New Chilli Rose help

Pete d

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 5, 2010
Messages
34
Hey I bought my Chilie Rose in mid august so ive had her about 3 weeks now. i set up a cage around 45x45x45cm for her but i have a few questions about her. as im new to this and havent owned any exotic pets before i'd like to know if shes okay.

1.) the most concerning thing at the moment is ive noticed white marks on her abdomen. ive posted a picture below so you can see. im not sure if this is just dirt from the cage but it would be nice to know if its someone worth getting checked out. shes had them since i bought her but there's considerably more white there now.



from endless hours reading up from books and the net i came to the conclusion that she might be starting to molt as shes currently rejecting any food i feed her (which ive now removed) and shes losing hairs on her abdomen. before now she was also very immobile although as im writing this shes started to move around the cage

2.) i put her in the cage thinking that i could later go out and buy more things to re-do the cage so i could take her out, improve the layout and then put her back.. but shes just started burrowing and if i move anything in the cage it will most likely destroy her burrow. should i just leave it how it is? or will she just dig a new one when i put her back in.

3.) im currently using half vermiculite and half bark chips on either side of the cage as an experiment to see which she prefers. i think the chips are causing mould to grow and im assuming that needs to be sorted out. what is everyone else using for ground cover.

4.) and finally.. the cage i have is quite tall (45cm) and i have only around 4 inches of ground cover in the cage as the door opens on the side. shes getting into a habit of climbing up the glass and sliding off.. the fall can be up to a foot and im worried after reading how fragile they are that she might hurt herself. is it okay to leave it how it is? or do i need to lower the hight of the cage somehow?

thanks for any input and reading :)
 

B8709

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 25, 2009
Messages
194
Needs a lot more substrate. She can die with that fall.
I use eco earth. No bark chips.
I'll let other people cover the rest.
 

Pete d

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 5, 2010
Messages
34
how deep would you say the substrate needs to be?? i could put another 2 inches in before the door height but maybe slopt it up towards the back of the tank? and okay ill clean and put in new substrate first thing tomorrow
 

NikiP

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 16, 2006
Messages
539
Hey I bought my Chilie Rose in mid august so ive had her about 3 weeks now. i set up a cage around 45x45x45cm for her but i have a few questions about her. as im new to this and havent owned any exotic pets before i'd like to know if shes okay.

1.) the most concerning thing at the moment is ive noticed white marks on her abdomen. ive posted a picture below so you can see. im not sure if this is just dirt from the cage but it would be nice to know if its someone worth getting checked out. shes had them since i bought her but there's considerably more white there now.
Looks to me like patches where she has flicked hairs. Nothing to worry about.

from endless hours reading up from books and the net i came to the conclusion that she might be starting to molt as shes currently rejecting any food i feed her (which ive now removed) and shes losing hairs on her abdomen. before now she was also very immobile although as im writing this shes started to move around the cage
How often are you offering food? Maybe back off for a week or two then try again. If she still doesn't, she probably is in premolt. With a rosea, that could last forever ;)

2.) i put her in the cage thinking that i could later go out and buy more things to re-do the cage so i could take her out, improve the layout and then put her back.. but shes just started burrowing and if i move anything in the cage it will most likely destroy her burrow. should i just leave it how it is? or will she just dig a new one when i put her back in.
I'd just let her do her thing. Terrestrials really don't need much. Although a lot of people do like to make nice display tanks for human viewing pleasure, which is perfectly fine also.

3.) im currently using half vermiculite and half bark chips on either side of the cage as an experiment to see which she prefers. i think the chips are causing mould to grow and im assuming that needs to be sorted out. what is everyone else using for ground cover.
The chips could also impale her if she falls on it & it's difficult to burrow in. You can get huge bags of plain peat moss at gardening stores really cheap, there are bricks of fibers that can be gotten at pet stores (you wet the bricks, allow to expand, put in cage, & let dry), & some pet stores sell premixed fiber/peat moss/etc mixtures.

