Please help me with my new Costa Rican stripe knee

[Tyler lockenour]

So I just bought this Costa Rican stripe knee tarantula from preuss's pets, they didn't give me much information on him or her I don't know what it is but ever since I brought it home it will not move at all and I'm worried and don't know much about spiders yet and I was wondering what might be going on with it whether it's just getting used to its environment or if it's in the middle of it's pre molt process, anyone who thinks they might know what's going on with it, your comments are greatly appreciated

So I just got over my fear of spiders and decided to buy a Costa Rican stripe knee spider and ever since I got it yesterday it will not move at all and I'm worried that it's dying or something, does anyone know what might be going on with it? Any comments are greatly appreciated

 

[Spaceman]

If it’s not moving it’s fine, many T’s in the wild just sit and wait for prey.. my striped knee has gone 3 days without moving

 

[Tyler lockenour]

If it’s not moving it’s fine, many T’s in the wild just sit and wait for prey.. my striped knee has gone 3 days without moving

Do you think it just might be getting used to its environment to maybe?, I was also told where I bought it from that it's about 6 to 7 months old oh, do you think it might be getting ready to molt?

 

[Spaceman]

Have you fed it yet, or attempted to? And how large is it?

 

[Tyler lockenour]

And a cricket crawled right next to it n it did nothing

 

[NYAN]

You can post a photo of it if you’d like.

Sometimes they will sit in the same spots for a long time. I don’t own many tarantulas, but some of the terrestrial species that I have will sit in the same spots for days.

 

[Tyler lockenour]

So do you guys know how old they generally are before they molt?

 

[NYAN]

View attachment 331866

I don’t see anything obviously wrong with the spider. The enclosure, on the other hand could be improved. The enclosure looks pretty big. Also, how deep is the substrate?

 

[Tyler lockenour]

And I was also told not to leave crickets in there because crickets can become carnivorous, what do you guys think

About a inch deep,u think I should put more in?plants?

And it's about 74 degrees

Sorry I'm posting so much I'm just concerned and want it comfortable and I was told to get this 10 gallon tank from the person at preuss's pets

 

[Poonjab]

It’s very common for T’s not to move very much. You’re enclosure, from what I can tell, is also not the right set up. It’s also probably just trying to adjust. This is common when bringing home and rehousing a new T. I’m going to say this in a non combative way, so please don’t take it as me attacking you, but you REALLY should have done your research before buying an animal to care for. Fortunately... you’ve come to the right place to get help. That is if you’re willing to take some constructive criticism?

this can help with all your husbandry questions

 

[NYAN]

So do you guys know how old they generally are before they molt?

What do you mean? They are always molting because it is how they grow. The frequency really depends on a lot of factors. The older they get, the less often they molt. Temperature and feeding frequency also affect it.

And I was also told not to leave crickets in there because crickets can become carnivorous, what do you guys think

That is right. They also will stress the tarantula out.

About a inch deep,u think I should put more in?plants?

This species likes to burrow. Give it as much depth as you can. Once you do this, bury the hide at an angle going into the substrate. The height of your enclosure is also going to be an issue. You really want enough substrate so that there’s only 1-1.5x the legspan in height. Terrestrial species will damage and or kill themselves by falling from heights.

Also, please consolidate your posts if possible. You can do this by editing your post and adding onto it.

 

[Tyler lockenour]

What do you mean? They are always molting because it is how they grow. The frequency really depends on a lot of factors. The older they get, the less often they molt. Temperature and feeding frequency also affect it.



That is right. They also will stress the tarantula out.



This species likes to burrow. Give it as much depth as you can. The height of your enclosure is also going to be an issue. You really want enough substrate so that there’s only 1-1.5x the legspan in height. Terrestrial species will damage and or kill themselves by falling from heights.

Also, please consolidate your posts if possible. You can do this by editing your post and adding onto it.

What do you mean? They are always molting because it is how they grow. The frequency really depends on a lot of factors. The older they get, the less often they molt. Temperature and feeding frequency also affect it.



That is right. They also will stress the tarantula out.



This species likes to burrow. Give it as much depth as you can. The height of your enclosure is also going to be an issue. You really want enough substrate so that there’s only 1-1.5x the legspan in height. Terrestrial species will damage and or kill themselves by falling from heights.

