New tarantula owner, need advice

[xXN0SU64RXx]

Hi! I’m a new tarantula owner. I just got my first T, she’s an aphonopelma chalcodes and she’s only a year old. Her name is olive pickles because I made her current habitat out of a Mt olive pickle jar. (Plenty of air but no cross ventilation yet, I’m working on it :/) So, here’s the problem. I just fed her, but right after I fed her she started to lay down a sheet of web like she’s planning on molting. I don’t want to disturb her if she’s going to molt but I’m also worried that she’ll poop, and her dry cricket skin is still in her enclosure because I couldn’t find it. I don’t want to disturb her process but I’m also worried that if her tank is dirty when she molts she could get an infection or something. I don’t want to mess up her cycle but I also don’t want her to get sick. I have no idea what I should do, I’ve only had her for a few weeks. Please help.

 

[DaveM]

The spider is not about to molt if it just fed (they refuse food when about to molt).
They do lay down webbing when they eat.
Relax. This species is hard to kill. Stick around, and people here will fill you with knowledge until you feel confident.
Good luck

 

[joossa]

Post a picture of the spider and the entire enclosure.

 

[Tarantuland]

her dry cricket skin is still in her enclosure because I couldn’t find it. I don’t want to disturb her process but I’m also worried that if her tank is dirty when she molts she could get an infection or something.

I don't know what you mean by "dry cricket skin". As long as there isn't a living insect in the with the spider when it's molting it, there will be no issue. Mold isn't a problem almost all of the time. You don't need to clean tarantula enclosures. If she ate, she's not going to molt. I've had a small 1/2" a chalcodes for almost a year and it has only molted once. Get ready to wait forever for it to grow. Try not to stress, tarantulas are easy.

 

[viper69]

Hi! I’m a new tarantula owner. I just got my first T, she’s an aphonopelma chalcodes and she’s only a year old. Her name is olive pickles because I made her current habitat out of a Mt olive pickle jar. (Plenty of air but no cross ventilation yet, I’m working on it :/) So, here’s the problem. I just fed her, but right after I fed her she started to lay down a sheet of web like she’s planning on molting. I don’t want to disturb her if she’s going to molt but I’m also worried that she’ll poop, and her dry cricket skin is still in her enclosure because I couldn’t find it. I don’t want to disturb her process but I’m also worried that if her tank is dirty when she molts she could get an infection or something. I don’t want to mess up her cycle but I also don’t want her to get sick. I have no idea what I should do, I’ve only had her for a few weeks. Please help.

Even if your T was about to molt, nothing to worry about.

Never disturb when molting and recent post molt.

Always make sure no LIVE prey is in there during molt.

Lastly your concern of infection is without merit

Enjoy!

The spider is not about to molt if it just fed (they refuse food when about to molt).

False- some specimens will eat the day they molt. I’ve seen it a few times.

 

[DaveM]

False- some specimens will eat the day they molt. I’ve seen it a few times.

Don't you think that's rare enough that it is improbable in this case?
We can test whether my guess was false: @xXN0SU64RXx, has your spider molted yet?

Edit: I propose that if a spider is not too far along in starting the process of molting to be catching prey and eating, then it is not too far into the process of molting to worry about disturbing the spider while it is in process of molting. Agree?

 

[viper69]

Don't you think that's rare enough that it is improbable in this case?
We can test whether my guess was false: @xXN0SU64RXx, has your spider molted yet?

Edit: I propose that if a spider is not too far along in starting the process of molting to be catching prey and eating, then it is not too far into the process of molting to worry about disturbing the spider while it is in process of molting. Agree?

Your words in () were absolute. I was pointing out that it’s absolutely not 100%

 

[8 legged]

Don't you think that's rare enough that it is improbable in this case?
We can test whether my guess was false: @xXN0SU64RXx, has your spider molted yet?

Edit: I propose that if a spider is not too far along in starting the process of molting to be catching prey and eating, then it is not too far into the process of molting to worry about disturbing the spider while it is in process of molting. Agree?

Some fast-growing species actually feed in their juvenile age shortly before molting, otherwise they almost only do slings - if at all. It feels like my A. chalcodes no longer eats anything one year before the next molt!

 

[DaveM]

Your words in () were absolute. I was pointing out that it’s absolutely not 100%

That's fair. I think I've had some fast-growing young Psalmopoeus eat in the morning and molt the same evening.
Also quite fair to say that I'm not always 100% right I shall have to console myself with a mere 99.9%
Would that we could all strike with the precision of a viper

 

[Neonblizzard]

I'm not sure where you got the idea the tarantula will get an infection, but that will absolutely not happen.

Please post pictures of enclosure

 

[VaporRyder]

Hi! I’m a new tarantula owner. I just got my first T, she’s an aphonopelma chalcodes and she’s only a year old. Her name is olive pickles because I made her current habitat out of a Mt olive pickle jar. (Plenty of air but no cross ventilation yet, I’m working on it :/) So, here’s the problem. I just fed her, but right after I fed her she started to lay down a sheet of web like she’s planning on molting. I don’t want to disturb her if she’s going to molt but I’m also worried that she’ll poop, and her dry cricket skin is still in her enclosure because I couldn’t find it. I don’t want to disturb her process but I’m also worried that if her tank is dirty when she molts she could get an infection or something. I don’t want to mess up her cycle but I also don’t want her to get sick. I have no idea what I should do, I’ve only had her for a few weeks. Please help.

Welcome!

 

[Kitara]

Otherwise known as the happy dance. Why, I don't know but when they don't do it I get a little offended.

 

[Smotzer]

and she’s only a year old.

