How long will an Avicularia Avicularia go without eating?

Kina

Arachnopeon
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May 15, 2014
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6
I think the temp is a tad low, mine does very well with a lot of humidity, and we have a naturally good (if not too hot) temperature, being as we live in a very arid and hot place in Cal. (I think 75-90 degrees is recommended)? I don't handle mine (but to each his/her own)My Avic avic. takes her crickets from the tongs, VERY ferociously! She's otherwise very gentle. I've tried cockroaches, and she just did not pay any attention to them. Mine loved superworms, I think it's the fact that they move a lot, AND maybe you could try that, off the tongs (or they will bury themselves quickly into the substrate. But just to get her to eat and then fatten her up. Not as a staple diet. Also, I'd use a few more inches of substrate, 2-3, so you can dampen it to increase humidity, along with a large water bowl. Mostly, I would not be so sure it doesn't have a mite infection! Although the treatment is difficult, look up "candy-dish" and how to treat mites on her. They could be hiding in her leg joints, book lungs, who knows. Good luck!

---------- Post added 09-01-2015 at 11:47 PM ----------

Your set-up looks good (Avics don't need hides though, just leafy plants, as you have, stuff to climb on.) and, your T looks better, I believe she/he is eating! I don't always find the bolus either, but I notice you have what looks like moss on the boto, know wonder!. Don't worry, looks fine!
 
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Pancakensyrup

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Aug 30, 2015
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67
We have an avicularia only had it a month....no molt yet so no idea if it's a he or she lol

When we first bought it we put the cage horizontal with soil substrate waterbowl wooden arch peice of cork bark and fake plants....she would sit up at the top of the tank and spin a little which would, D be destroyed when we had to feed or spray so we tipped it vertical fitted a piece of plastic to keep the substrate in....he's spun like a funnel Web up top and seems to spend most time in there and hasn't eaten in 3 weeks....temp is low to mid 70's and sprayed daily
Added a photo or 2 of the new set up

20150902_211318.jpg

20150902_210752.jpg
 

Poec54

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We have an avicularia only had it a month....no molt yet so no idea if it's a he or she

You don't need to wait for a molt; I've never done it. Most species can be vent sexed fairly accurately at 2-3". Yours is big enough.
 

cold blood

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Keep the enclosure vertical. You need to make some changes. The wood needs to be bigger, so its closer to the top (where it will want to live)...and you need to add A LOT more plants surrounding the TOP of the wood. Also misting is completely unnecessary as its effects last basically 20 minutes or so. The water dish will do all the work in providing humidity and the sub should be kept dry. A couple times a month you can spray LIGHTLY, but only the webbing, nothing else...this is for convenient drinking.

Ignore everything you have previously read in "care-sheets", they do not offer good advice and are the root cause for too many "my dead avic" threads.

Does that enclosure have cross ventilation? This is the single most important thing when keeping this genus....which care sheets almost always fail to even mention.
 

Pancakensyrup

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Aug 30, 2015
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The tank has a mess front which can be replaced once shes molted her pinks gone dark and she keeps to her web and a circular vent on the top

20150903_160654.jpg
 

sdsnybny

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Where did you find the variable opening vents? I've been looking but no luck.
 

dementedlullaby

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May 8, 2014
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Careful with that mesh. I've heard stories of spiders "chewing" through it.

That plastic vent is pretty cool. I'd like some of those. Although it would be preferable if it was at the side instead of on the top :).
 

Pancakensyrup

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The vent came with the tank lol and it's only on the top because it's a horizontal tank....had to doctor it to make it vertical lol going to replace the front lol
 

Pancakensyrup

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Aug 30, 2015
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Ignore everything you have previously read in "care-sheets", they do not offer good advice and are the root cause for too many "my dead avic" threads.

Does that enclosure have cross ventilation? This is the single most important thing when keeping this genus....which care sheets almost always fail to even mention.
Is this true of care sheets for other genus? Until now that's where I've got most of my info from lol
 

Poec54

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yup, they're not to be relied on. From now on get your info here and stop perusing care-sheets.

Care sheets have done more harm than good. Unfortunately many of the writers have little first hand experience with the species they're writing about.
 

