Worth a substrate change?

[Arachnophobphile]

The water in the water dish evaporates not necessarily leaking.

The more ventilation the quicker it evaporates. A cap off a milk carton is small and shallow. I use them in my sling's enclosures. They do not leak they evaporate quicker.

I use more ventilation on my enclosures. This provides much better airflow and keeps fungus at bay.

I use cocofiber and it develops fungus fast if:
1. Not enough ventilation is used
2. It is too moist and retains in the top layers moisture too long

Regardless of whatever humidity your household is at like in summer here being high.

It is faster and easier to learn direct care for a tarantula than it is in dealing with substrate.

Now if I had Asian arboreals I would not use cocofiber. As these type of T's are moisture dependant. Cocofiber develops fungus fast when kept at those moisture levels.

 

[gabrieldezzi]

The water in the water dish evaporates not necessarily leaking.

The more ventilation the quicker it evaporates. A cap off a milk carton is small and shallow. I use them in my sling's enclosures. They do not leak they evaporate quicker.

I use more ventilation on my enclosures. This provides much better airflow and keeps fungus at bay.

I use cocofiber and it develops fungus fast if:
1. Not enough ventilation is used
2. It is too moist and retains in the top layers moisture too long

Regardless of whatever humidity your household is at like in summer here being high.

It is faster and easier to learn direct care for a tarantula than it is in dealing with substrate.

Now if I had Asian arboreals I would not use cocofiber. As these type of T's are moisture dependant. Cocofiber develops fungus fast when kept at those moisture levels.

Hmm, okay. The ventilation is fine in the enclsoure so I'm just confused why its retaining this moisture for so long. What do you suggest I do, just wait it out?

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Just wait until the sling is ready for a rehouse.

Do not overflow the waterdish but keep it full. Do not add water directly to the sub.

When the cap is near empty move it to a different spot. It's good to keep the dish full.

Monitor the substrate for fungus and/or mold. If either takeover the enclosure you'll have to rehouse as the sub is retaining too much moisture for too long.

 

[gabrieldezzi]

Alright well update, I know for a fact I'm going to be called stupid for this and rightfully so because this was a critical error that could have risked the life of my two slings.

Basically, both my OBT sling and Pamphobetus sling are in two (seperate but identical size) Tarantula Cribs cuboids. I didn't exactly have a lot of space on my shelf so I placed one enclosure on top of the other and pushed it against the wall. This cut off over a third of the enclosure's ventilation and it was no wonder the substrate was drying out, the air was stagnant. I opened both enclosures (at different times) and watched carefully for about 5 minutes, then I slipped the lid back on both and placed them at different points in my room so that they had the space for proper ventilation. It was no surprise I was having problems with it when the entire enclosure walls were blasted with condensation! I'm just glad both of my slings are okay and that mistake mostly had no consequences; but safe to say there will NOT be a next time.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Alright well update, I know for a fact I'm going to be called stupid for this and rightfully so because this was a critical error that could have risked the life of my two slings.

Basically, both my OBT sling and Pamphobetus sling are in two (seperate but identical size) Tarantula Cribs cuboids. I didn't exactly have a lot of space on my shelf so I placed one enclosure on top of the other and pushed it against the wall. This cut off over a third of the enclosure's ventilation and it was no wonder the substrate was drying out, the air was stagnant. I opened both enclosures (at different times) and watched carefully for about 5 minutes, then I slipped the lid back on both and placed them at different points in my room so that they had the space for proper ventilation. It was no surprise I was having problems with it when the entire enclosure walls were blasted with condensation! I'm just glad both of my slings are okay and that mistake mostly had no consequences; but safe to say there will NOT be a next time.

We're human, there is no such thing as a perfect human being, (narcissist will disagree) and we all make mistakes. I have made many mistakes and learned from them.

I'm happy you discovered the issue. May your slings live long and prosper.

 

[fcat]

If ventilation doesn't rectify the swamped substrate, tampons are uninvasive. Make sure they are unbleached/organic cotton. Works fast.

 

[viper69]

So I have a ~1.25 - 1.5” DLS OBT sling and I got this little enclosure for him about a month ago. He seemed okay but he hasn’t eaten since then but hes also very fat and dark and I assumed it was a premolt thing. Checking on him today, I noticed his enclosure is almost dripping wet, and it has been for a while now and just refuses to dry out. I’m using a Tarantula Cribs enclosure so I’m confused as to why ventilation is an issue. The OBT settled and made a web hammock in the far left side of the enclosure, but never goes out of it and is never touching the substrate. What should I do?

View attachment 461410

Dripping wet? Change it

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

I add a row of ventilation holes at the substrate level on my enclosures if the sub level isn’t already up near the provided holes.

 

[gabrieldezzi]

I just ultimately decided to remove the T and redo his enclosure. This time with a hide and dry substrate. There were 0 problems with the rehouse. I have never seen an OBT so calm! No bolts, no threat poses, just went where I needed him to go. He definitely needed a hide, so I provided him half of this aquarium wood I had which he rushed into immediately. Overall, pretty happy with the rehouse.

 

[gabrieldezzi]

Another update, after the ventilation fixed, my Pamphobetus sling molted almost immediately (a day after), no complications, and a beautiful soft-pink approximately 2” DLS spider.

Despite me worried about my OBT possibly webbing the lid, the little guy is firmly nuzzled at the bottom of his hide. The OBT webbed off his little corner with himself inside as of last night so I’m assuming he wants to be left alone. Respecting the little fellas wish for privacy.

OBT as snug as a bug (pun entirely intended)

• gabrieldezzi
• Nov 27, 2023

 

[gabrieldezzi]

Well I left him alone with this new substrate and whatnot, and now I have a freshly molted, beautiful orange OBT!! So that concludes this thread I guess.

 

[Smotzer]

It's not SOAKED or anything, not like my Avic enclosures' was before I did a substrate change. It is still damp though, very dark and even smells tropical/humid, which if I recall is far too humid for an OBT to really thrive.

Good deal getting it changed it was definitely too moist for this species. Also Pterinochilus murinus for me have been very fossorial , when given the opportunity, and next time you rehouse it I would definitely give it a true hide into the soil with more room to borrow.

 

[gabrieldezzi]

Good deal getting it changed it was definitely too moist for this species. Also Pterinochilus murinus for me have been very fossorial , when given the opportunity, and next time you rehouse it I would definitely give it a true hide into the soil with more room to borrow.

Honestly really interesting to hear, I’ve seen mine make both burrows and half burrow/half web hammocks. Love this species regardless