G. Rosea questions in regards to strange behavior

MSobczak

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I picked up G. Rosea recently which seems to be behaving strangely. Most of the time it tried to climb walls, and avoids the ground, and it has never entered the shelter I put inside the enclsure. The substrate is made up of dry coconut husk. I will include an image of my enclosure. Thanks.
 

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WeightedAbyss75

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I picked up G. Rosea recently which seems to be behaving strangely. Most of the time it tried to climb walls, and avoids the ground, and it has never entered the shelter I put inside the enclsure. The substrate is made up of dry coconut husk. I will include an image of my enclosure. Thanks.
My G. pulchripes did this when I redid her enclosure as well. Just give it a few weeks-a month and it will probably take to the ground. Also, there might be too much humidity. It might be waiting for the sub to dry some more. Just give it time. As long as it eats and drinks, it should be fine. Just food for thought, that cage is WAY tall. It could fall and hurt itself. You might want to add sub halfway to 3/4 up the enclosure. Other than that, she looks healthy enough as is.
 

Venom1080

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it takes Ts a while to settle into new cages, thats normal. put more substrate in there so the spider cant hurt itself if it falls. the fall shouldnt be more than about 1.5x the spiders leg span.
 

Sana

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I'm sorry if I missed this information but how long have you had it? It often takes a few weeks for a tarantula to settle in to a new enclosure. Your enclosure includes all the required components but I would personally add more substrate. Most folks only keep 1.5xDLS (diagonal leg span, US standard measurement of a tarantula) between the top of the sub and the lid. This minimized distance helps prevent injuries in the case of a fall. Terrestrial tarantulas will certainly climb but they aren't as adept at it as arboreals. The other question that comes to my mind, how big is your tarantula? If it's an adult there are some other possible factors in wandering endlessly.
 

MSobczak

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My G. pulchripes did this when I redid her enclosure as well. Just give it a few weeks-a month and it will probably take to the ground. Also, there might be too much humidity. It might be waiting for the sub to dry some more. Just give it time. As long as it eats and drinks, it should be fine. Just food for thought, that cage is WAY tall. It could fall and hurt itself. You might want to add sub halfway to 3/4 up the enclosure. Other than that, she looks healthy enough as is.
It looks taller in the picture than it is in reality, I measured it and it is 6 in from the top of the substrate to the top of the cage. Would you still recommend filling it up more?
 

MSobczak

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I'm sorry if I missed this information but how long have you had it? It often takes a few weeks for a tarantula to settle in to a new enclosure. Your enclosure includes all the required components but I would personally add more substrate. Most folks only keep 1.5xDLS (diagonal leg span, US standard measurement of a tarantula) between the top of the sub and the lid. This minimized distance helps prevent injuries in the case of a fall. Terrestrial tarantulas will certainly climb but they aren't as adept at it as arboreals. The other question that comes to my mind, how big is your tarantula? If it's an adult there are some other possible factors in wandering endlessly.
I have had it for 3 days so im pretty new to Tarantulas. It seems to stay one place most of the time. For example it might climb to the top of the cage (usually in the corner where the shelter is) and stay there for a few hours before climbing down, it has came down to eat a cricket though. The distance from the top of the substrate to the top of the cage is 6 inches. The spider itself is about 3 inches long.
 

viper69

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I picked up G. Rosea recently which seems to be behaving strangely. Most of the time it tried to climb walls, and avoids the ground, and it has never entered the shelter I put inside the enclsure. The substrate is made up of dry coconut husk. I will include an image of my enclosure. Thanks.
Any questions you have based on the data above has been answered thousands of times as it's extremely basic. I urge you to search the forum or google (googole searches the forum) so you may learn about your new pet's behavior, it's clear you are new to Ts, welcome to Ts.

after you learn the answers, if you have questions feel free to ask.
 

cold blood

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It looks taller in the picture than it is in reality, I measured it and it is 6 in from the top of the substrate to the top of the cage. Would you still recommend filling it up more?
yes, another couple inches or so....better safe than sorry IMO.

As for not using the hide, that's just normal for a rose hair...they rarely if ever utilize hides or burrows.

Often for this species climbing or avoiding the sub is due to too much moisture, but there are other causes....first, was the substrate tamped down? It should be, they tend to not like walking on the fluffy stuff as much as a packed down floor. The other is just simple acclimation...some settle right in, others can take weeks or longer...just be patient.
 

