G. Rosea, bad molt.

[TeePete]

Resiliant little guy, ins't it?

Still not sure. He's alive but barely right now.

 

[TeePete]

That's awesome! Hope he keeps getting better just remember to make sure he's got plenty of water in his dish

As far as G. Pulchripes and B. Smithi, both great beginner species, especially the pulchripes. As @viper69 mentioned @cold blood has some pulchripes slings for sale cheap, and he's a great breeder

Good luck!

I'm keeping all of that in mind. The T bug hit me! =)

 

[TeePete]

So we transferred him out of the TICU last night and he's been spread eagle in the same position in the new bowl since then. Hoping he's just recovering at this point. He doesn't move much, I moved the bowl to a different location gently to protect him from my cats and he lifted a couple legs very slowly but other than that, no movement. I hope this is norMal for them while they recover.

It's been 4 days since the molt. Anyone think I should try a feeding this soon or still wait a few days? I got some superworms instead of crickets and plan on tong-feeding for awhile. I'll hold off until someone says otherwise here.

Thanks for everyone's support. I hope I haven't killed my little fuzzy guy.

 

[TeePete]

Changed substrate to coco fiber, dug a hole for his water dish for ease of access, and added a plant in the corner I misted.



Not doing too hot.

 

[mmfh]

At this time I'd just let him be in a quiet place to recover. I'm sure the T is exhausted. He's made it 4 days so that's good news. IMO the abdominal doesn't look shriveled so I wouldn't try fording for about 3 weeks. Feeding might stress the T. Just give it access to water and let it rest. I'm not sure about the hide. I'll let others chip in an opinion on whether you should have one at this time or not. Good luck

 

[Crone Returns]

?? I dunno. Yeah I kinda thought the same thing.....

Op, literally everything you think you know about ts, and this t, is wrong...start over my friend. These are good starting points.

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/ch...w-to-really-take-care-of-your-g-rosea.226727/

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/quick-reference-guide-to-answer-common-questions.145454/

 

[TeePete]

Update: Still alive, very dormant. Very wobbly when walking, can't tell if from mangled limbs or if displaying signs of DKS. He seems to like to coco fiber substrate a lot better though. Probably better footing since he's so deformed. He found the hide and has dragged dirt to partially cover the opening to be alone and in the dark. Do they hide to die? He's still looking very scraggly and wet. Humidity is way down in there, but I have the heat mat on the lowest setting for some warmth because the boyfriend likes it super cold in the house, so I'm not sure if he's leaking fluid or just slow to recover or it's still too humid. At this point, I figured he would have at least fluffed up. His fangs are very bloody still but most of it looks dried. Attempted a manual water drip yesterday since he's avoiding his water dish like the plague but he wanted nothing to do with it. Tried a paint brush, a straw, and an eye dropper. He displayed the best warning sign he could with his deformed legs but never struck any of the items. Otherwise, complete uninterest in the water. Does this mean he's at his end? He's also so much smaller than he was before he molted. Why is that? I thought a molt meant he outgrew his exo. Also, if he makes it, can he have a successful molt next time around and emerge fresh and new or is his next molt going to be difficult and probably result in his death? I don't have the expertise to aide in a molt and I don't know anyone else that does either.

I feel like a terrible T-Mom. Someone tell me I'm not if I'm not. And tell me I am if I am so I can drop this hobby before I hurt any other poor animals.

 

[TeePete]

Also I wanted to say I'm sorry to anyone that thinks I'm a horrid person. I know a lot of you work hard to keep your Ts healthy and happy and I'm sure it hurts your heart to hear things I am doing wrong or have done wrong. I did so much research before I got him but appardently either not enough or the right kind. I wish I had found this site before I got him.

 

[BobBarley]

Also I wanted to say I'm sorry to anyone that thinks I'm a horrid person. I know a lot of you work hard to keep your Ts healthy and happy and I'm sure it hurts your heart to hear things I am doing wrong or have done wrong. I did so much research before I got him but appardently either not enough or the right kind. I wish I had found this site before I got him.

No, no, no, don't say that! None of us think you're a horrid person. You were just misinformed, as many, many of us were too. Don't be too hard on yourself.

