A. moderatum that I got less than a week ago dead in water dish?

[gigiwave]

I got this T on Black Friday and had no issues rehousing it. I noticed over the next couple days that it appeared to be spending a lot of time in/ around its water dish which I found strange. When it wasn’t in the water dish it was laying in awkward positions around its cage. Today I checked on it and I’m 90% sure it’s died in its water dish sometime last night I’ve tried gently touching its butt with a straw and nothing, it’s been in the same position all day. I’m a pretty new keeper and first time poster here, the tarantula that I suspect has passed was my fourth. Did I do something to cause this or was I unlucky and bought a sick spider??? I can’t find much information on why a spider would die in its water dish. It’s really bumming me out. I’m attaching photos of the t and enclosure for reference

 

[TheraMygale]

Well, the booklungs are under the abdomen.. thats where they breath…

Remove it DELICATELY. Put it on the substrate floor and wait. Maybe a miracle could happen.

If its dead, nothing you can do. Its just a bad luck thing. Next time you see this behavior, coax the tarantula out of the bowl.

Its abdomen is pretty big. No baldness… couldve been premolt and looking for moisture. But too many ifs and buts here.

Dont beat yourself up. You had a new tarantula and you left it alone and thats what we do. Now you know they can drown.

Maybe it was already near the end of its road. It happens.

 

[gigiwave]

Well, the booklungs are under the abdomen.. thats where they breath…

Remove it DELICATELY. Put it on the substrate floor and wait. Maybe a miracle could happen.

If its dead, nothing you can do. Its just a bad luck thing. Next time you see this behavior, coax the tarantula out of the bowl.

Its abdomen is pretty big. No baldness… couldve been premolt and looking for moisture. But too many ifs and buts here.

Okay I will do that and hope for the best. Is there any reason a tarantula would drown itself? I figured it was in premolt because of the abdomen size and it refused food. Should I offer smaller water dishes in the future to prevent this from happening again?

 

[kingshockey]

its pretty fat maybe it got internal injuries from a fall

 

[TheraMygale]

Okay I will do that and hope for the best. Is there any reason a tarantula would drown itself? I figured it was in premolt because of the abdomen size and it refused food. Should I offer smaller water dishes in the future to prevent this from happening again?

Its a tarantula. They dont always do things they should. Example: climb walls when they are terrestrial. They could fall. And injure themselves. They do not know they are in a cage. So they will explore, especialy when in a new home.

Water bowl size had nothing to do with it.

Usualy bigger can be better depending on size of tarantula: they need to lower their carapace to suck the water.

Have you noticed any stranger bump/curvature near the abdomen/carapace. Sometimes, when they fall, you can see some kind of injury.

You cant be responsible for how tarantula was previously cared for. Where did it come from, and what information did you get about this tarantula.

 

[fcat]

It's very fat, would not be surprised if it was molting...

 

[TheraMygale]

It's very fat, would not be surprised if it was molting...

It was a first thought. We can only guess here. It definitely needed moisture. They might not have a brain made like those of mammals, but they know what they need. They follow instinct. Even if it kills them.

That instinct is older then mankind. And its worked for them all these years.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I have had one halfway molt over a water dish before . I rescued it before it would had drowned.

 

[gigiwave]

its pretty fat maybe it got internal injuries from a fall

If that’s was the case would adding

Its a tarantula. They dont always do things they should. Example: climb walls when they are terrestrial. They could fall. And injure themselves. They do not know they are in a cage. So they will explore, especialy when in a new home.

Water bowl size had nothing to do with it.

Usualy bigger can be better depending on size of tarantula: they need to lower their carapace to suck the water.

Have you noticed any stranger bump/curvature near the abdomen/carapace. Sometimes, when they fall, you can see some kind of injury.

