Great Basin Ben
Arachnosquire
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2010
- Messages
- 86
Hey there everyone,
O.K. I'm BRAND NEW to T keeping, and here's the scenario:
I got my new Kritter Keeper all dialed in w/ coco coir substrate, half burried clay pot, and glazed ceramic water dish. The substrate was approx. 4" from the top of the Kritter Keeper, when my new Aphonopelma schmidti arrived yesterday. She's approx. 2 1/2 inches, and my first spider ever.
Upon introducing her to her new terrarium, she walked immediately over to the wall, and began to climb. She climbed over the walls for the better part of an hour before I noticed her, slip, and fall onto her back. She didn't budge....


So I put the soft end of a paintbrush in there to see if she'd move, and she quickly grasped at the brush, and allowed me to flip her back over. About a half an hour later, she did this same thing, and I again righted her, before finally settling up in the corner on the wall, when I went to bed.
*Fast Forward to this morning*
I woke up, to find her on her back AGAIN!,
and at this point, I'm thinking that she's dead. Same thing, put the paintbrush up to her feet, and she grabs on, allowing me to right her. Needless to say, I added enough substrate to reduce the distance between it and the lid to a tiny bit over 2 1/2 inches. She expresses no interest in the crickets I put in there, and has yet to go to the water dish, but appears healty overall. There appears to be no sign of any injuries, and when she DOES walk around, it seems to be at a normal gate. She doesn't really seem all that active though.
So here's my question:
Is it normal for a Tarantula to fall onto its back, and if so, does it usually right itself, or does it need help? I'm concerned that I may have too big of a container for a 2 1/2 inch Aphonopelma, but with the substrate, almost all the way filled up, will she still be O.K., in such an enclosure??? Also, should a terrestrial species like this, be spending as much time climbing the sides of the walls of the enclosure, as opposed to in it's hide, in the substrate?
Any expertise, or advice would be greatly appreciated. I want to do my very best to make sure that I give this pretty little girl, the best possible chances for a happy, healthy life, full of future egg sacks, and roach dinners...
O.K. I'm BRAND NEW to T keeping, and here's the scenario:
I got my new Kritter Keeper all dialed in w/ coco coir substrate, half burried clay pot, and glazed ceramic water dish. The substrate was approx. 4" from the top of the Kritter Keeper, when my new Aphonopelma schmidti arrived yesterday. She's approx. 2 1/2 inches, and my first spider ever.
Upon introducing her to her new terrarium, she walked immediately over to the wall, and began to climb. She climbed over the walls for the better part of an hour before I noticed her, slip, and fall onto her back. She didn't budge....
So I put the soft end of a paintbrush in there to see if she'd move, and she quickly grasped at the brush, and allowed me to flip her back over. About a half an hour later, she did this same thing, and I again righted her, before finally settling up in the corner on the wall, when I went to bed.
*Fast Forward to this morning*
I woke up, to find her on her back AGAIN!,
So here's my question:
Is it normal for a Tarantula to fall onto its back, and if so, does it usually right itself, or does it need help? I'm concerned that I may have too big of a container for a 2 1/2 inch Aphonopelma, but with the substrate, almost all the way filled up, will she still be O.K., in such an enclosure??? Also, should a terrestrial species like this, be spending as much time climbing the sides of the walls of the enclosure, as opposed to in it's hide, in the substrate?
Any expertise, or advice would be greatly appreciated. I want to do my very best to make sure that I give this pretty little girl, the best possible chances for a happy, healthy life, full of future egg sacks, and roach dinners...