Avic sling not eating

[spidersprite]

Hello. New here to both the forums and tarantula care. We got our avic avic about a month ago and have had success giving it a cricket once every 5 days or so. About 3 or 4 days ago on feeding day, it refused to feed for the first time. We tried again a few days after and same thing. I know refusing to eat is typical before a molt and it is a sling.

Question is, how often should we keep offering food? When should we just kinda leave it alone?

Also I keep saying "it" bc its a sling and we don't know the sex yet.

Also also, we've tried our best to leave it be. No handling and only open the enclosure to feed so that box should be checked as far as stress is concerned. Still in the enclosure we got it in at the pet store.

 

[Brewser]

Welcome & Congats,
Not Hungry, remove uneaten Prey Items.
Provide Water
Post A Pic or Two
Best Regards to You n Pink Toe

 

[ladyratri]

Please share a photo of the whole enclosure -- sometimes the pet store enclosures are not adequate for long-term keeping, and while the behavior you describe is often completely normal, there could also be inadequate air cycling leading to the sling slowly suffocating over the span of a few months. Avics in particular are more sensitive to needing a cycle of fresh air through their enclosure generated by having some ventilation holes at the top and some at the bottom, right near the dirt.

Also let us know how big the tarantula is in legspan, measured diagonally (tip of one front leg to the tip of the opposite back leg). Can be your best guess or a ruler against the side of the enclosure when it stands on a wall. And a photo of it where we can see the size of the carapace vs the size of the abdomen.

 

[cold blood]

Slings don't require a whole lot of food to plump....once they plump they no longer require food until after they molt.....regardless of how long they fast.

 

[viper69]

Hello. New here to both the forums and tarantula care. We got our avic avic about a month ago and have had success giving it a cricket once every 5 days or so. About 3 or 4 days ago on feeding day, it refused to feed for the first time. We tried again a few days after and same thing. I know refusing to eat is typical before a molt and it is a sling.

Question is, how often should we keep offering food? When should we just kinda leave it alone?

.

Also I keep saying "it" bc its a sling and we don't know the sex yet.

Also also, we've tried our best to leave it be. No handling and only open the enclosure to feed so that box should be checked as far as stress is concerned. Still in the enclosure we got it in at the pet store.

Do you eat all the time? Is your metabolism like a hummingbird? Maybe you’re just full!

You feed when it’s hungry, NOT on a schedule

 

[darkness975]

Hello. New here to both the forums and tarantula care. We got our avic avic about a month ago and have had success giving it a cricket once every 5 days or so. About 3 or 4 days ago on feeding day, it refused to feed for the first time. We tried again a few days after and same thing. I know refusing to eat is typical before a molt and it is a sling.

Question is, how often should we keep offering food? When should we just kinda leave it alone?

Also I keep saying "it" bc its a sling and we don't know the sex yet.

Also also, we've tried our best to leave it be. No handling and only open the enclosure to feed so that box should be checked as far as stress is concerned. Still in the enclosure we got it in at the pet store.

How plump is it? Can you post a picture of the enclosure? Does it have access to water?

The most likely scenario is it simply is full. But the above information would weed out any other possible factors.

 

[spidersprite]

Do you eat all the time? Is your metabolism like a hummingbird? Maybe you’re just full!

You feed when it’s hungry, NOT on a schedule

No need to be rude. I'm new to keeping tarantulas so just looking for advise here buddy...

Welcome & Congats,
Not Hungry, remove uneaten Prey Items.
Provide Water
Post A Pic or Two
Best Regards to You n Pink Toe

 

[Ratmosphere]

Definitely want to change that setup ASAP.

Avicularia/Caribena: How to create an enclosure for slings.

Before I start, I need to say that this is the method that works best for me when keeping half inch slings. I see so many new people on this forum ask "How do I set up an enclosure for a my Avicularia/Caribena sling?" Hopefully this will help. What you will need: A drill, a 1/16" drill bit...

arachnoboards.com

Later in the guide it mentions appropriate housing options for larger spiders. Look for 8" x 8" x 12" options.

 

[spidersprite]

Slings don't require a whole lot of food to plump....once they plump they no longer require food until after they molt.....regardless of how long they fast.

The plumpness is the concern I have. I'm used to keeping jumpers and its pretty obvious when those guys are plump, but this one doesn't seem too plump.

Definitely want to change that setup ASAP.

Avicularia/Caribena: How to create an enclosure for slings.

Before I start, I need to say that this is the method that works best for me when keeping half inch slings. I see so many new people on this forum ask "How do I set up an enclosure for a my Avicularia/Caribena sling?" Hopefully this will help. What you will need: A drill, a 1/16" drill bit...

arachnoboards.com

Later in the guide it mentions appropriate housing options for larger spiders. Look for 8" x 8" x 12" options.

Do you think it's too small at this point? I wanted to upgrade and have an enclosure ready to set up, but I was trying to keep stress to a minimum.

 

[viper69]

Do you think it's too small at this point? I wanted to upgrade and have an enclosure ready to set up, but I was trying to keep stress to a minimum.

What stress are you referring to? Ts are not stressed out by tank size that are properly set up. Remember the outdoors is the largest “tank” they live in

That setup is not good at all.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Do you think it's too small at this point? I wanted to upgrade and have an enclosure ready to set up, but I was trying to keep stress to a minimum.

No, that Avic is a good size for an 8" x 8" x 12" setup.

You can find Exo Terra Nano's that are 8" x 8" x 12" for like $50 on Amazon. You can take the background out for more space, add cork bark and fake plants, and a water dish. All of this can be done under $70.

 

[Brewser]

Curious, what kind of Wood is being used as a Hide.
If Soft Wood like Pine, may want to change out for Cork Bark.
Thanks for sharing,

 

[Ratmosphere]

Also, this is most definitely not a sling. Post some pics of the spiders front showing the pedipalps and we can try to help determine maturity.

 

[spidersprite]

Also, this is most definitely not a sling. Post some pics of the spiders front showing the pedipalps and we can try to help determine maturity.

Here is a screenshot taken from a video I was able to get about 3 weeks ago

 

[Ratmosphere]

No, I meant front facing, not a ventral shot.

 

[cold blood]

Looks plenty plump....you need to understand that arboreals don't get plump in the same manner as terrestrials, it wouldn't make sense for an animal living high in trees, they need to maintain their agility, being super fat like a terrestrial would lead to a clumsy spider with a high risk of falling to their death.

 

[spidersprite]

Looks plenty plump....you need to understand that arboreals don't get plump in the same manner as terrestrials, it wouldn't make sense for an animal living high in trees, they need to maintain their agility, being super fat like a terrestrial would lead to a clumsy spider with a high risk of falling to their death.

Thanks for the suggestion. That big photo was from 3 weeks ago. I will keep that in mind moving forward