You cant be responsible for how tarantula was previously cared for. Where did it come from, and what information did you get about this tarantula.

i didn’t notice any deformities on its abdomen or carapace. I got it from the reptile store where I bought my other 3 (which are all doing well). As far as I know, they only sell captive bread animals. After I moved it out of the dish and onto the substrate it did slightly move and adjust itself about half an hour afterwards. It’s still not looking great though

 

[TheraMygale]

If that’s was the case would adding

i didn’t notice any deformities on its abdomen or carapace. I got it from the reptile store where I bought my other 3 (which are all doing well). As far as I know, they only sell captive bread animals. After I moved it out of the dish and onto the substrate it did slightly move and adjust itself about half an hour afterwards. It’s still not looking great though

But, it moved. That sounds like something. Do nothing more now. It could just be muscles adjusting. I am really hoping for the best.

its better off out of the water bowl.

 

[gigiwave]

But, it moved. That sounds like something. Do nothing more now. It could just be muscles adjusting. I am really hoping for the best.

its better off out of the water bowl.

I’ll leave it alone and keep my fingers crossed it pulls through. Thanks for the help!

It was a first thought. We can only guess here. It definitely needed moisture. They might not have a brain made like those of mammals, but they know what they need. They follow instinct. Even if it kills them.

That instinct is older then mankind. And its worked for them all these years.

This makes sense. It didn’t have a water dish in its enclosure at the reptile store and the substrate looked bone dry.

 

[TheraMygale]

I’ll leave it alone and keep my fingers crossed it pulls through. Thanks for the help!

its a community here. Your experience helps everyone. Thank you for sharing. And please, give me feedback.

i want this tarantula to be a magical one. I want good news. And if its not, i will still have good thoughts for you.

 

[Gevo]

Your setup looks good (though I can’t quite tell how much space there is between the soil and top in relation to the leg span), and Gouda looks otherwise like a healthy, fat tarantula with no obvious injuries in the photos. It’s possible they picked the worst place in the tank to molt and also decided to molt upright, or it could be that there was something wrong you had no way of knowing or preventing.

My fingers are crossed for you. Please keep us posted.

 

[kingshockey]

hopefully its ok

 

[TheraMygale]

Your setup looks good (though I can’t quite tell how much space there is between the soil and top in relation to the leg span), and Gouda looks otherwise like a healthy, fat tarantula with no obvious injuries in the photos. It’s possible they picked the worst place in the tank to molt and also decided to molt upright, or it could be that there was something wrong you had no way of knowing or preventing.

My fingers are crossed for you. Please keep us posted.

my thought is, if thats where they went to molt, its because they needed moisture. Which owner had no part in, with previous care.

i hope its ok too.

i think that is why i prefer slings now. Or mature adults, from a reliable source. Theres no “mystery in between.

 

[LucN]

That is indeed quite odd. Who knows, this could be a WC adult at the end of its lifespan... But I've never witnessed a T dying in a water dish though. Usually, they'd pass on the ground or during molting.

If you were sold a sickly animal, even unknowingly, I would definitely see the salesclerk for a refund or a replacement, if available.

Hopefully, it manages to pull through. If not, definitely try to get a replacement.

 

[viper69]

4th dead T? That’s unusual- either bad luck or it’s your husbandry

IF you get a 5th, make sure BEFORE you order it that you research everything and post here BEFORE you order it, and get feedback.

 

[Konstantin Konstantinov]

I had couple of Ts commit suicide in a similar fashion. Both cases were after moult and after couple of meals. Years old setups with nothing changed in them.I was surprised and shocked from it and never found explanation why they will do sth like that.Very frustrating and sad .

 

[gigiwave]

4th dead T? That’s unusual- either bad luck or it’s your husbandry

IF you get a 5th, make sure BEFORE you order it that you research everything and post here BEFORE you order it, and get feedback.

Nope, this was the fourth t I bought. My other 3 are doing great

 

[Wolfram1]

just to be clear, i very much doubt it drowned, rather something was wrong with it and it was seeking out moisture, where it eventually died

it does seem unusually fat, so perhaps impaction?

they sometimes try to dunk their abdomens in water to clear the blockage, see if you can get a look at its anus

alternatively it could have been any number of other things, but to your question nothing in your setup stands out as the cause, so while it is sad dont beat yourself up too much

it may just have been a WC specimen that couldnt withstand the conditions it went through, do you suspect it was wild caught?