New T owner freaking out a little

[Aleetist]

Hi,

I recently picked up my very first T (3/4-1" G. Pulchra) and everything was going as expected the first few days. My little T quickly made a home and was eating daily the first few days. I know this isn't necessary, but I'd see his little feet poking out of his burrow and know that's a sign they will take food and with G. Pulchra being such a slow grower I figured a little extra love at first wouldn't hurt.

On day 4 stuff started getting moved all over the place and I peaked in (removing the hide) to check in on him and see if I could find any food remains and he was FAT (pictured) and on day 5 he went into hiding. I'm fairly certain he is just molting, but *just* getting a T for the first time I am having the hardest time not bothering him/checking on him to make sure I haven't already messed things up (I know this is bad while molting).

I guess my main question is, what is a normal molting period for a G. Pulchra this size? I understand this can take weeks to months depending on the species. After how long is it "safe" to check things out? Because at some point in time I would like to know if I'm worried over my T or essentially its casket . Also, how should I be keeping the substrate at this age? I've been wetting a corner and keep a water dish in the enclosure so moisture is there if he wants it, but don't know if I should have it drier or not at this size.

Thank you for your time helping a new person. I'm sure this info is out there somewhere, but I can't seem to find the more specific info I am looking for pertaining to the species I got.

 

[boina]

G. pulchras are seriusly one the slowest growing tarantulas ever - so you can expect a long premolt period (hidden spider, taking no food), possibly for months, even at that stage. If you are lucky it's only several weeks. (Get another spider to help you pass the time .) Test periodically if it maybe wants to eat some more. At this very tiny sling stage I'd actually keep the substrate overall slightly moist, but at least half of it should contain moisture.

The enclosure is rather big - as long as your sling is eating it's ok, but you are making things more complicated for yourself. Slings are easier to monitor in small plastic cups, like condiment cups from a deli.

Edit: You'll know when it's dead - dead spiders smell really bad.

 

[Nightstalker47]

I would definitely rehouse into something smaller, their growth rates are beyond glacial.

 

[Aleetist]

Thanks for the feedback!

I knew they were slow growers, I just didn't know how this translated into molting time. What luck that he's already going to grow a bit just after a week of having him!

I will give the enclosure a good sniff (what a weird way to "care" for my new pet lol) every few days and up the moisture content in there. I have it wetter than I would an adult for this species but maybe not as moist as it should be for a sling.

For the enclosure I actually had something WAY smaller picked out and then my boyfriend guilt tripped me into using the larger one lol (I grabbed a bunch of containers for future slings, I can already tell I am "bitten"). After he re-emerges I will look into rehousing, but the way it is set up he was really easy to see and check in on. I could easily see his little feet sticking out of his burrow from the side of the container and fed him very easily. Would it be better for the T to be moved into a smaller space? This size really hasn't had any negative impact on me other than, he's hunkered in the dead center under his hide, which he's buried and I can't see anything at all.

I was already planning on a picking up a few more slings, this seems like a 100% valid reason to do so.

Thank you so much again for the advice!

 

[BoyFromLA]

Even my 1/4” sling took weeks of pre molting.

 

[cold blood]

I actually had something WAY smaller picked out and then my boyfriend guilt tripped me into using the larger one lol

And his t experience is???

People uneducated on ts will suggest the wrong enclosure just about every time....go with the educated individual in the future, not your bf. How does someone without t knowledge even know how to guilt trip on the subject.

 

[viper69]

An his t experience is???

People uneducated on ts will suggest the wrong enclosure just about every time....go with the educated individual in the future, not your bf. How does someone without t knowledge even know how to guilt trip on the subject.

And if said person is guilt tripped, how do they allow themselves to be guilt tripped, when they know the other person knows nothing?? :wideyed:

 

[Aleetist]

I phrased that wrong, it was meant to be a tongue in cheek. I was already on the fence with my non-existent experience and he just helped push me over the edge lol. The sling has really gone to town making this enclosure its home and it hasn't provided care issues so far. It found a spot it likes under the hide and has basically "hollowed" out the entire area underneath. I can put it in something smaller for sure when it shows itself again, but in the meantime it seems best not to disturb them until they reemerge.

Thanks for the advice again I feel much better just letting my little box of dirt sit on the shelf.

 

[Chin Crimson]

I got my first T somewhat 1 Week ago and I can understand you. But you must not disturb it all time and AS it is your first T, its a learning experience. Sure if something goes wrong, its sad. But you can not all the time get all information from Forums.
Some time you have to learn things yourself, by making mistakes and observations! Cheers mate, we now has spiders!

 

[Aleetist]

Hey, so it has been about a month now and still nothing. I drop pre-killed prey in once a week and have been taking it out the next day (she was eating pre-killed previously) I stick my nose in and give it a good whiff to check for a bad smell every few days (though at 3/4" I'm not sure I'd notice a smell?) I know almost exactly where the T is in the enclosure and I wouldn't have to dig it up, just pull up the cork hide and maybe mess up the dirt curtain a little. I just really want to know if I'm essentially caring for a casket or not and if so, figure out what I did wrong to try and fix it in the future. :/
Questions:

Since I know where it is and it will not be terribly disruptive to check, is it okay to check on her?

If it is NOT okay and I should just keep remaining patient, how long should I wait before checking?

Thank you!!!

