Weird things in my tarantula's enclosure?

[cpenno]

I was having a look in my female green bottle blue enclosure and I've noticed 2 strange things (look at attached pictures)

Firstly in her water dish there are fine white things that appear to be swimming about!

Secondly there is a water droplet attached to one side of the tank with small spheres that almost look like eggs, is there some sort of infestation going on here? I only cleaned out her tank about 1.5 weeks ago

 

[basin79]

They're definitely NOT springtails in the water. They look worm/maggot like.

 

[cpenno]

They're definitely NOT springtails in the water. They look worm/maggot like.

Should the whole tank be cleaned out?

 

[KezyGLA]

Thats poop and springtails.

Gbb should be kept bone dry. Springtails thrive in moisture

My suggestion would be to swap out substrate for dry eco earth. Ideally the enclosure should be larger too

Your specimen doesnt appear to be in good shape. Is it a mature male?

 

[basin79]

Thats poop and springtails.

Gbb should be kept bone dry. Springtails thrive in moisture

My suggestion would be to swap out substrate for dry eco earth.

Your specimen doesnt appear to be in good shape. Is it a mature male?

They're not springtails. They don't have legs and are under the water. Springtails have legs and live on the surface.

 

[KezyGLA]

I get these in a lot of my specimens water dishes. They flick and spring about like springtails. I always thought they were.

 

[basin79]

Thats poop and springtails.

Gbb should be kept bone dry. Springtails thrive in moisture

My suggestion would be to swap out substrate for dry eco earth. Ideally the enclosure should be larger too

Your specimen doesnt appear to be in good shape. Is it a mature male?

Unless it's just because I'm looking at the pic on my phone.

 

[basin79]

I get these in a lot of my specimens water dishes. They flick and spring about like springtails. I always thought they were.

I have springtails. I've never seen them underwater. They don't break the surface.

Apologies for the scare OP.

 

[basin79]

OP tip out the water dish onto see tissue. If the creatures dart about they're harmless springtails. If they crawl they're worms.

 

[cpenno]

Thats poop and springtails.

Gbb should be kept bone dry. Springtails thrive in moisture

My suggestion would be to swap out substrate for dry eco earth. Ideally the enclosure should be larger too

Your specimen doesnt appear to be in good shape. Is it a mature male?

Thats poop and springtails.

Gbb should be kept bone dry. Springtails thrive in moisture

My suggestion would be to swap out substrate for dry eco earth. Ideally the enclosure should be larger too

Your specimen doesnt appear to be in good shape. Is it a mature male?

She's an immature female, leg span is only about 2 inches if even

 

[KezyGLA]

Has she had a bad moult previously?

 

[The Grym Reaper]

The things in the dish are springltails and are harmless (they only eat decaying matter and mould), I found them randomly in my H. laoticus' water dish and started a culture, I've put them in with all of my enclosures that would support them although they do turn up in the water dishes of my arid species from time to time.

The drop with white blobs on the side is poop.

That enclosure is not at all suitable for a GBB, it needs to be rehoused to a larger enclosure with bone dry substrate and a shed load of anchor points for webbing.

They're not springtails. They don't have legs and are under the water. Springtails have legs and live on the surface.

The legs are tiny and don't really show up in pics unless you're using a macro lens or have a good camera.

I get these in a lot of my specimens water dishes. They flick and spring about like springtails. I always thought they were.

Yeah, they're the native species, I started noticing them in winter

Unless it's just because I'm looking at the pic on my phone.

That'd be it squire.

Has she had a bad moult previously?

Mine looked kinda rough at 2" as well, they're still transitioning to adult colouration at that size, my girl is about 3-3.5" and still has gold in her carapace and some muted striping left.

 

[basin79]

The things in the dish are springltails and are harmless (they only eat decaying matter and mould), I found them randomly in my H. laoticus' water dish and started a culture, I've put them in with all of my enclosures that would support them although they do turn up in the water dishes of my arid species from time to time.

