Your bad molt experiences

D-Man

Arachnochicano
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 27, 2003
Messages
356
I'd like to hear everyone's experiences with bad molts. I'd like to try and form some paramaters that may help in understanding why bad molts occur. Please post your replies by answering the following:

1. Scientific and common name of T
2. Aging of T: sling, juvie, sub-adult, adult
3. Cage type: tank, critter keeper, deli cup, etc.
4. Substrate type
5. Water dish or other form of hydration
6. Other cage furniture: bark, flower pot, pvc, etc.
7. Normal heat range (and heat during molt) and source
8. Normal humidity range (and humidity during molt) and source
9. Place where T is kept
10. Diet of T
11. How much is T handled
12. Other information you think is important
13. Details of molt gone bad

I appreciate your input!

Thanks, Dario
 

Joanie

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 4, 2002
Messages
205
I'll answer this one. I feel very strongly lately about people answering surveys. :D

1. My G. rosea had a pretty bad molt several years ago.
2. She was already adult.
3. She lived in one of those flat reptile-style critter keepers. (Still does.)
4. I BELIEVE I had her on a pre-packaged type of reptile bark at the time. Now she lives on peat/potting soil.
5. She had a water dish, but I was not very good back then about keeping it regularly filled. I think that figured into the bad molt, personally. I've gotten much more vigilant about filling water dishes since then.
6. She had one of those half-log hides. I think that was it.
7. Normal room temp, mid-70s.
8. Normal indoor humidity level. No extra humidity beyond the not-always-filled water dish was used.
9. Back then the cage was kept on top of my bedroom dresser.
10. Mostly crickets, but also other insects as I was able to catch and provide them. She ate a HUGE katydid once, very interesting to watch.
11. She was handled pretty regularly back then. Probably twice a week or so.
12. I think you've got the pertinent info.
13. She got two legs stuck in the molt and had to remove them to complete the molt. She did this herself. She lost leg II on one side and III on the other side. I referred to her as my "bug" until her next molt, when she regenerated both legs.

I know that's not a HUGE disaster, but it's the only bad molt story I have (knock on wood).

JOANIE
 

Professor T

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 11, 2003
Messages
722
Originally posted by D-Man
I'd like to hear everyone's experiences with bad molts. I'd like to try and form some paramaters that may help in understanding why bad molts occur. Please post your replies by answering the following:

1. Scientific and common name of T
2. Aging of T: sling, juvie, sub-adult, adult
3. Cage type: tank, critter keeper, deli cup, etc.
4. Substrate type
5. Water dish or other form of hydration
6. Other cage furniture: bark, flower pot, pvc, etc.
7. Normal heat range (and heat during molt) and source
8. Normal humidity range (and humidity during molt) and source
9. Place where T is kept
10. Diet of T
11. How much is T handled
12. Other information you think is important
13. Details of molt gone bad

Thanks, Dario
1. Avicularia urticans , Peruvian Pinktoe
2. Adult
3. Tank
4. Potting Soil
5. Water Dish
6. Branch & Hide Bark
7. 68-72 degrees
8. light misting
9. classroom
10. crickets
11. light handling
12. Only had this T 4 weeks before the molt, purchased in good health, purchased from local dealer. I think humidity was good, but temperature was too cool (IMO). At the time my only experience was with Grammostola sp. and Aphonopelma sp. and I didn't understand my classroom would be too cool for this species.
13. This T never made it out of its shed, after 3 days I tried to gently help with a Q-tip, but it was a horrible shed, it died a day later, still not fully out of the old exoskeleton.
 

