Tarantula behavior

[Zack rehn]

So my Tarantula (Specifically Brachypelma hamorii) is acting strange this is my first T and it's been climbing on the walls near corners I made sure it had a water bowl the needed substrate (Coconut fiber)
I've been trying to feed it spotted cockroaches cause I've heard that crickets can cause diseases but so far its declined I don't know if I'm worrying to much or if there is something going on

 

[QuinnStarr]

My B. hamorii does the same stinkin’ thing.
At first, I thought my substrate was too moist, so I let it dry out completely with just a water dish - still climbing. So I started overflowing it’s water dish a bit and now it seems content. It still climbs but not as much.

Do you have anything moving the air in the room, like a fan or a space heater that blows air? I’ve noticed over the past couple of weeks that two of my four T’s start to climb when I click my space heater on and I’m wondering if it isn’t something to do with the air current since they’re basically sensory organs with fangs.

 

[Zack rehn]

I don't have any air flowing near them the only thing that might be bothering them is the sunlight cause at certain periods of the day the sun goes through my window and hits the cage so i might be putting up curtains

 

[Konstantin Konstantinov]

I don't have any air flowing near them the only thing that might be bothering them is the sunlight cause at certain periods of the day the sun goes through my window and hits the cage so i might be putting up curtains

Hi
direct sun hitting the enclosure is a big NO,NO.
This can literally cook your spider as temperature inside the enclosure can spike very rapidly (Think green house)
Move the enclosure so there is no direct sun exposure during the whole day or get curtains(blinds) in place .
Regards Konstantin

 

[Dorifto]

I don't have any air flowing near them the only thing that might be bothering them is the sunlight cause at certain periods of the day the sun goes through my window and hits the cage so i might be putting up curtains

Direct sunlight could kill your Ts, so yes, put a curtain.

The sun can heat up the enclosure pretty fast, that's why it's suggested to put them in a place that there isn't any direct sunlight. Putting a curtain should solve the issue, or at least will reduce the amount of heat received from the sun. Also it depends in what type of sun it's receiving, sunrise/morning, noon or afternoon/sunset, and for how long it receives it.

 

[Liquifin]

I've heard that crickets can cause diseases but so far its declined

Absolutely not true. Where did you get that information?

 

[Dorifto]

Absolutely not true. Where did you get that information?

My bet, FB

If they would be bad, 90% of people here should have had issues ever.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

So my Tarantula (Specifically Brachypelma hamorii) is acting strange this is my first T and it's been climbing on the walls near corners I made sure it had a water bowl the needed substrate (Coconut fiber)

How long have you had it? If you've only recently got it/housed it/rehoused it then it's going to need time to settle in, until it does it's gonna wander around/climb. If it's been a fair while since you got it (weeks/months) then there might be an issue with the setup, pics of the enclosure would help us rule out any potential issues.

I've been trying to feed it spotted cockroaches "-" but so far its declined I don't know if I'm worrying to much or if there is something going on

As long as the abdomen is plump and it has water then food isn't a massive concern, this species can easily go over a year without eating if it's been overfed, pic of the tarantula would help us tell you if that's the case.

I've heard that crickets can cause diseases

Not sure where you heard this but it's utter nonsense.

I don't have any air flowing near them the only thing that might be bothering them is the sunlight cause at certain periods of the day the sun goes through my window and hits the cage so i might be putting up curtains

You should keep your enclosures away from direct sunlight as it basically turns the enclosure into a greenhouse and can cook your tarantula.

 

[DaveM]

I've heard that crickets can cause diseases

No, crickets are good feeders. They smell bad and don't live very long compared to roaches though.

How long have you had it? If you've only recently got it/housed it/rehoused it then it's going to need time to settle in, until it does it's gonna wander around/climb. If it's been a fair while since you got it (weeks/months) then there might be an issue with the setup, pics of the enclosure would help us rule out any potential issues.

^THIS^

 

[viper69]

So my Tarantula (Specifically Brachypelma hamorii) is acting strange this is my first T and it's been climbing on the walls near corners I made sure it had a water bowl the needed substrate (Coconut fiber)
I've been trying to feed it spotted cockroaches cause I've heard that crickets can cause diseases but so far its declined I don't know if I'm worrying to much or if there is something going on

Crickets DO NOT cause disease! Do NOT believe everything you read on the net!

 

[Zack rehn]

How long have you had it? If you've only recently got it/housed it/rehoused it then it's going to need time to settle in, until it does it's gonna wander around/climb. If it's been a fair while since you got it (weeks/months) then there might be an issue with the setup, pics of the enclosure would help us rule out any potential issues.



As long as the abdomen is plump and it has water then food isn't a massive concern, this species can easily go over a year without eating if it's been overfed, pic of the tarantula would help us tell you if that's the case.



Not sure where you heard this but it's utter nonsense.



You should keep your enclosures away from direct sunlight as it basically turns the enclosure into a greenhouse and can cook your tarantula.

I've gotten this information from other YouTubers saying that crickets are cannabilists and bacteria can build up after a while in there body and once fed can cause diseases

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I've gotten this information from other YouTubers saying that crickets are cannabilists and bacteria can build up after a while in there body and once fed can cause diseases

Pretty much all feeders cannibalise to some extent, even roaches (I breed lats/dubia and I've seen it happen with both). The diseases thing is nonsense, I used them for the best part of a year before I started breeding roaches and never had any issues with them (in fact, the only reason I stopped using them is because I can't stand the chirping), people have been using them as feeders for decades without issue.

Apart from Tom Moran and maybe one or two others YouTube is not a reliable source of information, the vast majority of tarantula YouTubers tend parrot nonsense they got from other unreliable sources (outdated care sheets/other YouTubers/etc.) and/or engage in stupid practices.

 

[Zack rehn]

Thank you anyways I haven’t had this tarantula for very long about 9 days or so anyways here’s some pics of the enclosure

 

[Rigor Mortis]

Thank you anyways I haven’t had this tarantula for very long about 9 days or so anyways here’s some pics of the enclosure

9 days is nothing. It can take a T anywhere from several days to several weeks to properly settle in to a new enclosure. Your setup looks fine, I'd add some more sub if I were you but it's not bad at all. The mesh screen lid isn't ideal, so if it's possible I'd change it to something solid. It's not the end of the world if you can't change it but do keep it in mind.

 

[darkness975]

So my Tarantula (Specifically Brachypelma hamorii) is acting strange this is my first T and it's been climbing on the walls near corners I made sure it had a water bowl the needed substrate (Coconut fiber)
I've been trying to feed it spotted cockroaches cause I've heard that crickets can cause diseases but so far its declined I don't know if I'm worrying to much or if there is something going on

It's fine, assuming housing is correct. Please post a picture of the setup.

Here is mine doing the same thing.

 

[zoroastrianpulchripes]

its fine dont worry about it
normal behavior for tarantulas in a new enclosure

 

[Zack rehn]

9 days is nothing. It can take a T anywhere from several days to several weeks to properly settle in to a new enclosure. Your setup looks fine, I'd add some more sub if I were you but it's not bad at all. The mesh screen lid isn't ideal, so if it's possible I'd change it to something solid. It's not the end of the world if you can't change it but do keep it in mind.

Ok! Thank you for the help

 

[Rigor Mortis]

Ok! Thank you for the help

No problem, welcome to the hobby. If you haven't already I'd recommend reading our Tarantula Information for Beginners thread, it has a lot of great info.