C versi sling rehousing webbing eating question

[u bada]

Trying to be as concise there with subject thread, lol.

Got a little sling a couple weeks+ ago, rehoused in a slightly larger enclosure than vial it came in and it got moldy in sub so I got concerned and rehoused in another enclosure with less moist sub. (with all the issues of sudden death I read with enclosures being to moist I felt I had to)

It really had made a rather thick tunnel which I had to dismantle to get it out, and probably for the week prior to this it wouldn't take food, although don't think it's in premolt as abdomen isn't too fat or anything but could all the webbing been for molting?

Does all the webbing really drain t energy/nutrient reserves? if it is in premolt, will it interfere with it to not have such a tunnel/webbing? Offered food again which she didn't take.... think she'll be ok? thoughts?

 

[viper69]

I don't think anyone has measured how much energy webbing causes a T to expend haha. However, it is a protein, and proteins do require nutrients to make, just like for humans, no different.

Avics die from moist stuffy cages w/out proper ventilation.

You should post a picture of your setup if you care about your T so we can give you some constructive criticism.

As well as a pic of your T too.

There's not enough info for me to confidently say your T will be OK or not.

 

[Arachnophoric]

Basically what @viper69 said. Despite initial fears of sudden death that's apparently worryingly common with avics, my C. versicolor sling (had him since July of last year) hasn't had any issues in his little enclosure, which has a nice 1" ventilation vent. I spritz a corner touch every week or so for hydration. Keep your T ventilated and too much moisture/humidity shouldn't really be an issue.

As far as the webbing goes, I highly doubt it was for molting as C. versicolors are known to be moderate/heavy webbers. It's possible it's in premolt, but if you recently got it and already had to rehouse it, the stress from that may have just put it off food for the time-being. If it is by chance getting ready to molt though, the sling will do what it's gotta do. Just leave it be and it'll be fine.

Just a note - when mine was getting ready to molt, his blues got very dark and dull compared to usual, almost navy. Nice thing about colorful Ts, it's very obvious when they're in need of a molt!

 

[cold blood]

You will do better keeping it dry.

 

[u bada]

Thanks. I'll try to post pics soon but time's a bit limited, however my questions aren't so much about enclosures, humidity, and sudden death syndrome (after all I rehoused it because the last enclosure I felt was too stuffy)... as it is about the combination situation of webbing a lot, not eating too much, and rehousing a bit frequently since I just got it.

Sounds like @Arachnophoric gave some insight: didn't know the species is a heavy webber (my a. avic barely webs), reminded me that rehousing a t can stress it not to eat. (and thanks for the other versi details!)

To mention I would have preferred not to rehouse at is was quite happy webbing up it's last enclosure, but with mold growing on the sub I decided to take risk of rehousing stress, but can rehousing a t too many times severely hurt a t?

s/he seems to like new enclosure and has been active moving about a little and is currently webbing tonight so knock on wood she seems back to normal. I'll try feeding him/her later in week.

 

[Arachnophoric]

It's all good, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. I actually had a similar situation with mold when I got my P. irminia, although I didn't entirely rehouse her. I just swapped out her molded bark for something that wouldn't mold. She's going strong and is one of my favorite Ts to observe

The rehousing itself wouldn't probably hurt it, but the resulting stress and side effects could definitely have ill results. That's why I generally avoid rehousing until the specimen has outgrown it's enclosure and just spot clean substrate (although I'm not saying you did anything wrong by rehousing. Mold can certainly be deadly to a T and I'd opt for a rehouse and take that resulting stress over mold exposure any day!).

It sounds like your sling is doing good! Definitely give her a few days to really settle before attempting further feedings. Give us an update on whether or not she eats, and good luck!

 

[Andrea82]

Theraphosidae don't burn up calories like mammals do. Their whole system is geared towards being able to survive on as less food as possible.
Needing to web another tube in a new enclosure is not a drain on the resources of your spider, especially when its abdomen is nice and plump. If you're worried about that, post a picture of the spider.

Getting mold in your enclosure means you're keeping it too wet and with not enough ventilation, which is particularly bad for Avicularia/Caribena species. Keep the substrate dry, add a large waterdish, and up the ventilation by creating some more holes in the enclosure.

 

[viper69]

but can rehousing a t too many times severely hurt a t?

Define "too many"

No animal likes being shuffled around a lot, not humans, not Ts.

 

[cold blood]

Define "too many"

No animal likes being shuffled around a lot, not humans, not Ts.

But at the same time, I haven't experienced a negative reaction from any re-housed t...if its set up right, its just gonna build a new home...I scoff at the idea of it causing excessive stress....stress is a way over used word in tarantula keeping....I've also never had a t just refuse to eat because of a re-house.

