T. Albopilosum enclosure question

[Tcmaraist]

Hoping you all can take a look at my enclosure and tell me if it looks okay. I got this T. Albopilosum on 4/29 and she’s taking a while to settle in. She used her hide for the first few days and since then has stayed mostly scrunched up in the moist corner by the plant. I’ve seen her drinking water from her bowl twice, but she hasn’t eaten yet. She threat posed the meal worm I gave her Saturday, but didn’t eat it and she threat posed the tongs when I took the worm out in the morning (I had crushed it’s head). The only thing I can think is maybe she doesn’t like the flower pot as a hide? Or should I put another plant in that corner so she’s a little more covered?
The first few enclosure pics are from today, the others are from the previous couple weeks.

 

[TwiztedNinja]

Did you tamp down the sub? is that flower pot cut in half?

 

[Tcmaraist]

Sub is tamped pretty hard. It’s about 4-5” on the side she is on. The flower pot isn’t cut in half, but that crossed my mind. There some sub in the pot though.

 

[octanejunkie]

Sub is tamped pretty hard. It’s about 4-5” on the side she is on. The flower pot isn’t cut in half, but that crossed my mind. There some sub in the pot though.

Break the pot in half, careful of sharp edges. Treat the hide as a starter burrow, they can't burrow through clay pots

 

[viper69]

Sub is tamped pretty hard. It’s about 4-5” on the side she is on. The flower pot isn’t cut in half, but that crossed my mind. There some sub in the pot though.

Half is better than full pot-- cork bark is even better than heavy clay pots. I make my own hides out of PVC, cover in moss/sub w/hot glue see below

AF E. sp. Red, Post-Molt

• viper69
• Aug 29, 2016

 

[octanejunkie]

To @viper69's point, you can do the same with plastic flower pots, cut with a scissor and glue coco fiber and moss.

Nice work @viper69

 

[TwiztedNinja]

Need to cut the pot in half and bury it a little more, so the entrance isnt so open and wide

And sounds like its not hungry. Could be premolt, could be their own other reasons. The important thing is that its drinking

Enclosure size looks fine. I would just add a little more sub. I do at least halfway. I dont see the plant affecting its behavior

 

[viper69]

To @viper69's point, you can do the same with plastic flower pots, cut with a scissor and glue coco fiber and moss.

Nice work @viper69

Thanks! PVC is so easy to cut and cheap!!

I used to use plastic as well. However I learned of a great way to turn PVC into a brown/worn/cracked look, similar to wood with a blow torch. But this produces poisonous gases, need to do it outside. One can also make PVC look just like bamboo for snakes and H macs.

 

[octanejunkie]

I used to use plastic as well. However I learned of a great way to turn PVC into a brown/worn/cracked look, similar to wood with a blow torch. But this produces poisonous gases, need to do it outside. One can also make PVC look just like bamboo for snakes and H macs.

That sounds cool, you should create and post a "how to" video with all the appropriate EPA warnings lol

 

[Tcmaraist]

Thanks everybody
I went to the plant store this morning and got something in a plastic pot to use in there. I cut the pot in half and added more sub and guided her in there just now. Fingers crossed she’ll relax in there!

Update: she molted this morning!

 

[octanejunkie]

Update: she molted this morning!

mazal tov

 

[TwiztedNinja]

Sweet

Albos have such a good appetite that its almost certain a molt is imminent, when they refuse food

Few days ago I tried to coax my juvenile (burrowed at the bottom) to the top of the sub to see if it would eat. It came almost all the way up, but in a slow "check for intruders" pace more than a "check for food" pace. Then it went back down and I left it alone. Then it molted yesterday