Also, please consolidate your posts if possible. You can do this by editing your post and adding onto it.

Yeah I will my bad, I'm just new to this site and message boards, so what do you think I should have like six or seven inches of substrate?

 

[NYAN]

Sorry I'm posting so much I'm just concerned and want it comfortable and I was told to get this 10 gallon tank from the person at preuss's pets

Pet stores like to upsell people. A 10 gallon is kind of unnecessary. Keep in mind that they live in burrows for their almost their entire life in the wild. As long as they can have this, they are content. Something half the size of a 10 gallon is perfect.

Another thing that you want to keep in mind is that the lids to these enclosures will allow for the spider’s tarsal claws to get stuck if it’s decides to climb. You really ought to use a sheet of plexiglass instead.

They didn’t also tell you to buy humidity gauges and use a sponge for the water dish I hope?

Yeah I will my bad, I'm just new to this site and message boards, so what do you think I should have like six or seven inches of substrate?

No worries. If you can provide that depth, definitely go for it. It’ll appreciate it.

 

[Colorado Ts]

So I just bought this Costa Rican stripe knee tarantula from preuss's pets, they didn't give me much information on him or her I don't know what it is but ever since I brought it home it will not move at all and I'm worried and don't know much about spiders yet and I was wondering what might be going on with it whether it's just getting used to its environment or if it's in the middle of it's pre molt process, anyone who thinks they might know what's going on with it, your comments are greatly appreciated

I had a beautiful Aphonopelma seemanni for about 9 years, and I currently have a nice little girl about the same size as the one that you have pictured.

With my current spider, she came to me in a translucent white sterylite container. She had burrowed to the bottom and had a very spacious chamber. She was curious and would come out often and sit outside her burrow and was a very good feeder...until I rehoused her into a nice 5 gallon aquarium.

I rehoused her in late October. She went into a stress pose, and didn't move hardly at all till after the New Year, in January. Like a fuzzy little eight-legged statue, she just sat and looked stressed.

Then suddenly her whole attitude changed. Her posture was no longer stressed and she started exploring her enclosure a lot. I put a ping pong ball in with her, and she would move the ball around the enclosure; never when I was actively watching, I had to catch her at it.

This week, she's finally started digging another burrow. I'm hoping she'll be eating soon.

My experience has shown me that this species does not like change...as slings, very forgiving. But after they reach a certain size, as an adult...if there is too much change, they sulk around for months. They whine and cry, they throw temper tantrums and quit eating.

Then one day...they suddenly start moving, exploring...and then settle in to digging a burrow, and all is well.

You may be in for a long wait, my friend.

 

[goddessofcode]

My experience has shown me that this species does not like change...as slings, very forgiving. But after they reach a certain size, as an adult...if there is too much change, they sulk around for months. They whine and cry, they throw temper tantrums and quit eating.

I just got an A. seemanni and this describes him so well...lol. He's in the sulk stage.

 

[Thekla]

So I just bought this Costa Rican stripe knee tarantula from preuss's pets, they didn't give me much information on him or her I don't know what it is but ever since I brought it home it will not move at all and I'm worried and don't know much about spiders yet and I was wondering what might be going on with it whether it's just getting used to its environment or if it's in the middle of it's pre molt process, anyone who thinks they might know what's going on with it, your comments are greatly appreciated

First and foremost, you need way more substrate! You have an obligate burrower at your hand and (s)he wants to dig down. I don't know how big your tank is, but you need to fill in the substrate at least halfway up, maybe even more if the vertical space between substrate and the top is over 1,5X DLS (diagonal leg span) of your A. seemanni. This is also for safety reasons in case your T climbs and falls.
You will need slightly moist substrate, by the way, A. seemanni appreciates a bit of moisture in the sub, just don't make a swamp out of it. Tamp down the substrate real good and then bury the cork bark in an angle and make a starter burrow underneath. It doesn't have to be a huge opening, your T will excavate it to its liking.

If you have a mesh lid with that tank, I'd also strongly recommend replacing it with an acrylic sheet with drilled holes into it for ventilation. Ts can get their tarsal claws stuck in the mesh and injure themselves in the process.

Other than that and a nicely sized water dish is all that it needs. Well, that and the occasional roach, cricket, superworm or such.

