How to prevent molting issues?

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I and many others have delt with bad Molts and such problems .
what is the cause and solution?
It seems it’s an issue no one solved , we’re are the experts just collecting wild data but not updating keepers of care that’s closer to wild .

Attempts to fix this issue haven’t worked.
I’ve tried keeping them more hydrated but my g rosea still had a stuck molt , not sure if it was old age or because its burrow wasn’t large enough. No stuck molts since then 2021.
Lasiodora parahybana being more confusing because it tolerates dry and wet. Why was this species so much hardier then my t vagans, a anax etc?
both of which had stuck molts .
so supposedly dry species when kept dry = bad molts more often ? Or just bad luck .
Sometimes all dry sub was just too little moisture, and these desert species can handle a desert but homes are even drier ?
multiple water dishes I’ve tried , But I don’t know if it helps any with molting.
Wet corner or occasionally wetting sub even in dry spices ?
is the home environment so arid desert species even struggle?
If not possible to prevent , can anything be done to improve odds of success?

• Causes?
  
• Some people say colder temperatures cause it
• New exoskeleton didn’t form properly Dehydration
• Cyst tumors, abrasions
• Mystery causes
• Who in the world knows?

 

[darkness975]

Well improper hydration is definitely a factor. I would venture the ambient humidity is also a possible factor. Even "desert species" seem to benefit from SOME moisture. The trick is not to overdo it. For me I've noticed a lot of mine will molt in the spring / summer when the ambient room humidity is higher naturally. I don't do anything to adjust it, it fluctuates with the environment.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

It seems it’s an issue no one solved , we’re are the experts just collecting wild data but not updating keepers of care that’s closer to wild .

You don't want to mimic the wild for your captive tarantula care. Tarantulas in the wild are just surviving out there. In captivity, all you need to do is provide for their basic needs, and they will do just fine.

 

[Dorifto]

so supposedly dry species when kept dry = bad molts more often ? Or just bad luck .

The problem is what people understand for dry.

Most species even ones with dry soils have quite humid air, which will be the one who determines how fast they will loose moisture, and that includes dehydration and the molting process (the time they have before the fluid dries).

Also there is other group that have dry soils and quite dry climates, and those usually can be found using long burrows (stable humidity) or beneath rocks or other elements that will create a small humid micro climates, if someone is asking itself how a rock can create such effect just lift one rock and check the humid soil beneath. The temp difference usually is enough to condense humidity creating those moist spots.

So my answer to that question is, bad luck? No, mostly incorrect husbandry or parameters, after then I'd consider other factors.

Unfortunatelly our climate (outdide+inside), hvacs... etc can alter the conditions we are providing to them in a great manner, and people usually is not aware of such effects. So what would you think it will happen if someone keeps bone dry a species that evolved in a humid environment but with dry soils, or humid air and barks (arboreals), and on top of it has a dry climate in it's room due to their climate or because of systems like HVACS. I guarantee you that it will end up with some drama.

Now, Ts have evolved to be hard, so they will withstand a broad kind of conditions before starting to show issues. So if we keep them within their range of tolerance, they shouldn't have major issues. Triying to mimic their habitat's conditions imho it's a big mistake, mostly because it is very dynamic (wind, rain, temp etc can vary much quicker) and because we cannot control every aspect of their habitat's conditions. It doesn't mean that they wouldn't benefit from conditions close and I put it in capitol leters CLOSE to their habitat, not same, but close.


So resuming, if the T is not well maintained (well hydrated+fed) and the conditions are way out of their requeriments, then you have most of the tickes to win the prize...

Also I'd like to add that too much humidity can be as detrimental as too low.

Too much without a huge air exchange could suffocate your T.

My theory, being the book lungs not a quite efficient way to exchange oxigen, too much humidity makes it even harder to them to achieve that goal, as it has "less" oxigen available due to the air being more saturated with water vapour, so you could end up having a suffocated T after a exhausting situation like a molt, hence the importance of the air exchange in humid enclosures (the more air exchange, the greater the oxigen availability)

It's a theory, but I have seen soo many cases of Ts having molting issues in dry conditions (soil+air) like the ones getting suffocated after a molt in very humid conditions and poorly ventilated.