Pancakensyrup

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Care sheets have done more harm than good. Unfortunately many of the writers have little first hand experience with the species they're writing about.
Damn that means I'm a total noob....get ready for all kinds of stupid noob questions lol

With the avic we keep the sub dry water bowl topped up plants up the top of the viv need a bigger log up the viv and spray the Web lightly every few days...and get some cross ventilation going...new viv or would drilling half a dozen small holes on either side work? Will start new threads for the other 2 lol
 

cold blood

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Damn that means I'm a total noob....get ready for all kinds of stupid noob questions lol

With the avic we keep the sub dry water bowl topped up plants up the top of the viv need a bigger log up the viv and spray the Web lightly every few days...and get some cross ventilation going...new viv or would drilling half a dozen small holes on either side work? Will start new threads for the other 2 lol
If you can drill ventilation in the sides, that's a good option. Focus most of the vents in the top half, as that's where the t will reside most of the time.

And yeah, we could tell:wink: That's what the site is for, to answer those questions....just keep in mind, most questions have at some point, been answered, so often the search function will get you answers rather quickly.
 

JerkyRice

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Mar 18, 2019
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19
I figured I'd update this a little.

Due to damage to the original tank's lid, I decided to just move it to a new tank, rather than try and repair the screen (which seems to be deteriorating of old age, this tank was very old).

Prior to using transferring the tarantula to the new tank, I noticed that the two small water dishes did not seem to be generating enough humidity, even when covered. Though the hygrometers maybe notoriously innaccurate, i doubt that they are off significantly, and I was getting readings in between 47% and 55%. The tarantula did not seem happy like this either, it had not left the cardboard tube except once or twice ( I assume, I never saw it leave, only the silk was disturbed) in a period of three weeks. During this time it appeared to refuse food.

The tarantula is now housed in a vertically oriented 12"x12"X18" (WxDxH) Exo-Terra tank. I layered the bottom with hygroballs and some water, then covered most of it with coconut coir, making sure the water and the coconut choir didn't come in contact. Even this didn't seem to improve the humidity, so I covered half the top with plastic wrap, though I'm considering removing this to let it dry out some more in there. After all, if this hygrometer isn't that accurate, I probably shouldn't rely on it. I work in the engineering department of a local university, perhaps they have some equipment I could try.

I'm happy that the tank is now showing an environment more in line with recommendations, but I am concerned that the humidity will attract mites and other pests.

I also transferred the water dishes to this tank, as well as the longer log from the old tank. I also bought a brand new fake plant that is very bushy and leafy, hoping this would offer a better hiding area than had been previously available.

I was able to fit the tank on my desk, and only a small sliver of the front face of the tank gets direct sunlight from the side during the afternoons. it is otherwise shielded by the hutch on my desk. My room is a little warmer but there are still cool periods. Still, I imagine this is consistent with the nightly cool downs in their native environment.

After initially moving the tarantula to the new tank, it appeared more active. I imagine it was only trying to explore its new home before going dormant again. However, other than a few days of it sitting in one place, it now seems more active. It has lightly webbed several corners of its tank, though not a complete structure, just a small pads and connections between leaves. I most frequently find it sitting on the leaves, or on the door of the tank.

In fact, one night it seemed terribly active, and even fell from high up a few times, once into the water dish (it made me very nervous since it was rock-like!), and during this time it did a significant amount of webbing all over the tank but with no obvious goal (it webbed across the face of the glass doors, in the lower left front corner, some leaves in the back right corner). I have no idea what it was doing, and I am not sure if that was a bad sign or just a weird night.

However, it continues to be fine to this day so far as I can tell, so I assume it wasn't hurt.


Curiously, it appears to be eating, but I have no solid proof. I placed a cricket in there, which I could hear and see moving around for a few nights, but then disappeared. I placed a second cricket in there, and it also disappeared after a few nights. To my knowledge, they did not escape, and the new cage is far more escape proof than the old one.

That said, I have not found either a body or a bolus to confirm this yet, but I don't want to disturb the tarantula by digging around in there.

I decided not to put the cardboard tube back in there with it. Instead, I might seek out a PVC pipe, or something that is a little more robust. In the meantime, the Tarantula seems to be hiding in the leaves quite well, and I'm hoping this is an adequate hide for the time being.

Here is a photo of the current set up. The tarantula can be seen on the center left-



The Tarantula doesn't seem any worse for wear either, and I haven't spotted anything to make me think it is sick. I am curious though, whether or not it really will molt soon. This thing excels at sending mixed signals.

Just curious as to how this turned out (hoping you’re still active). I’ve had similar concerns with my Avic, also purchased from a pet store (now that I am more knowledgeable, I won’t do that again).
 

Vanisher

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Care sheets have done more harm than good. Unfortunately many of the writers have little first hand experience with the species they're writing about.
I have found some very good caresheets! Oh now i remember, i wrote them!o_O
 

Tenebrarius

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Sep 8, 2018
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>me finding this thread funny preparing to write a long essay about my avic and about their care
>me finding out after being engrossed this thread has rigor mortis
 
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