Vinegaroon not eating afraid it's gonna die

TechnoGeek

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So I brought home the vinegaroon on Thursday Aug 15th, pet store owner said last time he fed it was on Friday Aug 9th. Up until today, it's refusing food stubbornly. I gave it crickets and mealworms (roaches illegal in Canada) and it wouldn't eat neither, would run away, and even spray vinegar one time. The vinegaroon doesn't look particularly fat or in premolt, it isn't being handled, enclosure has 2 hides, I'm constantly monitoring humidity and heat, I used the recommended enclosure size:



Recently it's moving a bit slower making me think it's getting weaker. Before getting one I was told by a friend that they're picky eaters and thus asked the store guy if this one was an established eater and he said yes. I'm starting to think they just wanted it off their hands and that doesn't make me feel good. I'm taking it back this weekend. Anyone has an idea what's going on?
 

The Mantis Menagerie

Arachnobaron
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I have not kept one, but from what I have heard, vinegaroons will often refuse food for long periods of time. Your vinegaroon’s abdomen seems decently plump.
 

basin79

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So I brought home the vinegaroon on Thursday Aug 15th, pet store owner said last time he fed it was on Friday Aug 9th. Up until today, it's refusing food stubbornly. I gave it crickets and mealworms (roaches illegal in Canada) and it wouldn't eat neither, would run away, and even spray vinegar one time. The vinegaroon doesn't look particularly fat or in premolt, it isn't being handled, enclosure has 2 hides, I'm constantly monitoring humidity and heat, I used the recommended enclosure size:



Recently it's moving a bit slower making me think it's getting weaker. Before getting one I was told by a friend that they're picky eaters and thus asked the store guy if this one was an established eater and he said yes. I'm starting to think they just wanted it off their hands and that doesn't make me feel good. I'm taking it back this weekend. Anyone has an idea what's going on?
Unless a vinegaroon is in premoult or extremely well fed they rarely turn down a weekly meal. Yours will just need time to settle in.

Also the humidity gauge is absolutely useless and inaccurate. You need at least around 4 inches of sub for your vinegaroon to bury and make a chamber to moult in. So have the bottom few inches of sub just damp and you can allow some of the surface sub to dry out.

Also replace that massive water dish for a much smaller 1. It'll give your vinegaroon more room to wander. Spraying their acid is a last resort so leave the little 1 alone for a while. Let him/her settle in. You could always crush a crickets head and leave it on the surface.
 

TechnoGeek

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Unless a vinegaroon is in premoult or extremely well fed they rarely turn down a weekly meal. Yours will just need time to settle in.

Also the humidity gauge is absolutely useless and inaccurate. You need at least around 4 inches of sub for your vinegaroon to bury and make a chamber to moult in. So have the bottom few inches of sub just damp and you can allow some of the surface sub to dry out.

Also replace that massive water dish for a much smaller 1. It'll give your vinegaroon more room to wander. Spraying their acid is a last resort so leave the little 1 alone for a while. Let him/her settle in. You could always crush a crickets head and leave it on the surface.
I couldn't find a smaller water dish (not by much anyways) I can put one that's maybe 2 cm shorter. Think I should remove the branch? Or better leave it? I'm starting to think the branch is totally not needed since they can burrow

With 75% humidity and a dead cricket, I'm sure it'll stink like trash in no time so this isn't an option for me as that's in my bedroom.
 

basin79

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I couldn't find a smaller water dish (not by much anyways) I can put one that's maybe 2 cm shorter. Think I should remove the branch? Or better leave it? I'm starting to think the branch is totally not needed since they can burrow

With 75% humidity and a dead cricket, I'm sure it'll stink like trash in no time so this isn't an option for me as that's in my bedroom.
I use a plastic milkshake bottle top for my lasses water dish it's about 3cm in diameter.

Leaving a dead cricket overnight won't stink your room out. Just crush it's head before you go to bed and put it in. If it's still there in the morning bin it.
 

TechnoGeek

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I use a plastic milkshake bottle top for my lasses water dish it's about 3cm in diameter.

Leaving a dead cricket overnight won't stink your room out. Just crush it's head before you go to bed and put it in. If it's still there in the morning bin it.
Ok, I removed the branch and will put a smaller cap or something for water. I also moisturized the whole substrate to make sure he can dig a tunnel.

When I was choosing a whip scorpion I was told the vinegaroon is the easier option (compared to D. diadema) that couldn't be further from the truth lol. They certainly aren't easy to keep being so skittish and picky eaters. I actually would rather something that would bite or sting me than something that's likely to stay in panic mode for weeks at a time.

Also regarding the dead cricket I might leave one there overnight.

Thanks for taking the time to reply!
 

basin79

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Ok, I removed the branch and will put a smaller cap or something for water. I also moisturized the whole substrate to make sure he can dig a tunnel.

When I was choosing a whip scorpion I was told the vinegaroon is the easier option (compared to D. diadema) that couldn't be further from the truth lol. They certainly aren't easy to keep being so skittish and picky eaters. I actually would rather something that would bite or sting me than something that's likely to stay in panic mode for weeks at a time.

Also regarding the dead cricket I might leave one there overnight.

Thanks for taking the time to reply!
Yours is just settling in. Believe me they're really easy to care for and once settled will be crushing morio worms and crickets regularly before you know.
 

mantisfan101

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I had my vinegaroon go for 4 months without food andhe's perfectly fine. During the colder months they'll bunker down and hibernate; they won't really eat anything during that time and will stay buried underground until spring comes.
 

TechnoGeek

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Update: so far no luck, he isn't eating live or pre killed, I gave him a tiny cricket that was missing its black legs and he kept clamping at it for 30 minutes without managing to kill it. I left the cricket there overnight and he still couldn't kill it. I dunno if I got the stupidest arachnid ever to walk this green and blue earth, but it doesn't seem like he's in premolt, he is becoming thinner actually, the weather even outside my house isn't something that would force them into hibernation (warm to hot and humid) and his movements when I interact with him are getting slower. I'll still keep doing my part and usero him food frequently but I'm certain he's gonna die in a couple weeks
 

mantisfan101

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Pics would help. Maybe try completely crushing a cricket and leaving it there for him to eat. That might help. Also just because he’s getting skinny doesn’t mean that he’s going to die. Vinegaroons have pretty slow metabolisms and it takes a lot to kill one. Also, how much substrate does it have? I find that sometimes, if there’s not enough substrate, they’ll just keep digging and wandering and they tend to refuse food for a while until they manage to dig a hide for themselves.
 

TechnoGeek

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He's not even trying to dig, his substrate is deep enough to cover the length of his body including the tail with room to spare, I also carefully monitor humidity and temperature. I have tried leaving dead crickets and worms but they then started getting moldy and i had to replace part of the substrate so i dunno if i wanna do that again. I might try leaving a pre killed worm tho
 

Dennis Nedry

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but I'm certain he's gonna die in a couple weeks
Assuming it did eat on the 9th, care is correct and the animal is healthy it’s not going to die in a couple weeks because it’s not eating. These things can go months on end without food perfectly happily if they need to
 
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