New keeper Sling won't eat

[urticatingtaran]

I've had my little sling for a week and a half and she hasn't ate yet when she got here she didn't look too good was all curled up but would occasionally stretch a leg but after a few days i observed her running around and then made a little burrow under the cork bark. I've left dead small crickets in there that don't ever get touched, i bought hydei flies and I've seen them crawl under the cork but she doesn't attempt to grab them and today she let a small cricket crawl into her hide and all over her. Which prompted me to poke a piece of the hydei straw into her burrow to get the cricket out and in the process she also came out and is reacting lively and all just not trying to catch prey at all i was wondering if I can get your opinion on if maybe I'm doing something wrong? Or am i just overreacting?

 

[Ratmosphere]

Normal, that T is fat and not ready to eat another meal yet. May even be in pre-molt.

 

[urticatingtaran]

Normal, that T is fat and not ready to eat another meal yet. May even be in pre-molt.

I really appreciate the reply, I also thought maybe she's really plump and full, but just wasn't sure, thank you.

 

[viper69]

I can tell you didn't research on the forum here, because there are TONS of posts EXACTLY like yours.

Your T is fatter than Jupiter

 

[urticatingtaran]

I can tell you didn't research on the forum here, because there are TONS of posts EXACTLY like yours.

Your T is fatter than Jupiter

I honestly didn't i just heard about arachnoboards on yt and thought itd be the perfect place to ask my question, ive never fed her and her not eating worried me but I'm glad the place i ordered the T from kept it nice and fed then

 

[viper69]

I honestly didn't i just heard about arachnoboards on yt and thought itd be the perfect place to ask my question, ive never fed her and her not eating worried me but I'm glad the place i ordered the T from kept it nice and fed then

Lucky indeed! They are not always like that

Given you’re a new T owner it pays to search because you’ll see info that will be helpful beyond what you’re looking for. Happens to me all the time. If you treat this place as just ask a question and wait- well you won’t get much out of it beyond what you put into it, and asking a question is basically “nothing”

 

[urticatingtaran]

Lucky indeed! They are not always like that

Given you’re a new T owner it pays to search because you’ll see info that will be helpful beyond what you’re looking for. Happens to me all the time. If you treat this place as just ask a question and wait- well you won’t get much out of it beyond what you put into it, and asking a question is basically “nothing”

I really appreciate the advice i definitely will be using this place to find answers for questions i have especially as a new keeper with lots of questions

 

[viper69]

I really appreciate the advice i definitely will be using this place to find answers for questions i have especially as a new keeper with lots of questions

No prob

Yea about 99.9% of new keeper questions have been asked answered decades ago here, tons of times over, often verbatim. Nothing has really changed in keep these exotic, wild animals.

you can always use Google to search within any website on the net too

 

[cold blood]

Fat tarantulas don't need food, that sling is in heavy pre-molt, it will not eat until about a week AFTER it molts....just be patient.

I would also suggest putting it into a smaller enclosure with less substrate depth....you don't want it hiding away excessively, this will just make it hard to observe and it will greatly reduce its food aggression, which will lead directly to significantly slower growth.

 

[ladyratri]

What we mean by a smaller enclosure:

 

[urticatingtaran]

Fat tarantulas don't need food, that sling is in heavy pre-molt, it will not eat until about a week AFTER it molts....just be patient.

I would also suggest putting it into a smaller enclosure with less substrate depth....you don't want it hiding away excessively, this will just make it hard to observe and it will greatly reduce its food aggression, which will lead directly to significantly slower growth.

Should i wait till after the molt or just do it now?

 

[cold blood]

Either way...personally I would do it now

 

[kingshockey]

its fat good chance it wont eat again until after it molts read up on premolt signs so you get an idea of what to expect add a bottle cap for it to drink from good luck