My pink toe tarantula won't eat and web

[PidderPeets]

Okay thank you yes I was thinking of putting the kritter keeper long ways I’ll get rid of his sponge... should I keep some dirt in there ??

If you mean keep dirt in the water bowl, no. Just straight water. If you mean in the enclosure, yes. Avics won't use it much, but you should still have a little bit in there.

Thank pidderpets.. I will rearrange his tank and do what you did and he likes his log to sit on I just feel bad knocking down his webbing/decoration lol

Once he has everything set up properly, he'll probably make himself some even better webbing and a nice home for himself. It won't matter to him that you messed up his home briefly if he gets a better one out of it.

 

[mconnachan]

It's all good. Everything's a learning experience

Yep, that angle was so deceiving - but hey that's how we all learn, thanks for pointing it out to me.

 

[boina]

Here’s Charlotte lol my five year old named him

That's not a good setup at all. I don't know where you got your advice but is was really bad advice.

What you need is:

1. An upright enclosure

2. An upright piece of bark, NOT a 'hide'

3. A lot of plant cover in the upper area of the enclosure

4. Plenty of ventilation

5. DRY (!!) substrate

6. A water dish with water only (tarantulas can't drown, they can actually swim)

Your tarantula tries to get out of the enclosure not because it likes to be handled but because it tries to escape the bad enclosure and Avics always go up when things are wrong. They are arboreal, meaning tree dwelling tarantulas. Climbing is what they do.

 

[Krysta]

I will be redoing his cage tomorrow.. he likes the bottom to he made lots of webs so obviously he was happy of somewhat I did lol

 

[Krysta]

Right now he’s actually at the bottom in a corner cleaning his fangs where he has made an web bed

 

[PidderPeets]

I will be redoing his cage tomorrow.. he likes the bottom to he made lots of webs so obviously he was happy of somewhat I did lol

Be sure to post pictures when you update the enclosure.

Like I said before, it honestly just looks like you based the enclosure off of either a care sheet or what a pet store told you. It makes sense to want to trust those sources as the care sheets and pet stores ALL say the same thing and are supposed to know what they're talking about, so that must be the proper way, right?

But unfortunately the most abundant care sheets are horribly outdated and pet stores just genuinely don't know what they're talking about. What it boils down to is pet stores are a business. They're just looking to move product and make money. The animals in their care are just inventory numbers, not living breathing creatures. So as long as it lives long enough to get sold, they don't care how improper the husbandry is. Plus, it benefits them to sell you sponges, and heat mats/heat lamps, and all this other stuff that the tarantula doesn't need. Many of the things they insist that you absolutely need are actually quite harmful to your new pet.

But it makes the businesses money to sell you these things, and it costs money for them to do proper research and adjust their employee training and printed care sheets. So you can guess whether they'd choose to make changes or not.

 

[cold blood]

Something to think about....an avic spending time on the ground is generally a red flag...that is, a bad sign.

 

[Krysta]

He doesn’t hang on the ground a lot he’s usually at the top so I’m wrong if he’s at the top because he’s not happy and now he’s at the bottom I’m wrong I’m confused Iam changing his cage around tomorrow morning but he always seems fine to me??? He’s always webbing and seems content to me??? I’ll post pictures tomorrow thanks for all the positive feedback I think I’m doing pretty good so far just going to make some changes!!!

 

[Chris LXXIX]

The fangs are black already ... I know all about that was just wondering but I guess he’s safe And content yes my pink toe loves attention he comes to the top to come out I so handle him with care every once in awhile when he sees the top open he likes to come out with us he’s very good with my five yr old she’s very good with him but I do t handle a lot only if I have to fix something in its cage I’ll open the top to add fresh water or fix something other than that I leave him alone but it’s not a bad thing to say hello to him once in awhile as long has we sit on the ground with him he doesn’t jump I already read if handling the pink toe do it with care

High Five my lady for two things

1) The butchering of commas like not even Leatherface. Brava!

2) The 'handle with care' part: wish that everyone, from FedEx to everyone else, would remember always this wise statement
so handling, uh... but 'handle with care', always

 

[PidderPeets]

He doesn’t hang on the ground a lot he’s usually at the top so I’m wrong if he’s at the top because he’s not happy and now he’s at the bottom I’m wrong I’m confused Iam changing his cage around tomorrow morning but he always seems fine to me??? He’s always webbing and seems content to me??? I’ll post pictures tomorrow thanks for all the positive feedback I think I’m doing pretty good so far just going to make some changes!!!

The way the others phrased things may be a bit confusing.

