G. Pulchra problem

[Ivike22]

Hi Guys!

I have bought this g. pulchra a year ago. Molted two times when the enclosure was quite moist and I even used a heat mat. The water was kinda dripping from the top. And molted two times. Maybe that’s she “likes”? Yes I know!Do not use heating anymore! It was my first spider.
Ever since I have 6 other ts and everything going just fine. Exept with my pulchra. Around 3 cm legspan and hasn’t molted in a year!!. I know its a slow growing species but even with half moist substrate hangs out near the water and looks dried out. White lines on it’s legs. Literally tried everything but not molting not eating and looks dried and weirder day by day. I’m so worried.
Pls help!
I think it’s like dry from the inside as it hasn’t eaten in 8 months! Maybe not.
One pic is from the last molt.
It looked beautiful! And the other pics are recent. Hope pics are helping!
Thank you

 

[Patherophis]

Sounds normal for them, I have two of similar size and cycle is around year for them. She looks absolutely ok, she is plump and does not need to eat. Anyway, on fourth photo she looks to be in premolt, so Your waiting may be coming to end Also, avoid too much moisture for them, i have lost one that way...
Good luck and lot of patience

 

[QuinnStarr]

When you say “white lines on its legs”, what do you mean exactly? The white I’m seeing in your photos looks like reflecting light, so I want to make sure I’m looking at the right thing.

She looks healthy overall. As above, that one photo looks like premolt, so I’d leave it alone and let it do it’s thing.

Obligatory “please don’t handle your tarantula. Even a short fall could be fatal.”

good luck!

 

[Ivike22]

Sounds normal for them, I have two of similar size and cycle is around year for them. She looks absolutely ok, she is plump and does not need to eat. Anyway, on fourth photo she looks to be in premolt, so Your waiting may be coming to end Also, avoid too much moisture for them, i have lost one that way...
Good luck and lot of patience

Thank you!!

 

[Ivike22]

When you say “white lines on its legs”, what do you mean exactly? The white I’m seeing in your photos looks like reflecting light, so I want to make sure I’m looking at the right thing.

She looks healthy overall. As above, that one photo looks like premolt, so I’d leave it alone and let it do it’s thing.

Obligatory “please don’t handle your tarantula. Even a short fall could be fatal.”

good luck!

Yes I know
she climbed out on my hand.
It’s not reflection.Can’t make better pic of it.
Thanks

 

[Neonblizzard]

They look fine. You're worrying over nothing, i would keep them drier though. They can easily take a year between molts at this size... Can't do anything about it, they will molt when they feel like it and not a day before

 

[Dorifto]

Keep her a bit drier, not completely dry, there is too much moisture there, and tarantula room enclosures lack from a proper ventilation.

 

[viper69]

Around 3 cm legspan and hasn’t molted in a year!!

SO

all look normal- who knows- we sure don’t. A healthy looking T can die the next day.

 

[Ivike22]

Keep her a bit drier, not completely dry, there is too much moisture there, and tarantula room enclosures lack from a proper ventilation.

it has holes on top and all around
someone says top ventilation is enough but still out some holes though
ok but why is she still in or near the water dish.
telling me that needs more moisture isn’t it?

 

[greeneyedelle]

I really wish t's would molt on command... sadly, all my attempts at encouraging that have failed. I did a seminar in my t room and everything and was met with a disbelieving silence, an indignance that I would even have the audacity to ask. Oh well.

As for the stripes on the legs, I think I know what you're talking about. Do they look like "cracks" down the legs? If so, mine have those too close to premolt, something about the current exoskeleton prepping for the new exoskeleton. My guess is that those cracks are always there but become much more noticeable and sort of reflective when they're close to molt. I don't really know, there's very little information available that I've been able to find about the phenomenon. *EDIT* This is only easy to see on my adult g. porteri, so until yours puts on more size, we won't have any idea if we're talking about the same thing*

 

[Dorifto]

it has holes on top and all around
someone says top ventilation is enough but still out some holes though
ok but why is she still in or near the water dish.
telling me that needs more moisture isn’t it?

Is your house too dry? Even so, that enclosure has a lot of moisture, and I'm one of the few that likes to give them moist spots.

