Wet Moult...?

[robc]

You should not buy your cat food from the dollar store. There is not a single brand there that I would feed to anything! Use high quality! Nutro or similar. Since you are feeding insects it may be a little more expensive but it will last a very long time. And NO NO NO NO NO canned food!!!!!! should be dry pellets!

You have it backwards. The higher quality cat food contains - among other things - higher calcium, which is great for your cats but horrible for your roaches and therefore horrible for your T's. I made the same mistake initially, I gave my roaches very expensive cat food at first and I was told by one of the top roach breeders on this board, Rochelle, to use the cheap stuff - it's much better for the T's. You can also give yoru roaches fresh veggies, fruits, ect and that's good for your T but not high quality cat food.

 

[robc]

I have a hard time believing it to be nutrition related like etown suggested because the majority of events being reported are by educated, experienced keepers usually like robc. I'm sure he is feeding his t's properly. But I have also noticed that is is occuring mostly in aboreals. My theory is that they molted prematurely. I'm sure the patterns and colors of a T are not just on the very outermost surface of the skin. Any prematurity in development would potentially make it much less rigid and sturdy. Not necessarily see through or lacking colors and patterns. That is why they get a dark spot during premolt, its the skin developing underneath but that skin doesn't get rigid until after molt time. You know now I have a question. When are these pictures of wet molt being taken??? How long after the molt event? When any of my T's molt they are very opaque when they first molt and then harden up after the fact. Maybe we are thinking about it all wrong. Maybe instead of premature they are delayed molts because it seems in the pics of wet molts, the T's do not look opaque. They are the color of postmolt, hardened T's. Hypothesis: the exo-skeleton needs to be exposed to air to harden and if it goes through that process before its exposed to the air that could cause the problem. Like etown was saying with chitin. If air is a key ingredient to the hardening of chitin in T's exo's, then it makes me think delayed molt. They have gone through the shed process before loosing the outer skeleton exposing the "new skin" to air. Or could be that the moisture between the layers of the new and old exo are effecting the hardening of the chitin. If not and the pics I'm seeing are after the T has had time to loose the opaque look then I would have to lean towards premature, undeveloped exo. It makes since too this way because aboreals would have a more prevalent need to molt faster than terrestrials you would think. They are more exposed to the elements and wind and more likely to be disturbed by mammals or birds during a molt than their terrestrial counterparts. Just my thoughts hope this inspires someone with a little more scientific background and equipment to get to the bottom of whats really going on.

I agree, but a high calcium rate could affect exoskelton formation....rob

 

[clam1991]

im still intrigued on the gene problem
like people with bad genes
people that are born then later on in life gets diseases like diabetes
its very perplexing
but just like snakes if one is born albino it has a lower chance of survival
so if a tarantula has a wet molt it could lower the chances for living but wouldnt automatically spell death for the creature

just some ideas to play with

 

[ShellsandScales]

You have it backwards. The higher quality cat food contains - among other things - higher calcium, which is great for your cats but horrible for your roaches and therefore horrible for your T's. I made the same mistake initially, I gave my roaches very expensive cat food at first and I was told by one of the top roach breeders on this board, Rochelle, to use the cheap stuff - it's much better for the T's. You can also give yoru roaches fresh veggies, fruits, ect and that's good for your T but not high quality cat food.

Well I use a mix of cat, dog, turtle, crock, tortoise, etc. Plus veggie and fruit scraps, left over bread heals, etc. I haven't noticed any negatives with my roaches. Not saying thats not true I just haven't noticed. I definitely haven't had any T problems...... so far. I will try and put my secondary colony on lesser dog and cat food and feed those only to my T's. I'll keep my main colony the same and only feed them to my geckos and other herps. I like the idea of boosted calcium for them!!!! Especially my new vorax gecko breeders and my amel fattail gecko breeders!!! I just use the good stuff because thats what I buy for my cats and dogs. I actually got a huge throw away from petco (my wife works there) and is about 80 lbs of all different kinds of mixed dog and cat foods that are less than premium. I'll start using that. Just because the bags were torn they were going to throw it all away!!! Dumb A#!* Petco. Thanks for the heads up!! But still I stand by my aversion to canned dog or cat food!!

 

[robc]

Well I use a mix of cat, dog, turtle, crock, tortoise, etc. Plus veggie and fruit scraps, left over bread heals, etc. I haven't noticed any negatives with my roaches. Not saying thats not true I just haven't noticed. I definitely haven't had any T problems...... so far. I will try and put my secondary colony on lesser dog and cat food and feed those only to my T's. I'll keep my main colony the same and only feed them to my geckos and other herps. I like the idea of boosted calcium for them!!!! Especially my new vorax gecko breeders and my amel fattail gecko breeders!!! I just use the good stuff because thats what I buy for my cats and dogs. I actually got a huge throw away from petco (my wife works there) and is about 80 lbs of all different kinds of mixed dog and cat foods that are less than premium. I'll start using that. Thanks for the heads up!! But still I stand by my aversion to canned dog or cat food!!

That should work, you do more than most for your pets, my hats off to you

 

[ShellsandScales]

Thanks I appreciate that. With a little luck and sweat in the next couple of years I can quit my job and focus on the animals exclusively. I really want to dedicate even more time to them.