Slings not eating

nmncfc90

Arachnopeon
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Jun 13, 2022
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Hi guys, newbie here and perhaps worrying over nothing.... but I purchased 2 slings from The Spider Shop UK last week and they arrived to me on Friday 22nd July. They are a B. hamorii and a G. pulchra - Both were labelled 1-2cms on their tubes that they came to me in although the pulchra is easily 3x the size of the hamorii which is tiny!!

Day 1 I simply set up their enclosures in 12oz pots that also came with the spider shop. Filled with about 4 inches of cocofibre substrate, a small cork bark for hides and a spiderling water bowl in each that was full. I have misted one part in each of the pots slightly with about 3-4 sprays of a fine sprayer. The rest of the substrate is relatively dry. I offered them small crickets on day 2 but neither wanted them. Pre killed instead and chopped up. Day 3 neither seemed touched and I hadn't observed them touching it so I removed the remains. Since day 3 I have not even seen the hamorii....I'm guessing its vanished inside the cork bark or burrowed and hasnt come back out? - the pulchra is permanently hiding on the back side of the cork bark which I can view easily but doesnt really move... day 5 (Tuesday 26th July) I offered them prekilled and chopped small meal worms. No sign of anything being eaten and again yesterday I removed them. Their water bowls look full to the brim as I initially filled them on day 1.

They are being left totally alone and not being disturbed except for the times mentioned above for attempted feeding. They are kept at the room temperature which is comfortable for me and everything I read has said that should also be comfortable for the spider? (probably around 21 degrees C - I'm in the UK) they have standard day light until it gets dark then are left in the dark. I don't think humidity is an issue but could be wrong? As I say the substrate is born dry. But one end has a damp spot and some water droplets on the plastic next to it where I misted plus their full water bowls.

The pulchra I am less concerned about as I can see it at all times even if it is just hiding and doesnt move - but he seems very plump and his abdomen does have a dark spot on it - so I am thinking he could be in pre molt and not interested in eating?
The hamorii im more concerned about as it was so tiny and looked skinny to me when I saw it when homing it into its pot after receiving but since then I've not seen it once. No signs of any life, wouldnt even know there was a spider inside the pot if I hadn't put it in myself!!! lol.

Do I have cause to be concerned or is both of this behaviour for this first 1 week of having them normal? Any help would be appreciated! Cheers :)
 

nmncfc90

Arachnopeon
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Jun 13, 2022
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They are settling in, no cause for alarm.
Thank you very much for the reassurance and response :) - I'll keep an eye on them and offering food once every few days. Is there a timeframe I should act if they are still not eating or if I still don't see the hamorii at all?
 

Finikan

Painter of Poorly Rendered Images
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Wait a week and try again. Rarely need to act on it, just let them be. Were they pretty fat? Might be fasting for a molt.
 

nmncfc90

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Jun 13, 2022
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the pulchra is pretty plump and was the day it arrived and I thought immediately it may be in pre molt. The hamorii was not in the slightest though if anything I felt it looked half starved and tiny haha, even when the smallest of crickets I could find was like a giant to it bless it. Haven't seen the hamorii in days though im assuming it's burrowed...at least I hope so and it hasn't escaped!!! :embarrassed::rofl:
 

Finikan

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Share some pics of the enclosures, if you have any. We can check the ventilation and see if it could escape.

You can always leave cricket legs for it instead of dropping in live prey.
 

nmncfc90

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Jun 13, 2022
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Thank you. These are pics of the enclosures side by side - the pic of the open enclosure is the B. hamorii's - as you will see water droplets at one side thats the end i dampened a little when misting. The smaller spider is the hamorii taken days ago and havent seen since - the enclosure has been stabbed all the way around the top using a pin from a safety pin... the little bit of food you see is a chopped up meal worm in each from yesterday that appears untouched still - oh and I did try leaving a leg in the hamoriis for a day or so but still didnt see it and it hadnt appeared moved/eaten by time i removed it!
 

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Finikan

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Well, they probably havent escaped through those little holes! Its probably in there.

