Lethargic Sling

[iggypete05]

Hi there! I am very new to keeping tarantulas and just obtained a C. versicolor sling, and a grammastola pulchra yearling. They arrived in the mail about 2 days ago, and the grammastola ate 2 crickets, has been fairly active, and hasn't given me any reason for concern.

However, the C. Versicolor hasn't eaten yet. I have offered a varriety of sizes of crickets, live (under supervison) and prekilled, and he/she would get spooked or ignore them. I wasn't too concerned at first, because he/she was beginning to spread silk around the enclosure a bit and was still fairly active. Today he/she has become lethargic, and moved down to the bottom of the glass. I'm wondering if it is just pre-molt? Just curious and wanted to ask people with much more experience!

 

[fcat]

There is no ventilation… it is suffocating

It may also be premolt or got too cold during shipping. How was it packed and where did it ship through?

 

[iggypete05]

There is ventilation, but only at the top of the enclosure. The enclosure was provided by the breeder, but I'm not in love with the set up, I understand it is crucial that this species has cross ventilation, so I intend to update the set up soon.

It was overnight shipping from via FedEx, they were packaged pretty nicely, with heat packs and all, the box was still warm when I opened it up.

Here is a photo of the top of the enclosure

 

[fcat]

Can you get a picture of the dorsal view, clear one? Trying to tell if it’s shiny/premolt since you wouldn’t want to disturb a premolt t

 

[iggypete05]

Here is the clearest I can get, sorry my camera sucks

With the naked eye, her/his abdomen is very fuzzy so its hard to tell, but it doesn't have that distinct dark spot on it, though it is very hard to see, so I could be missing it

 

[fcat]

If it were me I could carefully encourage the sling into a smaller container that is ventilated. Then you need to make holes in that enclosure. Ventilation is crucial, all we know for sure is that it’s fat.

Top only ventilation creates a vacuum. This little buddy has endured enough barometric pressure changes over the last few days.

Does it have a water dish, and has it used it? Sometimes you need to leave a little drop on the webbing by the tarantula…however you adding water to this current environment will only make it more dangerous.

 

[TLSizzle]

I think it's abdomen is not an alarming size. I wouldn't worry at all that its not eating.

I agree the enclosure seems too big. I've seen folks successfully keep versi slings in larger deli cups to easily monitor them. Makes poking vent holes a lot easier.

Best i can say is decrease enclosure size, increase ventilation and let the thing settle for a few days before offering food.

 

[iggypete05]

On it! I can definitely switch to a deli cup.

There is a small water dish, though I haven't seen it be used.

 

[magouilles]

yup...that is a death trap for C. versi
no air flow whatsoever, it is plastic so drill holes asap for cross ventilation and add alot of it
in my honest opinion all ts should have a good air flow for air quality but this specie is especially fragile to stagnant air as it typically lives high on trees with maximum air flow
keep the lower half of the substrate moist and top half dry, with an overflowed water dish
enclosure also seems huge for its size, consider downsizing
from the very blurry picture, the abdomen seems dark and balding which could be a sign of premolt so maybe that is why it is refusing food but I would still rehouse it into an appropriate enclosure because from what I'm seeing, it will kill it soon enough
I never had issues with C. versi but a friend and fellow hobbyist/breeder once told me that she has seen slings die within a month of improper care so I would personally still rehouse it asap

 

[iggypete05]

Jeez that's not good, so glad I checked with you guys! I can get a deli cup set up tonight, I am on it ASAP

 

[A guy]

Smaller enclosure and tons of ventilation. Like everywhere