need help with beginner arboreal species sling

greg larkins

Arachnopeon
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Apr 26, 2007
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hi everyone, i'm somewhat experienced with spiders, but my other half is still learning. basically i need some pointers from you guys and girls on housing, feeding, and premolt behaviors so that i can assist her in raising a healthy Avic sp. peru purple.

since we got the spider, it has only eaten 3 times. i feel that this is a bit less than normal. we feed it small crickets and the sling is about 1" in length. we try to drop the crickets in her web close to her so she can get them. today, she ran away from it. does this scare the spider, or is this perhaps premolt behavior? imo the abdomen looks small, a pic of it is here: http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/gallery/showimage.php?i=19904&catid=11

it is housed in a rather large kritter keeper and has made 2 funnel webs, but has not used the suctioned cup fake plant to web on, choosing instead to be right up on the sides of the house. sometimes it paces around at night, but usually ends up in one of the two webs. should we put it in a smaller enclosure? i was thinking a gatorade bottle with a pipe cleaner or two that it could climb on would be good, what do you all think?

temp is between 78-83 F
humidity 75%-85%

thanks in advance.
 

Rob1985

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Ok here goes, try feeding it dead smaller crickets or pinheads, temp and humidity seem fine, try re-housing into a small cube style enclosure. Arboreals need height not width for their homes.

Do you have pics of the enclosure?
 

greg larkins

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Apr 26, 2007
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i can, but you'll have to wait.

can someone explain the difference between a pinhead cricket and a small cricket? the pet stores around here only sell them as "small" or "large" and i have never seen "pin head" size for sale.
 
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Transylvania

Gondorian
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can someone explain the difference between a pinhead cricket and a small cricket? the pet stores around here only sell them as "small" or "large" and i have never seen "pin head" size for sale.
Pinheads are newborn crickets, about the size of ants. Pet stores don't normally sell them, you'd have to buy them online. But your T is large enough to be able to take down larger crickets. The cricket it ran away from may have been a bit too big, or your T may be in premolt. When I feed my Ts I try not to drop the cricket too close to it so that it doesn't get spooked by the sudden arrival from the sky.
 

Spidershane1

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I would put her in a much smaller container. With a smaller container, you can just leave the food in overnight and she can eat it when she pleases. In this container you would actually have to watch her catch it, otherwise she may not ever run into the cricket again.
And contrary to what some are gonna chime in, she wont get "stressed out" because the cage is too big, it will just be alot more work on your part to properly feed her.
I would put her in a jelly jar or small pickle jar or something for now and wait a few more molts to put her in the KK.
 

greg larkins

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yeah, we just got back from Michael's with an acrylic container. it's 3.5 x 3.5 x 6 tall and i put a piece of cork bark in there for it to climb on. i put a cricket in, but she didnt catch it. i will leave it in overnight and see what happens.
 

Midknight xrs

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From what you are describing and my experiences with my multiple avics, you're experiencing premolt behavior. Typically, IME, they either attack the food or run away. with my A. metallica's they did that for about a month and just molted to 3i this passed week.
 

greg larkins

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From what you are describing and my experiences with my multiple avics, you're experiencing premolt behavior. Typically, IME, they either attack the food or run away. with my A. metallica's they did that for about a month and just molted to 3i this passed week.
the last time we tried to feed it, the cricket got attacked and then the spider ran up the wall and away. it just looks so small and dark though.
 

Shrike

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Going with the smaller enclosure was definitely the right move. As your sling gets a bit bigger and can take on larger prey items I think its appetite will pick right up.
 

Embers To Ashes

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try putting her in a small delli cup with nothing in there but a cricket. Pinheads and smalls are usualy considered the same by most pet stores. Ask if you can hand pick your crickets from your lps. Most stores get whatever is on top. The smallest crickets usulay hide in the bottom and most people wont dig for them.
 

greg larkins

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try putting her in a small delli cup with nothing in there but a cricket. Pinheads and smalls are usualy considered the same by most pet stores. Ask if you can hand pick your crickets from your lps. Most stores get whatever is on top. The smallest crickets usulay hide in the bottom and most people wont dig for them.
actually, my preferred method is to put her in a pill bottle and drop a cricket in with her so she can get it, but she has refused for a good while now and we are getting worried.
 

Midknight xrs

Arachnosquire
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Premolt, especially at that size. My A. Metallica's took nearly a month to molt to 3i, but my A. versicolor and A. Avic were only a few weeks. They are now 3.5 and 3" respectively and now only take 3-4 weeks in premolt. So I'm going with premolt and from the very dark color, another week or so.
 

Spidershane1

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She's probably just about to molt. Just leave her a prekilled food item overnight 2-3 times a week. If she wants it she'll eat it, if not she'll either molt soon or just isnt hungry.
You dont really need pinhead crickets for slings either. Typically they cost exactly the same as large crickets and only feed one sling at a time. If you just buy larges and cut em up, you can make one cricket feed 4-6 slings at a time, which will save you some money. I've done this for all my slings and its worked every time. They switch over to medium sized live crickets when they are big enough with no problems.
Prekilled also has the advantage of being able to offer food when you are not sure if the T is in premolt. It can be tricky with live prey, cuz if a molt suddenly happens the crix can injure the molting T.
 

greg larkins

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She's probably just about to molt. Just leave her a prekilled food item overnight 2-3 times a week. If she wants it she'll eat it, if not she'll either molt soon or just isnt hungry.
You dont really need pinhead crickets for slings either. Typically they cost exactly the same as large crickets and only feed one sling at a time. If you just buy larges and cut em up, you can make one cricket feed 4-6 slings at a time, which will save you some money. I've done this for all my slings and its worked every time. They switch over to medium sized live crickets when they are big enough with no problems.
Prekilled also has the advantage of being able to offer food when you are not sure if the T is in premolt. It can be tricky with live prey, cuz if a molt suddenly happens the crix can injure the molting T.
im sure my gf will love that. and yeah, i know that crickets can kill a spider during a molt. do you think i should be worried that i moved her into a new house too close to molt though?
 

jbm150

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actually, my preferred method is to put her in a pill bottle and drop a cricket in with her so she can get it, but she has refused for a good while now and we are getting worried.
Could be premolt but I wouldn't recommend this. Taking them out of their normal home where they feel comfortable stresses them. They'll sometimes be so stressed they won't eat for some time. I'd keep it in the small cube, if it doesn't eat after a few days of housing at that size, it might be because of premolt. Don't keep the cricket in overnight (if live), they T could be at risk if it molts. If the container is small enough, you'll know very quickly if it's interested in eating.
 

Spidershane1

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im sure my gf will love that. and yeah, i know that crickets can kill a spider during a molt. do you think i should be worried that i moved her into a new house too close to molt though?
No, as long as she was not actually molting when you moved her. If it was a seamless rehousing and she's walking around the new cube, then she will be fine.
 

greg larkins

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Apr 26, 2007
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Could be premolt but I wouldn't recommend this. Taking them out of their normal home where they feel comfortable stresses them. They'll sometimes be so stressed they won't eat for some time. I'd keep it in the small cube, if it doesn't eat after a few days of housing at that size, it might be because of premolt. Don't keep the cricket in overnight (if live), they T could be at risk if it molts. If the container is small enough, you'll know very quickly if it's interested in eating.
i took the cricket out of her new house
No, as long as she was not actually molting when you moved her. If it was a seamless rehousing and she's walking around the new cube, then she will be fine.
no, she was not molting. she seems to be webbing the beginning of a new web.

thanks everybody for all the help btw.
 
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