A bad week about to get worse...

[Andrew climance]

I came home from visiting family yesterday to find that a recently-moulted curley hair (appr. 2cm) had died... It had moulted the day before we left and looked pretty good. The tank looked a little dry and I am guessing dehydration? Or maybe it needed feeding? Anyway, I am gutted, as it is clearly due to my care or lack of...

To make matters worse, my Bloodleg has bunched its legs up and is looking bad... she was really active last night and had fed pretty well in the preceding couple of months. Her abdomen now looks deflated and she looks unlikely to make it through the night.

My other Ts look really well but I am pretty worried...

[Mike Todd]

It sounds like your spider is dehydrated or possibly but unlikely has nematodes. Make sure it has access to a fresh bowl of water. Try to get the spider to go to the bowl. Hopefully that will solve your problem. If not I'm sorry to hear about it and maybe someone can offer some different advice. Good luck.

[Andrew climance]

Yes, I also gave the walls a misting a few times last night/this morning and she definitely looks a bit better.

[Mark Pennell]

Andrew
How are you heating your spiders?

It might be this is to high hence the rapid dehydration. Sorry to hear of you loss...

Regards
Mark

[Adam Smith]

It could also be on the opposite and been a cold spell got into the room and the temp may have dropped to level that makes them vulnerable specially if one has just moulted and would be susceptible to the slightlest cold. I lost my very first 2 juveniles to this about this time few years ago.

[Andrew climance]

Hmmm... They are heated by heatmats at the back of the tank (external) where possible, underneath in a couple of cases (though not in the case of my lost and unwell Ts)...

Temperatures look good every time I check, though the tanks do appear to dry out quite quickly... perhaps I could remove a heatmat or two and see if the ambient room temp is sufficient?

She actually looked a lot better this morning, though clearly not 'right'... I thought I had lost her last night.

The good news is that all my other Ts appear fit and healthy...

I appreciate your help guys...

[Mike Todd]

Andrew what size is your A.bicoloratum? How cold does the room where you keep you spiders in get? If it stays above 68F,maybe a little less, I wouldn't worry about using a heating mat. As far as misting goes I personally wouldn't bother. Make sure to provide a waterdish and check to make sure it contains water daily. During the wintertime, rooms tend to run very dry due to the heating of the house. Thus causing a faster evaporation of the water.

Also keep an eye on the moisture of the substrate for any burrowers or arboreals. Restrict the ventilation if need be but not too much to help maintain moisture levels.

[Jon-Paul]

You will mostly get away with too cold for a while but never too hot if the T decides to shed close to the heat pad it can dry out whilst shedding its old skin, expecially if its a spiderling. If i knotice a spider about to shed i usually put a pot of warm water in with it one with a lid (holes in the lid) to keep a good level of humidity while they are moulting if possible or a pice of saturated sponge, also take great care to check the tank to remove any crickets or meal worms. To little humidity and the book lungs can also get caught up in the cast which damages them and leads to the slow death of the T its always good to check these organs on the exuvium after a moult Ive had people send me spiders and skins in the past where this has happened.

[Andrew climance]

Right...

I now feel that I have jumped into this with too many spiders, too fast and have forgotten so much.

Thanks guys for your advice, I really appreciate it.

The good news, she's looking a damn site better (thank goodness)..

Thanks again,
Andrew