OBT problems.

Alekos

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 1, 2021
Messages
17
Hello, I bought my first OBT 4 days ago and she is very weird. She is at juvenile stage I think and I don't actually know if she is a she or a he. I have some BIG problems with her. Firstly, she always goes to the top left or right corner up on the roof of the terrarium to web her self up. She just does that. She goes there web up the corner with herself in and come down at night after she has torn it apart again. I have made her a nice burrow, but she only climbed into it twice and she doesn't like it. She doesn't come down at all, maybe at night. But even at night when she is down I attempt to feed her some meal worms and she just attacks my tongs and stridulates, I have tried many times to feed her but she always does this. I haven't seen her drink any water and that is also concerning. Is she arboreal or is the soil too wet and she doesn't want to come down? Do OBTs like wet soil? I have coco fiber as soil and it is very wet. I've been trying to dry it for days and it doesn't really dry. I have also put many sticks around hoping she will web the place (of course boiled sticks and very clean). If someone could help me with all these problems I have with that little orange bitey thingy, it would be great. I would post a picture but I cant ): .
 

Poonjab

Arachnoking
Active Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2019
Messages
2,755
It’s fine, just chill. They also hate wet soil. Needs to be bone dry, honkey.
 

vicareux

A. geniculata worship cult member
Joined
Mar 14, 2020
Messages
496
Hi. Why cant you post the picture?

P.murinus likes the substrate dry. It shouldnt be very concerning that it doesnt drink since they dont drink too often. If your T has a fat abdomen, you shouldn't worry about feeding.
Increase ventilation and stop wetting the substrate, and you will be able to dry it down.
Also you will want to leave a bit more space between the substrate and the top of the enclosure, since a good portion will be webbed up,and you dont want to keep ripping its web apart.

But won't she die from hunger or something?
This makes me think that it's your first T. Why choose a P.murinus as your first? It is really not a good T to learn on
 

Craig73

Arachnoangel
Joined
Jun 2, 2016
Messages
790
Welcome. Basic husbandry knowledge is vital for not only your tarantula, but your own safety. From what you’ve written so far you’re likely on your way to a bite and a trip to the hospital. This is a T that will be less than likely to back down from a fight if you push the boundaries.

Substrate should be dry, so that’s the first issue that needs to be resolved. Lack of pictures of the enclosure makes it difficult to provide any useful feedback beyond the substrate moisture issue. These are fossorial so depth is equally important as some height that provides adequate anchor points for webbing.
 

Alekos

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 1, 2021
Messages
17
Οk thanks for the help, I will try to post a picture but it is hard because the methods I use to take pictures and post them are dumb and slow, that's why I can't but I'll try. Thanks for the help so far and also I know that OBTs are aggresive and dangerous, but mine is very calm and it might be my first time having a T but it's not my first time having a very fast spider. I have had many jumping spiders in the past along with black widows and other spiders. I will try to post a picture. Also I was worried because she is dumb and also thin. She is dumb because she climbs up on the corner as always and sometimes she falls down! SHE HAS FALLEN 4 TIMES! THANK GOD SHE IS STILL ALIVE.
 

Alekos

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 1, 2021
Messages
17
So here are the pictures, right now it's been hours after I have taken those pictures and also she is now up on the corner AGAIN webbing her self up. 0-02-0a-c43b5ba5e18eb9eb11be228857a39bb5a1ec87597a64a35fd378b9181e358324_dbf2b2fd3976bd85.jpg 0-02-0a-c43b5ba5e18eb9eb11be228857a39bb5a1ec87597a64a35fd378b9181e358324_dbf2b2fd3976bd85.jpg
 

Craig73

Arachnoangel
Joined
Jun 2, 2016
Messages
790
Οk thanks for the help, I will try to post a picture but it is hard because the methods I use to take pictures and post them are dumb and slow, that's why I can't but I'll try. Thanks for the help so far and also I know that OBTs are aggresive and dangerous, but mine is very calm and it might be my first time having a T but it's not my first time having a very fast spider. I have had many jumping spiders in the past along with black widows and other spiders. I will try to post a picture. Also I was worried because she is dumb and also thin. She is dumb because she climbs up on the corner as always and sometimes she falls down! SHE HAS FALLEN 4 TIMES! THANK GOD SHE IS STILL ALIVE.
Not dumb, T’s will climb. Mine does occasionally, like right now. They climb for many reasons; when rehoused, they don’t like something like wet substrate, exploring, etc. They also fall for different reasons like fine particles of substrate on the walls, going into premolt, etc.