I think what @boina meant is that specifically the fact that he tries to climb up and out of the cage when you open it is bad. A content Avic with a proper web den and good overall conditions is likely to retreat to his den when the cage is opened. The fact that he's climbing up and not retreating to a den makes it seem like he's not comfortable (whether it be because he hasn't made himself a proper den where he feels safe or because he's actually trying to escape the conditions).

What I think @cold blood means (and what I meant earlier), is that an Avic spending a lot of time on the ground isn't usually a healthy one. A healthy Avic will instinctively want to avoid the ground because this genus naturally lives in trees. It would be similar to seeing a bird that spends nearly 100% of the time in the trees, spending all it's time on the ground. Either the conditions aren't permitting it to be where it wants, or it's not healthy enough to be where it wants. Once you make those changes to your enclosure, you'll notice that your boy will probably spend the vast majority of the time near the top of the enclosure.

Correct me if I'm wrong guys, but I think I got the gist of it. I'm just trying to rephrase and over explain it a bit so it's as understandable as possible. Things that are common knowledge and don't need further explanation to more experienced keepers, aren't always so clear to newcomers.

 

[boina]

The way the others phrased things may be a bit confusing.

I think what @boina meant is that specifically the fact that he tries to climb up and out of the cage when you open it is bad. A content Avic with a proper web den and good overall conditions is likely to retreat to his den when the cage is opened. The fact that he's climbing up and not retreating to a den makes it seem like he's not comfortable (whether it be because he hasn't made himself a proper den where he feels safe or because he's actually trying to escape the conditions).

What I think @cold blood means (and what I meant earlier), is that an Avic spending a lot of time on the ground isn't usually a healthy one. A healthy Avic will instinctively want to avoid the ground because this genus naturally lives in trees. It would be similar to seeing a bird that spends nearly 100% of the time in the trees, spending all it's time on the ground. Either the conditions aren't permitting it to be where it wants, or it's not healthy enough to be where it wants. Once you make those changes to your enclosure, you'll notice that your boy will probably spend the vast majority of the time near the top of the enclosure.

Correct me if I'm wrong guys, but I think I got the gist of it. I'm just trying to rephrase and over explain it a bit so it's as understandable as possible. Things that are common knowledge and don't need further explanation to more experienced keepers, aren't always so clear to newcomers.

You know I love your teaching abilities !

 

[PidderPeets]

You know I love your teaching abilities !

Thank you so much. I honestly have so much respect and think so highly of you that it kind of embarrasses me to receive praise from you. But it really is truly appreciated

 

[Krysta]

Well I redid Charlottes home thank you for all the great advice... he still hangs on his log he always was on it and I took the sponge out and just put a water dish down a perfect size for him he looks content so far I just have to add an other plant to climb on but he has a little plant but he’s been off the ground all day he spent half of the day up in his corner at the top I think he’s goin to be webbing once he does I’ll take lots of pictures

 

[Krysta]

This is what I did today he loves his log I have to add something higher for him to climb will be going to the store soon he’s already webbing

 

[Krysta]

I taking you like how I spoke or did I sound dumb lol............

High Five my lady for two things

1) The butchering of commas like not even Leatherface. Brava!

2) The 'handle with care' part: wish that everyone, from FedEx to everyone else, would remember always this wise statement
so handling, uh... but 'handle with care', always

 

[Chris LXXIX]

I taking you like how I spoke or did I sound dumb lol............

 

[cold blood]

This is what I did today he loves his log I have to add something higher for him to climb will be going to the store soon he’s already webbing

The wood and plants need to extent all the way to the top. That wood is useless, its better suited for a terrestrial.

 

[Krysta]

He sits on there a lot he’s on there now... I have to buy more plants

 

[PidderPeets]

This is what I did today he loves his log I have to add something higher for him to climb will be going to the store soon he’s already webbing

Did you try leaning the log upright against one of the enclosure walls (so that the "C" shape of the hide is touching the wall)? That way, he still has it in there so you won't feel bad taking it away from him, but it'll be a little taller than it is already, and he'll have the ability to hide on the side of the enclosure instead of the bottom.

Also, why is only half of the floor covered in coco fiber? Avics could probably technically get away with no substrate, but it's still better to have at least a little bit over the entire floor (sorry if that wasn't clear before). Plus, it helps keep the decorations from sliding around when you move the enclosure.

Aside from that, just get some taller plants in there and it'll look pretty good! It'd probably be best to get a few different decorations (fake plants, sticks, etc), not just a single thing. Avics love enclosures that are full and cluttered near the top. My girl has a fake plant, and hollow bamboo tube for a hide, and a few sticks, and she incorporated everything into her webbing.

I'm glad to hear yours is hanging around near the top more and is already webbing!