I'd replace the rock dishes with water bottle caps, though. Rocks dishes can collapse on a burrowing T.
 

nmncfc90

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Jun 13, 2022
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Thank you! I didn't think they could fit through those holes but the hamorii in person seems soooo tiny I wasn't sure just how much they can squish themselves if determined enough! :rofl:

I will get some caps and swap them thanks for the advice on that! - I guess for now I shall wait and try feeding them in a week and see if they feed then. Thank you for your help!!
 

nmncfc90

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Well another 5 days on and still no sign of the hamorii at all, not seen it once, still hasn't eaten or drunk anything. Can only assume its burrowed somewhere.
The pulchra 3 days ago went under its rock hide and barricaded itself in by blocking up the entrance with substrate. I have since not seen him either! He also has not eaten or drunk anything, will have had them 2 weeks come Friday.
I will put new pictures if needed later onto this post (I'm in work at moment) - I assume I'm totally safe to continue leaving them be? Not sure what else I can do as I'm offering food once every 5-7 days and ensuring water is always full.
Could it be a temperature thing? As I say the room is an average of 21C. Could it be too cold for them so they're inactive/hiding away? Not sure what else to do other than leave nature takes its course and see if they reappear at all to eat!
 

nmncfc90

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Jun 13, 2022
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😂 😂 😂 That made me chuckle. I think it's going to take time to get used to this. I've always owned more traditional house pets that eat all the time. It feels really scary to think I've not fed or watered them in 2 weeks and they're just babies! I feel like I should at the very least have been able to see them by now to know they're alive, let alone they'd have actually eaten or drunk something! lol. Spiders don't half give their human pets slight cardiac troubles 😂
 

kingshockey

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Sep 4, 2017
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i offer you the ultimate solution to relieve your stress/worries you just buy more slings! another 2 3 4 ought to do it :D that way you will usually always have some out/active eating etc.unless they all happen to go into premolt together
 
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nmncfc90

Arachnopeon
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Jun 13, 2022
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😂 Love it! I said to myself I'm only gonna have the one T. That concluded with my first order having 2. I'm already looking at others... is this how the obsession begins?:lol:
 

Marlana

Arachnoknight
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Mar 27, 2020
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I want to commend your patience. Not going to lie, I totally dug a few slings up when I was a newbie. Which really just made the time they take to settle in last even longer. It’s definitely scary when you aren’t use to it and feels wrong.

Now I can not see a sling for 6+ months and think nothing of it but certainly didn’t come naturally. You get use to it.
 

nmncfc90

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Jun 13, 2022
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Thank you Marlana!

It really is nerve wracking when you are not used to it (more so when you also don't really know what to expect/what is typical behaviour!). I think I probably would have attempted digging as well if I wasn't too scared I might squish them in searching lol. I'm just comparing the first pictures of the hamorri before it vanished to the pics of it when it had resurfaced to eat the other day... I think it seems bigger!! Could it have moulted under the substrate? and if so..... is that a problem? Do I need to dig and locate it? Don't want it left and any bacteria or anything growing and spreading :embarrassed: I'm really not 100% if it has though... but it definitely doesn't seem as tiny as day1... but could be just as hes eaten and is now a little plump? Hard to be sure!
 

Marlana

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Mar 27, 2020
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Thank you Marlana!

It really is nerve wracking when you are not used to it (more so when you also don't really know what to expect/what is typical behaviour!). I think I probably would have attempted digging as well if I wasn't too scared I might squish them in searching lol. I'm just comparing the first pictures of the hamorri before it vanished to the pics of it when it had resurfaced to eat the other day... I think it seems bigger!! Could it have moulted under the substrate? and if so..... is that a problem? Do I need to dig and locate it? Don't want it left and any bacteria or anything growing and spreading :embarrassed: I'm really not 100% if it has though... but it definitely doesn't seem as tiny as day1... but could be just as hes eaten and is now a little plump? Hard to be sure!
Yeah it’s hard to tell but doesn’t really matter. Their exoskeletons typically don’t mold or anything. I just leave them if they aren’t easily accessible. I’ve had containers with 5+ molts and nothing bad happened.
 
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