Yes, those enclosures doesn't have enough ventilation to keep them moist. If you are going to make holes, you need to place them in certain parts, not randomly to create a good air current. Eg placing them right above the substrate.

The white stripes you are commenting, I'm pretty sure that they are the tibial stripes (they can have the same colour like in the pulchra or gold ones like in the pulchripes) present on most grammostolas.

 

[Ivike22]

I really wish t's would molt on command... sadly, all my attempts at encouraging that have failed. I did a seminar in my t room and everything and was met with a disbelieving silence, an indignance that I would even have the audacity to ask. Oh well.

As for the stripes on the legs, I think I know what you're talking about. Do they look like "cracks" down the legs? If so, mine have those too close to premolt, something about the current exoskeleton prepping for the new exoskeleton. My guess is that those cracks are always there but become much more noticeable and sort of reflective when they're close to molt. I don't really know, there's very little information available that I've been able to find about the phenomenon. *EDIT* This is only easy to see on my adult g. porteri, so until yours puts on more size, we won't have any idea if we're talking about the same thing*

I think we are
Yeah like the old clothes are very used already.
They are very weird!
My m. balfouri is in premolt for teo months and yesterday I saw it dragging a lost roach in fhe emclosure. But after it died she went back to her burrow.
I was like whaaat? She’s eating but then no,just was annoyed haha
Thanks

Is your house too dry? Even so, that enclosure has a lot of moisture, and I'm one of the few that likes to give them moist spots.

Yes, those enclosures doesn't have enough ventilation to keep them moist. If you are going to make holes, you need to place them in certain parts, not randomly to create a good air current. Eg placing them right above the substrate.

The white stripes you are commenting, I'm pretty sure that they are the tibial stripes (they can have the same colour like in the pulchra or gold ones like in the pulchripes) present on most grammostolas.

yes this is how I did.
It’s just coco fibre. Don’t want to bother her now. After the molt I’ll add some dirt and she can burrow.
Her previous enclosure was too dry,and too big so I changed it. but she made a nice big burrow in there.

 

[greeneyedelle]

I think we are
Yeah like the old clothes are very used already.
They are very weird!
My m. balfouri is in premolt for teo months and yesterday I saw it dragging a lost roach in fhe emclosure. But after it died she went back to her burrow.
I was like whaaat? She’s eating but then no,just was annoyed haha
Thanks

Exactly! SUPER weird! Really cool looking actually, but they definitely freaked me out the first time I saw them so pronounced. "Are her legs splitting? Wtf is going on?"
Bahaha 'just annoyed' is the best way to describe the kill-and-leave-to-be-picked-up-by-the-peasant attitude they take on in premolt I think

 

[Dorifto]

yes this is how I did.
It’s just coco fibre. Don’t want to bother her now. After the molt I’ll add some dirt and she can burrow.
Her previous enclosure was too dry,and too big so I changed it. but she made a nice big burrow in there.

If you want a good advice, use topsoil with them. It will hold the right amount of moisture, and helps them to settle better, as it doesn't have so much loose stuff compared to coco fiber, the real reason behind their constant decorations.

Regarding to the ventilation, I mean a single large row around the enclosure, just few mm 1cm above the substrate. This creates convection drafts, reducing chanches of stagnant conditions, as the less dense humid air scapes from the top, and the new fresher drier air enters from the bottom. This for moist enclosures, for dry ones I wouldn't use so much holes.

 

[Ivike22]

Exactly! SUPER weird! Really cool looking actually, but they definitely freaked me out the first time I saw them so pronounced. "Are her legs splitting? Wtf is going on?"
Bahaha 'just annoyed' is the best way to describe the kill-and-leave-to-be-picked-up-by-the-peasant attitude they take on in premolt I think

haha yeah!

 

[Smotzer]

The tarantula looks perfectly healthy and well fed, you do not need to stress about it eating or molting when you think is the righht time, it will molt whenever it decides its ready, and will resume eating after that. In the meantime just continue what you are doing and make sure it has access to drinking water!

 

[Ivike22]

The tarantula looks perfectly healthy and well fed, you do not need to stress about it eating or molting when you think is the righht time, it will molt whenever it decides its ready, and will resume eating after that. In the meantime just continue what you are doing and make sure it has access to drinking water!

Yes Yes! Thank you