goliath birdeater tried to molt in the water bowl?

Misty&Al

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Feb 7, 2007
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Hello, I am new here... sort of, I have been reading lots anytime I have questions however I have yet to see this come up. This morning I was turning on all the lights in my livingroom(many lizards and tarantulas) I had to take a second look when our goliath birdeater was upside down in the waterbowl. humidity is not the issue, I use a fogger as well as spray 2+ times a day to keep her at about 80%. 7:30am I could see parts of her new body emerging so I carefully removed some of the water so that she wouldn't drown. 10:30am there was slightly more of her that I could see, including book lungs... 3pm, no change since this morning. She has about a 6 inch legspan-unsure of her exact age but 6 months ago she was not much bigger than a dime. I think she has passed away but I hope she is just taking forever to molt.. for a GB that big, how long should she take to molt? I had read that one took nearly 20 hours(fingers crossed)

Sorry for the long winded question but I thought I should give as much info as I could. thanx in advance
 

syndicate

Arachnoemperor
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so your sayin in 6 months she went from the size of a dime to 6" :eek:
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
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Feb 13, 2006
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Wow I wish mine would grow like that. I know they grow fast but wow!

Yes you are correct in thinking the bigger they are the longer the molt. But once the carapace pops it should not be more then an hour or two...... something might be wrong.


Welcome to the boards. :clap:
 

Misty&Al

Arachnopeon
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Feb 7, 2007
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might have been 7 months but no more than that, she has molted 3 times that went ok... any ideas on the molting troubles by chance? 6" is her entire legspan.... her new abdoman is huge, I pray she pulls through
 

mr_jacob7

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wow. i guess spider skinny-dipping is more than skin deep... ew...

good luck!
 

P. Novak

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I hope your Theraphosa blondi makes it through the molt, just don't touch it at all.

Also, no way, is that even possible for a T.blondi to go from less then a dime to 6" LS in under a year? I really doubt it, and you said it only went through 3 molts? Hm, I don't know....
 

Misty&Al

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Turns out I had our colbalt blue(was a dime sized lil guy when we got him) and the GB confused... she was about the size of a quarter... and yes it was in 7 months, I was off on the molts too... this would have been her 5th since we've had her. The spiders are my husbands thing, I have lizards. As for an update... I think she is gone. We are going to give her till tomorrow but there has been no change at all... the skin around her legs(not sure what else to call it) is really tight, looks like elastics wrapped around each of them... she would have been so big and beautiful I am sure. Thank you for your replies and assistance in this :(
 

Misty&Al

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Feb 7, 2007
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In case anyone was wondering... I was sure she was dead... but when I walked by her cage after nearly 30 hours of first finding her, I looked close and her spinnerettes were moving.. but all of her legs and her pedipalps were trapped in the molt. I got out the trusty tarantula keepers guide and there were instructions for surgery. Her surgery was completed... took 3 hours to free her legs, her book lungs and fangs were never stuck, she got them out then stopped. there is still some movement, I have got her covered and humid and it says to let her be for a while.... some of her legs are all wonky for lack of a better word, bent the wrong way n everything and I am praying she pulls through... much to my surprise she is not gone yet. Would anyone know if a T has lived after this lifesaving surgical procedure?
 

Aurelia

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Would anyone know if a T has lived after this lifesaving surgical procedure?
Well if no Ts have ever survived from it, it wouldn't be live-saving surgery now would it? :p Good luck, I hope she pulls through. Fingers crossed for you!
 

mr_jacob7

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wow. congrats, and i hop te rest goes well. that's a miraculous save!
 

Misty&Al

Arachnopeon
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Feb 7, 2007
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Well... she is gone, today no movement at all so I touched her abdoman and nothing... I operated on her 5 days ago, have been giving her small drops of water on her fangs a few times daily and I guess she was just not strong enough to pull through. From what I have been reading here I was lucky to have her as it seems more often than not bad molts happen. Just out of general curiosity.... when you have to assist in a molt... do they ever make it? All of her legs and her pedipalps were stuck...left alone for nearly 30 hours to try and get out of the old skin with high humidity in darkness.

We have had T's for a while and I hope that I don't ever have to operate on one again....RIP Babalu
 

spid142

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Apr 9, 2006
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sad

Sorry to hear your T didnt make it, but it happens. In 2 years ive lost one T in a bad molt. And one died from shipping sickness. So its somewhat rare, but sad when it happens. Sometimes they just arent strong enough to get clear out.
 

midnight_maiden

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Jan 19, 2007
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Gee, I'm sorry to hear about that. This is why I'm afraid to get a blondi. I want one so bad, but I hear so many stories about bad molts that it keeps me scared away.

~Carla~
 

Drachenjager

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i still cant get over the growth rate of that thing...could that be part of the problem yall think? Man mine was about 4 inches 2 molts ago and now is a close to 5 i guess... i cant imagine going from dime or nickle sized to 6 inches in 3 molts , blows my little mind
Sorry abotu the loss tho man that sux
 

B.L.

Arachnopeon
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Feb 1, 2007
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There have been alot of death reports from T. Blondi's lately. :( I like mine alot hopefully it won't die too.
 
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