4.) and finally.. the cage i have is quite tall (45cm) and i have only around 4 inches of ground cover in the cage as the door opens on the side. shes getting into a habit of climbing up the glass and sliding off.. the fall can be up to a foot and im worried after reading how fragile they are that she might hurt herself. is it okay to leave it how it is? or do i need to lower the hight of the cage somehow?
Is she in an exoterra? They really aren't designed well for terrestrial species as you won't be able to fill the tank up high enough to prevent damage from falls. If you want a display tank, i'd go for a 5gal tank or even a larger kritter keeper & fill it up appropriately :) I forget the actual suggested distance, but basically they don't need enough wall space to where they can climb up very far.
 

AmbushArachnids

Arachnoculturist
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 30, 2010
Messages
629
That abdomen is fairly dark. She should be molting within a week or so. look for the bald spot turning shiney and dark. She will be fine on that sub for a couple weeks. Do not dampen the substrate, they like it DRY. She seems to be digging out a place to molt. They tend to make a bowl shape area and web it up.(molting mat) Make sure she has a clean water dish. When she is done molting she will be very thirsty. Dont try feeding her for about 10 days after molting. Best of luck. -Doug :D
 

webbedone

Arachnobaron
Joined
Aug 27, 2010
Messages
410
I have a rosie in premolt right now abdomen looks exactly like that, the darker and glossier that patch gets the closer she is to molting dont worry about that just leave her alone and do not feed her for roughly a week or so after she casts off her old exoskeleton make sure you have a bowl of fresh clean water.

Rosies are terestrial and they come from a part of atacama desert some area's of that place never had rain in recorded history so dont mist the tank at all and dont worry about heat or humidity these are the TANKS of T keeping hobby room temperatures and dryness is completely acceptable

Being Terestrial species floor space is more important than enclosures' hight so 5-10 gal are perfect

you want roughly 3-5 inches of substrate (i use eco earth coconutfiber) dont use anything sharp like bark chips or shale rock that can lead to a nasty blister or puncture injury.
 

AmbushArachnids

Arachnoculturist
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 30, 2010
Messages
629
dont use anything sharp like bark chips or shale rock that can lead to a nasty blister or puncture injury.
How can a T have a blister? I have never heard of a blister from rubbing something with its abdomen. :?
 

Pete d

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 5, 2010
Messages
34
thanks for all the help guys :) its much appriciated and its good to know that its just a pre-molt..

but im guessing if shes nearing a molt then i shouldnt be rearranging her cage.. should i wait untill a couple of weeks before i move her and redo her enclosure?
 

Pete d

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 5, 2010
Messages
34
also another thing guys... if i dont feed her and she doesnt molt is she gunna be okay?
 

Stan Schultz

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 16, 2004
Messages
1,677
Hey I bought my Chilie Rose in mid august so ive had her about 3 weeks now. ...
First, please do us all a favor by resizing your photos. Or use a photo hosting service like PhotoBucket (http://photobucket.com/) or ImageShack (http://www.imageshack.us/). It'll make it a lot easier for us to see and appreciate your photos. (Which aren't all that bad I must admit!)

And, read and heed the following link: http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/stansrant.html

And, read http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html

Then, while this doesn't directly apply to you in this situation - and I'm not yelling at you - you should learn to use the search utility on these forums if you don't already know how. Just click the <Search> link in the gray bar across the top of this page. Few enthusiasts realize just how much information is available with just a few well considered search terms. Probably 90% or more of the questions that are asked on these forums have already been covered in great, Great, GREAT detail.

Lastly, has anyone told you about the tarantula enthusiast's lament?

LIKE THOSE POTATO CHIPS, YOU CAN'T HAVE JUST ONE!

Enjoy your newfound little 8-legged buddy!
 
Last edited:

AmbushArachnids

Arachnoculturist
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 30, 2010
Messages
629
Good advice isnt far.

I am almost certain she is going to molt. And G rosea have been known to fast for a long time. So after her molt she may take a long time to take food. Do a bit of research. Buy The tarantula keepers guide. And read the stickys in each section. Rules, rosea care, all of them will answer lots of questions you have. Enjoy your new found hobby!
 
Top