My GBB sling not webbing?

DeathMarch6

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 21, 2016
Messages
45
Hello I'm new to the hobby and have perchased a beautiful GBB sling from TheSpiderShop.co.uk, the little sling is beautiful and looks healthy. The abdomen is of good size and has taken 2 pinhead crickets already. The sling arrived yesterday and has been in the small Exo Terra faunarium over 24hrs. My concern is it spends a lot of time still and hasn't made any attempt at webbing.. is this usual? As it's my first T I'm just worried. Thanks
 

DeanK

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 16, 2016
Messages
81
24 hours is no time. Would you worry if you moved house and hadn't unpacked everything after 24 hours? No different for a T really. Just acclimating to it's new home and it will start to web when it's ready
 

TownesVanZandt

Arachnoprince
Joined
May 12, 2015
Messages
1,041
Right, you need patience when dealing with T´s. After all, they have all the time in the world inside their enclosures :)
 

mistertim

Arachnobaron
Joined
Sep 4, 2015
Messages
548
Give it some time, they need to get acclimated first generally. Do you have anchor points for webbing? Can you provide a pic of your setup?
 

DeathMarch6

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 21, 2016
Messages
45
Thanks guys I was just making sure, I've heard so many stories of people losing Slings that it scared me haha mines spending a lot of time under the sling hide that I got but I think it's dragged a Pinhead under there. Thanks again
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
My concern is it spends a lot of time still
All tarantulas are pet rocks, some more so than others. If you were looking to observe an interesting, regularly active animal then you picked the wrong animal to own and will quickly grow tired of them.

Ts take a while to settle in before they go about their business. The time varies on the individual T.

If your sling is very tiny, and it sounds that way as it's eating pinheads, it can probably escape through the holes in the lid, I've seen those containers before. You should check. Remember, any convict will try and escape ;)

If the holes are wider than the carapace, your T can escape.
 

Misty Day

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 9, 2013
Messages
437
One of my GBB slings (Also recently from The Spider Shop, we have siblings!) didn't start webbing heavily until after it's first molt in my care. It's just acclimating, give it time.
 

DeathMarch6

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 21, 2016
Messages
45
One of my GBB slings (Also recently from The Spider Shop, we have siblings!) didn't start webbing heavily until after it's first molt in my care. It's just acclimating, give it time.
Ah ok thank you, it wasn't that I'm bothered about it sitting around it's just I was concerned that's all haha
 

DeanK

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 16, 2016
Messages
81
That enclosure is pretty barren, there are no anchor points for it to web, some fake plants or even just some toothpicks point side down into the sub will encourage webbing
 

Misty Day

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 9, 2013
Messages
437
The substrate looks moist, GBB's like it dry, even as slings. I keep mine on dry substrate with a water dish, even at that size.
 

DeathMarch6

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 21, 2016
Messages
45
That enclosure is pretty barren, there are no anchor points for it to web, some fake plants or even just some toothpicks point side down into the sub will encourage webbing
Okay thanks I'll give it a try!
 

DeathMarch6

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 21, 2016
Messages
45
The substrate looks moist, GBB's like it dry, even as slings. I keep mine on dry substrate with a water dish, even at that size.
I did read that but others had contradicted it saying the slings need the substrate a bit moist so I met it half way, any tips on drying the substrate? Or start again?
 

Mello

ArachnoQUEEN
Joined
Feb 19, 2013
Messages
278
I have two GBB slings. They are in 16oz deli cups with vent holes made from a thumb tack. No "anchor points", no hide, no water dish. Just maybe 1/2" of substrate and they have both webbed like crazy over the last year.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
I did read that but others had contradicted it saying the slings need the substrate a bit moist so I met it half way, any tips on drying the substrate? Or start again?
I spoke to a scientist who has observed them in the wild. They live in a very, very dry region. I've raised quite a few GBBs, never had the sub moist at all. The info you read is not wrong per se, but not the best for this species.

Put the sub in the oven, unless you have dry sub on hand.

You'll have to make sure it eats. In a container that size, w/that type of sub, a cricket can easily hide and die.

I think that T can escape, the carapace looks quite small, hard to say w/out it in front of me.
 

DeathMarch6

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 21, 2016
Messages
45
Thanks for your help guys I'm going to dry the sub in the oven and I feed off tongs, if I tease the pinhead to the entrance of the hide the sling will take it, in person the sling doesn't appear to be able to fit through the air slots but I too originally questioned it myself
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
Thanks for your help guys I'm going to dry the sub in the oven and I feed off tongs, if I tease the pinhead to the entrance of the hide the sling will take it, in person the sling doesn't appear to be able to fit through the air slots but I too originally questioned it myself
Tong feeding isn't recommended because if your T bites metal it can damage or lose fang/s. If it loses both fangs, it will almost surely die of starvation.

You're better off doing one of 2 things

1. Scavenge feed w/pre-killed cricket if you keep that size container
2. Putting it in a much smaller container that increase prey/predator interactions.

Your T is on the thin side, it needs more food/water or both. If you keep that container, I'd definitely bring the water bowl much closer, sink it into the sub. I've noticed small Ts tend not to climb up objects to drink.

They are hunters, they hunt from day 1 in the wild, your container should be no different ;)

I raised mine as Mello did above.
 

clive 82

Arachnoknight
Joined
Sep 11, 2016
Messages
204
I spoke to a scientist who has observed them in the wild. They live in a very, very dry region. I've raised quite a few GBBs, never had the sub moist at all. The info you read is not wrong per se, but not the best for this species.

Put the sub in the oven, unless you have dry sub on hand.

You'll have to make sure it eats. In a container that size, w/that type of sub, a cricket can easily hide and die.

I think that T can escape, the carapace looks quite small, hard to say w/out it in front of me.
What would be the best method to provide moisture? A small waterdish or would it get enough moisture from its food?
 
Top