Molting problem??? (Maybe)

[Gutz323]

Hi! I am fairly new to the hobby, (just under a year) and I have had this T. Albopilosus since it was 1cm. She is around the 2 inch mark now. What my question is, is how long can she be in this position for before anything happens? I have been away for a couple of nights and returned at 11 o clock this morning so I don't know how long she has been like this. It is now 5 o clock in the evening and I have been checking on her a few times throughout the day without disturbing her. The thing is she has not moved at all. She doesn't even look like she is trying to get out of her skin. I took this photo a few hours ago and compared it to the position she is in now, but nothing at all has changed. Am I worrying too much? Or should she have atleast moved I bit by know. It has been just over 6 hours without any movement and I don't know for sure how long she has been on her back. I know sometimes a T can take quite a few hours to molt, but she seems to not even be trying. I don't even know if she is still alive. Thanx!...Ben.

 

[BoyFromLA]

Your tarantula knows better. I would wait, and observe.

 

[DomGom TheFather]

It can take long enough to make us uncomfortable. Continue to leave her alone. If there is still no progress in the next several hours, then you can start worrying. If nothing changes overnight, she's in trouble but there's nothing you can do to help her, anyway.
Good luck.

 

[kingshockey]

all you can really do is wait with mine i noticed molts took longer as they grew bigger to where some its an all day thing for them to molt and it sucks the waiting hours and hours for them to molt kinda like waiting for your lady to have your first kid in a sense best thing to do is occupy yourself with other stuff and let it do its thing atleast for myself thats what works i cant be helping it molt with one hand that works

 

[Gutz323]

Thanx! I am doing my best not to bother her, just peering at her from a distance and not making too much commotion every couple of hours. She is in a dark-ish room with no people going in an out. I have a small collection of T's and I check on them morning and night, but I have never caught them in the act of molting. They normally molt over night or when I am at work, and they are all done within a few hours. Its just this time she seems to have not moved at all in quite a few hours. Hopefully it is nothing to worrie about. She maybe exhausted making her molt mat and turning on her back. Fingers crossed!

 

[Dorifto]

The only problem that I see is the substrate, charcoal and sphagnum moss?

They can stay in that posture for hours or minutes, don't worry and DON'T disturb her.

 

[Gutz323]

The only problem that I see is the substrate, charcoal and sphagnum moss?

They can stay in that posture for hours or minutes, don't worry and DON'T disturb her.

It's not charcoal. It's a mixture of coir and top soil. It looks darker in the picture than real life. It's also a little damp which probably makes it look darker. I don't normally spray water around the enclosure for this T (just over flow the water bowl in one corner every couple of weeks), but I knew she was in premolt so I gave it a little spray a couple of days ago. Also, should I not put sphagnum moss in there? I am Pretty new to the hobby and am only doing what I think is right from reading other people's methods. (Also it really isn't as wet as it looks)

The only problem that I see is the substrate, charcoal and sphagnum moss?

They can stay in that posture for hours or minutes, don't worry and DON'T disturb her.

this is my adult T. Albopilosus with the same substrate, where I have slightly over flowed the water dish this is colour it turns on my camera.

 

[viper69]

View attachment 394685 Hi! I am fairly new to the hobby, (just under a year) and I have had this T. Albopilosus since it was 1cm. She is around the 2 inch mark now. What my question is, is how long can she be in this position for before anything happens? I have been away for a couple of nights and returned at 11 o clock this morning so I don't know how long she has been like this. It is now 5 o clock in the evening and I have been checking on her a few times throughout the day without disturbing her. The thing is she has not moved at all. She doesn't even look like she is trying to get out of her skin. I took this photo a few hours ago and compared it to the position she is in now, but nothing at all has changed. Am I worrying too much? Or should she have atleast moved I bit by know. It has been just over 6 hours without any movement and I don't know for sure how long she has been on her back. I know sometimes a T can take quite a few hours to molt, but she seems to not even be trying. I don't even know if she is still alive. Thanx!...Ben.

