P.metallica sling ..help

Arachnoaddict666

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 21, 2017
Messages
9
Good morning... I got this sling of poecilotheria metallica 1 inch in lenght.. It was my 1st time to care for a tarantula sling.. So i have some question to ask to you master keepers.. 1st how long will it take for a p.metallica sling in premolt and what are the sign of old world tarantula in premolt?should i feed my sling everyday to make it grow faster.. Nway we are in the philippines and the climate was really hot and humid... Please give me some tips for this species... Thank you guys
 

Vezon

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 26, 2015
Messages
48
I feed my poec slings once a week. I have no idea about the molt thing. Mine generally go incognito for a few days/weeks before they decide to molt, so I would just watch for that behavior.
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
Its worrisome to see so many questions from someone with such an advanced species.:anxious:

Based on this, I would suggest you post a pic of the enclosure just to be sure it has what it needs.

How long a t is in pre-molt is dependent on temps, yes, but there is also individual variances, so there's not a straight answer to how long....generally (this may or may not be the case with yours), its 1-3 weeks....but like I said, if its a lot longer, you can't be worried.

Signs would be lethargy, dulling of colors and in the latest stages the skin on the abdomen will appear to be stretched out and shiny. Food refusal or even avoidance and a lack of grip on smooth surfaces is another. But it won't get nearly as plump as you might expect if you are familiar with new world terrestrials.

Feeding it every day isn't necessary. A t can only eat so much before its ready to molt...also it takes X amount of time for that new exo to form beneath the old one....so basically if you feed it very often, it generally just results in a longer, sometimes significantly, longer pre-molt period. Feeding it twice a week is a better schedule, its still a heavier schedule that will promote a little faster growth...once a week is also a decent, or pretty normal schedule....how often you feed is really up to you, but as I said, more food in a short time makes for longer fasting periods.

Expect molts in 30-50 days at that size considering your regions warm temps and naturally high humidity.
 
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