Gravid A. australis questions

[Nick12007]

I bought a gravid A. australis about a month ago and while in my care she hasn't eaten a thing, but I was told that she ate a lot just before being sent to me. She's been pretty active and responsive otherwise, but today she seems pretty lethargic so I'm worried.
She's been being kept in a small container on sand with half a terracotta pot as a hide. I put in a small handful of coco fiber a week ago and have moistened that a little in case that was the trouble. I just put a heating pad on her enclosure in the hopes that that will help; before today she had just been being kept at room temp (around 84 in the day to 50 at night). Her enclosure doesn't have much ventilation, so I'm going to fix that as soon as I can, but is there anything else I should try?

 

[brandontmyers]

Get more ventilation for her since she is from Africa. That way the stagnant air will be able to flow out. I was thinking it might be too cold at night, but I realized that it gets pretty cold at night around those parts.

 

[sick4x4]

get the moisture out they dont need that....they like it hot not humid....has she started to dig a hide???or is there anything she can hide under???
heres a pic of one my gravid females

 

[Nick12007]

Ok, so right after posting here I changed her current lid and replaced it with just some mesh, I'll get the moisture out, I had read somewhere that gravid A. australis need a little more moisture, but I'll take it out if it hasn't evaporated from the heating pads and screen lid already. Mine looks just like the picture, except that when I found her being sluggish yesterday she had her tail lying sideways instead of up and arched...that's what made me worry in the first place.

 

[Nick12007]

Nevermind, came back home from work and it looks like she's dead. Thanks for your help though, guys.

 

[Nick12007]

As a side note, I opened her up and found that she was carrying eggs, but no embryos yet. In addition to that, she had a pocket of air inside that spanned her last three tergites. This was there last night also when I held a flashlight to her side and could see the pocket of air.
Is this normal or was there something wrong even back then?

 

[sick4x4]

sorry to hear that..i think the moisture might of taken a toll on her....