How do you know it’s a year old, You said you’ve only had her a few weeks? unless someone you got it from raised it from a fresh sling, there is no way to know it’s age, not based on size there are many factors that go into growth rate.

Plenty of air but no cross ventilation yet, I’m working on it :/)

For a dry substrate requiring terrestrial tarantula it’s not of importance to have cross ventilation so I wouldnt worry about that at all, top ventilation is more than adequate. Where more and cross ventilation is important is in moisture requiring tarantulas and Aviculariinae genera and species.

I just fed her, but right after I fed her she started to lay down a sheet of web like she’s planning on molting.

this is normal behavior post catching prey and is different behavior tha laying down a molting mat. Its all okay. @Kitara is right is called the "happy dance".

also worried that she’ll poop, and her dry cricket skin is still in her enclosure because I couldn’t find it. I don’t want to disturb her process but I’m also worried that if her tank is dirty when she molts she could get an infection or something.

They in nature poop wherever they want and the feed and leave boli and have survived longer thhan hhumans hhave been alive. It will not die nor get an infection. You can remove boli or uneaten prey once it is finished it is not going to hsrm it. Tarantulas are fairly clean animals and aside from you spot cleaning needs it will never be "dirty" unless you are totally hands off and leave prey in there.

also mold and fungi are not something to worry about if you are thhinking that could make them sick eithher. Totally hharmless.

 

[xXN0SU64RXx]

Thank you guys so much for your help. I just worry about her. I’m an anxious person and I don’t have any friends who even like spiders, much less keep them, so I really appreciate having people to explain stuff, and tell me not to worry with a basis in fact and experience.

For those of you who were interested. I can’t post pictures of the enclosure because I can’t seem to get my mobile browser to upload images and I have no idea how to fix that. Her enclosure is a sideways pickle jar on a stand with about 30 2-3 mm diameter holes through the lid. The jar has been sans-pickle for at least a year, and I washed it and dried it and rinsed it and dried it probably way more than I needed to. I just use dry coco coir for the substrate, and the surface of the substrate is about 4x6 inches, and it’s about two and a half inches to the topmost part of the glass above her in most places. Sometimes I give her water bottle caps as water dishes, but she just buries them within a day or so, so I’ve pretty much given up on that. She used to have a hide that was made out of a cardboard tape roll, but it got all moldy and gross (back when her enclosure was too humid), so I’m trying to find a better option, or another tape roll, because she really liked it. She has a little origami hat to hide under in the meantime, which she doesn’t care for. For context of all of this, she’s a little more than an inch across from foot to foot.

thanks again everybody

 

[xXN0SU64RXx]

How do you know it’s a year old, You said you’ve only had her a few weeks? unless someone you got it from raised it from a fresh sling, there is no way to know it’s age, not based on size there are many factors that go into growth rate.

For a dry substrate requiring terrestrial tarantula it’s not of importance to have cross ventilation so I wouldnt worry about that at all, top ventilation is more than adequate. Where more and cross ventilation is important is in moisture requiring tarantulas and Aviculariinae genera and species.

this is normal behavior post catching prey and is different behavior tha laying down a molting mat. Its all okay. @Kitara is right is called the "happy dance".

They in nature poop wherever they want and the feed and leave boli and have survived longer thhan hhumans hhave been alive. It will not die nor get an infection. You can remove boli or uneaten prey once it is finished it is not going to hsrm it. Tarantulas are fairly clean animals and aside from you spot cleaning needs it will never be "dirty" unless you are totally hands off and leave prey in there.

also mold and fungi are not something to worry about if you are thhinking that could make them sick eithher. Totally hharmless.

The guy who sold her to me claimed she was a year old, but the place I got her was admittedly sketchy. I know it’s shitty to get them from crappy places and it just enables them to keep sucking, and I feel bad about it, but what’s done is done. About the age though, I mean, I have a cat (kept very apart from the tarantula) who’s age I have absolutely no idea about, so it’s not super important to me how old she is. I know she’s not full grown because she’s like an inch long but other than that I couldn’t tell you.
Also, thank you for being so thorough and telling me so much stuff. I think the idea of a happy dance is utterly delightful.

 

[DaveM]

I don’t have any friends who even like spiders, much less keep them

You do now. You will gain knowledge and confidence over time. People here will help you (and eventually you might return the favor by letting us camp in your yard when we make spider hunting expeditions in Arizona. Never read the fine print!),
It's best to use some non-paper material for a hide (so the hide won't mold, as you have seen). Cork bark is a good and popular choice.

 

[l4nsky]

False- some specimens will eat the day they molt. I’ve seen it a few times.

I've noticed this a lot with Phormingochilus sp., so much so that I started feeding prekilled to slings who started looking plump until they molted again. The juveniles and subadults will eventually refuse to eat before a molt, but it's usually only a 3-5 day premolt fasting window as compared to the weeks or months of other genus.

 

[xXN0SU64RXx]

You do now. You will gain knowledge and confidence over time. People here will help you (and eventually you might return the favor by letting us camp in your yard when we make spider hunting expeditions in Arizona. Never read the fine print!),
It's best to use some non-paper material for a hide (so the hide won't mold, as you have seen). Cork bark is a good and popular choice.

It’s really cool to have that, it’s nice to have help, and I really enjoy reading everyone’s discussions and all this new information (I don’t have a yard because I am poor but I know plenty of good spots to stay also because I am poor) cork bark could be good but I also might go find her some cactus skeleton because like, Arizona tarantula, desert, cactus. I’ll have to figure out how to clean it right but I think I can hack it.

 

[Smotzer]

No worries it happens!

Also, thank you for being so thorough and telling me so much stuff. I think the idea of a happy dance is utterly delightful.

you are most welcome that is what this place is for to give information and be helpful!! And yes it is delightful!