Has it molted? + Should I get her out her hide? Need you opinion!

[spideyspinneret78]

Whenever I start getting worried about my tarantulas, I remember that spiders have been spidering for hundreds of millions of years and are unlikely to need help from me. They need a LOT less care and attention than most other pets we're used to. It's counter intuitive at first, but you'll learn with time. Aside from providing basic needs like food, water, and an adequate enclosure, the more they're left alone, the less stressed and better off they'll be. Have patience.

 

[viper69]

Thinking that she's molting and thinking about the fact that maybe she is molting are two different things my friend. The former is an established opinion and the later is a reflexion that may require more observations.

I didn’t realize you were pedantic.

And in either case one would leave the tarantula alone - which is EXACTLY what I and others told you

So whether you think it is molting, or think it may molt, or thought both- guess what

LEAVE IT ALONE!!! Hahahahahhash

 

[hardminder]

And in either case one would leave the tarantula alone - which is EXACTLY what I and others told you

That's the point, I didn't think it was molting, I had a suspicion about her being on her way to molt. You don't seem to understand it's not the same thing, I don't know in how many different ways I'll have to phrase it. ''I think this is him'' VS ''is it him?'' See the difference?

And most of all, I never asked or said anything about disturbing a tarantula while she's molting, you're the only one who made that strange connection. A non requested, unrelated advice. Thanks

 

[viper69]

That's the point, I didn't think it was molting, I had a suspicion about her being on her way to molt. You don't seem to understand it's not the same thing, I don't know in how many different ways I'll have to phrase it. ''I think this is him'' VS ''is it him?'' See the difference?

And most of all, I never asked or said anything about disturbing a tarantula while she's molting, you're the only one who made that strange connection. A non requested, unrelated advice. Thanks

3 other people provided the same advice I did.

I know a T molting is not the same as one on its way, like no crap Sherlock what’s your next case haha

You don’t know that I don’t know the difference is the damn problem. You’re confused.

 

[hardminder]

3 other people provided the same advice I did.

Nope, no one said anything about not disturbing her while she's in molt. You're wrong about that. Show me who did. People know this wasn't the answer and didn't feel the need to say anything about that, but you did. You never understood my initial questions and it's no surprise because you seem to misunderstand pretty much everything as you're proving right now. I never asked if I should disturb her while she molts and no one said anything about that.

I know a T molting is not the same as one on its way, like no crap Sherlock what’s your next case haha

Now I'm starting to believe you're just trolling. You can't actually be that closed. I'm not saying you don't know the difference between a pre-molt and a molt I said you don't seem to make the difference between someone saying he thinks his T is molting and someone having suspicion about his T heading towards a molt. I think it was pretty clear what I said:

I didn't think it was molting, I had a suspicion about her being on her way to molt. You don't seem to understand it's not the same thing

You’re confused.

I'm confused? Man, you're misreading and misinterpreting everything and trying to make me feel like I'm the dumbass.

 

[viper69]

Nope, no one said anything about not disturbing her while she's in molt. You're wrong about that. Show me who did. People know this wasn't the answer and didn't feel the need to say anything about that, but you did. You never understood my initial questions and it's no surprise because you seem to misunderstand pretty much everything as you're proving right now. I never asked if I should disturb her while she molts and no one said anything about that.



Now I'm starting to believe you're just trolling. You can't actually be that closed. I'm not saying you don't know the difference between a pre-molt and a molt I said you don't seem to make the difference between someone saying he thinks his T is molting and someone having suspicion about his T heading towards a molt. I think it was pretty clear what I said:





I'm confused? Man, you're misreading and misinterpreting everything and trying to make me feel like I'm the dumbass.

So here's my first question. Do you think she molted?

That’s you asking if it did. Past tense.

leave it alone, always the best choice

That’s Matt giving you solid advice that you agreed with.

My advice was the same as his. Perhaps you thought, that I thought, you were asking if it was molting currently at the time of post?

I was merely stating if you think it is/was ie if in doubt, leave it alone. Leave it alone now, and for the future until YOU or that TARANRULA is dead.

Perhaps that wasn’t clear for you. I tend to write concise answers.

I read your entire thesis on your tarantula the first time.

I don’t care if you think Im wrong, or not.

Don’t waste time on me, “waste” time observing your T and learning more about the behavior and wonders of the animal you cherish. That is far important than what someone is typing to you!! Big picture thinking.

That’s what I’m doing right this second, staring at my AF A.minatrix!

Enjoy your T, like me!

 

[ThatsUnpossible]

And most of all, I never asked or said anything about disturbing a tarantula while she's molting, you're the only one who made that strange connection. A non requested, unrelated advice. Thanks

Your original post, asking if the T had molted also asked the following question:

Second question: should I smoothly force her out? It's not just for me but mainly for her. I can't monitor her state an behavior where she his, feeding is a gamble, I haven't seen her head in 6 weeks, she probably molted and I don't even know... I was thinking of slowly pouring a little bit of water near her hide to get her out and then fill the hole and ''cave'' with 1/2'' gravel so she can't go back.

