Help me save my Stirmi!

iFryingPan

Arachnopeon
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Oh God please help. My t stirmi is dehydrated! She is kicking hairs and not curling but her abdomen is shrunk. I over flowed her water dish, saturated the substrate and peat moss, she has a heating mat on the side of the tank is there anything else I can do? I haven't checked on her in a month because her substrate still looked damp but it's all my fault, I should've reached in there and churned up the substrate and misted. She's by her water dish. I won't get her out because she scares me. But she's always been fine in her set up, hydrated an comfortable I just neglected her because I've had so much going on the past month, I had covid along with life stress. I feel like such a bad person...

I gave her a horn worm and she reacted defensive towards it shes not eating anything idk what to do, I gave her a smaller shallower dish and ive been checking on her daily. Some of the water was gone today, I filled the dish. Her substrate is moist. Temp is room temp 77 degrees humidity its between 80 and 75%. Enclosure is a plastic container with drilled holes, with 7" of eco earth and terrarium moss, heat mat has been disconnected for 5 days. This dish in the picture is the old one which was replaced. She has gut loaded crickets and the horn worm.

I've consulted with other keepers but I'm so worried that I'm reaching out to all of you. I dont know what else to do...
 

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Smotzer

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has a heating mat on the side of the tank is there anything else I can do?
Take that off immediately and never use it again. If it was on for a month and you didn’t Check on it, it may have basically been cooking in there and dried out after being a sauna.
should've reached in there and churned up the substrate and misted
Yes you should have checked on it. But no you don’t need to churn the substrate that’s only going to make it defensive I’m not sure why you believe you need to move substrate around and you don’t need to mist, misting only relates to humidity above ground level. They require a good deal of moisture, not in the air, but in the soil/substrate

please post pictures of the entire enclosure.

And all the you can go is improve your care, learn from your mistakes of not actively caring for it, continue to try to feed prey, and supply it with clean drinking water, and moist substrate, and wait.
 

DomGom TheFather

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Try to calm down. Getting frantic never helps.
All you can do is improve conditions.
Keep the substrate evenly moist, (don't flood it in a panic) and make sure there's access to fresh water. Keep that heater disconnected... For good.
The abdomen definitely looks concerning.
Is there any sign of injury?
 

iFryingPan

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Yes the mat has been off for almost a week. I haven't seen any injuries on her. She looks like she in premolt again, she molted once while I was at work. There's no telling if a fang got broken or anything but ever since I've had her she's been getting smaller. I'll upload pictures of the enclosure when I get back home. I've also had the thought maybe she was a male and was wrongly labeled as female. I haven't messed with her or her substrate since last weekend. I only messed with a corner of the substrate to get some water poured. Misted one half, not even near her. She has clean water and food. I believe she's been drinking as cms of the water were gone and she was by the dish.
 

Dorifto

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Try to pour some water between the fangs, drop by drop to help hydrating her. Giving her juicy feeders could help too.
 

iFryingPan

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This is her enclosure as of today. The hide is on top of some of the moss but it's wrapped around that side. I can't find the large fat hornworm, she either finally ate it or it dug somewhere but where she's sitting, thats the side she chills on, I've only seen her on the other side once. I need to grab a bit more moss but the supplier was out of stock last I went. Looks like some of the moss has broken down, thee used to be more than that in there.
 

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SuleymanC

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This is her enclosure as of today. The hide is on top of some of the moss but it's wrapped around that side. I can't find the large fat hornworm, she either finally ate it or it dug somewhere but where she's sitting, thats the side she chills on, I've only seen her on the other side once. I need to grab a bit more moss but the supplier was out of stock last I went. Looks like some of the moss has broken down, thee used to be more than that in there.
I am sure there are some moss in areas I am not able to see but putting plenty of moss can help her out with the humidity she needs. If it's not in the enclosure do you have any sphagnum moss with you that you can use in the enclosure? Hopefully she becomes fine after a molt
 

Smotzer

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This is her enclosure as of today. The hide is on top of some of the moss but it's wrapped around that side. I can't find the large fat hornworm, she either finally ate it or it dug somewhere but where she's sitting, thats the side she chills on, I've only seen her on the other side once. I need to grab a bit more moss but the supplier was out of stock last I went. Looks like some of the moss has broken down, thee used to be more than that in there.
This is unsafe for a T. stirmi because there is a fall climbing risk that can be fatal. You want no more than 1.5x DLS diaganol leg span from the substrate level to the lid. You need a lot more substrate. Like filled 60-70% full.
 

iFryingPan

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When I first got her vs after molt and you can see her abdomen shrunk. Did not have heat mat at the time that was added way later. So idk if she's just not eating or what I'm not even sure if she was captive bred or caught wild