Professor T

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 11, 2003
Messages
722
Originally posted by D-Man


1. Scientific and common name of T
2. Aging of T: sling, juvie, sub-adult, adult
3. Cage type: tank, critter keeper, deli cup, etc.
4. Substrate type
5. Water dish or other form of hydration
6. Other cage furniture: bark, flower pot, pvc, etc.
7. Normal heat range (and heat during molt) and source
8. Normal humidity range (and humidity during molt) and source
9. Place where T is kept
10. Diet of T
11. How much is T handled
12. Other information you think is important
13. Details of molt gone bad

1. Avicularia versicolor , Martinique Birdeater aka Antilles Pinktoe
2. sling
3. vial
4. vermiculite
5. misting
6. none
7. 75-80
8. humid from misting
9. home
10. pinhead crickets
11. handled often, but never dropped
12. before I went to school I lightly misted the vial, and put in a pinhead, that was bigger than previously eaten pinheads, as my pinheads were growing too.
13. When I got home 9 hours later, the pinhead was alive, the T was dead, and it had shed. I took out the pinhead and the sling didn't move, and never moved again. I think the pinhead killed my sling.

That T was sooo cool, and I was heart broken. I gave up on arboreals after that. Now I only have G. rosea , G. pulchra , and B. smithi species. Hard to make mistakes now. My smallest are now between 3.25" and 3.5" on their last sheds. I think "Fluffy" , my 5+" Chilean rose will shed sometime this month.
 

belewfripp

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 17, 2002
Messages
344
Originally posted by D-Man
I'd like to hear everyone's experiences with bad molts. I'd like to try and form some paramaters that may help in understanding why bad molts occur. Please post your replies by answering the following:

1. Scientific and common name of T
2. Aging of T: sling, juvie, sub-adult, adult
3. Cage type: tank, critter keeper, deli cup, etc.
4. Substrate type
5. Water dish or other form of hydration
6. Other cage furniture: bark, flower pot, pvc, etc.
7. Normal heat range (and heat during molt) and source
8. Normal humidity range (and humidity during molt) and source
9. Place where T is kept
10. Diet of T
11. How much is T handled
12. Other information you think is important
13. Details of molt gone bad

I appreciate your input!

Thanks, Dario

1. Aphonopelma seemanni, Costa Rican zebra
2. Adult
3. Pet Pal, 2nd to largest size available
4. 60% peat 40% vermiculite
5. Water dish plus regular substrate waterings
6. Hollowed-out half log retreat
7. Normal indoor heating, approx 78 degrees
8. Don't keep humidity measurements
9. Top shelf of bookshelf
10. Crickets
11. Maybe once a month
12. Nothing else of note, ironically she had a ton of room in which to molt
13. In essence, she began molting right-side-up had made almost no progress. When I first got to her she was still alive, I gently rolled her over onto her back and from there she made a small bit of progress. Over the next few hours, though, no more progress. Because she was only partway out I assumed she had only recently started to molt. I was wrong, as I was to discover. Part of her chelicerae had not come off right and appeared to be hooked/stuck and I decided to remove it gently with a pair of tweezers. It was very brittle and cracked easily, like a shed that has had a day or two to dry out. I realised then that she was not going to complete the molt on her own, as the old rings at the meeting of the leg with the prosoma had almost certainly hardened up by then. My wife brought me her jeweler's loupe and I got out a tiny pair of surgical scissors and some aquarium sealant in case of any bleeding and set to work removing the old exoskeleton by hand. The work went well, and after an hour or so I had the old exo removed. However, all of her legs were badly mangled and twisted. There was no way she was going to walk, if she was even still alive anymore at this point. I knew then she wasn't going to make it; I tried administering water to her mouthparts via eyedropper but none of the water was being sucked in, it just kind of pooled on the surface. I left her in her tank overnight just in case but no dice.

I'd also like to note that I noted what was going on in pretty much real-time on these boards and a lot of the folks here were supportive and gave me good advice. She was just too far gone when I got to her, I think.


Adrian
 

MrT

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 13, 2002
Messages
2,171
Pro T
Thats the way I started with arboreals, except mine died from starving to death.
It just would never eat. I don't know why, it never ate.
I gave up on them for a while. But I tryed again and I've had good luck since. Now I have two Versi's and two pink toes.

