settled in overnight or take weeks to do it, there never seems to be much in-between. As for the log being wide enough, it certainly looks big enough to me. You'd be surprised at the cramped spaces that tarantulas can molt in, I wouldn't worry about that. If she is indeed in premolt, then she likely won't burrow. Being in premolt makes movement relatively difficult for them, let alone digging a hole. You're right that they'll like it on the drier side, especially with where you live. I'd give it a few more weeks and see what happens. Try offering a large meal, sometimes burrowers won't do their thing until they have a full belly... that being said, is she still eating? You mentioned a sac; did she lay a sac? Not that it's really relevant, I'm just curious.

TL;DR
I really wouldn't worry about it so long as it's still eating.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply! She has definitely been much less interested in eating, but every time I coerce a cricket into running toward her she snatches it up. It's been five days since her last one though. She did lay a sac, yeah! It was a total surprise, and incubating the eggs has been all but a total failure on my part. This is my first tarantula and within a few days of having her I began to realize just how little I know about keeping them. I pulled the sac about a month after she made it, and found that about 2/3 of the egg had been ruined by mold, but I separated out the good ones as best I could, and now ~ 3 weeks later I have about 10-12 embryos that haven't died. Two of those actually molted into (I think) first instars a couple of days ago, but one of them has vanished into thin air, and the other one seems to be having trouble getting it's legs out of it's molt. I initially didn't have enough ventilation and found out too late. Now I've got them in a different incubator with two large/medium screen covered holes instead of a bunch of small holes. It's been a learning experience for sure. Mostly learning how little I know haha.
 
Jake94

Jake94

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shining said:
It may be still too humid or she might just be taking her sweet time to settle in. I've also read about some people's Ts being really picky on their substrate.

Do I see some Emericas in that last picture?
Click to expand...
Thanks for replying! Hopefully the enclosure will just continue to dry out over time. I'm careful not to spill much water when filling her dish. I don't know what Emericas are haha.
 
EulersK

EulersK

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Jake94 said:
Thanks for the reply! She has definitely been much less interested in eating, but every time I coerce a cricket into running toward her she snatches it up. It's been five days since her last one though. She did lay a sac, yeah! It was a total surprise, and incubating the eggs has been all but a total failure on my part. This is my first tarantula and within a few days of having her I began to realize just how little I know about keeping them. I pulled the sac about a month after she made it, and found that about 2/3 of the egg had been ruined by mold, but I separated out the good ones as best I could, and now ~ 3 weeks later I have about 10-12 embryos that haven't died. Two of those actually molted into (I think) first instars a couple of days ago, but one of them has vanished into thin air, and the other one seems to be having trouble getting it's legs out of it's molt. I initially didn't have enough ventilation and found out too late. Now I've got them in a different incubator with two large/medium screen covered holes instead of a bunch of small holes. It's been a learning experience for sure. Mostly learning how little I know haha.
Click to expand...
Ah, good job! You're doing better than I did when I started, that's for sure. Keep us updated on those slings, yeah? Pictures never hurt!

Then yeah, I wouldn't worry. I'd offer food about once per week or less, she's plenty plump enough. I'd only be interested when she stops eating, because then you know the magic is about to happen.
 
Jake94

Jake94

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EulersK said:
Ah, good job! You're doing better than I did when I started, that's for sure. Keep us updated on those slings, yeah? Pictures never hurt!

Then yeah, I wouldn't worry. I'd offer food about once per week or less, she's plenty plump enough. I'd only be interested when she stops eating, because then you know the magic is about to happen.
Click to expand...
Here's some pictures I took just now of the new set up and the embryos I've got left. Hard to tell from the pictures, but one of them molted very recently and it had already been an egg with legs. Hopefully it gets its legs straightened out soon. Maybe this fall when the males start coming out in Arkansas I can go find her a date and try for round 2.
http://imgur.com/a/r19nh
 
Last edited:
MrsHaas

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My AF hentzi does the same... Likes to hang upside down from screen even lol. Stopped trying to figure out why, she's just curious I guess.
 
viper69

viper69

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Jake94 said:
Thanks for the reply! She has definitely been much less interested in eating, but every time I coerce a cricket into running toward her she snatches it up. It's been five days since her last one though. She did lay a sac, yeah! It was a total surprise, and incubating the eggs has been all but a total failure on my part. This is my first tarantula and within a few days of having her I began to realize just how little I know about keeping them. I pulled the sac about a month after she made it, and found that about 2/3 of the egg had been ruined by mold, but I separated out the good ones as best I could, and now ~ 3 weeks later I have about 10-12 embryos that haven't died. Two of those actually molted into (I think) first instars a couple of days ago, but one of them has vanished into thin air, and the other one seems to be having trouble getting it's legs out of it's molt. I initially didn't have enough ventilation and found out too late. Now I've got them in a different incubator with two large/medium screen covered holes instead of a bunch of small holes. It's been a learning experience for sure. Mostly learning how little I know haha.
Click to expand...
Beautiful T, very very nice. I don't recommend holding a T so high up when taking a picture, let alone holding at all. Ts can easily bolt/unexpectedly take a few quick steps and fall to their death. Good luck w/that.
 
Hellblazer

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MrsHaas said:
My AF hentzi does the same... Likes to hang upside down from screen even lol. Stopped trying to figure out why, she's just curious I guess.
Click to expand...
Years ago I had a B. smithi that did that a lot. I quit using screen lids after I found it flailing around trying to get one of its legs unstuck one day.
 
MrsHaas

MrsHaas

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EulersK said:
Um... it says you posted this today? o_O The thread was just created last night, I was one of the first to reply.
Click to expand...
Hmmm how weird! Maybe my husband high jacked my account again. He doesn't keep track of my husbandry or the Ts and their behavior. But this is the first time I signed onto AB today ??? I'm confused now. But my a hentzi did used to climb upside down on the screen lid and get stuck and hang by a leg or two... I put slippery packing tape on the edges of the screen and now she can't g upside down or get stuck anymore... Again I'm confused lol
 
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