Dehydrated?

[Flutewhistledrum]

Hey all, I have a juvenile B. Hamorri I got a couple months back. I’m new to the hobby and this was my first tarantula so I’m learning as I go. I’ve been feeding him a cricket every week as the pet shop suggested and I have his viviranium set up nearby my radiator as the house I live in gets quite cold in the winter time and the heating only stays on for 2 hour intervals so I have a heat mat on the side for night time (his favourite spot to chill). He was settling in quite well, dug a burrow, feeding regularly. However, about 3 weeks ago now I tried feeding him a cricket and he let the cricket run past him without budging. I thought nothing of it and left the cricket in there since he wasn’t showing any signs of molting anyway. About an hour later I check again and he had let the cricket run past him back out of the burrow and up the wall. So I took the cricket out and didn’t really give it a second thought. I then got rid of the crickets as they had started producing larvae and went and got some wax worms to switch up his diet a little. However, this is where the problems started.. he just refuses them and throws a threat pose at them. I still didn’t really think anything of it.. maybe he is just a fussy eater? Maybe he is going into premolt? So I just tried again a few days later.. same thing. And it’s been the same for the past couple of weeks but I don’t think he is in premolt as his abdomen has become quite small from what I can see. But he is also spending a whole lot less time out in the open. Maybe because I disturbed him every few days to try and feed him? I’m not sure what to think really. His abdomen doesn’t have a “shrivelled” appearance so I’m not overly worried at the moment but what do you guys think? Should I be concerned, bring the crickets back or leave him be?

 

[Finikan]

Let him be.

 

[viper69]

Pics or no help..you are all over the place with ideas, and no visual data to support any use of the subjective adjectives you used.

this was my first tarantula so I’m learning as I go.

Like everyone else at one point

as the pet shop suggested

Usually a death sentence

set up nearby my radiator

Questionable

throws a threat pose at them

Not hungry at a min. If you read on the forum, you will actually learn vital information here that will save your Ts life

maybe he is just a fussy eater?

No

Maybe he is going into premolt?

How the hell would we know??? YOU are the one with eyeballs on the T, not us.

but I don’t think he is in premolt as his abdomen has become quite small from what I can see

Perfect Sounds like your T is on death's door due to dehydration from all your heating. Better give it water on webbing etc...Read in the forum.

 

[Finikan]

Ahh, I didn't notice the heat mat comment. Ditch that, offer water, if he refuses food, take it away. No need to offer food every few minutes if he isn't interested. Just let the spider be a spider. Heat mat is detrimental to his health, so do away with that.

 

[spideyspinneret78]

Stop using the heat mat. It's better to use a space heater to heat the room instead of using a heat mat...it can literally cook your tarantula. Make sure that water is available, and leave him alone. Maybe try offer him a cricket in a week or two, and remove it if he doesn't eat. It can be normal for them to refuse to eat for weeks or months. If you post a photo of the spider and the setup, we'll be able to offer you more suggestions.

 

[viper69]

Ahh, I didn't notice the heat mat comment. Ditch that, offer water, if he refuses food, take it away. No need to offer food every few minutes if he isn't interested. Just let the spider be a spider. Heat mat is detrimental to his health, so do away with that.

Stop using the heat mat. It's better to use a space heater to heat the room instead of using a heat mat...it can literally cook your tarantula. Make sure that water is available, and leave him alone. Maybe try offer him a cricket in a week or two, and remove it if he doesn't eat. It can be normal for them to refuse to eat for weeks or months. If you post a photo of the spider and the setup, we'll be able to offer you more suggestions.

Except the heat mat is used on the side of the setup, not underneath, that is my impression at least. This technique has been used safely in Europe for eons. Of course a space heater is even better..

 

[spideyspinneret78]

Except the heat mat is used on the side of the setup, not underneath, that is my impression at least. This technique has been used safely in Europe for eons.

Oh, my bad. Didn't see that.

 

[viper69]

Oh, my bad. Didn't see that.

scanning and not reading I take it? Ive done it.