I guess what I'm saying is their too cool to give up on. So jump back on the horse and go for it, its worth it.:D

Ernie
 

D-Man

Arachnochicano
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 27, 2003
Messages
356
Re: Re: Your bad molt experiences

Originally posted by belewfripp
1. Aphonopelma seemanni, Costa Rican zebra
2. Adult
3. Pet Pal, 2nd to largest size available
4. 60% peat 40% vermiculite
5. Water dish plus regular substrate waterings
6. Hollowed-out half log retreat
7. Normal indoor heating, approx 78 degrees
8. Don't keep humidity measurements
9. Top shelf of bookshelf
Adrian
Adrian - you mention no humidity tracking and keeping the T on a top shelf. What month did this occur? Was central heating being used? Male or female T? Are you in the states? What do you think was the cause?

Thanks everyone! Good stuff, keep it coming!

Dario
 

Arachnopuppy

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
713
Originally posted by D-Man

1. Scientific and common name of T
2. Aging of T: sling, juvie, sub-adult, adult
3. Cage type: tank, critter keeper, deli cup, etc.
4. Substrate type
5. Water dish or other form of hydration
6. Other cage furniture: bark, flower pot, pvc, etc.
7. Normal heat range (and heat during molt) and source
8. Normal humidity range (and humidity during molt) and source
9. Place where T is kept
10. Diet of T
11. How much is T handled
12. Other information you think is important
13. Details of molt gone bad
1. L parahybana
2. sling
3. deli cup
4. soil
5. occasional mistings
6. none
7. Room temperature (73-78)
8. room humidity
9. my room
10. pinheads
11. not very
12. my brain is having fun somewhere else right now
13. I don't have much detail except that the little sling was crooked after an overnite molt. The legs were grossly out of shape and the sling couldn't move properly. For a while, I thought that the sling didn't have long to live. At first I put the live pinheads in and noticed that the sling couldn't capture the pinheads. So, I started putting in crix body parts. Almost a month later the sling molted into a healthy little tarantula once again and is currently thriving in my room.
 

belewfripp

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 17, 2002
Messages
344
Re: Re: Re: Your bad molt experiences

Originally posted by D-Man
Adrian - you mention no humidity tracking and keeping the T on a top shelf. What month did this occur? Was central heating being used? Male or female T? Are you in the states? What do you think was the cause?

Thanks everyone! Good stuff, keep it coming!

Dario

This occurred in November of 2002. Central heating was being used, spider was female, and I'm in the U.S., Tennessee to be specific. Humidity in the tank was certainly high, though again I don't keep specific measurements, I gauge it by the spider's behavior, color of the peat, etc. The substrate was quite dark and damp and the T was attempting the molt under its log hide which was completely sealed shut on both ends. I think the cause was the fact that she attempted it right side up. She had molted once before in less humid circumstances, also in her retreat, in early fall of 2001.


Adrian
 

Professor T

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 11, 2003
Messages
722
Originally posted by MrT
Pro T
Thats the way I started with arboreals, except mine died from starving to death.
It just would never eat. I don't know why, it never ate.
I gave up on them for a while. But I tryed again and I've had good luck since. Now I have two Versi's and two pink toes.

I guess what I'm saying is their too cool to give up on. So jump back on the horse and go for it, its worth it.:D

Ernie
Ernie,

Thanks for the encouragement, but I think my classroom gets too cool for Avicularia sp. and I can't control the room temperature. I don't want to mess with heaters, my T's need to be low maintenance, because many of the other animals I care for are high maintenance (umbrella cockatoo, prairie dog, bearded dragons, leopard geckos, box turtles). My snakes, frogs, millipedes, and T's are all low maintenance.

That being said, I would have to keep the arboreals at home, and have been thinking about doing that. I've had the will power to resist so far. I admit I probably will try keeping arboreals again, but when the time is right for me.

I went to the Tampa herp show in March, and left with only 2 AGB millipedes, and a B. smithi . That showed amazing restraint since there were dozens of snakes, lizards, frogs, and T's I thought about getting.