I can add some soil mix like mix of peat and such im not sure of they had that type of moss I only saw amphibian moss when I went today to grab the worm
 

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SuleymanC

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When I first got her vs after molt and you can see her abdomen shrunk. Did not have heat mat at the time that was added way later. So idk if she's just not eating or what I'm not even sure if she was captive bred or caught wild
Did you try all the food sources for her yet? If you haven't you can try feeding superworms to see if that will make her abdomen look better
 

Smotzer

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I can add some soil mix like mix of peat and such im not sure of they had that type of moss I only saw amphibian moss when I went today to grab the worm
You don’t need to worry about moss types or moss just
fill it up where there’s no more than 1.5x DLS from substrate to lid with peat, coco fiber, or top soil and make sure that it is 100% free of additives or chemicals such as fertilizers or wetting agents. It needs deep moist substrate to keep adequate moisture levels proper, adding moss is going to do the same thing.
 

iFryingPan

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I can try that, not sure if she will take it but I'll do all I can. If I can't get her to eat all I can do is what others have suggested that I haven't done yet which someone said to add a pothos plant and like above, add more substrate. Maybe she needs a bit more ventilation as I read the air can get stagnant. The lid has 12 holes in it all spread out punctured by a drill. Oh I just also want to add that there as been no parasites or mold issues. Ive actually never seen her climb either. She's never burrowed or used her hide or participated in spood yoga lol. She just stays by her dish or near it. I don't get it. It's like I can't do anything right with her. I do know that the place I got her said she was, and I quote "sweet and easy to handle" obviously stirmis are not supposed to be handled which concerns me about how she was treated. She was estimated to be a year old too.
 

SuleymanC

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I can try that, not sure if she will take it but I'll do all I can. If I can't get her to eat all I can do is what others have suggested that I haven't done yet which someone said to add a pothos plant and like above, add more substrate. Maybe she needs a bit more ventilation as I read the air can get stagnant. The lid has 12 holes in it all spread out punctured by a drill. Oh I just also want to add that there as been no parasites or mold issues. Ive actually never seen her climb either. She's never burrowed or used her hide or participated in spood yoga lol. She just stays by her dish or near it. I don't get it. It's like I can't do anything right with her. I do know that the place I got her said she was, and I quote "sweet and easy to handle" obviously stirmis are not supposed to be handled which concerns me about how she was treated. She was estimated to be a year old too.
Did you notice when she stopped eating food? Do you remember the living conditions she was in before she decided to not eat anymore? these are important details that can hopefully help you if you remember
 

iFryingPan

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Conditions where the same, I only ever gave her water, fed her or poured water in the enclosure (not like gallons or anything), check temps and such. I'm not sure when she stopped eating or just started eating little, im guessing.... around May.. she was ravenous the rest of the time before that literally gulfing down 3 dozen crickets every other week. She did start becoming annoyed with food starting around late March- April as in kicking or rather, thumping her front legs on the food rather than actually eat but yes she did eat just not as much as before. No hair kicking. I don't mess with her (bump her butt or anything) she doesn't get handled or touched and im careful and quiet when I take the lid off to feed or water as not to spook her or stress her. Now it's like she's given up on living her behavior went from lively to depressed or something
 

Dorifto

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Well, stop panicking and redo the enclosure.

Forget the moss, photos or any other non essential things, and focus on your T.

Go to your local garden center and buy a bag of topsoil, it's perfect for this kind of species, as it keeps moisture perfectly. Ask for the cheapest one without fertilizers nor any kind of pesticides. Safely take out your T, and remove all the old substrate, remember to use gloves and a mask. Fill that "enclosure" at least to the half. Make a nice burrow and use some cork bark or wood like an entrance, that "food container" is not a hide sorry. Moist the substrate, MOIST, do not make a swamp.

Give her a propper ventilation, 12 holes really? Make some more on the sides and on top. They need good ventilation.

Place the fake plants, and the water dish and fill it with water. Don't left any unwanted feeders, take them out if your T doesn't catch them. I have counted at least 4 crickets...

Do you have any picture of the molt? To check if the sucking stomach was intact.
 
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SuleymanC

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Conditions where the same, I only ever gave her water, fed her or poured water in the enclosure (not like gallons or anything), check temps and such. I'm not sure when she stopped eating or just started eating little, im guessing.... around May.. she was ravenous the rest of the time before that literally gulfing down 3 dozen crickets every other week. She did start becoming annoyed with food starting around late March- April as in kicking or rather, thumping her front legs on the food rather than actually eat but yes she did eat just not as much as before. No hair kicking. I don't mess with her (bump her butt or anything) she doesn't get handled or touched and im careful and quiet when I take the lid off to feed or water as not to spook her or stress her. Now it's like she's given up on living her behavior went from lively to depressed or something
I personally use moss on humid dependent species but like Dorifto said you can try his suggestion too. Did you also try all the food sources pet stores has? some tarantulas dont eat crickets but they eat superworms all the time so she might just be one picky spider if she refuse to take it. Also you need more ventilation holes, good enough holes to hold the humidity in it well but not little enough that it would cause your enclosure to grow mold

Well, stop panicking and redo the enclosure.

