Off behaviour from 2 inch L. Paryhabana

[Tarantula Chris]

The photos are after rehousing. When I wanted to introduce a larger water bowl (as the older, smaller one wasn't doing the job and an almost daily moisture application was needed), instead of just replacing the water bowl, a full enclosure clean was due. So after sterilising the new substrate, I didn't realise just how moist the substrate was. So when I went to my T's to take the pic, I encountered this 'swamp'. I immediately replaced the lid with a net top and left it to dry out faster, Aragog (as my girlfriend named it) has never lived in an environment this humid and nor should any other T. The enclosure is now back to 75% humidity. The original question was does anyone know (besides moulting) a potential explanation for the strange walking behaviour for an L.Parahybana kept in the correct conditions. Thanks everyone for your input.

Also, Aragog has been rejecting food for around 5 weeks

 

[cold blood]

The photos are after rehousing. When I wanted to introduce a larger water bowl (as the older, smaller one wasn't doing the job and an almost daily moisture application was needed), instead of just replacing the water bowl, a full enclosure clean was due. So after sterilising the new substrate, I didn't realise just how moist the substrate was. So when I went to my T's to take the pic, I encountered this 'swamp'. I immediately replaced the lid with a net top and left it to dry out faster, Aragog (as my girlfriend named it) has never lived in an environment this humid and nor should any other T. The enclosure is now back to 75% humidity. The original question was does anyone know (besides moulting) a potential explanation for the strange walking behaviour for an L.Parahybana kept in the correct conditions. Thanks everyone for your input.

Also, Aragog has been rejecting food for around 5 weeks

First, if you are filing a water dish all the time, it just needs to be cleaned. Even the tiniest bit of webbing will cause a wicking effect which will empty the bowl remarkably fast.

Next, never, and I can't stress this enough, never sterilize substrate. This only gives the first thing to colonize it (and its colonized immediately) will have it all to themselves, leaving you open to outbreaks of molds or worse.

Onto that 75% humidity. Please, for the love of your tarantula, stop measuring humidity, there is no t on the planet that requires any number specific humidity. Moisture in the substrate is a better way to manage things. Any place telling you humidity numbers should be questioned. On top of that, to get those numbers, you need a hygrometer...a device that's notoriously inaccurate, especially in an enclosed space, like an enclosure. This all too often leads to people relying on it, chasing some perceived magic number to the detriment of the tarantula within.

As for the explanation, I already gave you that.....ts in enclosures that are too damp and stuffy act just like this, refusing food and acting sluggish...then they die. This is why you were urged to re-house again. I would re-house on dry substrate.

Replacing the top with a known hazard (screen) to avoid another re-house is a risky proposition, especially considering that ts housed on substrate that's too wet typically climb to escape the watery floor.

Best of luck.

 

[Tarantula Chris]

As for the explanation, I already gave you that.....ts in enclosures that are too damp and stuffy act just like this, refusing food and acting sluggish...then they die. This is why you were urged to re-house again. I would re-house on dry substrate.



Best of luck.

The thing is the T was acting like this before the rehousing therefore before the moisture, so the moisture was not the cause of it, as it's usual enclosure is right, conditionally. The over moist enclosure lasted around 3 hours.

Besides that, all fantastic info! Thanks very much. The sterilising of substrate being a bad thing is a new one me but, that's something more for me to research. Thanks again Cold Blood

 

[cold blood]

And humidity - always kept pretty moist (slightly more so than usual in there as it's in pre moult)

To me this implies that it was kept possibly too damp even before the re-house, which is why I suspected too much moisture was/is the problem. They should be kept basically dry with a water dish....couldn't be easier.

I hope this clear where I was coming from with the moisture concerns.

 

[Tarantula Chris]

I see...When I say pretty moist (maybe pretty was an exaggeration) it was supposed to be meant as moist in air humidity not the substrate so much but nothing anywhere near like it was in the pic waiting for the substrate to dry. With a bigger water bowl, substrate can be left as it is now (basically dry with a slight mist once a week). Whatever it was, Aragog seems to be more like a normal T in pre-moult so all looks good. Walking pattern is back to normal. Thanks guys