Brachypelma Boehmei hasnt eaten for over 6 months

oceanegg

Arachnopeon
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Apr 17, 2024
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Hello! my juvenile female brachypelma boehmei is not eating, she has molted once under my care about a year or so ago, but not since. I attached a picture of her enclosure, but since I've taken that picture I've removed the fake plant to add more neutral space for her to explore, and also moved the Spanish moss around. the substrated is sloped so it looks like there's less than there is, but i do want to add more as i think theres not enough atm. i originally was going to wait for her to molt and do a soil change after her first feeding then add more, but 6 or so months later here we arefound a small white dot under her mouth and was worried it was nematodes, but they didn't look like they were moving. is this just pre molt? her abdomen hasn't darkened though. could she just not be hungry? I offer a dubia with its head crushed every 2~ or so weeks. any help would be appreciated, this little girl means the world to me!

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oceanegg

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Apr 17, 2024
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Looks healthy to me don’t be so worried about feeding when the spider is plump.
Here are some pictures of her. the one with hair is from march and the one without hair is from april. does she look fat enough that I shouldn't worry?

Looks healthy to me don’t be so worried about feeding when the spider is plump.
sorry I don't have any more recent pictures.
 

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DystruktoBoi1

Arachnopeon
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Here are some pictures of her. the one with hair is from march and the one without hair is from april. does she look fat enough that I shouldn't worry?
Oh she's fine, nice and fat. It's all about booty size, if it's wider than or the same size as the carapace the T is in good shape. Just keep water in there so she's hydrated.

I have an Aphonapelma that I have had for 3 years. She's eaten like 3-4 times for me, ever. She's healthy and still alive.
 

spideyspinneret78

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She's definitely hefty! No need to feed her until after her next molt. Being this chunky, she can easily go without food for many months. Just always make sure she has fresh water available. I've had tarantulas go for months upon months without food and be perfectly fine, especially the more slow growing species. Their metabolisms are glacial compared to a mammal's. A well fed adult female G. rosea for example can literally go for years without a meal.
 

Gevo

Arachnoknight
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Oct 25, 2023
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Not to worry at all—she’s got plenty of junk in the trunk. My Brachypelma is nearing 6 months with no food too, and they can go longer. She’ll start eating again after she molts next, whenever that is, and then hardens up a few weeks after. When that bald patch turns black and shiny, it’ll mean a molt is imminent.
 

Mike41793

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She's not hungry, plenty fat. I wish I could skip food for 6mo I'd save so much money!
 

Ultum4Spiderz

ArachnoGod
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Here are some pictures of her. the one with hair is from march and the one without hair is from april. does she look fat enough that I shouldn't worry?
She’s good and plump I miss my firelegs . This is a. Skinny t.
 

Mustafa67

Arachnobaron
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Hello! my juvenile female brachypelma boehmei is not eating, she has molted once under my care about a year or so ago, but not since. I attached a picture of her enclosure, but since I've taken that picture I've removed the fake plant to add more neutral space for her to explore, and also moved the Spanish moss around. the substrated is sloped so it looks like there's less than there is, but i do want to add more as i think theres not enough atm. i originally was going to wait for her to molt and do a soil change after her first feeding then add more, but 6 or so months later here we arefound a small white dot under her mouth and was worried it was nematodes, but they didn't look like they were moving. is this just pre molt? her abdomen hasn't darkened though. could she just not be hungry? I offer a dubia with its head crushed every 2~ or so weeks. any help would be appreciated, this little girl means the world to me!

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Normal. It’s a Brachypelma
 

Brewser

RebAraneae
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Nov 28, 2023
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Beautiful Brachy :happy:
Water and Wait
Best Regards,
 

oceanegg

Arachnopeon
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Apr 17, 2024
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4
is this her abdomen darkening because of pre molt or some other tarantula thing I don't know enough about. although that's why I love them, always more to learn
 

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Gevo

Arachnoknight
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Oct 25, 2023
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Yes, if the second photo from your May 4th post was the "before" picture and this is her rear now, that is the darkening that happens before a molt.

Now, keep in mind that for brachypelma species, it can still take a bit more time for the actual molt to happen. My B. hamorii took two full weeks to actually molt the last time her abdomen darkened up like that, so it's both an "any day now" and "be patient and wait" situation. Definitely don't leave any live feeders in there with her (or try to feed her at all--she doesn't need anything but a full water dish).
 

oceanegg

Arachnopeon
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Apr 17, 2024
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SHE MOLTED TODAY! thank you everyone for calming me, i feel like a fool for freaking out so much when i know hunger strikes are normal. shes just never had one this long before so i overreacted. thank you so much once again.
 

Glorfindel

Arachnoknight
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Feb 15, 2024
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thanks for the update and glad all worked out ok, post more pics anytime such a beautiful brachy.
 
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