P.S. I did end up getting a second sling, a C. Versi and she is doing very well, fat and happy and webbing like crazy

 

[Thekla]

When questions like these arise, I like to link to @Tomoran's blog post: https://tomsbigspiders.com/2015/08/10/tarantula-buried-itself/

Read it and there'll be no more questions.

But in short: No, you shouldn't check on her, not yet anyway. I mean it's only a month... that's basically nothing regarding tarantulas, especially with those slow growing species.
Worst case scenario, you'll disturb her while moulting which can end very badly. Just be patient.

 

[PidderPeets]

My G. pulchra sling was in premolt for well over a month before finally molting. They honestly take forever. It could even just be fasting. My G. pulchripes hid away and fasted for 3 months when she was only 1/2 inch DLS, and she didn't even molt in that time. The Grammostola genus is really a bunch of slow growers and frequent fasters, so just be patient with it.

I wouldn't suggest digging it up. It doesn't want to be disturbed, which is why it hid in the first place. Again, just be patient with it, and eventually you'll be rewarded with a larger and hungrier sling waiting for it's human to feed it

 

[Aleetist]

Thanks both of you! I know things can take a while and I just needed reasurrance to wait. Part of my anxiety comes from this species seeming to pop on the scene and then disappear for years and I'd be so sad if this T was dead for all normal reasons you'd hate to have a pet in your care die + missing out on having it since I fell in love with G. Pulchra in my research

 

[cold blood]

I just really want to know if I'm essentially caring for a casket or not and if so, figure out what I did wrong to try and fix it in the future. :/
Questions:

Since I know where it is and it will not be terribly disruptive to check, is it okay to check on her?

Your answer has already been given below by boina.

The enclosure is rather big - as long as your sling is eating it's ok, but you are making things more complicated for yourself. Slings are easier to monitor in small plastic cups, like condiment cups from a deli.

If you house it on an over-size enclosure, like you did, you will get the results you got nearly 100% of the time....that is, excessive burrowing and hiding. This reduces the feeding response, which further slows growth and makes monitoring the sling nearly impossible.

House it like this and all your issues will go away. Keep it simple...better for you, better for the t.

IMG_0472

• cold blood
• Feb 7, 2017

Keep your small terrestrial slings like this.

This still gives them room to burrow, but not excessively, so even if they do, they are in close proximity to prey offered.

 

[Aleetist]

Finally emerged last night, what a relief! She has put on considerable size too ^_^ I gave her a meal and will be rehousing her into something better tonight.
Thank you all for the encouragement to be patient and rehousing advice <3

 

[Chin Crimson]

Very glad to hear that!!!! Because I have the same situation with juvenile B. Albopilosum, last time i've seen her she was fat and the Abdomen was funny coloured. Just trust your skills and i am sure she will appear again, too!

And about the container size, I housed both of my juvenile T's (the other is an OBT) in very large containers.

I thought about rehousing them to appropiate size containers but I am sure if they claim all the container as their hide it would pretty much stress them out if you open their hide.

The way i've done it i can be sure they feel safe in their hides (wich take up maybe 10% of the enclosure size), so I can feel save to clean, decorate and water without hesitation. Yes, I even stick my hands into the OBT enclosure as long as she is in hiding mode.

Greetings!

edit: Did I say I feel very happy with you? I can just imagine your feelings when you saw your T outside! That makes me happy to!

Well, don't ever stick your hand into an OBT enclosure. I am just crazy.

 

[Ungoliant]

The way i've done it i can be sure they feel safe in their hides (wich take up maybe 10% of the enclosure size), so I can feel save to clean, decorate and water without hesitation. Yes, I even stick my hands into the OBT enclosure as long as she is in hiding mode.

You know they make long tongs, right?

 

[Chin Crimson]

You know they make long tongs, right?

As if you don't know forceps are useless with the OBTs, as they can reach up to your arm within a blink of an eye!! Enough already ^^^^

 

[TreebeardGoddess]

@Aleetist I feel your pain!!! I got my G. pulchra on March 31. He went immediately into premolt without eating once for me. He finally molted yesterday!
I checked on him daily to make sure his abdomen was still big and looked like a premolt. Luckily I have him in the dram vial he came in, so I can see him at the bottom where he was buried. He would still move around a bit and seemed to appreciate me adding moisture when necessary. Yesterday, his abdomen looked small, so I looked and could see a molt hidden away.
My C. cyaneopubescens sling I got the same day has molted twice. I very interesting how the different species seem to be on their own schedules!

 

[Aleetist]

@Aleetist I feel your pain!!! I got my G. pulchra on March 31. He went immediately into premolt without eating once for me. He finally molted yesterday!
I checked on him daily to make sure his abdomen was still big and looked like a premolt. Luckily I have him in the dram vial he came in, so I can see him at the bottom where he was buried. He would still move around a bit and seemed to appreciate me adding moisture when necessary. Yesterday, his abdomen looked small, so I looked and could see a molt hidden away.
My C. cyaneopubescens sling I got the same day has molted twice. I very interesting how the different species seem to be on their own schedules!

Yay!!! But, wow that's a long pre-molt! Not one meal the whole time would have killed me lol. Glad you could see her at least! I have a much smaller container for my G. Pulchra now and she is out of her hide much more often and easier to see. The various molting rates is interesting, even between sackmates. I have two H. Davidbowie (talk about quick and jumpy!) and one is about two weeks ahead of the other in terms of molting. Then my C. Versi just molted a few days ago and she had just molted before I got her, which was a couple of couple of weeks after I got my G. Pulchra. My only regret about the hobby so far is not getting into it sooner.