C.Versicolor help!!! Sat at bottom of enclosure

Tile it Tom

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Hey all, 1st time keeper here, i got a C.Versicolor sling around 2 weeks ago, was eating perfectly fine although never webbed up (was in a terrestrial tub with a tiny piece of Cork bark) i got told that she had been in there for 3+ weeks so was obviously unhappy,.... she then sat above her water "Bowl" for 2 or so days so i made a new enclosure from a ferraro rocher tub and put her in that, she was having trouble climbing the sides (all signs of Molt) she then sat at the bottom head down in substrate for 2 or so days not moving at all, upon looking on here and posting on the FB pages everyone said thats bad so i put a bigger piece of cork bark in the old enclosure (that i knew she was living in for 3 weeks before me) and put her back in there,.... shes still face down in the substrate, still no webbing and no movement although when i moved her lastnight she bolted straight outta my hand as fast as lighting, humidity is between 75 - 80% temp is 22° (in a nursery i built to keep temp constant) I'll attach pics but what do i do??? Ive made another enclosure with dry Coco and an upright piece of cork bark that i could put her in or just leave her and hope she doesn't die, shes not moved for hours 😔 she doesn't look plump enough for a molt yet (pic of her is when i 1st put her in her new enclosure)
 

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Gilligan

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How are you keeping her humid? Moist substrate or misting? By face down in the substrate do you mean curled up or just not moving? How is both enclosures ventilation? Sorry the poor T's not doing well.
 
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Hi
from pictures provided as far as I can see the ventilation is lacking.That combined with moisture in substrate can turn into a death trap for avics.Also Avicularia do not need decor on substrate level it just gives feeders hiding spots or deep substrate too.I always keep mine on shallow substrate(1cm ish) in well ventilated enclosures with decor in the top half of the enclosure to serve as anchor points and give them some cover for security.
Example of sling enclosure that has always worked for me its around 400ml.You can't see on pics but there are good amount of holes in the lid too.
1587364748223-1390943189.jpg
20200422_181902.jpg
After that they go into 32oz deli tub with similar ventilation and decor.
Also I never add moisture to the substrate.If air in the room gets dry during winter from heating just need to top up waterdishes more often and add few drops of water on the webs once a week.
Hope all goes well for your sling.
Regards Konstantin
 

moricollins

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Not nearly enough ventilation. Stuffy enclosures, trying to maintain high humidity = dead Avicularia / Caribena
 

Tile it Tom

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Its got ventilation holes around 3 sides of the enclosure and was fine in it for atleast 3 weeks, what would you suggest, moving her to a different enclosure with better ventilation and totally dry substrate?
 

NMTs

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Its got ventilation holes around 3 sides of the enclosure and was fine in it for atleast 3 weeks, what would you suggest, moving her to a different enclosure with better ventilation and totally dry substrate?
Yes. The fact that it was in an insufficient enclosure for 3 weeks just means it's taken that long for it to decline. Move it to an enclosure with LOTS of ventilation and NO wet substrate now and hopefully it'll recover and pull through. Once you move it, just leave it be for a while so it can try to survive.
 

Tile it Tom

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How are you keeping her humid? Moist substrate or misting? By face down in the substrate do you mean curled up or just not moving? How is both enclosures ventilation? Sorry the poor T's not doing well.
Not Curled up just not moving, the substrate is Spiders life which when i opened it seemed extremely moist, i dryed some out in the microwave and put that in for her, the tub is actually a spider box with ventilation around 3 sides
 

NMTs

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Done, ive put her in this on bone dry coco, shes still got a waterdish but i havent overflowed it or anything
That looks better. Now all you can do is give it some time to recover from this ordeal.
 

Matt Man

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Done, ive put her in this on bone dry coco, shes still got a waterdish but i havent overflowed it or anything
does it have some holes on top as well? You want to create a venturri effect, the air escaping out the top will pull in more air on the sides

and don't worry about humidity, really, at all
 

Tile it Tom

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So good news, she climbed up the top of the corkbark and settled inside of it, shes webbed very slightly around the top and is now just poking her head out, my question is how long should i leave her undisturbed before attempting to feed her again?
 

DuneElliot

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So good news, she climbed up the top of the corkbark and settled inside of it, shes webbed very slightly around the top and is now just poking her head out, my question is how long should i leave her undisturbed before attempting to feed her again?
When did you last try and what was her reaction?
 

DuneElliot

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Maybe wait a couple more to let her settle in as she was obviously stressed before and don't want to add to that now she's starting to relax a bit.

My avic/versi slings LOVE bean weevils so maybe try those. Mine didn't eat for the first week I had it...ended up molting 5 days after arrival.
 

NMTs

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I'd give it a full week in the new enclosure before trying to feed it. Just make sure there's water in the water dish and let it keep doing it's thing. Glad to hear that it's looking up.
 

Matt Man

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yes, she won't starve. Let her set up shop. Feed her on Thanksgiving
 
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