Update: Still alive, very dormant. Very wobbly when walking, can't tell if from mangled limbs or if displaying signs of DKS. He seems to like to coco fiber substrate a lot better though. Probably better footing since he's so deformed. He found the hide and has dragged dirt to partially cover the opening to be alone and in the dark. Do they hide to die? He's still looking very scraggly and wet. Humidity is way down in there, but I have the heat mat on the lowest setting for some warmth because the boyfriend likes it super cold in the house, so I'm not sure if he's leaking fluid or just slow to recover or it's still too humid. At this point, I figured he would have at least fluffed up. His fangs are very bloody still but most of it looks dried. Attempted a manual water drip yesterday since he's avoiding his water dish like the plague but he wanted nothing to do with it. Tried a paint brush, a straw, and an eye dropper. He displayed the best warning sign he could with his deformed legs but never struck any of the items. Otherwise, complete uninterest in the water. Does this mean he's at his end? He's also so much smaller than he was before he molted. Why is that? I thought a molt meant he outgrew his exo. Also, if he makes it, can he have a successful molt next time around and emerge fresh and new or is his next molt going to be difficult and probably result in his death? I don't have the expertise to aide in a molt and I don't know anyone else that does either.

I feel like a terrible T-Mom. Someone tell me I'm not if I'm not. And tell me I am if I am so I can drop this hobby before I hurt any other poor animals.

Walking is a very good sign. If you're really going to use a heat mat, use it on the side of the enclosure, not on the bottom. He doesn't look like he needs water as his abdomen isn't shriveled. I would cover the enclosure with a blanket or put it somewhere dark so he can recover in peace. If he makes it to the next molt, I would think that he should be able to molt out of it. Good luck, and none of this was your fault.

 

[Sana]

Don't worry about you tarantula parenting at the moment. Let's just focus on getting the little one better. The less that you do for him at the moment the better off he will be. As long as he has a full water dish and you lose the heat mat he'll probably be fine. External heat sources likes lights and mats tend to dehydrate a tarantula faster. They aren't really necessary and are frowned on by keepers. Tarantulas are generally comfortable with the room temperature if you are. In your position I would do the above and then leave him absolutely alone. Often the more that the keeper intervenes the more likely the tarantula is to have issues. He's not in the worst shape I've ever seen but he should be treated like a patient in a hospital. What patients generally need is quiet and rest. As long as he has access to water he will drink if he needs to. I wouldn't try to feed him for a while yet. Probably at least ten days. He dug out the hide so he had a safe place to recuperate. That's a good thing. He had the strength and ability to do a little construction. Trust your tarantula to know what he's doing.

 

[rally]

You're not a terrible keeper. You care and try to do better, and that puts you a cut above the many parents/keepers of children/dogs/exotics that do not. I would be very surprised if this bad molt was a direct consequence of anything you did. Sometimes it just happens.. he may die, or he might pull through to his next molt. I've seen both in scenarios like these. It's rough going, watching your charge suffer, and I feel for you. Just give him quiet and hope for the best, as you've done all you can. Steady now!

 

[cold blood]

Its not bloody fangs...ts don't even have red blood. When a t molts, initially its fangs are white, then they turn red, for days or weeks, then finally, when they are hardened up, they turn black.

 

[TeePete]

Its not bloody fangs...ts don't even have red blood. When a t molts, initially its fangs are white, then they turn red, for days or weeks, then finally, when they are hardened up, they turn black.

I wonder why they look crusty with a red liquid then. Thanks for the tip though.

 

[Andrea82]

I wonder why they look crusty with a red liqhd then. Thanks for the tip though.

That is the mouthpart. It looks like a red and orange patch right after they molted.
Since he's been moved a lot, I would just leave him be for a couple of days at least.
When my Avic had a bad molt, I just maked sure she has acces to water, and put the tank in a dark corner by covering a shelf with a black t-shirt, every morning and evening checking on her. She pulled through.
Feeding is not necessary at the moment, only water and quiet, dark time.

 

[TeePete]

Update:

Still looking pretty bad. He's refusing water. He fell off his log today, only an inch or so, but he stayed flipped over for a bit, too tired to turn over. It was a perfect opportunity for some photos. I gently nudged him back over and saw some fluid leaking from his spinnerets. Can someone tell me what's going on from the photos? Is keeping him alive futile at this point? I don't want him to suffer.




He's wet from the attempt to get him to drink.





Anyone have insight? Should I put him out of his misery? He is active. Every time I check on him he's in a new spot or position.