 

[TheraMygale]

The issue is, where hydration meets humidity. Just as @Dorifto mentionned, so elegantly, even dry species have access to moisture. This is something complexe to acheive, as it requires a balance of things that are not stable.

more people with velvet spiders are seeing bad molts and deaths. When i read their experience: i see ZERO water at all. They were told to keep dry and offer NOTHING, because food takes care of it.

in their wild habitat, these velvet spiders live in both extremes; diurnal is dry and hot, but night time can get much cooler. The opportunity to find moisture is then increased.

if people are getting bad molts, do they have water bowls? How is the ventilation?

when we are thristy, we drink. Do tarantulas do the same? Or depend on ambient soil moisture, at given times?

has this been researched? When i win the lottery, and i will, because i buy tickets, i will go back to school. And i will fund some research. Because we sure could use it.

 

[Wolf135]

In my experience the substrate being too dry causes molt problems

 

[TheraMygale]

In my experience the substrate being too dry causes molt problems

Very possible. Yet, we have owners who keep certain species on dry substrate, with barely no moisture other then water bowl and overflows, and still get success. In this case, ambient air will be a factor.

the only way would be to gather all that information and/or conduct very specific lab quality experiments.

However, in moisture dependant species, if their substrate is kept dry, then sure. I would point fingers at that first. Unless it is in a home, where it is so humid and moist in the air, like a tropical home, that the substrate could not be too moist. That would lead to over staturation.

people who keep tarantulas, lets say in south asia, could contribute with their information to add to this query. Just as people in BC and close to redwood forest. Areas where ambient air is very humid most of most of the year.

 

[Wolf135]

Very possible. Yet, we have owners who keep certain species on dry substrate, with barely no moisture other then water bowl and overflows, and still get success. In this case, ambient air will be a factor.

the only way would be to gather all that information and/or conduct very specific lab quality experiments.

However, in moisture dependant species, if their substrate is kept dry, then sure. I would point fingers at that first. Unless it is in a home, where it is so humid and moist in the air, like a tropical home, that the substrate could not be too moist. That would lead to over staturation.

people who keep tarantulas, lets say in south asia, could contribute with their information to add to this query. Just as people in BC and close to redwood forest. Areas where ambient air is very humid most of most of the year.

Where I live the humidity is extremely low so I keep my Ts on damp substrate after multiple loot issues, haven't encountered a bad molt yet.

I think the care of Ts depends a lot on where you live

 

[Dorifto]

Yet, we have owners who keep certain species on dry substrate, with barely no moisture other then water bowl and overflows, and still get success. In this case, ambient air will be a factor.

Well, sometimes that water bowl alone is enough to raise humidity to optimal levels, which led people believe that they can be kept dry, while in reality they are/were keeping them fairly humid.

That's why it's very important to look at our husbandry and understaind it from a global perspective, from our climate to the type of enclosure we use. Every little aspect counts.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Well, sometimes that water bowl alone is enough to raise humidity to optimal levels, which led people believe that they can be kept dry, while in reality they are/were keeping them fairly humid.

That's why it's very important to look at our husbandry and understaind it from a global perspective, from our climate to the type of enclosure we use. Every little aspect counts.

Here’s an example I tried to raise moisture levels with two water dishes, but for some reason, they wick the Coco fiber so top level of sub is always wet. I even added more ventilation and it didn’t help dry it out .

 

[Dorifto]

Here’s an example I tried to raise moisture levels with two water dishes, but for some reason, they wick the Coco fiber so top level of sub is always wet. I even added more ventilation and it didn’t help dry it out . View attachment 478636 View attachment 478637

Probably the soil got constantly soaked due to the capilarity effect, more likely the absortion rate was higher than the evaporation rate, hence having it constantly moist.

Removing one of the moisture sources should decrease the effect.

Anyway, I hate coco fiber for this reason, it tends to absorb and release moisture too fast.

 

[CreamSicle]

I and many others have delt with bad Molts and such problems .
what is the cause and solution?
It seems it’s an issue no one solved , we’re are the experts just collecting wild data but not updating keepers of care that’s closer to wild .