 

[Flutewhistledrum]

Can’t really provide a picture of the T right now as he isnt out most of the time but here’s a picture of the set up

Perfect Sounds like your T is on death's door due to dehydration from all your heating. Better give it water on webbing etc...Read in the forum.
[/QUOTE]
There really isn’t all that much heating. As I said, the house I’m in is freezing in the winter and the heating is only really on for like 6-8 hours in a 24hour period because it stays on for 2 hours at a time and the heat mat is only turned on at night time when the temperature plummets. He has made his burrow at the back corner which is between the wall with the heat mat and the wall facing the radiator. He is comfortable there and I rinse and overfill the water dish once a week which is what’s suggested by most b.Hamorri owners. I’ve attached pictures of the setup, but as I stated, he isn’t out much atm so I can’t take a picture until he comes back out.

 

[8 legged]

There really isn’t all that much heating. As I said, the house I’m in is freezing in the winter and the heating is only really on for like 6-8 hours in a 24hour period because it stays on for 2 hours at a time and the heat mat is only turned on at night time when the temperature plummets. He has made his burrow at the back corner which is between the wall with the heat mat and the wall facing the radiator. He is comfortable there and I rinse and overfill the water dish once a week which is what’s suggested by most b.Hamorri owners. I’ve attached pictures of the setup, but as I stated, he isn’t out much atm so I can’t take a picture until he comes back out.

On extremely cold days I also take out a heating mat, BUT:
You are not allowed to glue the part directly to the window, otherwise you lose control. I glued mine on styrofoam and placed it so that the number of degrees in the enclosure is sufficient. Sufficient, not warm. The problem is that the humidity in the terrarium is lost and if the room temperature rises, the catastrophe is perfect.
If you reach over 20 ° C, you don't need a heat source at first!

 

[Flutewhistledrum]

th I glued mine on styrofoam and placed it so that the number of degrees in the enclosure is sufficient. Sufficient, not warm. The problem is that the humidity in the terrarium is lost and if the room temperature rises, the catastrophe is perfect.
If you reach over 20 ° C, you don't need a heat source at first!
There really isn’t all that much heating. As I said, the house I’m in is freezing in the winter and the heating is only really on for like 6-8 hours in a 24hour period because it stays on for 2 hours at a time and the heat mat is only turned on at night time when the temperature plummets. He has made his burrow at the back corner which is between the wall with the heat mat and the wall facing the radiator. He is comfortable there and I rinse and overfill the water dish once a week which is what’s suggested by most b.Hamorri owners. I’ve attached pictures of the setup, but as I stated, he isn’t out much atm so I can’t take a picture until he comes back out.
[/QUOTE]

On extremely cold days I also take out a heating mat, BUT:
You are not allowed to glue the part directly to the window, otherwise you lose control. I glued mine on styrofoam and placed it so that the number of degrees in the enclosure is sufficient. Sufficient, not warm. The problem is that the humidity in the terrarium is lost and if the room temperature rises, the catastrophe is perfect.
If you reach over 20 ° C, you don't need a heat source at first!
[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the advice on that! I’ll look into doing the same. The temp of inside the tank I always aim to keep 20 degrees or slightly above. I know the rule of thumb “if you’re comfortable, your tarantulas comfortable” but most of the time I walk into my room and dive into my bed for a bit of warmth so that’s where the worry stems from. I’ll feel so much better when it starts to get warmer and I won’t need to worry

 

[8 legged]

“if you’re comfortable, your tarantulas comfortable”

Tell this to an Eskimo. I don't like this saying, it just justifies keeping the spider in the basement .

 

[viper69]

I know the rule of thumb “if you’re comfortable, your tarantulas comfortable”

True, when taken with a grain of salt. I'm comfy at 68, I don''t keep place at 68

Can’t really provide a picture of the T right now as he isnt out most of the time but here’s a picture of the set up

Setup is too tall it seems as welll. Ts fall and die etc

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I know the rule of thumb “if you’re comfortable, your tarantulas comfortable”

That rule is garbage as it fails to take into account that different people are comfortable at different temperatures.

For example, I can comfortably sit in a freezer for much longer than it takes a tarantula to freeze to death whereas temperatures that I find uncomfortably hot (basically anything over 25°C) wouldn't even phase a tarantula.

The vast majority of tarantula species are fine kept anywhere between 18°C - 33°C.

 

[JPG]

I would never use a heat mat for any of my tarantula (I do use them for my gecko), nor put it right next to the radiator. But I do use a mini space heater with thermo control without display during the winter as it gets quite cold where I live. I've only spent 30 dollars and It keeps the room temperature at around 75f, where all my Ts seems to be doing well.