 

[BobBarley]

I'm not sure... someone more experienced with this sort of thing should respond, but the white stuff around the spinnerets could be a bacterial infection? Or it could just be weird looking feces. Try wetting a Q-tip with warm water and gently wipe it off. Stress the word gently. Active is a good sign. I wouldn't put him down just yet, t's are resilient!

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

Okay first it's not a rosea, second Teepete it's not your fault. Second yes your set up does need major adjustments. Your tarantula had a wet molt which it's going to die can't do nothing about it. A few months ago I had a northern type that had a wet molt. This species are coming in wild caught and really rough. It's unfortunate that your northern type tarantula had to go through this but it can happen.
Get a new tarantula and if you get another wild caught tarantula ask the seller if it is a long captive raised tarantula.

As for myself I will not hesitate to get a fresh wild caught tarantula but for you I suggest you stay away from them until you feel more comfortable of raising a wild caught tarantula.

The cause of a wet molt I have the slightest clue of why they have them. It's been a long time that I had one with a wet molt. I know that with the northern type it has been a little difficult for me to keep four of them alive one that had a wet molt as I mentioned above and the other three died of starvation. They were eating at first and later refused food. To top it off I also had a few of them that were loosing weight rapidly. The set ups were simple as usual vermiculite, hide out and water dish. But after having those loses I felt that I had to change their set ups. So now I have them on white silica sand, his out and water dish. My northern type bounced back eating better and gaining weight.

I can only tell you what I've observed and what I did to have my northern type tarantulas bounce back to health. I know that's not what is in question here but just thought I share.
Wet molts are extremely bad news for a tarantula.

 

[TeePete]

Okay first it's not a rosea, second Teepete it's not your fault. Second yes your set up does need major adjustments. Your tarantula had a wet molt which it's going to die can't do nothing about it. A few months ago I had a northern type that had a wet molt. This species are coming in wild caught and really rough. It's unfortunate that your northern type tarantula had to go through this but it can happen.
Get a new tarantula and if you get another wild caught tarantula ask the seller if it is a long captive raised tarantula.

As for myself I will not hesitate to get a fresh wild caught tarantula but for you I suggest you stay away from them until you feel more comfortable of raising a wild caught tarantula.

The cause of a wet molt I have the slightest clue of why they have them. It's been a long time that I had one with a wet molt. I know that with the northern type it has been a little difficult for me to keep four of them alive one that had a wet molt as I mentioned above and the other three died of starvation. They were eating at first and later refused food. To top it off I also had a few of them that were loosing weight rapidly. The set ups were simple as usual vermiculite, hide out and water dish. But after having those loses I felt that I had to change their set ups. So now I have them on white silica sand, his out and water dish. My northern type bounced back eating better and gaining weight.

I can only tell you what I've observed and what I did to have my northern type tarantulas bounce back to health. I know that's not what is in question here but just thought I share.
Wet molts are extremely bad news for a tarantula.

I just changed the setup completely. If he's not a rosea then what am I dealing with here. Also, what is a wet molt.

What you're saying differs exponentially from what everyone else has said so now I'm really confused.

 

[BobBarley]

I just changed the setup completely. If he's not a rosea then what am I dealing with here. Also, what is a wet molt.

What you're saying differs exponentially from what everyone else has said so now I'm really confused.

He's correct in that it's not a G. Rosea. It's a Grammostola sp. "Northern Gold". Basically imports on G. rosea and G. Porteri (and many other Chilean t's) have been restricted/banned so stores are now carrying the northern type plus a few others as most stores have no idea how to differentiate and they just label everything "Rose hair". A wet molt is basically a failed molt.

Take his advice over mine as he is more experienced with WC t's then I am, but keeping t's on sand is a debatable practice. Haven't tried it so I can't say whether you should use it or not. I wouldn't put him down because of the slim chance that he'll live. Good luck.

 

[Vanessa]

It is a bad situation and there is probably a shortage of people who have experienced a wet moult. I know that I want to be optimistic about his chances, as others obviously are, but we might be wrong. We're hoping he has a chance, but he might not.
This is not a situation that comes up frequently and there probably aren't a lot of members who can tell you what the outcome will be.
You will have to ultimately decide whether you want to wait it out a bit longer, to see if he improves or not.
I'm sorry, I know that it is a heartbreaking situation, but it is not that common and many of us want to help you without having experience with this situation. We're not intending to make this more confusing for you.