Please help me with my rose T

Tress

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 3, 2003
Messages
3
I have adopted a chilean rose, I dont even like regular spiders but she was homeless.

However, she hasnt eaten in over two weeks. I have been worried sick!!! I have been out today and bought Vermiculite and a piece of bark for her to hide under as advised by the guy in the store. Now she wont move off the top of this bark!! In fact, she hardly moves at all.

I dont know what else to do to help her settle in???
God, my dog is less worry lol.

PLEASE HELP THIS NON_SPIDER FAN

(she is kinda growing on me though ! )
 

belewfripp

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 17, 2002
Messages
344
Tarantulas in general don't move a lot. It is not unusual for a species like a rosehair to sit in one spot for what seems like days at a time. The hanging out on her hide may just be normal behavior, although some spiders don't like the feel of vermiculite on their feet. Eventually she will get over it and lay a thin layer of silk over it to make it less unpleasant to walk on, though you could try giving her vermiculite mixed with peat moss instead. Rosehair Ts also frequently fast. she may be preparing to molt or she may just be fasting for another reason. As long as her abdomen remains plump and round and she seems otherwise ok, I wouldn't worry about it.


Adrian
 

Lopez

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 18, 2003
Messages
2,040
Rosies are often referred to as "Pet Rocks", and for good reason.
I could grow a beard in the time it takes mine to do a lap of her tank - they live life in the slow lane and generally sit motionless for days, even weeks, on end.

They are also famed for going off food for very long periods. Until this week, my female hadn't eaten since August!
As long as she always has a fresh bowl of water she should be fine :)
 

conipto

ArachnoPrincess
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 27, 2002
Messages
1,256
In the front of this forum, there is a sticky forum topic called "Please read this for Chilean Rose owners", that is the most concise guide ever for keeping these..

That said, nothing sounds out of the ordinary to me :)

Bill
 

Mendnwngs

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 30, 2003
Messages
128
Originally posted by Tress


(she is kinda growing on me though ! )
LOL.. Watch out, that'll hapen.. :)

I too got my first T as a "gift" from someone who didnt want it.

I now have 4.

An adult G. Rosea can live up to a year or more without eating, if their in good shape to begin with..

Try once a week, Put a cricket in. If its still there in 48 Hrs, take it out, and try again next week. If you see the spider on its back, dont panic. And be sure to remove any live food items in the cage. Your spider will be molting. For about a week afterwards, your spiders new "skin" will be soft, and a cricket bite could be fatal. Molting is one of the most fascinating aspects of the hobby.

Tarantuals will fast for anywhere from a few days, to a few months before a molt. just keep an eye out for a "legs up" spider.

These things (Tarantuals) arent like a dog / cat / fish / bird / whatever, in the fact that their digestive system is incredibly efficent, and their consumption of food is on a much longer timescale than you're used to.

Ive had to get used to this fact myself recently.

So, the long and the short of it:

provide food (once a week), Provide water (all the time) and provide a good home (Sounds like your are ;) ) And your rosey will be fine.

-Jason
 

sunnymarcie

Celestial Spider
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 13, 2003
Messages
1,294
Welcome to the hobby:D
You will end up like ALL of us, were a bunch of T junkies! LOL!
T's are like potato chips, you can't have just one:cool: ;P
 

TheWidowsPeak

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 19, 2003
Messages
64
my rose hair hasn't ate in allmost three months now its not about to molt or anything cuz its bald spot is rose colored. it still drinks from its water dish and is good and fat so i'm not worried.
 

Arachnopuppy

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
713
IMPORTANT!!! MUST READ

Like I said, this is IMPORTANT. Do not leave any uneaten live food in the cage with the tarantula. They give the tarantula much stress. It could turn fatal for the tarantula if it molts while live crickets are still crawling around in there.

REMOVE ANY LIVE FOOD IMMEDIATELY.
 

Professor T

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 11, 2003
Messages
722
My G. rosea fasts every year for about 6 months. Usually she sheds in May and eats shortly after that non-stop until around October-November.

I would only put in one cricket at a time. Try this once a week. An uneaten cricket should be removed after a few hours. Many have stories about crickets eating/harming T's when they shed. I believe this is more common with slings and sub-adults, but T's are vulnerable during and after a molt, no doubt.
 
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