Versicolor problem

IndianaSlim

Arachnopeon
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Nov 5, 2006
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I have a little 2" versicolor. I keep the tank at a pretty steady 75 degrees. Mist the corners once or twice a week. He/she just molted about two months ago. Earlier today it was outside it's funnel with its legs drawn in kind of curled up. I just looked at it and now it's still curled up, but the it is laying on the bottom of the tank. I nudged the poor thing with my finger and got a very sluggish reaction but it remained curled up. Is it dying?
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
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Feb 13, 2006
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Can you post a picture? That will help some....... but the way you describe it you should move her to an ICU, all that really is, is a containter with a moist papertowel kept dark and warm and left undisturbed for long periods unless you are checking on her. Does she have access to water like a water dish?
 

IndianaSlim

Arachnopeon
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Nov 5, 2006
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Yes, there was a water dish. Okay, I just moved her to a smaller plastic container with wet paper towel and a fresh substrate. I will keep it in a dark place for a couple of days and keep my fingers crossed I guess. Thanks for the quick reply.
 

Cerbera

Arachnobaron
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Mar 12, 2005
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Hate to mention the old favourite in these situations - but what's the ventilation like ? I hear they need loads of fresh air, and stagnation doesn't help them. Not that I'm levelling that at your setup at all - just a thought...

Good luck with the little guy...
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
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Yes I always forget the obvious points......... there does have to be plenty of vent holes for avics. They like it ventlated and humid which can be tricky sometimes but not to bad.
 

scjones22

Arachnosquire
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Jan 10, 2007
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Sounds like this same situation happened to me. It came outside of its funnel and then I found it on the substrate all curled up. Later it died and I found out the they need more ventilation than any other T. They also have a trouble with getting mold in their book lungs if the substrate is moist and there is stagnant air. VENTILATION IS KEY
 

thwarts

Arachnopeon
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Dec 25, 2006
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Never had one myself but i heard they are pretty hard to keep at a small atage.
 

IndianaSlim

Arachnopeon
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I don't know how it could get anymore ventilation. It's in a 5 gallon tank and the entire lid is that metal wire mesh. I have another Versicolor, probably twice the size of this little guy and it's doing fine...although, it hasn't eaten in 2 months. Should I be worried about this one now???
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
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I don't know how it could get anymore ventilation. It's in a 5 gallon tank and the entire lid is that metal wire mesh. I have another Versicolor, probably twice the size of this little guy and it's doing fine...although, it hasn't eaten in 2 months. Should I be worried about this one now???
Yes I would be worried now........ has she had access to water? IE water dish?

You should move her to an ICU.
 

Cirith Ungol

Ministry of Fluffy Bunnies
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Dec 22, 2004
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Make sure that the ICU has a rediculous ammount of holes! I've lost most of my versis in moist, under-ventilated ICUs!
 

scjones22

Arachnosquire
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Yeah I would put him it icu right now. you could have a mold problem but then again you might have it too dry I dont know. Sometimes these slings just dont make it, sometimes they just dont make it. Theres nuthing you can do sometimes.
 

Alice

Arachnoangel
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about the bigger versi: a versi twice the size of your sling not eating for two months is no problem as long as she is well hydrated and her abdomen looks plump! don't move her to an icu and stress her out unneccessarily. my versi will go weeks at a time without food, even when not in premolt. wait another week, offer food again, no icu as long as she appears healthy. i think talkenlate04 has confused this specimen with your sling when giving his advice.

about the sling: that sounds bad. don't put substrate in the icu (sounds like you did), just a wet paper towel and as much ventilation holes as will fit in the walls and lid. i wont give you hope though. avic slings don't tend to recover from death curls.
 

Midnightrdr456

Arachnoprince
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Jan 17, 2006
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one thing, did you see the little one eating? a 5 gallon tank seems rather large for a 2" versicolor. Perhaps it wasnt finding the food? Im keeping my 2" versi in a tall deli cup.
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
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about the bigger versi: a versi twice the size of your sling not eating for two months is no problem as long as she is well hydrated and her abdomen looks plump! don't move her to an icu and stress her out unneccessarily. my versi will go weeks at a time without food, even when not in premolt. wait another week, offer food again, no icu as long as she appears healthy. i think talkenlate04 has confused this specimen with your sling when giving his advice.

about the sling: that sounds bad. don't put substrate in the icu (sounds like you did), just a wet paper towel and as much ventilation holes as will fit in the walls and lid. i wont give you hope though. avic slings don't tend to recover from death curls.
I did not confuse anything..... he said he has a 2" versi that is acting slugish and had molted recently and has its legs curled. There is something wrong. And an ICU will not stress the T out........... If anything it will calm it down. A proper ICU with vent holes will bennifit the T.

My reference to the ICU was not for the little T that had not eaten in 2 months, thats normal..... it was for the 2" T that is having issues right now.
 

Cerbera

Arachnobaron
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Interesting. My avic is also in a large tank with an all-mesh top screen, and I monitor humidity consistantly (with a digital jobby that actually does work, unlike the silly little plastic disc type) and the results are surprising.

My technique is to keep the soil fairly dry, (hence no mould on soil or book-lungs) place the tank by a slightly open window (so it gets light from above, and a constant passage of fresh air), but this will give (in the UK) a general humdity of 47% - way too low. So I combat that by going in there 3-5 times a day for a light mist about with some distilled or spring water. This brings humidity up to around 80% immediately afterwards dropping to 65 or so, where it stays for the next 3 hours or thereabouts. If I find I am having problems maintaining that, I will occasionally flood the water bowl to dampen the substrate, but I try and avoid leaving it wet for more than a day. Helpfully, a well heated room dries it out very quickly.

I would HOPE (and it is only a hope) that this method, though quite time-consuming, might work to get the atmosphere as close to 'right' for the avic as it can be in the circumstances. Alas, I only have the one to try it with, and it is only just at 5th instar, and therefore only just entering the 'sudden sling death danger phase' which, as I understand it from reading various posts seems to be from around 4th instar up to maybe around 7th or 8th. After this they seem to get a bit more hardy / and or used to less than ideal conditions.

I fear the outlook may not be good for yours, at least the one already curled, and I'm really sorry for you if it goes that way, but let's just hope it's one more post in the ever increasing knowledge base about avic SSD that helps future keepers with theirs.
 

IndianaSlim

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
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Dead

Well, my versicolor died. It's a real bummer, more so than I would've thought. What pisses me off is that when I bought all my tarantulas the advice for care that I got was the same as for a pet rock. I really enjoy my tarantulas and want to do what's best for them but obviously my best wasn't good enough. I'm new to all this but....I keep my tarantula room at a steady 75 degrees. I keep their water dishes full. They have hiding places. What else do I have to do to keep my tarantulas alive?!!?!?
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
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Hey will something to get used to is sometimes things just happen. I mean they are wild little guys that we dont know everything about yet. So it seems like you have the best of intentions and that is all that matters. I have had a few earily passings myself as of late and its never something to smile about. Good luck with future Ts you seem to be doing everything right so far. But as I said crap just happens sometimes.
Sorry for your loss.
 
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