Should my spider be eating yet?

[Paul Claven]

Hi all -

I have a lovely A. avicularia which I purchased locally, one week ago. Until this morning, he/she was in a temporary housing about 20cm x 15cm and 15cm high.

She (I hope it's a she, so here's a step of faith!) was on a base of 4cm of Mulch with a pair of twigs to assist climbing, and the tank has a water dish.
Since day one, she has clung to the side of the housing, never visibly coming to the substrate, and never visibly feeding from the medium sized crickets I was sold. She is normally in a splayed position, not cramped up, and readily walks onto my hand, but I am concerned that she shows no interest in the calcium-covered crickets.

Any need for concern?

Thanks
Paul

[Layla McInnes]

Hiya.
Avics are funny creatures to be honest.
I have never had them on mulch before but as they are tree dwelling it shouldnt bother them too much as long as it can cope with humidity.
What size is the new house she is in? How big is the Avic avic? What temperature is she being kept at?
Spray the container once a week, keep the water topped up and stop handling her. She will probably be a little stressed out esp with being housed temp. She may want something like cork bark to hide behind as its a bit wider than twigs.
If you have any crickets in the tank just remove them for now till she settles and in a week try her on one.
Hope this helps without more details I cant really comment more.

[Paul Claven]

Hiya.
Avics are funny creatures to be honest.
I have never had them on mulch before but as they are tree dwelling it shouldnt bother them too much as long as it can cope with humidity.
What size is the new house she is in? How big is the Avic avic? What temperature is she being kept at?
Spray the container once a week, keep the water topped up and stop handling her. She will probably be a little stressed out esp with being housed temp. She may want something like cork bark to hide behind as its a bit wider than twigs.
If you have any crickets in the tank just remove them for now till she settles and in a week try her on one.
Hope this helps without more details I cant really comment more.

Hi Layla

Thank you for the response.

She's just moved into her final home, which is a glass tank with a perforated sponge ceiling. The tank is 30x30x45cm with driftwood and decorators' moss in place. She has a small water dish with sponge to prevent crickets' drownings. There is sufficient fake vegetation for her to hide successfully, and ample area for climbing.

I haven't measured her, but guess she is around 9cm legspan.

I have no gauges, but the cage is half on - half off a reptile heating pad, and I spray water in every four days for humidity.

[mary walters]

Take the sponge out of the water, they harbour mites and germs, I never, ever use them, nasty things and a waste of money.

Mary

[Paul Claven]

Thanks for the Heads Up -

Paul

[Catherine Procter]

Are you dusting all her crickets with calcium supplement? I don't dust the crickets I feed to my spiders as they don't seem to need it. My lizard, I dust the crickets so her bones don't become brittle and she doesn't become deficiant.
Spiders on the other hand have a different skeletal system, and don't have the same need for calcium.

[Paul Claven]

Are you dusting all her crickets with calcium supplement? I don't dust the crickets I feed to my spiders as they don't seem to need it. My lizard, I dust the crickets so her bones don't become brittle and she doesn't become deficiant.
Spiders on the other hand have a different skeletal system, and don't have the same need for calcium.

Hi Catherine

I have been wondering about Calcium dusting for a while now as no thread I've yet read has mentioned it, but the pet shop insisted it was the way to go. Think I'll check out the threads and see if one covers it. What do you think?

[sarah Smith]

As long as you gut feed your crickets with good food ie dog food cat food that is all your T will need. There is no need for calcium dusting as they dont need it as they get all the chitin they need from the hard exoselenton of the crickets.

[Paul Claven]

Gotcha!

The Calcium has been sent to the Bearded Dragon owner and my T's no longer run in fear from lunch!

Much appreciated -
Paul