You didn’t know if she had molted. You wanted to know if you should force her out of her hide with water and backfill said hide with gravel”? You received many replies, all with varying ways of saying “leave her alone”.

“Thanks guys, I’ll leave her alone” That should have been end of thread.

PS
I actually felt bad yesterday that I might have been too judgey in my reply, but after reading the rest of this thread, I‘m good

 

[viper69]

Your original post, asking if the T had molted also asked the following question:



You didn’t know if she had molted. You wanted to know if you should force her out of her hide with water and backfill said hide with gravel”? You received many replies, all with varying ways of saying “leave her alone”.

“Thanks guys, I’ll leave her alone” That should have been end of thread.

PS
I actually felt bad yesterday that I might have been too judgey in my reply, but after reading the rest of this thread, I‘m good

Exactly!

But we are all crazy here not the OP

 

[Wolfram1]

me, after reading through this

i think you have got competition @Dorifto, perhaps you have some pointers?

looks nice, the reason we suggest smaller enclosures is so new keepers don't have to go through your current anxieties.

in that kind of setup i would suggest heavily wounding or outright prekilling the prey and dropping it at the entrance of the burrow, but not inside.

this prevents any unwanted accidents in case the spider is molting without your knowlege

 

[Dorifto]

me, after reading through this

i think you have got competition @Dorifto, perhaps you have some pointers?

looks nice, the reason we suggest smaller enclosures is so new keepers don't have to go through your current anxieties.

in that kind of setup i would suggest heavily wounding or outright prekilling the prey and dropping it at the entrance of the burrow, but not inside.

this prevents any unwanted accidents in case the spider is molting without your knowlege

There is a little part of me in that enclosure hahahahahaha. I'd like to see more enclosures like this. So the competition is welcome!!


Chill out a bit guys, EVERY ONE HAS PASED THE SAME HUSBANDRY STAGES

@hardminder, do not overthink, she knows what she is doing. They will choose spaces that for us, it looks impossible to molt properly inside, and they manage to do it succesfully. They choose tight spaces because they make them feel less vulnerable, so there is no need to move her, eventually she will move by herself, do not worry.

Feeding wise, the T wont die, even less in a bioactive enclosure where they have a constant food source crossing in front of them, isopods, earthworms etc. If she is hungry, or starving, she will notice you, do not worry. She will actively hunt and show you that she is hungry.

If you saw red fangs and a color shift, 100% that she molted. So let her undisturbed, she will be fine. Eventually she will get out of her hide, it could be days or months, do not worry, she will. For example, my geniculata took several months to stay visible again after her last molt last year (august), and now is always on show again.

I know that sometimes it can be hard for us to understand their behaviours or actions, but they survived that way millions of years. In enclosures like ours, they have way more places to choose from to fill their needs, so even if they look more complex, they have less chances to suffer any issue due to bad husbandry, because the living conditions they have inside are broader. Offer her different spots and she will be fine, so again DO NOT WORRY.

 

[darkness975]

Hi I'll try to make it short (I will certainly fail) while providing necessary contextual information. 2 month ago, after over 6 months of research and preparation, I acquired my first T, a 2.5-3'' female sling Lasiodora parahybana. She molted a month prior to the acquisition. I got her in a temporary enclosure where she hate he first 3 meals voraciously over the course of, I would say, 2 weeks.

After that I transferred her into her real house, a big house. Probably a bit too big for her present size but LP's grow very fast. You can judge me for it but it's the choice I made.

In there, she went to hide in the absolute worst possible place, typical tarantula I know, but I mean....worst place. A crevasse I didn't even considered (and I built the whole damn thing). It would be near impossible to feed her there so I had to gently push her out, isolate her and fill the crevasse with pet safe silicone.

After that.... she chose the second worst place, of course. I chose to let her have it. After that think she only ate twice the first week and then went on a hunger strike. I thought ''pre-molt'' even if she had molted less than 2 months ago. But as I read, big species can molt back to back. I still tried to feed her. But in that place she's hiding, it's hard to feed her. But I tried every other day (I'll join a picture of her hiding spot, you'll understand and it will make sense for my second question). I almost couldn't see her, just half of her abdomen or some legs sometimes through plants and rocks. But she was definitely not interested in any food from what I could see, avoiding worms and crickets moving towards and even touching her, compared to her previously and briefly observed aggressive feeding response.

She didn't eat for a month. I saw bald patch on her, shiny looking, abdomen...

Then over 2 days I started to see some legs placed in an awkward position but I can't say I saw her on a molting web mat nor can I confirm she was on her back or completely inactive for long. But again, I can barely see her. I waited 2 days around that time and then tried to feed here, BAM! Instant catch! Waited a few minutes and shone a light through the glass in her hole (the absolute only way I can see, even a tiny part of her) and then I saw those amazing blood red fang munching on a cricket. I know, she ain't supposed to eat with those soft fangs but I really didn't know she had probably just molted and honestly I didn't know about the red fangs thing before that. I also immediately noticed a color and size change, that could be my mind, hoping for a molt and playing trick on me but eh, she seems much darker and from the little I can see, her legs seems longer. I could be wrong but I my first feeling was that.

