Chilean rose not eating help!

[cass]

Hi! Am just looking for some advice as I'm completely new to owning tarantulas. I recently bought my first chilean rose around 5 weeks ago from a local reptile store. However they could not tell me how old the tarantula is, when it last shed, when it last ate Etc. so there was no info on it whatsoever not even the sex. It's around 2-2.5 inches in body length and at first seemed really active and spun lots of webs on its new enclosure. However that has now stopped. It has become really lethargic and doesn't even respond to occasional gentle touches. No more webs have been spun and it hasn't eaten anything since I purchased it. It's starting to worry me. I was told to mist the tank when I bought it and then read online not to so stopped completely. Not sure if this is correct though! It has a heat mat and fresh water daily. I have tried to feed on small brown crickets and wax worms and still nothing. Any advice?? Thankyou!!

 

[JZC]

Probably an infamous rosie fast, they are known for that. It could be premolt though. Just keep a full water bowl, and get rid of the heat mat. No misting for a rosie is correct

 

[Solucki]

Sounds like a typical Rosie to me. Like JZC said no heat mat(room temp is fine) or misting. Just provide a bone dry substrate a water dish and a place to hide. That's it! To make you feel better, my Rosie hasn't eaten in 5 months. It's probably in premolt, or just decided it needed a diet because she's self conscious of her big abdomen who knows?

 

[DVMT]

Yep, might be ready to molt soon. If you see it on its back it is NOT dead......lol. And my rosie fasted for 6+ months. Just offer a cricket every couple weeks and take it out if it hasn't eaten it in about a day. If its hungry...it will eat. Also, dont offer it food for a week or so after it molts and leave it undisturbed for a week or so as well. Good luck!

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[MarkmD]

Completely normal behavior, mine hasn't eaten in about two months, I just top up the water dish 1-2x a week and try and feed every second week till she eats normally again, about the webbing terrestrial T's are not big Webbers so don't worry over it.

 

[Formerphobe]

Everything you ever wanted to know about Chilean rose hairs:
http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html

Ditto what others have said: no misting, no heat mat, yes hide, yes water bowl.
Fasting is 'normal'.

 

[sugarsandz]

I think most of us have been in your shoes at some point with a new spider. I worried about my rosea constantly because she wouldn't eat and I obsessed over the temperature in the room she was in. She hasn't eaten in over a month now and this isn't the first time, she'll take one cricket once a week for a few weeks then just ignore them for a month or so. Like others have said, it's no big deal just keep a water dish in there at all times. You may never see your t drink either, I've only caught mine drinking twice in the middle of the night. As for the heating mat, as others have stated it really isn't needed as long as your house isn't like a fridge! It drops to 60 f in my tarantula room some nights and they are fine. If it stays cold for long I turn on a space heater facing away from my tanks for a few minutes.

How much space is there from the substrate in your enclosure to the lid? Welcome to tarantulas! I'm still learning but I like to pass on what I've experienced if it can help! Sorry my post is kind of everywhere but I think to much and in turn try to shove it all in a little box of text!

 

[FearNot]

I actually came here to post this. People say fasting is VERY common for g.rosea, even for very long periods of time (Although mine has never shown this behavior for me personally.). Just continue to try and introduce food every week or even every other week and see what happens. If he/she doesn't eat it overnight, then just take the food back out incase your T is pre-molt. No worries.

Everything you ever wanted to know about Chilean rose hairs:
http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html

Ditto what others have said: no misting, no heat mat, yes hide, yes water bowl.
Fasting is 'normal'.

 

[Formerphobe]

Even individuals will alter their 'routines'. I've had my adult female rosea for a little over two years. She's molted once in my care, and continued to accept once a month prey offerings until just before her molt. At this writing she has been turning down food for >5 months. I still offer prey items about every 6 weeks and remove it within a few hours when she doesn't take it.

 

[cass]

Thankyou so much to everyone that got back to me! I've removed the heat mat now and don't feel so worried about strange eating ways haha! X

 

[MarkmD]

That's alright, most T's have a brake from eating at some point, usually around pre-molt or just full, it seems to be the G,Rosea and most of the sp that fast for longer periods of time.