What is going on?!?! Dehydration? Temp?

[MetalMan2004]

Just an idea, if it is just a slight curl could it just be a stress curl from messing with it? When people are worried about their tarantulas they sometimes stress them out more by moving the enclosure around and trying to fix problems that aren't there. I've seen multiple threads where people with "sick" Ts forget about them for a week and the T gets better because it had some peace and quiet.

 

[boina]

In winter I don't keep my temperature very high - it's usually in the low 70s and it may drop down to as low as 65 on (rare) occasion for a few hours during the night. I've never had problems, even with slings, and the older of my genics has lived through a few of those winters. I really don't think it's the temps. Other than that I think it's very difficult to say.

 

[Crone Returns]

Hi hope everything settles for your T. My question is where did you get the wood? Is it "wild caught"?

 

[Crone Returns]

@cold blood
Hey it could happen. There's a lot of wild wood out there!

 

[Gooty11]

Just an idea, if it is just a slight curl could it just be a stress curl from messing with it? When people are worried about their tarantulas they sometimes stress them out more by moving the enclosure around and trying to fix problems that aren't there. I've seen multiple threads where people with "sick" Ts forget about them for a week and the T gets better because it had some peace and quiet.

I try not to mess around with the enclosure at all, but it could be stressed ou

Hi hope everything settles for your T. My question is where did you get the wood? Is it "wild caught"?

yes, most of the wood is from my local park, but I make sure to boil it, then I bake it to kill any potential bacteria. However, my Geniculata didn't have any "wild wood" so hopefully the wood isn't the problem.

 

[cold blood]

I'd recommend not boiling it...heating it in an oven is a superior choice...as it does the same job, while removing excess water, which is the biggest issue with collected wood. Adding moisture through the boiling process just means it will take longer to dry, and often even if it seems dry, it won't be.

All my wood in every one of my enclosures was collected. Now obviously you figured things out, but just for future reference, you can get away with the same results with far less effort and worry.

 

[Venom1080]

i like "wild caught" wood (thanks for that one @crone ) but im starting to not use it in my more humid cages, i get horrible mold everywhere when i do. i usually heat it in the oven for 30min or something. cork bark is far superior, both in cost and usefulness.

 

[Gooty11]

I'd recommend not boiling it...heating it in an oven is a superior choice...as it does the same job, while removing excess water, which is the biggest issue with collected wood. Adding moisture through the boiling process just means it will take longer to dry, and often even if it seems dry, it won't be.

All my wood in every one of my enclosures was collected. Now obviously you figured things out, but just for future reference, you can get away with the same results with far less effort and worry.

Cool, thanks so much for the advice. In future enclosures, I will make sure to bake the wood only.

 

[Andrea82]

How does the abdomen look? Full? Bloated, small or wrinkled? Have you noticed poop stains? How does the anus/spinnerets region look?
There were a couple of threads lately about T's suffering/dying from impaction. They showed signs of dehydration, but were seen trying to drink, and there was no other cause for the curling/sluggishness. When dissected after death, the intestines were full and clogged with poop.
I really hope this is not the case with your T, but it is the only thing I can think of where everything looks to be right but the T doesn't seem to be doing well.