I then waited a full 8-9 days before feeding her again and then she pounced and munched on 3 adult crickets in 2 hours.

So here's my first question. Do you think she molted? I can't see her molt but I know she has a small burrow. She might have stuffed it down there right. She seems too hang out more just outside of her burrow now, not completely out but definitely 75% out.

Second question: should I smoothly force her out? It's not just for me but mainly for her. I can't monitor her state an behavior where she his, feeding is a gamble, I haven't seen her head in 6 weeks, she probably molted and I don't even know... I was thinking of slowly pouring a little bit of water near her hide to get her out and then fill the hole and ''cave'' with 1/2'' gravel so she can't go back.

Yep, I failed making that story short but at least no one can complain there's not enough detail

Thanks a lot everyone for your time and future opinions/answers/advice/recommendations

PS: I just went to take a video of my viv to attach it before posting and found my T more active than ever. I actually saw her face and fangs and everything for the first time in 6 weeks, moving and not being shy at the light shining and movement. Amazing coincidence. I couldn't film it but she was making motions as if she was eating, rolling her pedipalps in her mouth and spreading her chelicerae in and out as she was shoving something down her mouth (if that makes any sense).
View attachment 420083

Are the fangs still red or did they harden up?

 

[Manny]

@hardminder So not only are you looking for advice and guidance, but the advice must be worded a certain way for you? You micro manage way more than just your T. Either take the advice or don’t

 

[hardminder]

There is a little part of me in that enclosure hahahahahaha. I'd like to see more enclosures like this. So the competition is welcome!!


Chill out a bit guys, EVERY ONE HAS PASED THE SAME HUSBANDRY STAGES

@hardminder, do not overthink, she knows what she is doing. They will choose spaces that for us, it looks impossible to molt properly inside, and they manage to do it succesfully. They choose tight spaces because they make them feel less vulnerable, so there is no need to move her, eventually she will move by herself, do not worry.

Feeding wise, the T wont die, even less in a bioactive enclosure where they have a constant food source crossing in front of them, isopods, earthworms etc. If she is hungry, or starving, she will notice you, do not worry. She will actively hunt and show you that she is hungry.

If you saw red fangs and a color shift, 100% that she molted. So let her undisturbed, she will be fine. Eventually she will get out of her hide, it could be days or months, do not worry, she will. For example, my geniculata took several months to stay visible again after her last molt last year (august), and now is always on show again.

I know that sometimes it can be hard for us to understand their behaviours or actions, but they survived that way millions of years. In enclosures like ours, they have way more places to choose from to fill their needs, so even if they look more complex, they have less chances to suffer any issue due to bad husbandry, because the living conditions they have inside are broader. Offer her different spots and she will be fine, so again DO NOT WORRY.

Thanks man, yes I know, I'm over thinking, can't help it. Even though she'S hiding, she now looks less shy than ever, still in her hide but always out of the small tunnel burrow she has in there. Thanks!

 

[hardminder]

Are the fangs still red or did they harden up?

it hardened up

 

[Dorifto]

Thanks man, yes I know, I'm over thinking, can't help it. Even though she'S hiding, she now looks less shy than ever, still in her hide but always out of the small tunnel burrow she has in there. Thanks!

You are welcome!!!

You will learn how to not to over think and how to be more confident on your T, simply have a bit more patience, she will make you understand that she knows what she is doing.

A T is more likely to dead under our care due to an over reaction than because of it's "silly" decissions. Memorize this

 

[hardminder]

@hardminder So not only are you looking for advice and guidance, but the advice must be worded a certain way for you? You micro manage way more than just your T. Either take the advice or don’t

Never asked anyone to word anything a certain way for me. Someone replied with a super short comment that could be nothing but misinterpreted, I replied and then received ''I don't know why you reply, I said *this* not *that*''. as if I was wrong for not understanding an idea that was badly put together. Then I basically said ''if you don't want confusion, just be clear''. Replies don't have to be worded a certain way for me but if you're trying to make me feel like I'm the one who can't understand what you meant with your oversimplified answer to a question I never asked, I won't stay there and say ''ok''.

I won't get back into that argument.

 

[darkness975]

it hardened up

That's a good sign then.

 

[Manny]

@hardminder you sound like a hoot to be around.

 

[hardminder]

@hardminder you sound like a hoot to be around.

I should be a hoot for someone I don't know, who's criticizing me, apparently without understanding the situation, with absolutely no objectivity? (Talking about you). The perception you have of me has absolutely no worth to me. I tend to care more about people I know or at least people I don't know but that have something to share or need help. And right now you're none of those

 

[Manny]

@hardminder oh yea, what else?