 

[u bada]

@Andrea82, yes ventilation was bad, new enclosure sub is less moist. I used peat and soaked all of it as per vendor notes online and well that didn't work. Now I put dry peat and sprayed an area to soak a bit. Thx for info on energy spending / webbing etc

@viper69, rehoused when I got it 2 weeks ago, and just rehoused again...?

 

[viper69]

@Andrea82, yes ventilation was bad, new enclosure sub is less moist. I used peat and soaked all of it as per vendor notes online and well that didn't work. Now I put dry peat and sprayed an area to soak a bit. Thx for info on energy spending / webbing etc

@viper69, rehoused when I got it 2 weeks ago, and just rehoused again...?

No harm there.

 

[viper69]

But at the same time, I haven't experienced a negative reaction from any re-housed t...if its set up right, its just gonna build a new home...I scoff at the idea of it causing excessive stress....stress is a way over used word in tarantula keeping....I've also never had a t just refuse to eat because of a re-house.

I agree, you and I were one of the ones that often say stress comes out of the reptile world, but more specifically from the earlier days when all animals were imported and often died in transit due to "stress". Now that was true, but with CBBs, not so much.

I only asked the OP because I try not to assume.

 

[Arachnophoric]

I agree, you and I were one of the ones that often say stress comes out of the reptile world, but more specifically from the earlier days when all animals were imported and often died in transit due to "stress". Now that was true, but with CBBs, not so much.

I only asked the OP because I try not to assume.

As someone who kept reptiles before getting into Ts, worrying about stressing out an animal that's been moved around/messed with is a bit of a knee-jerk reaction for me lol

That, and when I first rehoused some G. pulchra slings out of enclosures that were too big for them, I had one that wouldn't eat for a couple weeks. It was kept the same way as the other two, who ate just fine. It's since started eating again, but I chalked up it's reluctance to eat to having been moved. Seemed the only logical reason to me.

 

[u bada]

Yeah, we have quite a few reptiles here, amphibians in the house plus fish tanks, and "cute" animals as well... understanding what stresses an animal and how stress affects them and how they get over it, well, it can be a challenge. With fish for instance, there's so many variables. And reptiles, well, the OH manages that difficult lot. LOL I'm actually mostly a plant guy (rather rare tropical stuff), so between the plants and the animals we have, getting into t's, well, they're such a relief of ease of care imho... not to say there are pitfalls and like any "parent" I do do the freaking out here and there over this or that...

side note, CBB animals make a difference. We got a japalura (lizard species) at a herp show that we didn't know till it came home with us was wild caught as most of the species is wild caught. Talk about a stressed animal. Never recovered.

Anyway, attached is a pic of it's enclosures- vile it came in, the enclosure I just transferred it from and the the newest one. It's pretty dry where I'm at so before someone goes into the lack cross ventilation holes let me tell you it's a challenge to keep humidity levels up as is, and it's breezy (years of growing plants in glass vessels have proven this) but as you can see I leave the top completely open for ventilation with a nifty moldable screen mesh. s/he seems to like the larger cork pieces. I originally put a stick and it didn't web at all till i switched to that larger currently in there.

Also attached is the versi babe... I think it looks ok, just the abdomen looks a bit small? you can see it's been pretty active with the webbing in just the last 24 hours.

as for rehousing stress with this t, well, it ate a few days later after the rehouse from vial it came in.

 

[Arachnophoric]

Yeah, we have quite a few reptiles here, amphibians in the house plus fish tanks, and "cute" animals as well... understanding what stresses an animal and how stress affects them and how they get over it, well, it can be a challenge. With fish for instance, there's so many variables. And reptiles, well, the OH manages that difficult lot. LOL I'm actually mostly a plant guy (rather rare tropical stuff), so between the plants and the animals we have, getting into t's, well, they're such a relief of ease of care imho... not to say there are pitfalls and like any "parent" I do do the freaking out here and there over this or that...

side note, CBB animals make a difference. We got a japalura (lizard species) at a herp show that we didn't know till it came home with us was wild caught as most of the species is wild caught. Talk about a stressed animal. Never recovered.

Anyway, attached is a pic of it's enclosures- vile it came in, the enclosure I just transferred it from and the the newest one. It's pretty dry where I'm at so before someone goes into the lack cross ventilation holes let me tell you it's a challenge to keep humidity levels up as is, and it's breezy (years of growing plants in glass vessels have proven this) but as you can see I leave the top completely open for ventilation with a nifty moldable screen mesh. s/he seems to like the larger cork pieces. I originally put a stick and it didn't web at all till i switched to that larger currently in there.

Also attached is the versi babe... I think it looks ok, just the abdomen looks a bit small? you can see it's been pretty active with the webbing in just the last 24 hours.

as for rehousing stress with this t, well, it ate a few days later after the rehouse from vial it came in.