I've got to make sure I don't turn into one of those bag ladies with 3,000 cats. Keeping animals can be as addicting as heroine.
 

jwb121377

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 20, 2002
Messages
905
  1. 1. Theraphosa blondi/ Goliath BirdEater
  2. sling
  3. rubbermaid tubb
  4. 100% peat moss
  5. water dish
  6. nothing
  7. 74-81 degrees
  8. unknown
  9. living room
  10. Crickets
  11. none
  12. nothing
  13. The sling made it trough the molt ok, but never was able harded back up. When I found it it was already dead from the bad molt.
    [/list=1]
 

jwb121377

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 20, 2002
Messages
905
  1. Brachypelma albopilosum/Curly Hair
  2. sling
  3. gladware 4" round soup cup
  4. 60/40% Peat moss/ vermiculite
  5. no water dish just moist substrate
  6. nothing
  7. 75-81 degrees
  8. unknown
  9. beedroom in the sling bin
  10. crickets and mealworms
  11. never
  12. this was the one and only bad molt out of sac of 53 slings
  13. Pedipalps and legs I and IV became deformed and are not of use. Despite the bad molt the sling is still able to catch, kill, and eat de-legged crickets and mealworms fine. Still waiting to see what the next molt will bring.
    [/list=1]
 
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conipto

ArachnoPrincess
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 27, 2002
Messages
1,256
1. Haplopelma lividum
2. sling
3-11,13. Normal
12. Eaten by cricket.

Bill
 

Immortal_sin

Arachnotemptress
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 17, 2002
Messages
3,952
Originally posted by D-Man
I'd like to hear everyone's experiences with bad molts. I'd like to try and form some paramaters that may help in understanding why bad molts occur. Please post your replies by answering the following:

1. Scientific and common name of T
2. Aging of T: sling, juvie, sub-adult, adult
3. Cage type: tank, critter keeper, deli cup, etc.
4. Substrate type
5. Water dish or other form of hydration
6. Other cage furniture: bark, flower pot, pvc, etc.
7. Normal heat range (and heat during molt) and source
8. Normal humidity range (and humidity during molt) and source
9. Place where T is kept
10. Diet of T
11. How much is T handled
12. Other information you think is important
13. Details of molt gone bad

I appreciate your input!

Thanks, Dario
1. A seemanni (Costa Rican stripeknee)
2. male juvenile
3. Kritter ranch, with bed-a-beast
4. Large water dish, damp substrate
5. ambient heat at 80 degrees, humidity approx 75%
6. T was never handled prior to this molt. I bought it from Petco (my first T) and 6 days later it molted. It was previously kept on some sort of bark, with minimal humidity, which I am certain caused the molting problems.
After 24 hours with little progress, I decided to help. I did as Adrian did, with hemostats, drops of water, etc. I was able to get everything out except a pedipalp. Amazingly, it survived, and regenerated it's palp.
 

Immortal_sin

Arachnotemptress
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 17, 2002
Messages
3,952
Originally posted by D-Man
I'd like to hear everyone's experiences with bad molts. I'd like to try and form some paramaters that may help in understanding why bad molts occur. Please post your replies by answering the following:

1. Scientific and common name of T
2. Aging of T: sling, juvie, sub-adult, adult
3. Cage type: tank, critter keeper, deli cup, etc.
4. Substrate type
5. Water dish or other form of hydration
6. Other cage furniture: bark, flower pot, pvc, etc.
7. Normal heat range (and heat during molt) and source
8. Normal humidity range (and humidity during molt) and source
9. Place where T is kept
10. Diet of T
11. How much is T handled
12. Other information you think is important
13. Details of molt gone bad

I appreciate your input!

Thanks, Dario
1. P ornata
2. 1" sling
3. clear plastic spice jar
4. vermiculite
5. no water dish, frequent misting.
6 wine cork for climbing
7. ambient heat 80 degrees
8. don't know humidity
9. in office
10. mealworms and small crickets
11. T never handled
12. This little T ate like a horse and looked very healthy. no indication of any problems
13. This T molted about 2 weeks after it arrived. After the molt, it seemed to have trouble walking, it would fall over. It seemed to have completely lost coordination.
I never ate again, and I thought maybe it's fangs didn't regenerate. I tried EVERYTHING including mashed soupy food, but it refused to eat. I believe it died of starvation. I examined it after death, and the fangs were intact and working. I still have no clue what caused the problems, and why it refused to eat
 

belewfripp

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 17, 2002
Messages
344
Re: Re: Your bad molt experiences

Originally posted by Immortal_sin
I still have no clue what caused the problems, and why it refused to eat

Perhaps it failed to shed the lining of the gut?

