left crickets in with gbb

[Iamconstantlyhappy]

A little backstory. Due to the corona lockdown, I was basically stuck in another country so I my juvenile gbb went without the whole time. When I returned home, it was much pretty much skinny and had not done any webbing since I left. I came home about a month ago and have been feeding it 2 medium crickets every 2 days and it resumed webbing. Friday morning I fed it the usual 2 crickets which ran into its hide....I figured that that was the end of them as usual. I went away for the weekend and came back Monday morning. I saw the 2 crickets running around its enclosure.

It's still hiding, usually it spends time outside "posturing" It's now just hiding. Should I assume that it's either "full" and not interested in eating, going into molt (it has not molted since I have had it for the last 4 months or so), or that the crickets have injured it.

Edit: I removed the crickets and fed them to one of my ant colonies

please advise

 

[DaveM]

I think you should remove the crickets, without poking into the GBB's hide and disturbing it when it might be molting.
Also, 2 medium crickets every 2 days for a month is a lot. It probably wouldn't be very hungry right now, molting or not.
Can you see the spider at all? with brief flashlight usage? I would want to check on it, again, without disturbing it.

 

[Iamconstantlyhappy]

No, it's in its hide....will post a picture so you can see why I can't see it

 

[KaroKoenig]

Sounds like a pretty full GBB in premolt to me. Mine also gets very secretive some weeks before molting.

 

[DaveM]

Probably nothing to worry about, but it would be good to have positive confirmation that the spider is alive and moving.
Definitely don't feed it more until it comes out.

 

[Iamconstantlyhappy]

Should I take all the webbing away to see how it is in its coconut hide?

 

[DaveM]

No, I think you should just have patience. It's probably fine, and will emerge in time. Best not to disturb it if it's molting.

 

[EpicEpic]

Mine didn't move for almost 3 weeks except for a few inches back and forth behind its hide. Then it came out on 2 separate nights for about an hour each.

Now it has built a cocoon and is in there for the past 5 days.

Can barely see what's going on but not going to disturb it.

I'm playing the waiting game as well and hope it comes out bigger and more colorful soon. Not much I can do.

My girl is a 3" Juvenile.

 

[Iamconstantlyhappy]

I'm not concerned of the secrecy. It did that before, I'm concerned that maybe the 2 crickets that were left in the enclosure from Friday-Monday might have injured it.

 

[jaw6053]

I'm not concerned of the secrecy. It did that before, I'm concerned that maybe the 2 crickets that were left in the enclosure from Friday-Monday might have injured it.

Always remove uneaten feeders after 24 hours. I normally crush heads on all my feeders that way I don't end up in your situation.

Edit : And if you think your T might be in premolt, only feed it pre-killed feeders or don't feed it anything.

 

[DaveM]

I'm not concerned of the secrecy. It did that before, I'm concerned that maybe the 2 crickets that were left in the enclosure from Friday-Monday might have injured it.

That is something that can possibly happen, and you should certainly take the recommended precautions against that happening in the future.
However, it doesn't seem especially likely in your case. Was the spider actively molting and helpless while the crickets were in there? We don't know. Probably not. Could the crickets get past whatever web and dirt barriers the spider had set up? Uncertain.
Unless you have some particular reason to believe that the spider is injured, and not just holing up in premolt as is most ordinary and usual, it's best not to worry or to disturb your spider. Not much you could do about it anyway.
No guarantees, but I think this will turn out just fine.

 

[Iamconstantlyhappy]

I dropped these crickets into the hole between the web and they went inside the hide as I usually do. The spider ate 2 days prior so probably not in premolt. So the question is how long should I wait before removing webbing and checking inside the hide? 1 week, 2 weeks?

 

[jaw6053]

I dropped these crickets into the hole between the web and they went inside the hide as I usually do. The spider ate 2 days prior so probably not in premolt. So the question is how long should I wait before removing webbing and checking inside the hide? 1 week, 2 weeks?

How in gods name do you fit in the hide ?

 

[Dorifto]

Imho the cactus is more dangerous, I hope that it is a fake and soft cactus

 

[DaveM]

It's good that youareconstantlyhappy, because keeping Ts is a long waiting game. If you're wondering whether you should tear apart your T's hide to check on it in 1-2 weeks, never get any Aphonopelma spp!

 

[cold blood]

Crickets only pose a threat while and just after molting, so the crickets wouldnt have harmed your un-molted t.

Long periods of no food can really slow down growth in the long term, in the short term, it may be ready to molt, and its just now got enough nutrition with the recent feeding binge.

Normally i tell people binge feeding isnt necessary or advisable, however this case is different and i really think you did the right thing by getting it as much food as possible quickly....3 months for a hungry GBB is a long time.

 

[Iamconstantlyhappy]

cold blood: Thanks for your comments. I also thought that they wouldn't pose a danger unless the the t was soft after a molt, but I wanted to ask experienced keepers. Thanks for relieving my concerns. If I don't see it after 2 weeks should I remove the webbing and look inside?

 

[cold blood]

If I don't see it after 2 weeks should I remove the webbing and look inside?

No, just wait for it to emerge.

 

[Iamconstantlyhappy]

No, just wait for it to emerge.

Cheer mate

 

[Iamconstantlyhappy]

No, just wait for it to emerge.

So it emerged. It's sitting out in the open, it's abdomen looks like it did a lot of hair kicking. Funny though, I don't recall seeing it kick any hairs. Is this a sign of premolt? should I offer food, or wait?