Forget the moss, photos or any other non essential things, and focus on your T.

Go to your local garden center and buy a bag of topsoil, it's perfect for this kind of species, as it keeps moisture perfectly. Ask for the cheapest one without fertilizers nor any kind of pesticides. Safely take out your T, and remove all the old substrate, remember ti use gloves and a mask. Fill that "enclosure" at least to the half. Make a nice burrow and use some cork bark or wood like an entrance, that "food container" is not a hide sorry. Moist the substrate, MOIST, do not make a swamp.

Give her a propper ventilation, 12 holes really? Make some more on the sides and on top.

Place the fake plants, and the water dish and fill it with water. Don't left any unwanted feeders, take them out if your T doesn't catch them. I have counted at least 4 crickets...

Do you have any picture of the molt? To check if the sucking stomach was intact.
Yeah if you add moss you really do need good ventilation though because little holes will make that moss to grow mold on them, I had that issue before and I remember having to rehouse 2 pokies due to that.. how do you manage to keep humid dependent species without any moss source? I would actually want to learn that method so if I run out of moss eventually I can just do how you do things :)
 

Dorifto

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I'm suggestig him topsoil because adding moss.to the coco fiber with a lack of ventilation could end in a dissaster, with s lot of mold. Coco fiber per se, holds a lot of water, the problem is that it doesn't hold it homogeneously. Top layer can be bone dry, while the bottom one is a complete it's soaked like a swamp.

Topsoil keeps the moisture more homogeneously, and it doesn't dry so quickly, so less watering is required.

I'd try different feeders too. Juicy ones.

Yeah if you add moss you really do need good ventilation though because little holes will make that moss to grow mold on them, I had that issue before and I remember having to rehouse 2 pokies due to that.. how do you manage to keep humid dependent species without any moss source? I would actually want to learn that method so if I run out of moss eventually I can just do how you do things :)
I use topsoil in my vivariums, nothing else. It usually has a little percentage of peat moss mixed on it, so that's one of the reasons of why it keeps moisture so well. You can mix it with sand if you want a more drainer substrate or clay to make it harder and drier to keep desert species.

And it's waaaaaaay cheaper than coco fiber, reptisoil, biodude, unicorn substrate... etc etc etc. 3 bucks for 25L at least
 

SuleymanC

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I'm suggestig him topsoil because adding moss.to the coco fiber with a lack of ventilation could end in a dissaster, with s lot of mold. Coco fiber per se, holds a lot of water, the problem is that it doesn't hold it homogeneously. Top layer can be bone dry, while the bottom one is a complete it's soaked like a swamp.

Topsoil keeps the moisture more homogeneously, and it doesn't dry so quickly, so less watering is required.

I'd try different feeders too. Juicy ones.
I actually seen problems using coco fiber sometimes too especially on humidity dependent species so every once in awhile I change it because I see mold growing here and there. Do you know full pros and cons of topsoil? I might actually rehouse next tarantula in that if it's not going to give me the problems I'm getting by using coco fiber :) it gets tiring to see mold in enclosure especially at bottom layer no matter how careful you're
 

Dorifto

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I actually seen problems using coco fiber sometimes too especially on humidity dependent species so every once in awhile I change it because I see mold growing here and there. Do you know full pros and cons of topsoil? I might actually rehouse next tarantula in that if it's not going to give me the problems I'm getting by using coco fiber :) it gets tiring to see mold in enclosure especially at bottom layer no matter how careful you're
I had problems with coco fiber too, mold growing even with good ventilation.

Topsoil is basically the layer of substrate where they live in the nature, so I don't think there is a better substrate than this.

Adding springtails, isopods and earthworms do the trick. They work wonders on topsoil. I two years I never changed the substrate...
 

SuleymanC

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I actually seen problems using coco fiber sometimes too especially on humidity dependent species so every once in awhile I change it because I see mold growing here and there. Do you know full pros and cons of topsoil? I might actually rehouse next tarantula in that if it's not going to give me the problems I'm getting by using coco fiber :) it gets tiring to see mold in enclosure especially at bottom layer no matter how careful you're
Do you know how isopods and springtails don't disturb the tarantula during molt? As far as I know everything literally stresses tarantulas when they're near by the tarantula that's why never felt comfortable with adding them in enclosure. If worker sold me topsoil after telling what I exactly want how can I know if it's exactly what I want or if it still might have chemicals?
 
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