feeding problem

[bounce roatc]

Newbie owner here My G pulchripes has stopped eating I cant identify gender and it was a gift from a friend. it is running away from mealworms and it is a bit small i think its a premolt?

 

[fcat]

Do you have pictures of the enclosure? How big is the T? Did you cut off the head of the mealworm so it can't eat your tarantula? If it doesn't eat prekilled then pull out the worm the next day.

 

[mack1855]

Until you get us a picture,no clue.
But,you said it “stopped “eating?.So it had been taking feeders before this,then just stopped?.Or has it never eaten for you.

 

[bounce roatc]

I have no idea I got it only recently And i made a fatal mistake of forgetting to crush the head of 2 mealworms before feeding

 

[Wolfram1]

its as fat as a tick, so it wont need anymore food

 

[Dorifto]

I have no idea I got it only recently And i made a fatal mistake of forgetting to crush the head of 2 mealworms before feeding View attachment 461810

Stop feeding it for a while!! I'd be more worried on giving it a better enclosure.

Get a cheap vented shoebox or a fish tank. Then providing plenty of substrate to burrow freely, rather than having a dead end burrow. For that I'd get a cheap peat and clay based topsoil bag. Then decorate the enclosure using some tall fake plants and a cork bark or wood like it's burrow's entrance.

 

[bounce roatc]

I see so when do you recommed i should start feeding again?

Is a 20l storage box and coco peat fine?

 

[fcat]

Is a 20l storage box and coco peat fine?

You want to stick to something that's about 2 times it's diagonal leg span (DLS) by 3 times it's DLS, and then give it about 2x DLS in substrate depth if you can.

Make sure you bring the substrate up high enough so there's no more than 1.5x DLS fall space. Let me know if I need to clarify, I'm no wordsmith.

Edited for punctuation

 

[bounce roatc]

Can i ask what is dls? And fall space?

 

[Wolfram1]

Can i ask what is dls? And fall space?

diagonal leg span

space from the substrate to the lid

 

[bounce roatc]

Ok thank you for the comments and help but may I ask can i use wild wood and if so how to disinfect?

And is this okay

 

[Wolfram1]

Ok thank you for the comments and help but may I ask can i use wild wood and if so how to disinfect?

if you don't collect it next to agricultural land were pesticides are sprayed regularly it should be fine, if it comes from the middle of a healthy forest its perfect
forget about disinfecting stuff, you can use it as is, just make sure there are no ants in it
bark is much preferrable to wood though as it is more resistant to mold

And is this okay

yes, that will be fine later, but it's way too big for now, thats like 10x dls in length etc.

for now you could just go about 2-3x as big as the current cup

 

[bounce roatc]

I thank you i will be posting updates whenever I can it is my first time in this community and all of you have been kind and welcoming thank you

 

[Dorifto]

And is this okay View attachment 461814 View attachment 461813

Be aware that some of those boxes have some openings due to the plastic flaps/flanges beneath the lid, so the T can scape.

That size it's not an issue, but you have to decorate and build it properly.

For now, I'd stick to something half the size 10L +-. It will provide plenty of space for future molts and at the same time will help you providing it enough gradients and ventilation.

Since you live in Phillipines, and I asume that your climatic conditions are quite humid, so I'd stick to something bigger than usual like a 10L box, so any variances in moisture in the substrate etc won't affect so much the enclosure than in a smaller setup. I'd focus more the atention on the amount of ventilation than the actual common rule of DLS.

I'd get some round metal grilles and glue them at the sides and some at the top, to provide plenty of airflow, crucial in humid climates. Soil wise, I'd get a cheap peat and clay based topsoil bag as mentioned before, as it will help you keeping optimal conditions inside and at the same time will prevent mold outbreaks, pretty common using coco finer in humid climates.

 

[Gevo]

I see so when do you recommed i should start feeding again?

It's very common for these species to fast for a long time, especially when the abdomen is big like your tarantula's is. Your tarantula might fast until it molts, or it might just fast until it feels hungry again. Tarantulas can fast for weeks, months, or even a year or more if they're good-sized adults, and we just have to be patient.

If your tarantula burrows and covers its entrance with dirt or webbing, leave it be entirely and just top up the water dish as needed. They can stay burrowed for a long time, which can feel alarming to new keepers, so be aware of that and try not to panic if it happens. Tarantulas do tarantula things that don't always make sense to us mammals.

If your tarantula is still out and about, I'd wait a few weeks or even a month to offer it food again since it's quite plump. If in that time, the abdomen gets even bigger, it's likely that a molt is imminent, and you don't want to leave any live food in there when your tarantula is about to molt. If it molts, you also don't want to feed it until it has hardened up and the fangs are black again, which can take a week or more (usually longer for larger tarantulas).

Mealworms without crushed heads are fine for tarantulas of that size that will take them quickly. You don't want to leave them unattended, though, because they will burrow and pupate into gross beetles that you really do not want in there. Crushing the head prevents burrowing. Personally, my tarantulas have never taken a worm with a crushed head, and I suspect it's because they don't move enough to trigger a feeding response.

After waiting a while to give your tarantula a break from food, you could try offering a cricket instead if you suspect that it's just not liking the mealworms. I have a B. hamorii juvenile that I thought was on hunger strike when I first got it because it kept threat posing and running away from mealworms, but it turned out that it is skittish and needs to encounter prey a few times on its own terms before taking it down, so a cricket left in there overnight was the best way to feed that tarantula because crickets don't burrow, and they move around a lot and get the tarantula's attention. Just don't ever leave one in there with a tarantula that looks like it's going to molt soon because a cricket can absolutely kill a molting or freshly molted tarantula.

 

[bounce roatc]

can you show me a picture of the rlund metal grilles?

 

[Wolfram1]

Each of us has a different method of how to add ventilation.

i personally use stainless steel gaze, that i melt into all my plastic setups using a soldering-iron.



the size of ventilation as well as the position can be adjusted based on your own conditions when building them.

Both this method or the "round metal grilles" @Dorifto suggested, require a substantial investment in the materials up front, but you get the added benefit of having fly- or ant-proof designs.

On the other hand poking lots of small holes works just as well in terms of ventilation and is basically free.

 

[Introvertebrate]

....................i personally use stainless steel gaze, that i melt into all my plastic setups using a soldering-iron...................

Can you explain that a little more? How do you melt the screen into the plastic?

 

[Wolfram1]

There are various heads for soldering irons, i actually use a cheap tool made for burning designs into wood
choosing a flat head not unlike a screwdriver makes this much easier

You then proceed to press the fringes of the gaze into the plastic by applying moderate pressure

the heat lets the gaze sink into the plastik, where it will be fixed in place as soon as it cools, this takes about a second

moving all around the border lets you fix the gaze in place firmly and since its very tightly woven steel it is incredibly strong

i have yet to see a spider even create the smallest of dents in it, no way they get through, like they can with aluminium

 

[Introvertebrate]

There are various heads for soldering irons, i actually use a cheap tool made for burning designs into wood
choosing a flat head not unlike a screwdriver makes this much easier

You then proceed to press the fringes of the gaze into the plastic by applying moderate pressure

the heat lets the gaze sink into the plastik, where it will be fixed in place as soon as it cools, this takes about a second

moving all around the border lets you fix the gaze in place firmly and since its very tightly woven steel it is incredibly strong

i have yet to see a spider even create the smallest of dents in it, no way they get through, like they can with aluminium

Thanks. Seems more efficient than the hot glue method.