The drop with white blobs on the side is poop.

That enclosure is not at all suitable for a GBB, it needs to be rehoused to a larger enclosure with bone dry substrate and a shed load of anchor points for webbing.



The legs are tiny and don't really show up in pics unless you're using a macro lens or have a good camera.



Yeah, they're the native species, I started noticing them in winter



That'd be it squire.



Mine looked kinda rough at 2" as well, they're still transitioning to adult colouration at that size, my girl is about 3-3.5" and still has gold in her carapace and some muted striping left.

Still doesn't explain why they appear to be underwater. Still I'm glad they're nothing sinister OP and once again apologies for my post.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Aside for that stuff, no offence man but that enclosure set up is damn wrong. What you offered as hide, size talking, IMO is terrible... basically "cover" everything, limiting the spider's space.

There's written rehouse ASAP all over it.

 

[cpenno]

Aside for that stuff, no offence man but that enclosure set up is damn wrong. What you offered as hide, size talking, IMO is terrible... basically "cover" everything, limiting the spider's space.

There's written rehouse ASAP all over it.

I got that from the reptile store in that enclosure, I only changed out the dirt and washed the hide etc, she had molted and her old exuvium was still there. She seemed content enough in that enclosure I don't see the issue she's still very small. I wasn't planning switching her to a new one until she gets a bit bigger. Also they are semi-arboreal and she likes to climb the walls and the lid. I had her out earlier on and she climbed up to my neck lol, seems pretty content ATM

 

[cpenno]

The things in the dish are springltails and are harmless (they only eat decaying matter and mould), I found them randomly in my H. laoticus' water dish and started a culture, I've put them in with all of my enclosures that would support them although they do turn up in the water dishes of my arid species from time to time.

The drop with white blobs on the side is poop.

That enclosure is not at all suitable for a GBB, it needs to be rehoused to a larger enclosure with bone dry substrate and a shed load of anchor points for webbing.



The legs are tiny and don't really show up in pics unless you're using a macro lens or have a good camera.



Yeah, they're the native species, I started noticing them in winter



That'd be it squire.



Mine looked kinda rough at 2" as well, they're still transitioning to adult colouration at that size, my girl is about 3-3.5" and still has gold in her carapace and some muted striping left.

Yeah her true colouration isn't evident atm, she's only a juvenile

 

[Chris LXXIX]

I got that from the reptile store in that enclosure, I only changed out the dirt and washed the hide etc, she had molted and her old exuvium was still there. She seemed content enough in that enclosure I don't see the issue she's still very small. I wasn't planning switching her to a new one until she gets a bit bigger. Also they are semi-arboreal and she likes to climb the walls and the lid. I had her out earlier on and she climbed up to my neck lol, seems pretty content ATM

Mah.

I wouldn't keep a 'GBB' with a set up like that, but if that's ok for you then it's ok for me as well

 

[cpenno]

Mah.

I wouldn't keep a 'GBB' with a set up like that, but if that's ok for you then it's ok for me as well

It's temporary, I don't wanna place her in something too big that's going to result in wasted space, she seems to be feeding fine gave her a dubia roach the other day

 

[boina]

That setup is terrible. I agree with @Chris LXXIX and @The Grym Reaper on all points, but if you think the reptile store you got it from knows better...

They are semiarboreal and heavy webbers - that hide is nearly useless for climbing or webbing. And it's much too cramped for an active species. That's the worst GBB enclosure I've seen in quite a while and the spider doesn't seem healthy at all, as @KezyGLA already stated, transitioning phase or not.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

It's temporary, I don't wanna place her in something too big that's going to result in wasted space, she seems to be feeding fine gave her a dubia roach the other day

If you think that a little sized KK, a little sized piece of cork bark, two and I say two fake leaves to offer as anchor points are a "waste", well, as I've said, if that's ok for you it's ok for me as well