MSobczak

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1.5x the DLS
Thanks, I did do a little bit of research on G. Rosea but some of the answers are conflicting. The big question I see a lot of people disagree with is the temperature at which the enclosure should be kept. Ive heard people say anything from 70-75 to 75-85 (which would probably require a heat pad in my case since my home is kept at a temperature of about 70-73 degrees).
 

cold blood

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I have had it for 3 days so im pretty new to Tarantulas. It seems to stay one place most of the time. For example it might climb to the top of the cage (usually in the corner where the shelter is) and stay there for a few hours before climbing down, it has came down to eat a cricket though. The distance from the top of the substrate to the top of the cage is 6 inches. The spider itself is about 3 inches long.
yeah, just acclimating...3 days...lol....give it some time;)
 

cold blood

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Thanks, I did do a little bit of research on G. Rosea but some of the answers are conflicting. The big question I see a lot of people disagree with is the temperature at which the enclosure should be kept. Ive heard people say anything from 70-75 to 75-85 (which would probably require a heat pad in my case since my home is kept at a temperature of about 70-73 degrees).
Anything from 60-95 is an appropriate temp. Theyre incredibly adaptable and hardy. Temp and humidity are the last things you will ever need to worry about with this species.

They also have about the lowest food requirements in the t world...just so you are aware...they also fast for extended periods of time, sometimes for 6 months to a year and sometimes for no apparent reason.


Heat pads and tarantulas don't mix....heat pads and lamps are for reptiles, not ts...pet stores perpetuate this crap because they want to increase their bottom line, it has nothing to do with the animals well being....you will never need to worry about additional heat, this species can even handle night temps into the 50's.
 

viper69

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Thanks, I did do a little bit of research on G. Rosea but some of the answers are conflicting. The big question I see a lot of people disagree with is the temperature at which the enclosure should be kept. Ive heard people say anything from 70-75 to 75-85 (which would probably require a heat pad in my case since my home is kept at a temperature of about 70-73 degrees).
Got it, as CB indicated temp range is wide. I've kept all my Ts at a 68night 70-75day for decades, no issues. Remember higher temps equals increased metabolism faster growth than lower temps.
 

WeightedAbyss75

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Thanks, I did do a little bit of research on G. Rosea but some of the answers are conflicting. The big question I see a lot of people disagree with is the temperature at which the enclosure should be kept. Ive heard people say anything from 70-75 to 75-85 (which would probably require a heat pad in my case since my home is kept at a temperature of about 70-73 degrees).
They're almost as hardy as an OBT (and some have their attitude too). This is kind kind of tarantula where dirt, a dish, and a hide are all that's needed. Beautiful spider, btw. Never had a rosehair. Also, just to tell you, they do go on hunger strikes. If it doesn't eat for a few months, it's pretty normal for them, kind of what they're known for ;).
 

MSobczak

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Anything from 60-95 is an appropriate temp. Theyre incredibly adaptable and hardy. Temp and humidity are the last things you will ever need to worry about with this species.

They also have about the lowest food requirements in the t world...just so you are aware...they also fast for extended periods of time, sometimes for 6 months to a year and sometimes for no apparent reason.


Heat pads and tarantulas don't mix....heat pads and lamps are for reptiles, not ts...pet stores perpetuate this crap because they want to increase their bottom line, it has nothing to do with the animals well being....you will never need to worry about additional heat, this species can even handle night temps into the 50's.
How do you know if they actually are starving? One source I found said that their abdomen would shrivel up if they were starving, can you confirm this? It was only one source so I am unsure of its reliability.
 

EulersK

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They're almost as hardy as an OBT (and some have their attitude too). This is kind kind of tarantula where dirt, a dish, and a hide are all that's needed. Beautiful spider, btw. Never had a rosehair. Also, just to tell you, they do go on hunger strikes. If it doesn't eat for a few months, it's pretty normal for them, kind of what they're known for ;).
A few months? Try upwards and in excess of a year :p They're also much longer lived than P. murinus.

How do you know if they actually are starving? One source I found said that their abdomen would shrivel up if they were starving, can you confirm this? It was only one source so I am unsure of its reliability.
An abdomen shriveling is not a sign of the tarantula starving. It's a sign of severe dehydration, which can't happen if you always keep a full water dish. Trust me, this pet is easier to keep than most houseplants. This spider won't starve, I promise you that. Adults can happily live off one cricket per month, much less if they're already plump.
 
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