Attempts to fix this issue haven’t worked.
I’ve tried keeping them more hydrated but my g rosea still had a stuck molt , not sure if it was old age or because its burrow wasn’t large enough. No stuck molts since then 2021.
Lasiodora parahybana being more confusing because it tolerates dry and wet. Why was this species so much hardier then my t vagans, a anax etc?
both of which had stuck molts .
so supposedly dry species when kept dry = bad molts more often ? Or just bad luck .
Sometimes all dry sub was just too little moisture, and these desert species can handle a desert but homes are even drier ?
multiple water dishes I’ve tried , But I don’t know if it helps any with molting.
Wet corner or occasionally wetting sub even in dry spices ?
is the home environment so arid desert species even struggle?
If not possible to prevent , can anything be done to improve odds of success?

• Causes?
• Some people say colder temperatures cause it
• New exoskeleton didn’t form properly Dehydration
• Cyst tumors, abrasions
• Mystery causes
• Who in the world knows?

I’m going to be honest for my tarantula collection I kind of just go with the flow, which I wouldn’t recommend at all to anyone but more so I check on my tarantulas almost daily, I mist them when they look like they need water (and fill water dishes) and feed them when their abdomens are smaller, I’ve had successful molts without doing much environmental wise, as for heat, my snake room (yes the spiders are in the snake room) stay a constant 70-78 which helps with keeping humidity, though most of my tarantulas don’t seem to do well in overly moist environments, I think it also helps because I buy them as spiderlings and am able to choose which spiderling I want (I normally pick ones that show me the most fight in them) overall I’m not sure if this helps you in any way but this is how I do it and I haven’t lost a single spider yet to molting

(Ps I normally don’t see them molt, they do it while I’m away)

 

[Stu Macher]

I make it rain a bit when they seal up their burrows or are in noticeable premolt. I don't make it swampy but I make sure for a desert species water dish is full and a corner has water sinking into the sub. The sub absorbing the moisture should look like a dark root extending downward (not touching the bottom-that's too much) Kinda the same methodology with slings, but not being too heavy handed.

For more moisture dependent sp, I'm not as conservative but I'm careful not to flood their burrow. You can moisten one end and lighly dampen the midway point.

I use reptisoil which is very expensive, but it retains moisture very well which allows me to bump the heat up a bit in my room. People seem to have alot of success with vermiculite blends.

I recently had a scare with a phormic who was sealed off for well over a month. I took Fcat's advice and trickled some water around the entrance along with moistening the opposite end of the enclosure. Homemade enclosures are great because moisture doesn't evaporate as quickly because you control the ventilation. My Phormic recently came out, all legs intact and has been eating like a champ.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

You don't want to mimic the wild for your captive tarantula care. Tarantulas in the wild are just surviving out there. In captivity, all you need to do is provide for their basic needs, and they will do just fine.

ahh I see.
I got too much wicking effects going on any reason this happens so much in glass aquariums? I’m going to try and remove a water dish see if it helps. Are these dishes too deep ?

Mystery t ?

It had a tiny cut on it looks 4.5-5”. Oddly they don’t offer receipts .

arachnoboards.com

 

[Gevo]

I’m still so new and don’t have experience with bad molts, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt.

Triying to mimic their habitat's conditions imho it's a big mistake, mostly because it is very dynamic (wind, rain, temp etc can vary much quicker) and because we cannot control every aspect of their habitat's conditions. It doesn't mean that they wouldn't benefit from conditions close and I put it in capitol leters CLOSE to their habitat, not same, but close.

[…]

Also I'd like to add that too much humidity can be as detrimental as too low.

Too much without a huge air exchange could suffocate your T.

I’ve thought about this too. Even arid species would be subject to wet periods in their natural habitat, so it can’t be that humidity kills them outright, but humid air in an enclosure is not the same as humid air in an open landscape. These tarantulas are living in boxes, and ventilation holes are enough to ensure adequate air exchange, but it will never be to the level of natural air movement. Heck, our homes themselves don’t have comparable airflow to the outdoors and need to be ventilated with open windows regularly, so really, our tarantulas are living in a box inside a box!

Also, in natural environments, they can usually select the conditions they prefer or move if the conditions are no longer favourable. They can settle in more or less windy areas, burrow to different moisture and temperature levels, etc. In captivity, they rely on us to find the best balance we can with what we know, but we can’t always tell if they’re thriving or surviving in what we give them.

Then again, in natural environments, a lot of them don’t survive to the ages we expect to see in captivity, and at least to my knowledge, we don’t know how common deaths due to bad molts are in the wild vs in captivity.

ahh I see.
I got too much wicking effects going on any reason this happens so much in glass aquariums? I’m going to try and remove a water dish see if it helps. Are these dishes too deep ?

