Is this the death curl?

[Venom1080]

Okay so I dug a spot at the corner of the enclosure and placed some cardboard over it.

you dont have any pvc pipe? or any terra cotta pots? almost anything can be a hide. cardboard is a very poor hide, get something more stable that the T can hide in.

 

[cold blood]

Okay so I dug a spot at the corner of the enclosure and placed some cardboard over it.

LOL, the effort is appreciated, but cardboard or anything that absorbs water isn't appropriate....it will both break down and is a mold magnet.

A dry leaf, a piece of old dry wood, a broken cup, mug or pot, a piece of pvc pipe cut lengthwise.....I'm sure you get the picture.

 

[Lessej]

Okay so I dug a spot at the corner of the enclosure and placed some cardboard over it.

The cardboard is going to get nasty pretty quick! For an immediate hide, I would look around your house for something that wont degrade or mold.

I agreed with cold blood, the smithi could probably use a water dish much bigger than a bottle cap, especially considering the room you have to offer it one.

 

[Venom1080]

A dry leaf, a piece of old dry wood, a broken cup, mug or pot, a piece of pvc pipe cut lengthwise.....I'm sure you get the picture.

good idea, OP, if you cant find anything else, just use a coffee mug on its side as a temporary hide.

 

[SysAdmin]

LOL, the effort is appreciated, but cardboard or anything that absorbs water isn't appropriate....it will both break down and is a mold magnet.

A dry leaf, a piece of old dry wood, a broken cup, mug or pot, a piece of pvc pipe cut lengthwise.....I'm sure you get the picture.

you dont have any pvc pipe? or any terra cotta pots? almost anything can be a hide. cardboard is a very poor hide, get something more stable that the T can hide in.

I'll try cutting a plastic bowl in half and cover it with substrate so that no light gets in.

 

[DeanK]

Am I wrong in saying that looks more like a boehmei than a smithi?

 

[cold blood]

good idea, OP, if you cant find anything else, just use a coffee mug on its side as a temporary hide.

It should really be broken...as ts like to burrow beneath or excavate their hides, the hide shouldn't be a dead end that a whole cup would be.

 

[SysAdmin]

Am I wrong in saying that looks more like a boehmei than a smithi?

Nope, it's a Smithi

 

[cold blood]

I'll try cutting a plastic bowl in half and cover it with substrate so that no light gets in.

Bowl might be too big, remember, tight places....hides generally should be buried to the point where the t can just fit beneath it...let the t take it from there.

 

[Venom1080]

It should really be broken...as ts like to burrow beneath or excavate their hides, the hide shouldn't be a dead end that a whole cup would be.

Temporary

 

[EulersK]

Bowl might be too big, remember, tight places....hides generally should be buried to the point where the t can just fit beneath it...let the t take it from there.

To piggy back off of this...
No tarantula is claustrophobic. They're smart enough to take dirt out, but not smart enough to put it back in. When it doubt, fill the hide with more dirt than you might think. They'll take out any extra.

@cold blood You really think it's a death curl? I've only ever seen that when toes are tucked underneath. That just looks like a wildly stressed out spider to me. Rightly so.

 

[cold blood]

Yeah, looks combined with the stumbling description just screams dehydration to me. The t appears to me to be on its last leg, so to speak.

 

[cold blood]

Temporary

Haha, I hear ya, but why not just drop the mug and crack it and have a proper hide from the get go

With the help the op requires, I'd just as soon explain why a whole cup would be less than ideal.

 

[SysAdmin]

Actually I have a Star Wars cup laying around, after I get more substrate I'll throw that in the enclosure.

 

[EulersK]

Yeah, looks combined with the stumbling description just screams dehydration to me. The t appears to me to be on its last leg, so to speak.

Oh! I interpreted what he said as the spider was climbing and then falling on its side. I didn't think it was the lack of coordination in movement. Okay, I hear you.

 

[Venom1080]

Haha, I hear ya, but why not just drop the mug and crack it and have a proper hide from the get go

With the help the op requires, I'd just assume explain why a whole cup would be less than ideal.

well considering hes 14, the only mugs available are prob his parents.

 

[Teal]

Keep that water cap FULL all the time. If you saw your spider drinking from it, that is a VERY good sign.

Please get a hide in there ASAP, and put it near the water cap.

 

[SysAdmin]

Okay so bit of an update: My tarantula is fine now, his stance & posture is normal but tends to loose balance a few times.

 

[EulersK]

Okay so bit of an update: My tarantula is fine now, his stance & posture is normal but tends to loose balance a few times.

I doubt the water did that much good that quickly. It's likely responding to all the rustling you've been doing, but even if I'm wrong, that's great.

You've got a rock of a tarantula. Very, very hardy. Take this as a learning lesson, because other species would have died weeks ago.

Please watch that video in its entirety (I know I can be long winded...). It tells you literally everything you need to know about setting up a proper enclosure for this spider. You've got a good cage, you just need the right setup.

 

[cold blood]

Actually I have a Star Wars cup laying around, after I get more substrate I'll throw that in the enclosure.

well considering hes 14, the only mugs available are prob his parents.

In that case, keep the cool star wars cup and put it somewhere on a shelf.

The mugs in your house are then less important to you...just break one of mom or dads that is in the back of the cupboard and isn't used often You're 14, you can get away with that...lol.