Stuck in a molt I fear

[gobey]

Hey fellas. I got a beautiful A. seemani 2 months ago. About 4 inches. Female. She only had 7 legs.

She hasn't eaten a thing. And finally she flipped on her backside on the 1st. I was so excited for her to get some new color and her leg back. But here it is the morning of the 3rd. I've never seen a tarantula molt this long. It's an hours long process not days right?

I've read about this happening and just always figured I had easy species to handle.

But here I am and I fear my new T, whom I've grown to put in my favorites... Is in dire need of help that I don't know how to give her even after years of keeping Ts.

I have heat going and made sure her water is full.

But I'm afraid to touch her.

 

[gobey]

Wednesday vs today

 

[gobey]

I very lightly tapped her leg with my smallest paintbrush

I think she's dead

 

[EulersK]

I'd give it another day or two, but yeah, it doesn't look great. But the abdomen isn't shriveled, so that's good. What's strange is that it doesn't look like your spider prepared for a molt at all. No burrowing, hardly any web mat, no closing off of the burrow. How humid did you have it in there?

 

[gobey]

I'd give it another day or two, but yeah, it doesn't look great. But the abdomen isn't shriveled, so that's good. What's strange is that it doesn't look like your spider prepared for a molt at all. No burrowing, hardly any web mat, no closing off of the burrow. How humid did you have it in there?

She's got moist soul underneath the top layer

It was starting to dry out

I just wasn't prepared for her to molt

She wasn't eating but she didn't have a dark abdomen or anything

 

[gobey]

I hate the feeling like I should have re moistened the soil though

Like I could have prevented it

She was super cool and I only had her about 2 months

However she was also a WC specimen from Petco

So no idea the age and health of the spider

 

[EulersK]

I doubt that it being dry is what caused this, but this is a humid species. I never let the top of the substrate dry out on mine.

Just keep us updated. There's nothing that you can really do other than watch and wait.

 

[gobey]

Well it's a mystery but she was clearly gone.

I guess every now and then they do just die.

I have a lucky little B. emilia that will get an enclosure upgrade now.

Look on the bright side, learn, move forward.

 

[darkness975]

Well it's a mystery but she was clearly gone.

I guess every now and then they do just die.

I have a lucky little B. emilia that will get an enclosure upgrade now.

Look on the bright side, learn, move forward.

The thing with Petco spiders is you have no idea what they went through before you acquire them. It could have had some kind of internal injury that triggered the instinct to molt but obviously it didn't work.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[gobey]

Yeah I got her from someone I know and trust here. He let me know her history. She was cool while I had her

And let me know that I indeed may have an interest in another one day at least.

Maybe if my G. porteri ever does I'll replace her with an aphonopelma.

She's WC too... But she's indestructible and stubborn so she'll probably live another decade. Lol

I used this as a chance to give my little B. emilia a house upgrade to the Aphonopelma's enclosure. So she has better than a dollar store Tupperware now and room to grow.

I used my porteri's hide for her too as it was always just a little too small.

And in doing so cleaned and remodeled her enclosure as well. She needed more substrate and a better hide.

Sad. But it prompted me to pamper some of my other Ts at least.

 

[Lakerbat]

Yeah I got her from someone I know and trust here. He let me know her history. She was cool while I had her

And let me know that I indeed may have an interest in another one day at least.

Maybe if my G. porteri ever does I'll replace her with an aphonopelma.

She's WC too... But she's indestructible and stubborn so she'll probably live another decade. Lol

I used this as a chance to give my little B. emilia a house upgrade to the Aphonopelma's enclosure. So she has better than a dollar store Tupperware now and room to grow.

I used my porteri's hide for her too as it was always just a little too small.

And in doing so cleaned and remodeled her enclosure as well. She needed more substrate and a better hide.

Sad. But it prompted me to pamper some of my other Ts at least. View attachment 233166 View attachment 233167

What's that green stuff in your substrate? It looks cool!

 

[gobey]

What's that green stuff in your substrate? It looks cool!

It's green sphagnum moss.

I use it in every enclosure to keep humidity at a good level... But hers is more for decoration as I'll keep it dry.