substrate too wet.

[tangoblue37]

ok iv'e posted this somewhere else as well but i'm getting a bit panicky so i thought id'e post it here as well because i'll probably get a quicker reply.

Right, my new pzb came with bark substrate which i really didn't think was safe since she's a juvee, so i changed it to coco fiber. Trouble is, i put it in when it was still a bit too wet and now she is staying at the top of the tank so is obviously really not liking it. Also, i'm scared i'll get mold if it doesn't dry quickly. So my question is - is there any way to speed up the drying of the substrate? Iv'e already put the temp up a bit to help but can't think of anything else.

Thank you so much.:cry:

 

[Hobo]

Most tarantulas will do that with new sub, wet or not. Just make sure the sub is high enough so there isn't a risk of injury from a fall.

Don't be afraid of mold. Just wait for it to dry naturally, unless it's mud.

 

[catfishrod69]

what kind of tank do you have her in? up the ventilation....or take a temporary home lined with a little dry coco fiber or dry paper towels...put her in it, then take out all the wet coco, dry it really good and put it back...you might have to lay it out flat on a cookie sheet or something...might take a few days too....

 

[tangoblue37]

Most tarantulas will do that with new sub, wet or not. Just make sure the sub is high enough so there isn't a risk of injury from a fall.

Don't be afraid of mold. Just wait for it to dry naturally, unless it's mud.

This was 2 days ago and she's still up there.

 

[Hobo]

A whole two days?

It can take up to a week or more for a spider to settle in, sometimes.

 

[catfishrod69]

so youve only had it for 2 days?

 

[tangoblue37]

what kind of tank do you have her in? up the ventilation....or take a temporary home lined with a little dry coco fiber or dry paper towels...put her in it, then take out all the wet coco, dry it really good and put it back...you might have to lay it out flat on a cookie sheet or something...might take a few days too....

yeah i was actually thinking about re-doing it but i just thought she had had enough stress for 1 week already

And yep only 2 days

 

[Espionage2501]

My E. campestratus does that every time I clean her cage! Don't worry about it! I keep my enclosure pretty dry, but when I bought my adult E. campestratus the substrate was wet as well! I emptied the cage and put new substrate and it took probably a couple days before my T adjusted to the new changes. Great T! And I agree make sure it has lots of substrate, not only to prevent injury from falling, but also cause my PZB likes to dig. It's pretty funny actually. She has several tunnels and is always moving stuff around in her cage! By far an amazing tarantula!

 

[catfishrod69]

ohh i didnt realize that...yeah just follow Hobo's advice...she will settle in when she is ready....the substrate will dry on its own...sometimes they take a long time to settle in.

yeah i was actually thinking about re-doing it but i just thought she had had enough stress for 1 week already

And yep only 2 days

 

[tangoblue37]

My E. campestratus does that every time I clean her cage! Don't worry about it! I keep my enclosure pretty dry, but when I bought my adult E. campestratus the substrate was wet as well! I emptied the cage and put new substrate and it took probably a couple days before my T adjusted to the new changes. Great T! And I agree make sure it has lots of substrate, not only to prevent injury from falling, but also cause my PZB likes to dig. It's pretty funny actually. She has several tunnels and is always moving stuff around in her cage! By far an amazing tarantula!

Oh don't worry, i gave her plenty room to burrow for her size. She could probably dig 3 times her length down the way... if that makes sense.

---------- Post added 01-07-2012 at 10:21 PM ----------

ohh i didnt realize that...yeah just follow Hobo's advice...she will settle in when she is ready....the substrate will dry on its own...sometimes they take a long time to settle in.

Ok i'll do that, thanks and thanks to hobo as well.

 

[Espionage2501]

Trust me.. enjoy it while it lasts haha. It will be a pet rock in no time!

 

[tangoblue37]

Trust me.. enjoy it while it lasts haha. It will be a pet rock in no time!

haha i'm used to that with my G rosea

 

[Jared781]

my subs used to be more wet so i stopped misting it directly! now i just mist the walls and keep filling the water dish up!
and to help it dry faster turn on the Tank/Terrarium light!

 

[Espionage2501]

honestly the wattage on terrarium lights are pretty low and probably won't help that much. there designed for light output not heating

 

[tangoblue37]

i don't bother with and lighting on the container because 1) personally i don't like them & 2) i'm sure arachnids don't like bright light anyway... could be wrong but i don't think so.

 

[MrCrackerpants]

ok iv'e posted this somewhere else as well but i'm getting a bit panicky so i thought id'e post it here as well because i'll probably get a quicker reply.