It’s nature - no exact time, no should have etc

only 2 outcomes - life or death.

just wait like WE ALL DO.

 

[Dorifto]

It's not charcoal. It's a mixture of coir and top soil. It looks darker in the picture than real life. It's also a little damp which probably makes it look darker. I don't normally spray water around the enclosure for this T (just over flow the water bowl in one corner every couple of weeks), but I knew she was in premolt so I gave it a little spray a couple of days ago. Also, should I not put sphagnum moss in there? I am Pretty new to the hobby and am only doing what I think is right from reading other people's methods. (Also it really isn't as wet as it looks)

In that case, I eat my own words!

They do like more compact substrate with less loose stuff, but you can keep the moss like the moist zone.

Did you mix all thesubstrate or did you placed it in layers?

 

[Gutz323]

In that case, I eat my own words!

They do like more compact substrate with less loose stuff, but you can keep the moss like the moist zone.

Did you mix all thesubstrate or did you placed it in layers?

I mixed it all up, probably 2 thirds coir to 1 third topsoil. Sphagnum moss up one end which I spray sparingly but I do overflow the water bowl on occasion, just in the corner, then move the water dish to another corner every now and then so it doesn't create mold underneath the water dish. I put a little bit more moisture up the front third of the substrate a couple days ago because I could see she was going into premolt. I will have a look in the morning and update to let you know how she got on. If she is OK I am sure she doesn't want me poking my nose in every couple of hours.

 

[Dorifto]

I mixed it all up, probably 2 thirds coir to 1 third topsoil. Sphagnum moss up one end which I spray sparingly but I do overflow the water bowl on occasion, just in the corner, then move the water dish to another corner every now and then so it doesn't create mold underneath the water dish. I put a little bit more moisture up the front third of the substrate a couple days ago because I could see she was going into premolt. I will have a look in the morning and update to let you know how she got on. If she is OK I am sure she doesn't want me poking my nose in every couple of hours.

For the next time I'd use topsoil alone, less chances to have mold issues. Do not change the substrate now... wait until a rehouse.

 

[Gutz323]

For the next time I'd use topsoil alone, less chances to have mold issues. Do not change the substrate now... wait until a rehouse.

Ok! Thanks for the advice. I will give it a go. Hopefully if the molt goes well I will probably need to rehouse her if she puts on the same amount of growth she has done in the last 2 molts. I will leave it a week or so for her exoskeleton to harden and I will put her into something bigger.

 

[Dorifto]

Ok! Thanks for the advice. I will give it a go. Hopefully if the molt goes well I will probably need to rehouse her if she puts on the same amount of growth she has done in the last 2 molts. I will leave it a week or so for her exoskeleton to harden and I will put her into something bigger.

Give her a bit more time, two weeks at least.

 

[Gutz323]

Give her a bit more time, two weeks at least.

OK I will do, thanx!

 

[Smotzer]

You just need to wait, this hobby is the hobby of patience No matter what you think they’ll never molt on your time frame! sit back, relax, grab a book and wait

 

[joossa]

Let us know how it goes.

 

[BoyFromLA]

I am now curious how it went, hopefully it went well.

 

[Gutz323]

in the end it was nothing to worry about. Thanks everyone. I know I should have been more patient, and I knew a molt can take time, but I was just worried the amount of time she was on her back without any movement. Oh well! I have learnt something new.
Also I woke up this morning to another surprise, my G. Pulchra molted over night, but she didn't take her time lol!

 

[Smotzer]

Congrats on your molting double header!! When in doubt, wait and wait some more!

 

[Dorifto]

View attachment 394791 in the end it was nothing to worry about. Thanks everyone. I know I should have been more patient, and I knew a molt can take time, but I was just worried the amount of time she was on her back without any movement. Oh well! I have learnt something new.
Also I woke up this morning to another surprise, my G. Pulchra molted over night, but she didn't take her time lol! View attachment 394792

Did you have recent storm, bad weather, high humidity followed by good weather?