Mine right now…does this maybe a few times a month. If I move the enclosure she goes directly into the burrow. Never had a threat pose and we’re at 3” now. I attribute the calmer nature to a decent enclosure setup she feels secure in.

CC727674-AA8F-4BFA-8D70-755989AC7B68.jpeg
 

Alekos

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 1, 2021
Messages
17
Not dumb, T’s will climb. Mine does occasionally, like right now. They climb for many reasons; when rehoused, they don’t like something like wet substrate, exploring, etc. They also fall for different reasons like fine particles of substrate on the walls, going into premolt, etc.

Mine right now…does this maybe a few times a month. If I move the enclosure she goes directly into the burrow. Never had a threat pose and we’re at 3” now. I attribute the calmer nature to a decent enclosure setup she feels secure in.

View attachment 404828
Very beautiful
 

Alekos

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 1, 2021
Messages
17
Now this is the top of the enclosure... You can see her on the top as always webbing the place up. 0-02-0a-c0f8d8c5658556515fae5c2fc83f9a88179a295a236fea1c339c4b921dcd83e4_3594cba991616731.jpg
 

Alekos

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 1, 2021
Messages
17
Also about the moist soil, I have a dehumidifier under the terrarium to and I am trying to keep a 26 degree temperature in the room so that the dirt will dry faster but it takes a long time.
 

Craig73

Arachnoangel
Joined
Jun 2, 2016
Messages
790
So here are the pictures, right now it's been hours after I have taken those pictures and also she is now up on the corner AGAIN webbing her self up. View attachment 404832 View attachment 404832
Thanks for sharing. Needs more substrate IMO. With a front opening enclosure you could slope the substrate so it’s deeper in the back. Still a bit of height issue, but should help. I would expect it’ll use the sticks as anchor points to web to once it settles in.

There should be more folks in the board in the morning with way more experience then me. My build was with drift wood buried in the substrate to allow for burrowing. Next molt it’ll go into its final home.
 

Alekos

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 1, 2021
Messages
17
Thanks for sharing. Needs more substrate IMO. With a front opening enclosure you could slope the substrate so it’s deeper in the back. Still a bit of height issue, but should help. I would expect it’ll use the sticks as anchor points to web to once it settles in.

There should be more folks in the board in the morning with way more experience then me. My build was with drift wood buried in the substrate to allow for burrowing. Next molt it’ll go into its final home.
Great thanks but to be clear, I make the back much higher with soil, in the front (with the sliding doors) I make the soil balanced and put sticks around? That's it right?
 

Craig73

Arachnoangel
Joined
Jun 2, 2016
Messages
790
Great thanks but to be clear, I make the back much higher with soil, in the front (with the sliding doors) I make the soil balanced and put sticks around? That's it right?
That’s kinda what I would do. I use top opening enclosures, so not my area of expertise. I think @Dorifto may have designed something that mimics a more vertical setup. If he did he’s been tagged and can chime in.
 

Alekos

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 1, 2021
Messages
17
Thanks all of you for your help. So she will probably start eating when she get's comfortable right? I will now have to but her in a box and remake her enclosure but it's for the best.
 

Craig73

Arachnoangel
Joined
Jun 2, 2016
Messages
790
Thanks all of you for your help. So she will probably start eating when she get's comfortable right? I will now have to but her in a box and remake her enclosure but it's for the best.
Hopefully, it’s not that skinny so I wouldn’t stress over it.
 

Dorifto

He who moists xD
Joined
Aug 10, 2017
Messages
2,681
Hi alekos!!!

First of all welcome to AB!!!

Regarding to the enclosure, it's big, really big. So you need to fill that space properly. I'd add a bit more substrate, and make a staggered like setup. I'd try to search some driftwood roots, they will provide an awesome place to web and it will have a more naturalistic look.

You need more than a few branches to fill it. If not better to rehouse it in a smaller enclosure, it will need less work to set it correctly.
 
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