Help with Molting spiderling

[speedfreak]

My smithi spiderling I believe was going to molt. It refused food for 2 weeks. turned dark, and then one morning it was upsidedown in cage. I could see it look like the new body was comming out but thats it. It layed for 4 days and nothing. I think it may have died. Can anyone tell me what I might have done wrong? It was about 2 1/2 inchs, For water I wet a paper towel and left in cage. And was feeding every 3 days. And any sujestions on what to do if still alive?

 

[Trell]

I hope that doesn't happen with mine!

 

[xhexdx]

For a spiderling, the water should be given through a spray bottle by misting the inside of the vial/deli cup/whatever you're using once or twice a week at most.

My bet is it was a bad molt and wasn't able to get out.

Pictures would be helpful.

 

[Miss Bianca]

Was it disturbed at all? Molts usually go just fine if undisturbed..
also, pictures would help...

 

[speedfreak]

Not disturbed at all. I didn't use a heating pad also, I live in a warm climate and I read a heating pad wasn't a good idea for spiderlings. I tried to see if she or he was dead and I noticed its legs moved a little. Shes too small to try to assist I think so I don't know what else to do.

 

[peachypaderna]

Hey, man, sorry to hear about your spiderling.

When it comes to housing my spiderlings, I took the advice of other tarantula keepers and kept one section of my substrate slightly damp, while the rest of it stayed dry. That way, you can maintain the humidity of the enclosure while giving your spiderling a choice: "You want your substrate dry? Moist? Take your pick, little man."

It's worked well for me so far, and sometimes, I see the spiderling move towards the moist spots, stay there for a while, then move to the drier areas a day later, afterwhich, they move towards the damp area again. They go back and forth. There's also the cursory misting, of course.

I suspect that your spiderling went through a bad molt, and that perhaps the humidity in its enclosure wasn't sufficient for it to pull out of its old exoskeleton.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Humidity has nothing to do with it. Reptiles shedding their skin are helped by humidity...but a tarantula popping open its exoskeleton is a completely different process, and almost entirely internal. What they need is adequate internal hydration to power the whole ordeal.

peachypaderna, your spiderlings going back and forth from the moist area are probably just drinking the water.

But yeah, most tarantulas in the hobby don't need any particular humidity.

 

[peachypaderna]

Humidity has nothing to do with it. Reptiles shedding their skin are helped by humidity...but a tarantula popping open its exoskeleton is a completely different process, and almost entirely internal. What they need is adequate internal hydration to power the whole ordeal.

Wow, I didn't know that until now -- a lot of the other keepers I've spoken to vaguely attributed bad molts to a lack of humidity, and made no mention whatsoever of internal hydration. It's a bit of a no-brainer once the fact of it hits you. Thanks for clarifying that.

peachypaderna, your spiderlings going back and forth from the moist area are probably just drinking the water.

Ah, yes, so I've been told. Haha.

 

[LirvA]

But yeah, most tarantulas in the hobby don't need any particular humidity.

What do you mean? Maybe I misunderstand you. Every thing I've read says otherwise. Like Avicularia needs 80-90% humidity, while a Brachepelma only needs like 60-70%.

 

[Vidaro]

What do you mean? Maybe I misunderstand you. Every thing I've read says otherwise. Like Avicularia needs 80-90% humidity, while a Brachepelma only needs like 60-70%.

They dont NEED that humidity, thats the humidity of their country of origins,same way u dont need all that extra Co2 in the atmosphere from all the machines to survive.
As far as ur spiderling goes i had a similar problem where the sling died of mold from a wet paper towel coz it burrowed next to it.Now i use a piece of plastic wrap sprayd with water drops.

 

[Rupert]

My smithi spiderling I believe was going to molt. It refused food for 2 weeks. turned dark, and then one morning it was upsidedown in cage. I could see it look like the new body was comming out but thats it. It layed for 4 days and nothing. I think it may have died. Can anyone tell me what I might have done wrong? It was about 2 1/2 inchs, For water I wet a paper towel and left in cage. And was feeding every 3 days. And any sujestions on what to do if still alive?

What is the T's abdomen like, does it show any signs of breaking out the old skin ? also what size is the abdomen ?,

 

[LirvA]

They dont NEED that humidity, thats the humidity of their country of origins,same way u dont need all that extra Co2 in the atmosphere from all the machines to survive.

So you could keep an Avicularia with just 60% humitity?

 

[Vidaro]

never tried it but i dont think it would kill it.Unless someone else proves otherwise thats MY personal theory.I have kept other "high humidity" arahnids in dryer conditions and it didnt seem to bother them at all.
I said what i said about the molting process, and i dont know if they need humidity for any other reason though i doubt it (maybe for drinking droplets from the leaves).The way i see it is that when a spider is in premolt its trying to shrink enough in order to get out of the old skin, and thats y they stop drinking and eating.And if there is any fluids invlolved in the molting process its probobly underneath the old skin so those fluids prollly come from inside the spider instead of their enviroment.
Just want to clarify that this is my personal thinking and if anyone else has a better theory or actually knows how they do it i would be happy to know about it

 

[Miss Bianca]

So you could keep an Avicularia with just 60% humitity?

Technically yes. What you mustn't ever forget is that it,
and all of your spiders always have readily available drinking water.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

What do you mean? Maybe I misunderstand you. Every thing I've read says otherwise. Like Avicularia needs 80-90% humidity, while a Brachepelma only needs like 60-70%.

Caresheets are terrible, horrible things. There are basically no accurate ones out there except for our G. rosea sticky thread.

No tarantula in the world needs a specific % humidity and you are wasting time (and money on measuring devices) if you concern yourself with it. They're either fine dry with a water dish, occasionally damp (like parahybana and geniculata) but allowed to dry out regularly, and then REALLY damp (Avics and T. blondi, although I've seen it said that only Avic spiderlings really need it).

Caresheets also like to give extremely specific temperature ranges, which are mostly garbage also. The vast majority of tarantulas in the hobby are comfortable if you are, between 65 and 85F or so.

 

[Miss Bianca]

Caresheets also like to give extremely specific temperature ranges, which are mostly garbage also. The vast majority of tarantulas in the hobby are comfortable if you are, between 65 and 85F or so.

which is the average room temperature.............
(to the OP)

 

[fox66]

The best thing Ive found for spiderlings is to use water caps from used bottle caps. As for the most part paper towels, sponges, and any other things used to absorb water aren't very good for producing enough water for them to drink from. moistening the substrate and having a small water dish should be fine.

And as for humidity, Ive had no major issues as of yet except to much humidity with an OBT about a year back, causing it to majorly stress out.

 

[Miss Bianca]

As for the most part paper towels, sponges, and any other things used to absorb water aren't very good for producing enough water for them to drink from.

The main thing with moist paper towels or sponges
is potential growth of bacteria which tend to grow super quick
and even stink...

 

[BrynWilliams]

Yeah the sponges/paper towel etc does mould up really fast, it's a fantastically large surface area on which bacteria or moulds can propagate. Just amps up the risks really

 

[Tapahtyn]

I agree with the misting. My Avics just get the water on the pothos and the sides. No problems. I'm just now getting to where a couple of my T's are big enough to drink from a cap. Even my tiny A hentzi just get a few drops every day on the side. Sorry it didn't work out. They are easy to get attached too