Maybe it's just the angle, but if that's small my Ts are all anorexic @_@ Looks pretty healthy to me! Pretty little sling.

 

[Andrea82]

Yeah, we have quite a few reptiles here, amphibians in the house plus fish tanks, and "cute" animals as well... understanding what stresses an animal and how stress affects them and how they get over it, well, it can be a challenge. With fish for instance, there's so many variables. And reptiles, well, the OH manages that difficult lot. LOL I'm actually mostly a plant guy (rather rare tropical stuff), so between the plants and the animals we have, getting into t's, well, they're such a relief of ease of care imho... not to say there are pitfalls and like any "parent" I do do the freaking out here and there over this or that...

side note, CBB animals make a difference. We got a japalura (lizard species) at a herp show that we didn't know till it came home with us was wild caught as most of the species is wild caught. Talk about a stressed animal. Never recovered.

Anyway, attached is a pic of it's enclosures- vile it came in, the enclosure I just transferred it from and the the newest one. It's pretty dry where I'm at so before someone goes into the lack cross ventilation holes let me tell you it's a challenge to keep humidity levels up as is, and it's breezy (years of growing plants in glass vessels have proven this) but as you can see I leave the top completely open for ventilation with a nifty moldable screen mesh. s/he seems to like the larger cork pieces. I originally put a stick and it didn't web at all till i switched to that larger currently in there.

Also attached is the versi babe... I think it looks ok, just the abdomen looks a bit small? you can see it's been pretty active with the webbing in just the last 24 hours.

as for rehousing stress with this t, well, it ate a few days later after the rehouse from vial it came in.

Oh dear...that 'nifty mesh' isn't suitable at all. Your spider is perfectly able to chew through that and be on its way.
I would replace that asap with a lid of plexiglas/acrylic with holes drilled in it.
Humidity numbers are useless and redundant when keeping Theraphosidae. Just keep the substrate dry with a large waterdish. Provide more crossventilation by drilling holes in the sides of the enclosure.

Moist and stuffy/stagnant air kills Avicularia/Caribena species very fast.

In Viper69's signature is a link with everything you need to know to keep this species succesfully.

 

[u bada]

Yeah, saw that link before in my research before I got started with t's, very useful information for sure.

the mesh is actually metal, so pretty doubtful they can chew out of that, and feel it's pretty important for my conditions in my place to keep the ventilation well in these glass containers yet still maintain stable RH without being able to drill holes.

 

[Andrea82]

Yeah, saw that link before in my research before I got started with t's, very useful information for sure.

the mesh is actually metal, so pretty doubtful they can chew out of that, and feel it's pretty important for my conditions in my place to keep the ventilation well in these glass containers yet still maintain stable RH without being able to drill holes.

It's your spider...
Theraphosids can gnaw through metal. They can also get their tarsal claws stuck.
What is on top of the smaller enclosure on the left? It looks like saran wrap..which will be chewed through in no time.
If you've read the link, why don't you have cross ventilation? Only top ventilation is useless without vents lower down to get the air to circulate.
The vial on the right looks stuffy/condensed as well. I really hope you don't have Avics or Caribena in those...

 

[viper69]

As someone who kept reptiles before getting into Ts, worrying about stressing out an animal that's been moved around/messed with is a bit of a knee-jerk reaction for me lol

That, and when I first rehoused some G. pulchra slings out of enclosures that were too big for them, I had one that wouldn't eat for a couple weeks. It was kept the same way as the other two, who ate just fine. It's since started eating again, but I chalked up it's reluctance to eat to having been moved. Seemed the only logical reason to me.

Same here, reptiles first, Ts came much later. I think the more important type of stress is the lack of proper of husbandry.

 

[u bada]

@Andrea82, believe it or not the versi sling came in that vial. like, no aeration. So had to get it out of that. The other container was what it was in, no saran. just had a metal top also.

Did a search about metal eating on here and yeah wow, ok, I'll have to switch out top.

Reason I don't have cross ventilation is because I have to stick to these glass cylinders. Many reasons but suffice to say mainly because the OH can be a nazis about our place and other enclosure options didn't pass the bill with him and quite frankly he does not approve of having t's in the first place whatsoever (although I've managed to acquire 4 hehe). So to have them at all without fights means giving some concessions. He's a bit bending in a little and was staking concern about one of them the other day, so in time...

Anyway, truth be told, I've been looking already to find acrylic cylinder/jars I can drill that pass with the OH or I can figure out how to drill glass, as well as looking into investing into maybe's jamie's enclosures so eventually... so then the question is... it may be some time before I get new enclosures and I also don't want to stress them out too much, especially this sling, so how much time before I should or can move them?