Sling hasn't eaten in months

[akkouuu]

I got a grammostola pulchra sling earlier this year and it's ate maybe once or twice since I got it. Anytime I offer food it gets ignored and I have to remove it the next day. Does it have to do with the size/quality of the food? I bought tiny juvenile dubias the same day I got my T but they've outgrown it now. I still offer water daily and I know it hasn't died since I do see it moving around, but I don't know if or when this will become a problem. I think it's been around half a year and I'm not sure what to do as it's my first T.

 

[DomGom TheFather]

A picture would help but it's not uncommon for even young spiders to go months without eating. If they're well fed, it might be a while.
You can always try changing up feeders but if it's not hungry, it's not going to take it.

 

[Tarantuland]

How big is this sling? These things grow SLOW

 

[JonnyTorch]

Send a picture of the whole enclosure. Sometimes spiders just don't want to eat. When it's hungry, it will certainly eat. How big is your spider?

 

[spideyspinneret78]

As long as its abdomen is a decent size I wouldn't worry. This species has a very slow metabolism and grows at a glacial pace. Keep offering prekilled prey once a week or so and make sure that the spider has access to water.

 

[akkouuu]

@Tarantuland @DomGom TheFather it's probably around 2cm
@JonnyTorch ^& I don't have pics of the enclosure atm since I changed it recently, but it's an old glass yogurt container, tiny cardboard tube for hiding and a single medicine blister to use as a water dish + bedding.
Thank you guys for your help by the way!

 

[kingshockey]

@Tarantuland @DomGom TheFather it's probably around 2cm
@JonnyTorch ^& I don't have pics of the enclosure atm since I changed it recently, but it's an old glass yogurt container, tiny cardboard tube for hiding and a single medicine blister to use as a water dish + bedding.
Thank you guys for your help by the way!

dump the cardboard tube it will mold soon as it gets any moisture use a chunk of corkwood or large plastic leaf cut to fit your cage instead

 

[ant ramblings]

is it burrowed down deep and not coming up for food ?

 

[cold blood]

A sling not eating for months may or may not be an issue, depending on the species and plumpness of the sling in question.

You have a pulchra, and as mentioned, they grow VERY slowly....one of those that grow so slow its often referred to as glacially slow.....this means they (even slings) have exceptionally long molt cycles. This being the case, it means that once a pulchra is plump, it will no longer need food and it will just wait to be physically ready to molt....if plumped early in the cycle, this could mean 6 months to a year without eating.....being that its very easy (especially when people use feeding schedules) to plump the up very early in the molt cycle, such long fasts are the norm in captivity.

So basically, you have nothing to be concerned about, you can simply stop feeding it...for as long as it takes, even if this means all winter....just keep water in the dish, that's literally all you need to do until it molts.

Also, once it molts, keep in mind that the length of fasting will play NO role in its food needs post molt, so be patient and wait a bit for it to be ready to eat.

 

[viper69]

Does it have to do with the size

It can yes, many species eat smaller prey items than you would think. That species, I never had a problem w/mine, but they are all different a bit, like their human owners. But that species not eating for a while, non-issue generally. Cant tell w/yours because you didn't provide enough data.

 

[akkouuu]

is it burrowed down deep and not coming up for food ?

yeah

 

[Konstantin Konstantinov]

Hi
will you please post few pics of your setup with dimensions of the enclosure.
Regards Konstantin

 

[Smotzer]

Like others have said if the tarantula's abdomen is plump there is no need to be concerned about how long it fasts. And your example is usually a very clear example of how food, especially with certain species like Grammostola, needs to be spaced out over an entire molt cycle so that one can avoid it eating all it needs in a relatively short period of time and then fast for an extended period of time until it molts. We often talk/hear about how you can't overfeed a sling, but in the case of those with extremely low metabolisms leading to glacial growth rate you certainly can feed a sling to much too fast leading to those extremely long premolt periods in my opinion.

also...

I still offer water daily

You should never be offering water on a set schedule, that's a good way to lead to swampy and or stagnant conditions, especially in a small sling container. How are you offering this water? Misting?

 

[cold blood]

yeah

this is often the result of an over-sized enclosure.

 

[ant ramblings]

My hentzi sling is in the smallest braplast enclosure but that is still really too big for it .
I made a starter burrrow down the side so at least i can see it and know its alive .
The reason is in this roughly 3inch by 2inch hi box is that i can keep a water bowl in with it .
The down side is it lives underground and has probably only eaten three times in about four months and is still tiny about .5 cm .
It had not feed for a very long time so i uncovered the entrance to the burrow and placed a small dead cricket in such a way i would be able to get it out the next day .
However the spider totally devoured it and i am glad i did it now though the cricket was a similar size too the the spider so i don't expect it to want to eat for a long time now .

 

[TheKitchenSink]

Similar experience with my Pulchra. Fed her well after her last molt and then moved her into a much needed larger enclosure sometime after. She ate again then sealed off her hide for a few weeks, came out to get some water (saw her) then she sealed off her hide again. She's moving around down there as I can see her. Just not interested in food or being bothered ATM.

Mines never been a vigorous eater to begin with.
Darker days, cooler house temps (live in Canada) with winter approaching, (someone has already mentioned). I've never had a T molt or do much over fall/winter. Water dishes are still filled etc. Spring comes, they all pop out hungry as hell and then they all start to molt.

This is how you get a collection going lol.
Welcome to the hobby, and a beautiful T- If someone else hasn't said it already.