Aphonopelma seemanni Molting?

[Teal]

What was the packing like that the spider arrived in? I would be concerned that something happened in transit. An internal injury can take a few days to become apparent externally and to disable the spider.

I can’t put anymore in it without it blocking the vent holes.

Blocking the vent holes with some sub isn't bad. My enclosures have vent holes down in the sub as well as up higher.

I disagree. OP stated that the enclosure is 7" tall, with 3" of substrate. The spider is 3" DLS, so 4" of ceiling height is perfectly fine.

Of course, this does not exclude the possibility of a fall before arrival with the OP.

3" of sub is just not enough for an A. seemanni, if you ask me. But that is besides the point here.

 

[Newt83]

I am just trying to figure out what happened so it doesn’t happen again. I was concerned I didn’t have enough sub for it to burrow as it wanted. But I was sure that I didn’t have to worry about the fall distance.

He t was in a small plastic cup with a paper towel and that was inside a styrofoam box with a warm pad and paper towels which was then inside a cardboard box. I contacted the seller so we will see. I doubt I get a refund or another T

 

[boina]

This was really extremely bad luck. Since you had the spider only a few days I doubt very much that it was anything you did or didn't do. Don't be discouraged. Your setup was fine. (Perhaps a little more substrate but no spider dies within days, or even months, from a little bit too shallow substrate.)

You really had the worst luck of anyone I know. Don't be discouraged by this, tarantulas are very rewarding pets usually.

 

[MissouriArachnophile]

I would probably go ahead and contact Jamie's, send them a email, hopefully they will work with you. If you need an email address let me know. Got a A. Seemani sling from them a few weeks ago. Sorry for your loss.

 

[Newt83]

Thanks for the encouragement. I got the T from Backwater Reptiles. Hopefully they work with me on it. It’s very discouraging to do so much research and try to do everything right only to have it pass away after 2 days.

 

[MissouriArachnophile]

Miss spoke then doubt it's the dealer.
I use https://jamiestarantulas.com for most of my collection. I think everyone worries about unforeseen causes of death definately when starting out in the hobby. But I'm relevant new, just lucky with my slings so far I guess.

 

[PidderPeets]

Thanks for the encouragement. I got the T from Backwater Reptiles. Hopefully they work with me on it. It’s very discouraging to do so much research and try to do everything right only to have it pass away after 2 days.

Had you mentioned that earlier, I think every single person on here would have told you the animal was probably sick from the start. Just mentioning them is enough to change my answer to agree with @boina and say it was probably just sick or received damage during shipping.

That is probably the single worst supplier you could have bought from. They're well known for sending wrong species, wrong animal sexes, sick/injured animals that don't survive the shipment or long after, possibly sending dead animals, using very improper packaging methods, and not helping customers that got cheated out of money by them. I unfortunately doubt you will get any type of compensation for this loss. I personally would look at other dealers online or on here and check their reviews on here prior to any further purchases.

I'm sorry for your loss But now I definitely don't think it was anything you could've done

 

[Newt83]

I definitely should have researched them before ordering and I went through a bit of a hassle in the beginning which made me decide I wouldn’t order from them again simply based on that alone. Now that my T died days after receiving it is just the icing on the cake. I already ordered from Jamie’s last week and I am awaiting the shipment which is supposed to be here tomorrow. I’m also searching the classifieds here for a replacement for my A. Seemanni.

 

[MissouriArachnophile]

I like Jamie's, i think Palp friction http://palpfrictiontarantulas.com would be worth checking out as well. I am sure there are plenty of other good recommendations you can find on here to.

 

[boina]

I got the T from Backwater Reptiles.

That actually explains everything . Don't look any further for reasons your spider is dead.

 

[Teal]

Bloody awful, Backwater Reptiles is. I honestly don't know how their terribleness hasn't sunk them ): I'm so sorry you have had this experience...

 

[Newt83]

I didn’t mention the name in any post because I didn’t want to badmouth or imply that it was the sellers fault. I feel pretty dumb for not doing more extensive research on the seller before buying but live and learn I guess. They supposedly have a 7 day guarantee so we will see what the response is tomorrow.