Mystery t ?

It had a tiny cut on it looks 4.5-5”. Oddly they don’t offer receipts .

arachnoboards.com

My B. hamorii lays down fine webbing everywhere that’s invisible to the naked eye (I’ve assumed it’s like trip wire to alert her to prey), and I discovered that this is what keeps wicking water out of her dish, so every now and again, I lift the dish out and give it a proper wash before replacing it. It’s made a big difference.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I’m still so new and don’t have experience with bad molts, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt.



I’ve thought about this too. Even arid species would be subject to wet periods in their natural habitat, so it can’t be that humidity kills them outright, but humid air in an enclosure is not the same as humid air in an open landscape. These tarantulas are living in boxes, and ventilation holes are enough to ensure adequate air exchange, but it will never be to the level of natural air movement. Heck, our homes themselves don’t have comparable airflow to the outdoors and need to be ventilated with open windows regularly, so really, our tarantulas are living in a box inside a box!

Also, in natural environments, they can usually select the conditions they prefer or move if the conditions are no longer favourable. They can settle in more or less windy areas, burrow to different moisture and temperature levels, etc. In captivity, they rely on us to find the best balance we can with what we know, but we can’t always tell if they’re thriving or surviving in what we give them.

Then again, in natural environments, a lot of them don’t survive to the ages we expect to see in captivity, and at least to my knowledge, we don’t know how common deaths due to bad molts are in the wild vs in captivity.




My B. hamorii lays down fine webbing everywhere that’s invisible to the naked eye (I’ve assumed it’s like trip wire to alert her to prey), and I discovered that this is what keeps wicking water out of her dish, so every now and again, I lift the dish out and give it a proper wash before replacing it. It’s made a big difference.

yeah your right they can move in the wild when not trapped in a box, pet shop conditions are terrible often even compared to regular keepers.

As for the wicking nightmare…
It’s not webbing doing it , I think it’s because I only have top ventilation. My Ts barely web with exception of one. maybe I have too much coco fiber ??
I removed a dish from both these containers.
Tossed both nasty old ones.

 

[TheraMygale]

yeah your right they can move in the wild when not trapped in a box, pet shop conditions are terrible often even compared to regular keepers.

As for the wicking nightmare…
It’s not webbing doing it , I think it’s because I only have top ventilation. My Ts barely web with exception of one. maybe I have too much coco fiber ??
I removed a dish from both these containers. View attachment 482992 View attachment 482993 View attachment 482994 View attachment 482995
Tossed both nasty old ones.

I use a tiny pliable metal cord. I go in the holes and circle the bowls to remove web wicking when i can.

not to say ive solved all my issues but yeah.

youve had tarantulas for so long. You could write a paper on the sources you got them from and compare.

 

[spideyspinneret78]

There was an exotics vet who was knowledgeable about tarantulas and was a guest a while back on Tom Moran's YouTube channel. He mentioned that he believed obesity in tarantulas contributes to molting issues. Obese tarantulas can get drag marks/ sores on their abdomens and are more vulnerable to injuries due to the stress exerted on their exoskeletons. So I have to say that I'm inclined to agree with him.

 

[darkness975]

ahh I see.
I got too much wicking effects going on any reason this happens so much in glass aquariums? I’m going to try and remove a water dish see if it helps. Are these dishes too deep ?

Mystery t ?

It had a tiny cut on it looks 4.5-5”. Oddly they don’t offer receipts .

arachnoboards.com

It's their webbing that creates a conduit.

There was an exotics vet who was knowledgeable about tarantulas and was a guest a while back on Tom Moran's YouTube channel. He mentioned that he believed obesity in tarantulas contributes to molting issues. Obese tarantulas can get drag marks/ sores on their abdomens and are more vulnerable to injuries due to the stress exerted on their exoskeletons. So I have to say that I'm inclined to agree with him.

That makes sense. I learned over the years to avoid overfeeding them. Just because they will take food or are hunting for it does not mean they actually need it.

 

[Brewser]

Another contributing factor to this and the overall well being of Arachnids is tHandling Them especially during Pre Molt, and Post Molt.
This may result with Internal Injuries of all types including fusing of old exoskeleton with the new.