B smithi not eating since I've had her/him

trinaxxx

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 24, 2016
Messages
7
So I brought my B Smithi around 1 month ago. shes about 1 inch her body...
Never eaten within the time Ive had her...
shes had a molt also, like a week and a half ago.. seems to of had a bad molt to, one of her legs is stumpy poor thing...
anyway ive offered her food and she seems like shes petrified of it! tried crickets, hoopers and still nothing.
she goes through phases of being up the glass ...
i cant seem to win with her at all...
any good suggestions
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
I would offer her meal worms. Be sure to crush the heads and leave them in over night.
 

Estein

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 11, 2016
Messages
153
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but at a week and a half after a molt she could still be hardening up and would be more defensive during that time. Would it take that long even with that small size, anyone?

If you bought her a month ago and she molted not long after, she would have been in premolt when you purchased her and wouldn't have been interested in eating anyway. Offering a mealworm with a crushed head, like @Trenor said, will let her scavenge when she's ready and let you see whether she actually ate (vs having the food burrow and get lost).

I bet soon you'll have a a hungry T!
 

Misty Day

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 9, 2013
Messages
437
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but at a week and a half after a molt she could still be hardening up and would be more defensive during that time. Would it take that long even with that small size, anyone?
A one inch sling should be fully hardened after a week and a half.
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
Even a slow growing genus?
Every T I've had at that size hardened up fairly quickly. I think it has more to do with exo thickness and how much exo (size) that needs to harden rather than how long it takes to reach adult size.

It could have easily been in pre-molt when it was bought and needed time after the molt to recover/harden up before it was ready to eat. It could also depend on how plump the abdomen is. If it's got plenty of food stored up it might be slow to eat new prey. I've had small slings go two molts without eating because they were plumped up.

I tend to not be as worried about them if the have plump abdomens. Make sure they have fresh water and offer food every week. If they need it they will eat.
 

Estein

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 11, 2016
Messages
153
As far as I know, (Correct me if I'm wrong), growth rates have no impact on how an exoskeleton hardens.
Every T I've had at that size hardened up fairly quickly. I think it has more to do with exo thickness and how much exo (size) that needs to harden rather than how long it takes to reach adult size.
Gotcha-- I was thinking about metabolic rates but I guess it doesn't correlate the way I would have thought. Thanks for the info. :)
 

trinaxxx

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 24, 2016
Messages
7
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but at a week and a half after a molt she could still be hardening up and would be more defensive during that time. Would it take that long even with that small size, anyone?

If you bought her a month ago and she molted not long after, she would have been in premolt when you purchased her and wouldn't have been interested in eating anyway. Offering a mealworm with a crushed head, like @Trenor said, will let her scavenge when she's ready and let you see whether she actually ate (vs having the food burrow and get lost).

I bet soon you'll have a a hungry T!

I have a b.emilia smaller than my smithi, and she eats like a week after a molt, maybe 5-6 days, my b.emilia is never a worry.
So obviously I thought my smithi would be the same as its a tad bigger!!
im just gonna leave her now till next week see if it eats then....
thanks for the reply
 

trinaxxx

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 24, 2016
Messages
7
Every T I've had at that size hardened up fairly quickly. I think it has more to do with exo thickness and how much exo (size) that needs to harden rather than how long it takes to reach adult size.

It could have easily been in pre-molt when it was bought and needed time after the molt to recover/harden up before it was ready to eat. It could also depend on how plump the abdomen is. If it's got plenty of food stored up it might be slow to eat new prey. I've had small slings go two molts without eating because they were plumped up.

I tend to not be as worried about them if the have plump abdomens. Make sure they have fresh water and offer food every week. If they need it they will eat.
my smithi is not so plump now looks like she could do with the food tbh...
im just gonna leave her alone now for a week thn hopefully it will eat...
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
You're a little late to the correction party. ;) But I appreciate your info all the same--thanks!
I like to think of myself as fashionably past due, indeed I am late hahah ;) I didn't want you preaching the T gospel to the masses and have it wrong ;) Nothing like a bit of positive reinforcement :wacky::wacky::wacky:
 

trinaxxx

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 24, 2016
Messages
7
Still, not eaten.
wandering around her tank, had her feet in the water bowl.... shes looking so skinny...
why cant she just eat!!
if she hasnt eaten by next wednesday in her tank, im gonna do a refurb and just try her with pre killed food, which I have done, with a hopper over night...

update you when I can....
 

Estein

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 11, 2016
Messages
153
I like to think of myself as fashionably past due, indeed I am late hahah ;) I didn't want you preaching the T gospel to the masses and have it wrong ;) Nothing like a bit of positive reinforcement :wacky::wacky::wacky:
Ha no worries. I definitely want to invite comment--I don't mind looking a little dumb once in awhile if it means I learn something. :rolleyes:;)
 

ErinM31

Arachnogoddess
Arachnosupporter
Joined
Feb 25, 2016
Messages
1,217
My B. smithi would only eat pre-killed crickets when I first got them in February -- no live small crickets, bean beetles, nor Phoenix worms. Now they grab live adult crickets without hesitation! :D

If not even that works, I think all you can do is make sure they have fresh water and offer food every so often. I have a wild-caught Aphonopelma sling that has only eaten twice since I bought it 3-4 months ago but it likes it's water dish. It seems healthy otherwise; I think it's in a veeery long pre-molt phase...
 
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