Extreme difficulty in feeding OBT

HybridOne890

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Mar 23, 2016
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- Is the substrate dry?

- Why are you pre-killing? These animals are hunters.
Substrate is bone dry, I am pre killing because she does not go after the feeders, and the feeders avoid her webbing, unless it's a roach, then they just borrow and never come out.
 

HybridOne890

Arachnopeon
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Mar 23, 2016
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She will die if you don't feed her at some point. Not sure what you are asking.

Your T should be in something larger. As you are concerned about costs, get Sterilite. You get the most volume for your dollar w/that product. If you have to see your T, then glass is the cheapest after Sterilite typically.

If you can afford prey items, you should be able to afford a piece of acrylic to slide in there instead of screen, I would think. At least acrylic by me isn't that expensive for a small sheet.



I've not used that, nor do I know how to. However, @borotasinisa has come up with a way to use something like that with Ts, He's been busy with a bunch of stuff, but promised to make a video to show people how he uses a Uplex tool of sorts.
What size do you suggest and how much substrate? She's about 5".
 

HybridOne890

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Bite the bullet and tangle with her to redo her enclosure. Take the whole thing to a safe space, then get her into a catch cup. Pack down the substrate well so that it holds its form when she burrows and give her a few more inches and a starter burrow.

You have some nice web anchors, which are pairing with the substrate to encourage her to web instead of dig. I'd take them out just until she gets established in her new burrow.

The cage looks big enough but the substrate should be about 2/3 of it instead if the 1/3 it looks to be right now.

Well done asking for help instead of waiting for an escape!
Thistles! If she's about 5" what dimensions would you suggest for an enclosure? And how much substrate? I'm gonna just attempt to do one more rehouse... This would be her 3rd.
 
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14pokies

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Negative, those are on the outside, I keep her enclosure bone dry. How much substate do you suggest? She's about 5"
It's going to sound crazy but I think she is unhappy in that enclosure because it's too small..

Try rehousing her into something with roughly the same dimensions as a 10g aquarium and give her a solid 6-8 inches of dry sub with a slab of cork bark laying on it..See if she takes to makeing a burrow..

The lack of a burrow with such a nervous species could explain why she is reluctant to take down live prey..
 

Thistles

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I have 3 female OBTs about that size in 2.5 gallon tanks. They're sufficient for me, but others are suggesting bigger tanks. If you want to upgrade, I'd get a sterilite tub or something and put some holes in the side for ventilation. Deeper is better than wide. It looks to me like she can't really burrow because the substrate is too loose and shallow. How big is that tank, anyway? It's hard to tell from the pics.
 

WeightedAbyss75

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This is deja vú! My OBT did exactly what yours did when I first got it. Since I had no need for her to be that close to the top of our enclosure, I put a piece of cork bark on the sub. She took to it quite quickly and left her old web hammock. As lomg as you give more sub and a hide of some sort, it should be fine. Here are some pics :D Sorry second is so dark :(
 

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borotasinisa

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She will die if you don't feed her at some point. Not sure what you are asking.

Your T should be in something larger. As you are concerned about costs, get Sterilite. You get the most volume for your dollar w/that product. If you have to see your T, then glass is the cheapest after Sterilite typically.

If you can afford prey items, you should be able to afford a piece of acrylic to slide in there instead of screen, I would think. At least acrylic by me isn't that expensive for a small sheet.



I've not used that, nor do I know how to. However, @borotasinisa has come up with a way to use something like that with Ts, He's been busy with a bunch of stuff, but promised to make a video to show people how he uses a Uplex tool of sorts.
I just conected transparent tubes that goes from one enclosure to another conected with those u-plexes and put together in particular order so spider cant escape. But for some species I use it just for switching the lid with it.. Im sorry for delaying the video...
 

HybridOne890

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Mar 23, 2016
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I just conected transparent tubes that goes from one enclosure to another conected with those u-plexes and put together in particular order so spider cant escape. But for some species I use it just for switching the lid with it.. Im sorry for delaying the video...
Do you have a picture of this?
 

HybridOne890

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How
This is deja vú! My OBT did exactly what yours did when I first got it. Since I had no need for her to be that close to the top of our enclosure, I put a piece of cork bark on the sub. She took to it quite quickly and left her old web hammock. As lomg as you give more sub and a hide of some sort, it should be fine. Here are some pics :D Sorry second is so dark :(
Looks about the same! How big is your tank?
 

Trenor

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This is deja vú! My OBT did exactly what yours did when I first got it. Since I had no need for her to be that close to the top of our enclosure, I put a piece of cork bark on the sub. She took to it quite quickly and left her old web hammock. As lomg as you give more sub and a hide of some sort, it should be fine. Here are some pics :D Sorry second is so dark :(
How

Looks about the same! How big is your tank?
@WeightedAbyss75 I'm not sure what size either enclosures but I'd add a lot more substrate to that enclosure as well if it were me. Then add the cork partially buried with a starter burrow over just laying it on top of the substrate.
 

viper69

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I just conected transparent tubes that goes from one enclosure to another conected with those u-plexes and put together in particular order so spider cant escape. But for some species I use it just for switching the lid with it.. Im sorry for delaying the video...
I can't wait to see the video! ;)
 

WeightedAbyss75

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@WeightedAbyss75 I'm not sure what size either enclosures but I'd add a lot more substrate to that enclosure as well if it were me. Then add the cork partially buried with a starter burrow over just laying it on top of the substrate.
Yeah, I am going to do that after her next molt. She made a huge chamber behind the bark and I can moniter her, and I really don't want to mess with her. Hopefully I can rehome her in something like a big KK, since she doesn't really need that hugely tall cage. Just glad she eats and has molted :D
 

WeightedAbyss75

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Please do!
Here it is, with a ruler for some reference and a look at her web burrow :D Never comes out, but that's normal. You can see how much wasted space there is, so I'll rehouse her eventually. Just give it a big piece of bark to burrow under and she should take to it right away ;)
 

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Poec54

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Here it is, with a ruler for some reference and a look at her web burrow :D Never comes out, but that's normal. You can see how much wasted space there is, so I'll rehouse her eventually. Just give it a big piece of bark to burrow under and she should take to it right away ;)

Cage is too tall, and a hazard for a falling spider. Needs more (dry) substrate. Get the water bowl away from the sides in the meantime. It's much better to use disposable plastic water bowls (bought by the sleeve) as bacteria can build up in ceramic bowls.

What's the lid, screen? These animals dig through hard compacted soils, and can easily shred fiberglass and aluminum screen. Then you have a loose spider in the house.
 

WeightedAbyss75

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Cage is too tall, and a hazard for a falling spider. Needs more (dry) substrate. Get the water bowl away from the sides in the meantime. It's much better to use disposable plastic water bowls (bought by the sleeve) as bacteria can build up in ceramic bowls.

What's the lid, screen? These animals dig through hard compacted soils, and can easily shred fiberglass and aluminum screen. Then you have a loose spider in the house.
Yeah, like I said, I definitely will change it. That bowl is not ceramic, but a bottle top that is easily replacable. I just really don't want to go in there. If it is a huge problem, then I can change it with a little rehousing. I have a huge KK that I could put it in, and it would be much better tan what she is in now. I actually want her cage for a pair of C. gracilis I will be getting soon. As I am writing, I probably will rehouse it. Molted a month/2 ago, so it should be good to go ;)
 
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