New keeper, probably my first big mistake

[moydie]

I am a new keeper, and I went to my first expo, looking to get a new T. Well, I got a curly hair sling as a freebie with the new T I purchased. I got home and all day there was no sign that anything was in the cup. In fact, I hadn't ever seen the spider at all. I know it's stupid, but I started to wonder whether there was even a sling in there. So...(dumb move) I started poking around with a pencil and found the tiny sling burrowed to the bottom of the cup. I can't believe I didn't realize that was a bad idea, but you know, hindsight 20/20.

So the problem is that the burrow is wrecked and the substrate all mixed up. And probably an unhappy spider. My question is: Would it be better to leave things alone, or should I take the sling out, re-setup the enclosure and re-house the T in a newly setup enclosure?

 

[8leggednights]

Leave them be- they will rebuild. If they have a little water dish or cap to water bottle put it in & leave them alone. They are resilient.

 

[Finikan]

Leave it alone.

It will build a new burrow, what else will it do with its time?

 

[moydie]

Thanks for the guidance. I was thinking that was probably the thing to do, but wanted to check with some more experienced keepers.

 

[Pyrelitha]

I'd only rehouse it if it needs a new enclosure for size reasons. Past that he'll fix his own burrow

 

[Smotzer]

If the substrate is all fairly mixed up as in very loose and no longer packed down I would remove the Tliltoccatl and then repack down the substrate and put it back in the cup as tarantulas do not like to live in enclosures with loose substrate. This may or may not be necessary depending on how much it was loosened and how widely you disturbed the substrate. Just my food for thought when reading your post!

 

[viper69]

Depends on what the sling came in for me

 

[moydie]

If the substrate is all fairly mixed up as in very loose and no longer packed down I would remove the Tliltoccatl and then repack down the substrate and put it back in the cup

The substrate is quite loose one one side of the cup, but the other side didn't get dug up.

Depends on what the sling came in for me

Nothing special. Just a small clear plastic cup like you might get ketchup in at a hole-in-the-wall burger joint.

Sling is pretty small, maybe 1/3 inch.

 

[viper69]

The substrate is quite loose one one side of the cup, but the other side didn't get dug up.

Nothing special. Just a small clear plastic cup like you might get ketchup in at a hole-in-the-wall burger joint.

Sling is pretty small, maybe 1/3 inch.

condiment cup for me

 

[Smotzer]

The substrate is quite loose one one side of the cup,

Well I’d pack that side back down.

 

[goonius]

Well I’d pack that side back down.

Agree -- be sure to put the spider in a catch cup (with lid) while doing this, so you don't accidentally squish it. Then put it back once it is packed down.

 

[greeneyedelle]

Psh. If it'd been my t. albo sling, he would've thanked you for saving him the trouble of doing it himself 'Bout to name him Martha Stewart for how often he redecorates