New-chile rose sling help

[Laura Watson]

Hi,

Im totally new to keeping tarantulas, and got a chile rose spiderling recently. I've got some books, and have read the articles on here and elsewhere online about caring for spiderlings and i think i've done what they've said, but my spider just won't eat, I don't think he has for the whole 2 weeks since i got him, and I don't know what im doing wrong, so a bit of feedback/reassurance would be helpful.

The breeder i got it from said they'd been feeding well on micro crikets so i got some of those but he didn't touch them, and seemed frightened of them, so i was advised that perhaps its going to moult, so i left it for about a week, but nothing really seemed to happen-i dont know if it moulted and i didn't notice-would it be very noticeable? It seems the same size. It has dug a burrow, and isn't out that much. Today i got some tiny meal worms and put one in, but again it seems scared and has just backed into a corner in a defensive position. Im worried since everything ive read has said slings eat like crazy.

Should i leave the worm in for a while? Is there something else i couldv'e done wrong that coud be why he's not eating? like the humidity or something, it's only in a little plastic pot so i've not got a meter for humidity yet, and i know chile rose's like it fairly dry. Could the pot be too big, it's an old cricket tub but the spiders only about 1cm including legs.

Any feedback would be great,

thanks

Laura

[Phil Rea]

Doesn't seem as if you've done anything wrong. Chiles are notorious for their weird eating patterns, they can just stop eating for no apparent reason and then just start again. 2 weeks is not a lot of time in this respect. I bought a juvenile G. rosea which didn't eat for ages and then she moulted. She won't stop eating now

Maybe a moult is due as you suggest. Have you noticed any darkening of the abdomen recently?

I wouldn't leave any live prey in there with him (particularly crickets) if I were you, as if it is a moult, then the spider's going to be very vulnerable during and immediately after the moult. Maybe try pre-killing a cricket and leaving it in overnight. That way if the spider moults, then there's no chance of him being attacked, and if he doesn't then the cricket's there for him. Don't forget to remove it if it isn't eaten though.

I have a 1cm G. aureostriata (Chaco Golden Knee) spiderling that's the same with prey items. Put anything in the pot and he'll run away. Leave it in there with him for 10 minutes with the lid on, and chances are the little swine will have caught it and be in the process of eating it! I think he likes some privacy when he eats

As for humidity, again I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's hardly an exact science, and as long as you regularly mist the container, you shouldn't have a problem.

[Adam Walters]

Hi Laura,

Welcome to the hobby

Phil has already explained how 'weird' G.rosea can be, so try not to worry. When you mist, leave one side of the container dry. There is no need for a Hygrometer as they are seldom accurate and a waste of time in my opinion.

[Lee Williams]

I have a G rosea sling moulted 2 weeks ago and also has not eaten. Runs away and hides in her burrow as soon as anything goes in her viv, sometimes she will attack pin heads and sometimes she won't.

[ben moller]

Chile Roses

Hi Laura,

I have 2 Chile rose T's, they're great. As people have already said Chile roses do have 'wierd' habits. As i have found out they also skip molts, my adult female hasn't molted for over 18 months

[Laura Watson]

Hi, thanks for replying everyone, i feel much more reassured now! She does look a bit darker, and i was wondering about that, so perhaps she is about to moult. I've taken the meal worm out, and il wait and see if she moults, from the sound of it i guess i could be waiting a while longer! update soon hopefully! I look forward to learning much more about tarantulas!

thanks

laura

[De_Bunk]

One of my first posts here concerned my Chile Rose not eating...

If i remember correctly, mine went about 4 months without eating...no matter what i done...Then one day i put the usual couple of crickets in and the T went wild...caught both instantly...I waited till the next day, put two more in and it instantly jumped them....

That was a couple of years back. Now its the same thing...months without eating...then has a feeding frenzy...

( PS..I saw it drinking from it dish the other day...first time ever.. )

[Mike Shaw]

Hi Laura,
My chile hasn't eaten for over 3 months now.Like everyone says it's quiet common.Although with a sling I think the fasting periods should be considerably shorter.
If it gets to more than 4-5 weeks I would try enticing it with something else maye a wingless fruit fly.
Hope all goes well and welcome to the addictive world of not only arachnoculture but forums too
cheers Mike.