L Para sling molting?

[Parakeetsu]

Hello!!! I am new to pet Tarantulas, and I recently got a spiderling L Para. It is about two months old, and when I first got it, I fed it one third of a mealworm and it ate it up very fast! But, the next day it did not eat, and continued to not eat for about a week. I noticed its abdomen getting a little dark, so I assumed it was in premolt. After a month or so, when I opened its enclosure to water it, it quickly ran out of its hide and into the open to investigate, rather than running into its burrow like normal. So I thought it was done molting, and fed it, and it ate. But, it has not ate for around two weeks, and its abdomen still seems dark. It is spending all of its time in its burrow, and whenever i have tried feeding it, it just lays large amounts of web onto the food. What should I do?
I'm not sure if it is done molting or not, and since there is a lot of web in the cage, covering uneaten food, I would like to clean the enclosure, but would not want to cause her stress if she is molting.
Thank you for your help!!

 

[Devin B]

A spiderling only needs to eat every 4-7 days. There is no need to try to feed it every day. When A T is molting it will be on its back pushing the old exoskeleton off. This process usually only takes a few hours for slings. After it is done molting you need to wait until it's fangs turn black. After molting they will be white, then red, and finally black. The amount of time will vary depending on the size of the spider from a few days to a few weeks.

I would recommend removing any uneaten prey in 24 hours. Also it would be a good idea to use tongs or tweezers to remove said prey item.

Its perfectly fine for a spiderling to spend most of its time hidden away as the are nore vulnerable as slings.

I hope this helped

 

[Parakeetsu]

A spiderling only needs to eat every 4-7 days. There is no need to try to feed it every day. When A T is molting it will be on its back pushing the old exoskeleton off. This process usually only takes a few hours for slings. After it is done molting you need to wait until it's fangs turn black. After molting they will be white, then red, and finally black. The amount of time will vary depending on the size of the spider from a few days to a few weeks.

I would recommend removing any uneaten prey in 24 hours. Also it would be a good idea to use tongs or tweezers to remove said prey item.

Its perfectly fine for a spiderling to spend most of its time hidden away as the are nore vulnerable as slings.

I hope this helped

Should I clean out the enclosure and replace the substrate, or remove the webs?

 

[Devin B]

No need to replace to substrate. I would just pick out the uneaten prey with tweezers and do your best to leave everything else the way it was.

 

[Ellenantula]

Should I clean out the enclosure and replace the substrate, or remove the webs?

No! A good pair of tongs can tear through webbing to remove an uneaten feeder/bolus. I would not do a full enclosure clean-up if avoidable. Every time you do a deep clean and move stuff around -- it can make the whole enclosure foreign to your T and thus cause stress.
Obviously, if enclosure is a complete nasty mess -- you have no choice but to do a deep clean, but this shouldn't happen. Are you overfeeding? I wouldn't let more than one refused feeder remain in enclosure at a time. Offer a feeder; if rejected, remove and try again in week -- don't let them pile up!

And, re: pre-moult -- I have had slings eat the day they moulted (or perhaps day prior). It is true many refuse food when pre-moult, but if your sling takes a feeder -- it doesn't rule out pre-moult -esp if rump is darkened and plump.

 

[BishopiMaster]

No! A good pair of tongs can tear through webbing to remove an uneaten feeder/bolus. I would not do a full enclosure clean-up if avoidable. Every time you do a deep clean and move stuff around -- it can make the whole enclosure foreign to your T and thus cause stress.
Obviously, if enclosure is a complete nasty mess -- you have no choice but to do a deep clean, but this shouldn't happen. Are you overfeeding? I wouldn't let more than one refused feeder remain in enclosure at a time. Offer a feeder; if rejected, remove and try again in week -- don't let them pile up!

And, re: pre-moult -- I have had slings eat the day they moulted (or perhaps day prior). It is true many refuse food when pre-moult, but if your sling takes a feeder -- it doesn't rule out pre-moult -esp if rump is darkened and plump.

Uhhh, leaving prey in does not constitute "overfeeding", its just bad clean up

 

[14pokies]

No! A good pair of tongs can tear through webbing to remove an uneaten feeder/bolus. I would not do a full enclosure clean-up if avoidable. Every time you do a deep clean and move stuff around -- it can make the whole enclosure foreign to your T and thus cause stress.
Obviously, if enclosure is a complete nasty mess -- you have no choice but to do a deep clean, but this shouldn't happen. Are you overfeeding? I wouldn't let more than one refused feeder remain in enclosure at a time. Offer a feeder; if rejected, remove and try again in week -- don't let them pile up!

And, re: pre-moult -- I have had slings eat the day they moulted (or perhaps day prior). It is true many refuse food when pre-moult, but if your sling takes a feeder -- it doesn't rule out pre-moult -esp if rump is darkened and plump.

Sorry off topic

Good to see you around alot more often again ( for awhile you really didn't post much or maybe I just missed it).. Also judging by your posts you have done alot of studying in your "time away"

I remember when you joined you were a freaked out noob with an OBT and now your handing out solid advice regularly..

I'm happy you stuck around and continue to contribute help full content..

 

[Ellenantula]

Sorry off topic

Good to see you around alot more often again ( for awhile you really didn't post much or maybe I just missed it).. Also judging by your posts you have done alot of studying in your "time away"

I remember when you joined you were a freaked out noob with an OBT and now your handing out solid advice regularly..

I'm happy you stuck around and continue to contribute help full content..

I would not relive that OBT rehousing for love or money. It was my very first post here! Everything was fine until my sling grew up. And grew up FAST! lol
I know I lucked out in the end, rehoused with no escape, bites or threat poses. But it was all pure LUCK.

You couldn't pay me to get another OBT. rofl
I'll take the gentler NW approach for a while longer. My heart doesn't crave such 'excitement.'

Anyway, thanks for your kind words.

 

[14pokies]

You couldn't pay me to get another OBT. rofl
I'll take the gentler NW approach for a while longer. My heart doesn't crave such 'excitement.'

You sure? I'm picking up a young male for my girl.. I should have a sac by christmas .. Or maybe you would rather have a few H.mac slings perhaps? Lol..

 

[Ellenantula]

You sure? I'm picking up a young male for my girl.. I should have a sac by christmas .. Or maybe you would rather have a few H.mac slings perhaps? Lol..

Now you know full well that profanity isn't allowed on these boards!!!

Okay, I lied -- my heart could take a little excitement -- but it will be with a Singapore Blue -- my original dream T from 20 years ago. I'm just not ready. When the internet was new (1996-ish) I decided to overcome my arachnophobia by purchasing a T. And I decided, if going whole hog, I should get the one I found most beautiful. I was reading all about Blue Singapores and found a seller with "slings" and thought, "This is for me!" Then I read "not for beginners" (surely that didn't apply to me - I'm smart, I'm savvy!) but then I read "extremely fast" and that ended my plans.
It was many years later before I actually bought a T. But my heart still cries out for a Blue Singapore. For that one... I could risk some excitement.
But I am not ready yet.
But I will be, one day. A dream is nice to have.

[Sorry mods, off topic, I know, I'm sorry ]