Is my bug stressing?

[Syngyne]

I got my 3" G.aureostriata in last Thursday, and I notice she's been spending a lot of time in one of the back corners of her cage behind one of the plastic plants. Now, she has a hide, but I've only seen her go into it twice and move some dirt around, and she hasn't been in it since.

This afternoon, I came home to see her huddled up in the same corner of her cage, only she's ripped the plant up and sort of tossed it on top of her cork bark. I thought when they huddled it usually meant there was something bothering them, so I'm a little concerned I might not be doing something right. She ate twice this weekend, so her appetite seems fine, but I'm still a bit worried. I haven't tried handling her or anything, and when I opened the cage to take out cricket remains and tarantula poop, I tried to do it as gently as possible.

I do have a ceiling fan in my room, and I've had it on the lowest setting this whole time. The entire top of her enclosure is a screen mesh. Could the air current be bothering her? The fan is 4-5' above her cage, and about 3' over to the side from it.

 

[MindUtopia]

It's quite possible the fan could be bothering her. They don't like air blowing on them. Is there a closet or cabinet or something you could put her in so that she is not below the fan? Also, since you just got her she is still settling in. It may be some time before she adjusts to her new surroundings and some T's just don't take to a hide, preferring to scrunch up in the corner like that.

 

[dukegarda]

I find that most ceiling fans throw air at the walls and down them, try moving the tank setup a bit from the wall, like a foot. This should avoid any unwanted air circulation that's making it's way to the tank. Or like mind suggested, put the tank under a cabinet. Either that or get creative, put a shelf up above the setup. Put some spider and tarantula books on that shelf. =P

 

[138]

substrate? too much humidity? is the enclosure near a window? if you have to have the ceiling fan on, is there a shelf you can squeeze the enclosure into where the top doesn't get direct airflow?

 

[Syngyne]

The substrate is bone dry as far as I can tell, and I make sure the water dish always has water in it. The enclosure is sitting on a low TV-stand about a foot away from the wall. It's about 8 feet from the nearest window, and the window doesn't get direct sunlight at all (it's a north exposure).

I've turned the fan off for now. The shelf idea sounds good, I'll see if I can find something at the Container Store to put over the enclosure.

 

[cacoseraph]

can it burrow? if so, it will burrow if the fan is bothering it.

i've had a variety of fans at a variety of flow strengths and never really seemed to have any problems. granted, i never left a fan pointed at a cage on hurricane mode... but anything short of that should be ok

and in point of fact... the spiders are MUCH more bothered by a stream of warm CO2 hitting them, rather than any ol' air movement. the co2 stream registers as a predator in some bugs.

 

[Syngyne]

Well, I've had the fan off, and ever since she hasn't scrunched into that corner. I'm not sure if it's the fan that did it, or the fact that she moved the plant she used to scrunch behind. I'll look into finding something to put over the enclosure.

 

[mikeymo]

i have one and it's always hid in a corner near the top of the tank whenever i'd moved it into a new tank. give it a few days to settle