Additionally to the video already posted, I recommend reading this thread: https://arachnoboards.com/threads/tarantula-information-for-beginners-and-more.318718/

Do you think it just might be getting used to its environment to maybe?, I was also told where I bought it from that it's about 6 to 7 months old oh, do you think it might be getting ready to molt?

This T is most definitely not 6-7 months old... more like 2 or more years. It's still a juvenile though, so, even if it turns out to be a male you'll probably have him for a few years to come.

I already told you in your other thread what changes you need to make to properly care for him or her.
https://arachnoboards.com/threads/p...-costa-rican-stripe-knee.329082/#post-3013895
Maybe a mod could merge these threads... @Ungoliant? @cold blood?

As for the not moving part... you just got it. Give it some time to settle in (after you made the necessary changes). A. seemanni, especially, often need more time to properly acclimate to their new environment than other Ts might.

 

[Morzilla]

Everyone already gave alot of good information and critiques. When I rehoused my A. seemanni shelob she didnt move for about a week and just sat there next to her hide in a half stress position. Then out of no where she dug a huge new burrow (of course burying her water bowl multiple time in the process) and relaxed into the new environment. Give your little dude a ton more substrate, water bowl, starter hide, and some time.

Also you can put plants in if you want but I know mine likes to rearrange any decorations I try to put in there. Or bury them

 

[Nightinghoul]

My stripe knee was my first T, and now I have two of them. From my experience, they take awhile to adjust to new environments and are pretty timid. My first one didn't eat for 9 months and took even longer to start burrowing. Just read up on care for them and make sure you're providing the best for it, and let it settle in.

 

[Feral]

You've already gotten lots of great advice, so I just wanted to add on...

u think I should put more in?plants?

I've found that the more cover a T has, the more secure they feel and the quicker they settle in, and the less stressed they are. They definitely need at least one hide, which you have, good. You already got great advice to increase the substrate depth enough to leave about 1-1.5 times the DLS (diagonal leg span) from the top of the enclosure to the substrate (i.e. maximum fall height of 1-1.5 x DLS), which is importante. And equally important, this will allow lots of depth for digging in a 10g Leader like yours, which have a height of 12" so that means you'll have a substrate depth of about 8" good. Pack the substrate some to help it hold its shape for burrows. Then you can half-bury the hide at about a 45° angel and use a spoon (or something similar) to start a little burrow beneath it. (You many want to consider changing the hide from whatever rando wood that type of hide is to a hide made of cork bark, because IME the type of wood you have now is very prone to fungi when used with moist substrate, like with a seemani.) To increase security further, you can add even more cover- This can be in the form of additional hides, cover from plants, or cover from a light-proof lid. Anything the T recognizes as cover will help satisfy its instincts for the security of cover and benefit his wellbeing.

Though, even with lots of good cover, the fact that it's the middle of winter and she is a very seasonal species may slow down her settling in. But still, lots of cover definitely helps a lot, IME.

And it's about 74 degrees

Average room temp range is fine for these guys, even if it's a bit cool they're fine. As long as it's over about 60°F and under about 85°F, don't worry about even measuring temps. Wait, you're not purposefully adding any artificial heat, are you? Like with heat mats, rocks, lights, ceramics, tape or cable or anything else... Right?

Congrats on your new fuzzbutt friend! I know you'll do your very best for him from here on out.

 

[MikeofBorg]

View attachment 331866

So do you guys know how old they generally are before they molt?

My Aphonopelma seemanni that matured out male would lock his burrow up for 6 months before reappearing all fresh and new. They can go a long time before molting. On average after he plugged his burrow it would be 3 months before I saw him again. You need more substrate, a lot more. They are obligate burrowers and need a good amount of substrate to dig in. I had my male (RIP) in a 10 gallon aquarium filled 3/4 of the way full. He had a nice burrow complex dug underneath it. He dug all the way to the bottom of the aquarium.

I used a mix of peat moss, organic potting soil (no fertilizer added), coconut husk, vermiculite and pool filtration sand. I didn't have any special amount just mixed it in a bucket until it was nice and evenly distributed throughout the mix. He was in that enclosure for 4 years. I would overflow the water dish biweekly to keep a corner of the enclosure moist.