Spending a lot of time on the glass?

[arcane]

It seems my Smithi spends about half of his/her time on the glass (well plastic actually). It seems to spend almost all day there, and then descend at night to eat. Is this bad? Seems to eat quite well, I gave it a hidey hole but it doesnt use it much. I'm using half vermiculite half forrest bed (coconut fiber type stuff).

Been 2 weeks since I got it, with this substrate.

 

[Lopez]

All spiders vary in their own individual ways, but spending a lot of time on the glass can often mean the spider is unhappy with the substrate - either it is too moist, or the spider just does not like the "feel" of the substrate.
Let her settle a week or two more, and see if she adapts - many spiders (mostly Asian spp) are very slow to adapt to new surroundings.

 

[chuck]

i had the SAME exact problem with my B.smithi

i changed substrates. i had the forest bedding, now i use potting soil. she spends more time on the dirt now, but still likes to climb. i posted this question on another forum, and Joy said its their natural tendency to explore

 

[8leggedfreak]

I had the same problem with my g. rosea. I had bought some forest bedding from the local pet store and she hated it. I ended up taking that out and adding some peat mosss, and that seems to have made her much happier.=D

 

[Olan]

I don't think that smithi's like the coconut fiber very much. They get used to it after a while though.

-Olan

 

[chuck]

ive had my girl on it for a long time, 6 months tops, but suddenly she spent more time on the siding, thats when i changed the substrate to a potting soil, she still climbs, but atleast shes on the ground most of the time now

 

[nemesis6sic6]

hey

I had the same Problem with my smithi also and I will agree with Olan on this. they get usto it over a while, but I had mine since it was 1" and now its 2 1/2" and she got usto it even though she still climbs the walls. as long as she's eating and molting and not kicking hairs I guess she's all right. any ways have a nice day
geo

 

[arcane]

So I switch it's substrate of forest bed/vermiculite for peat/vermiculite... before it was just sitting a bit above the substrate.. now it's pacing the vents

 

[Professor T]

At first my B. smithi spent all its time on the sides and lid of its terrarium. The bottom is sphagnum peat moss. I think it was too moist in the beginning, and as the substrate dried, the T took to the ground and has been there ever since. Give the substrate a chance to dry and your redknee will become a ground dweller too.

 

[arcane]

Yeah actually while I was watching the Crocodile Hunter/Jeff Corwin it descended and started burrowing a little in it's hide. Never did that before

on another random note: What the heck is wrong the Crocodile Hunter? Dude... STOP POKING THE VIPER! Those crazy Aussies.

 

[chuck]

Originally posted by arcane
So I switch it's substrate of forest bed/vermiculite for peat/vermiculite... before it was just sitting a bit above the substrate.. now it's pacing the vents

well pacing is never good, some may say to give her time to get used to the substrate, but a pacing spider is an unhappy spider

 

[luther]

I keep my adult female B.smithi in a tank with a fairly deep substrate, very dry on top and damp deep down. She has a cork bark shelter and water dish. I found that if I kept the tank's air warm and quite dry she would excavate a burrow down to the moist soil. I think my smithi is now displaying more natural behaviour, treating the tank as "outside" and her retreat as home. So, try drying out the surface of the substrate.

I had a B.emelia female that just wouldn't stop climbing the walls. That one was easily solved when I discovered she was actually a mature male, searching for a mate.