Adrian
 

Immortal_sin

Arachnotemptress
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 17, 2002
Messages
3,952
Adrian,
that's what I wondered, but the molt looked normal. The lining was there, so who knows?
 

Tarantula Lover

Psalmopoeus Lover
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 21, 2002
Messages
1,373
Originally posted by D-Man
I'd like to hear everyone's experiences with bad molts. I'd like to try and form some paramaters that may help in understanding why bad molts occur. Please post your replies by answering the following:

1. Scientific and common name of T
2. Aging of T: sling, juvie, sub-adult, adult
3. Cage type: tank, critter keeper, deli cup, etc.
4. Substrate type
5. Water dish or other form of hydration
6. Other cage furniture: bark, flower pot, pvc, etc.
7. Normal heat range (and heat during molt) and source
8. Normal humidity range (and humidity during molt) and source
9. Place where T is kept
10. Diet of T
11. How much is T handled
12. Other information you think is important
13. Details of molt gone bad

I appreciate your input!

Thanks, Dario
1. Avicularia avicularia-Pinktoe
2. Sub-Adult
3. Kritter Keeper
4. Potting Soil
5. Water dish and misting every other day
6. Plastic leaves, and bark
7. 70-75 degrees
8. 75%
9. It was in the laundry room
10. Crickets/Mealworms
11. None
12. It was my first molt care and i kept on touching the leaves and messing with it.
13. It seemed stressed and just stood there, and died.
 

Telson

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 5, 2003
Messages
685
G. rosea

1. Scientific and common name of T
2. Aging of T: sling, juvie, sub-adult, adult
3. Cage type: tank, critter keeper, deli cup, etc.
4. Substrate type
5. Water dish or other form of hydration
6. Other cage furniture: bark, flower pot, pvc, etc.
7. Normal heat range (and heat during molt) and source
8. Normal humidity range (and humidity during molt) and source
9. Place where T is kept
10. Diet of T
11. How much is T handled
12. Other information you think is important
13. Details of molt gone bad

1. Grammastola rosea, chilien rose
2. Adult fem aprox 4 & 1/2" measured molt, meaning she's pro'lly 5" now
3. 5 gal glass tank with sliding screen lid
4. bed-a-beast (shreaded coconut husk)
5. small water dish and recently moistened substrate
6. No other furnishing in tank at time of molt
7. about 80 degrees
8. normally keep it about 40%, raised to around 60% anticipating molt
9. top shelf of computer desk
10. crickets, occasionally a small feeder lizard
11. extremely rarely handled
12. started making bed of webs along one end of enclosure about 3 days prior to molt, which extended to corner of tank. Looked in on her this morning on my way out to work at about 7:30 am. Was on her back, carapace had cracked and split abdomen of old cuticle. Returned from work about 12:30 pm. expecting her to have finished shortly after I'd had to leave. Found her in same place, no progress, tips of legs caught in webbing and unable to push the old cuticle any further off.

Realizing that she may have been in this situation for most of the prior night and might well be completely exhausted I GENTLY freed her legs from the webbing. When this did not result in movement I was afraid she might be dead and GENTLY lifted her out of the enclosure and set her on a book on my desk and began easing some of the loosest parts of the cuticle away. Cleared the book lungs to ensure she was not suffocated and then she began moving again.

At this point I backed off and let her do her thing and she has now freed herself from the old cuticle. Rather than further risking her I placed the book she is sitting on in the enclosure and when she is mobile enough to walk off the book I'll remove it.

Final note: Urticating hairs suck!! My hands itch like crazy!!


:rolleyes:

Edit: (folowing day update.) She flipped over about 1/2 hour after returning her on the book to her enclosure and walked off to her web bad about 20 minutes after that. She's doing fine now. :D
 
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