 

[PidderPeets]

I definitely should have researched them before ordering and I went through a bit of a hassle in the beginning which made me decide I wouldn’t order from them again simply based on that alone. Now that my T died days after receiving it is just the icing on the cake. I already ordered from Jamie’s last week and I am awaiting the shipment which is supposed to be here tomorrow. I’m also searching the classifieds here for a replacement for my A. Seemanni.

Well I'm glad you know to look for other sources now, though it's a shame that you had to learn it this way. Jamie's tarantulas is a very good seller. I've gotten a good portion of my Ts from her. You may also notice a difference in packing quality. Jamie's packs them perfectly, so if the packaging from Backwater was different, it was wrong. Bugsincyberspace rarely has Ts available, but they're another reliable source. I've heard good things about Fear Not! Tarantulas as well.

 

[Teal]

I didn’t mention the name in any post because I didn’t want to badmouth or imply that it was the sellers fault. I feel pretty dumb for not doing more extensive research on the seller before buying but live and learn I guess. They supposedly have a 7 day guarantee so we will see what the response is tomorrow.

I do hope you'll follow up and let us know if they get back to you... I am really curious, as I have heard a ton of horror stories about them but not a lot about how (if at all) issues were handled/resolved.

Well I'm glad you know to look for other sources now, though it's a shame that you had to learn it this way. Jamie's tarantulas is a very good seller. I've gotten a good portion of my Ts from her. You may also notice a difference in packing quality. Jamie's packs them perfectly, so if the packaging from Backwater was different, it was wrong. Bugsincyberspace rarely has Ts available, but they're another reliable source. I've heard good things about Fear Not! Tarantulas as well.

BugsInCyberSpace can be pretty hit or miss, in my experience.

Check the Classifieds here, and read the reviews for the sellers... you'll generally find all you need to know I personally tend to shy away from "big name" sellers because I am not a fan of purchasing from a business that relies on buying slings wholesale to resell (though most also do *some* breeding). I prefer to work with individuals who produce their own stock for the most part.

 

[Dovey]

This is just Dreadful. I'm so sorry you've been through this, but I can't tell you how it heartens me that you have ordered other slings and are moving on in the hobby. Your habitat looked great to me. I wish you the best of luck in your new slings and spiders!

 

[Newt83]

@Teal I will definitely keep everyone up to date on the situation and how it is handled.

@Dovey It was seriously disheartening to have my T pass away so quickly and I assumed I had done something wrong. I'm not quitter though and I am determined to build a collection as its something I have wanted to do for a while.

To All: Thank you so much for all the replies and all the assistance. It was my first post on the forum and I was made feel like I was a seasoned member. I really appreciate all the help and I look forward to being a long time member here.

 

[Newt83]

Well I sent an email to Backwater Reptiles yesterday and followed up with another one this afternoon and did not get a reply. Not surprised given what I’ve learned in the thread but still sucks. I was hoping they’d at least offer me another A. Seemanni or a partial refund.

 

[Dovey]

Give them a day or two before you decide they're not going to respond.

 

[Torech Ungol]

3" of sub is just not enough for an A. seemanni, if you ask me. But that is besides the point here.

That's right, they like to burrow. I was thinking only in context of ceiling height. That was my error, and I now agree that it would need more substrate. The correction is appreciated!

 

[Teal]

Well I sent an email to Backwater Reptiles yesterday and followed up with another one this afternoon and did not get a reply. Not surprised given what I’ve learned in the thread but still sucks. I was hoping they’d at least offer me another A. Seemanni or a partial refund.

There was a thread recently about what people feel is an acceptable timeframe for emails to be responded to, actually. I guess I am more lenient, as 2-3 days is fine for me.

That's right, they like to burrow. I was thinking only in context of ceiling height. That was my error, and I now agree that it would need more substrate. The correction is appreciated!

No worries! Not enough substrate definitely didn't/wouldn't contribute to the passing of your spider, at any rate.