Right, my new pzb came with bark substrate which i really didn't think was safe since she's a juvee, so i changed it to coco fiber. Trouble is, i put it in when it was still a bit too wet and now she is staying at the top of the tank so is obviously really not liking it. Also, i'm scared i'll get mold if it doesn't dry quickly. So my question is - is there any way to speed up the drying of the substrate? Iv'e already put the temp up a bit to help but can't think of anything else.

Thank you so much.:cry:

When my substance is too wet, I take the enclosure over to the toilet. I take the lid off and pull out the largest handfuls of substrate I can hold and squeeze (hard) the water out. I do this for the whole enclosure and then straighten the substrate out. This really helps dry the enclosure out quicker. Hope this helps.

 

[Stan Schultz]

... so i changed it to coco fiber. Trouble is, i put it in when it was still a bit too wet and now she is staying at the top of the tank so is obviously really not liking it. ...

First, a surprising number of enthusiasts fail to realize that the default condition for almost all tarantulas is to hang from a vertical surface, whether its the side of their burrow or a tree trunk. Flat and horizontal is definitely alien to them. So, hanging from the walk of the cage, in and of itself, isn't too important. And, anytime they feel a little insecure or things in their cage aren't quite "right," many young ones and a few of the older ones immediately head for the wall. So, your concern may be justified, maybe not. It's just as likely that the tarantula doesn't give a hoot about damp or dry, but isn't really satisfied with the new substrate that it's not accustomed to.

For instance, if you've just recently cleaned the cage, your tarantula may merely be looking for the "old" cage that it was accustomed to, and there really isn't anything wrong with the clean cage except it doesn't "smell" quite right. In a case like that, give it a week or two.When it gets tired of hanging, it'll come down of its own accord.

... Also, i'm scared i'll get mold if it doesn't dry quickly. ...

Almost always, mold isn't the issue. The mold itself is more or less harmless. The presence of mold in a tarantula's cage only means that the cage may be too damp. It's the other things that can grow under those circumstances that are dangerous to your tarantula. Advanced enthusiasts can often get away with keeping their tarantulas in somewhat damper cages than novices. But the novice normally doesn't understand that there could be a problem, doesn't know how to recognize trouble when they see it, and certainly has no clue about solving the problem. So we take the conservative approach and tell you to dry the cage out at least until you begin to appreciate the basics of tarantula care.

And, these other things don't grow anywhere near as fast as most molds, so mold is a harbinger of things to come, not the problem itself. Having said all this, if you continue to have mold in the cage for weeks or months, you're down there on the floor, on your knees, begging for a disaster to befall you. Trust me.

But, if the mold only appears for a few days until you can dry the cage out, it's usually no big deal, certainly not cause for all out panic.

... So my question is - is there any way to speed up the drying of the substrate? ...

Ah, the crux of the issue! Read chillie rose not eating.

... Iv'e already put the temp up a bit to help but can't think of anything else. ...

Surely you don't have a heater of any sort around that cage! Please tell me you don't!


[size=+1]THE TARANTULA'S FIRST RULE OF TEMPERATURE (EXPANDED)[/size]

If you don't have to wear a wool sweater or a parka to stay warm...

If you don't have to run naked because it's so hot...

Any temperature you're comfortable at will suit your tarantula just fine.

A lower temperature is almost always preferable to using an artificial heat source.

Hope this helps. Get back to us if you have any more questions.

 

[BenjaminBoa]

Have you thought about adding a wick or a drainage hole to dispose of any settling moisture? But if the sub is too wet you shouldn't need to still mist, that water should evaporate, when it does it will add humidity. If its not evaporating perforate the sub to add more air contact, if it still wont add a wick, most garden stores sell wicking material. the wick will distribute pooled up water from the bottom layer of the sub to the dry upper regions of the sub where it will evaporate into the air, if you make a long enough wick you can even suck the water right out of the tank into a little cup if you leave it over night.

 

[tangoblue37]

Surely you don't have a heater of any sort around that cage! Please tell me you don't!


[size=+1]THE TARANTULA'S FIRST RULE OF TEMPERATURE (EXPANDED)[/size]

If you don't have to wear a wool sweater or a parka to stay warm...

If you don't have to run naked because it's so hot...

Any temperature you're comfortable at will suit your tarantula just fine.

A lower temperature is almost always preferable to using an artificial heat source.

Hope this helps. Get back to us if you have any more questions.

Nope no heater (i just raised the temp of the room a bit)