A minor concern with my G.rosea

[Rich.Harrington]

Ok I bought it from a repltie/exotic pet shop in town about a week ago. It's a subadult and hadnt yet moutled to be able to give a clear sexing. The chap in the shop informed me it had been in store for around 3 weeks and was eating hoppers 2-3 times a week. My concern is that since arriving home it has not eaten once, now I know that this isnt going to mean a huge problem as they can go for months without food. I am just wondering is there some problem with the enviroment or such that is causing the T to refuse food or would it seem likely that a moult is on the way? Currently the enviroment temperature settles around 23c and there is always a full bowl of water with occasional misting.

I'm pretty sure there is no issue with the heating as the mat is on the back of the tank on the outside and the T will often wander about various areas, both lying next to the mat and away ontop of the corkbark or hiding in the shelter pot. But anytime I offer food it is ignored unless the food item makes contact with the T in which case it just moves away. I've enclosed a picture to give a rough idea of size, so any offers on the likely causes will be apprecieated.

[KJ Vezino]

Sounds like your setup is good, and the T looks healthy. Are yuo trying to feed it the same thing it was eating at the pet store? It may just need some time to settle into it's new home and get used to it's surroundings. I usually wait a week before attempting to feed after rehousing. Many things could have stressed it out between points A and B.

I had to think about what a hopper was for a second, because here, in the US, a hopper is a mouse.

Are grasshoppers a common food item over there? I've never seen or heard of them being available anywhere over here.

[mike halewood]

Hoppers are small Locust.
My rosea's behaviour is very similar to yours, so I wouldnt worry.

[Richard Goram]

I wouldn't bother misting, as long as you have a water bowl that will be fine. IMO roseas like it dry and often won't go down on the substrate until it has dried. They also often take a week or two to settle in to a new environment and will wander around the tank during this time.
If the substrate is wet let it dry out and the spider should settle down.
2-3 hoppers a week is quite alot for a rosea so it might not be hungry for a few weeks. It's nothing to worry about.

[Rich.Harrington]

Thanks for the advice on that one, Yes the substrate is a little damp as I had misted prior to aquiring the T to try and have the humidity correct before it went it. Also yes I'm using exactly the same size food items as it had been eating in store. I was thinking that perhaps I should just leave it a week or two now with zero food or any other distractions and then try again as it would obviously be stressed from the move. The only reason I had it out on my hand was purely for a photo incase I needed to ask anything about it. One thing though I am wondering about other folks G.rosea, what kind of light are yours subject to? currently I have this one fairly close to a window (although out of direct sunlight) so that it recieve a natural day/night cycle and obviously provide it with places to retreat to in darkness if desired.

[Colin D Wilson]

Mr Gorams right
All my rosea's will sit on the side of the tank untill the substrate has dried out fully, i only use a water bowl (part filled) for humidity, i never spray the tank, although a very slight mist on one side of the tank when moulting has been found adventageous.
as for feeding, they eat when they want to and it shouldn't be a worry unless they become dehydrated (shrivellingabdomen) the water bowl will provide the neccessary moisture for them to drink if needbe.
all mine are kept in the darker side of the room, in shelving so only one side lets in light.

[Jim Carolan]

Hey Rich..I had a similar experience with my rosea when I got her first. She did not feed for the first 5 weeks after I got her and also went through a moult during this time. I too was a little concerned but as stated already this is not unusual for the species.
I keep mine on a substrate of cedar wood chippings and from experience also keep it dry as she did not like when I misted it at the start. She is kept in a north facing room that does not get direct sun light (only a little in the mornings) but yet lets her distinguish between day and night.
I thought I had a vegeterian T on my hands at the start as she would not look at the locusts I offered her!!

[Helen Roberts]

My daughters rosea didn't eat for about 8 months despite being offered food. This was the reason shy I joined this forum as we were both a little concerned. He moulted in April and has eaten quite well since.

[Rich.Harrington]

Ok thanks for the tips fols, just caught the T head first in the water bowel and the moved out after awhile to sit under its log fully spread, also it has made a very light floor web over the substrate where it usually sits. So at least I know it is happy enough and just a case of not hungry.

On a note about moulting, is it the humity or the moisture level of the spider that is more important as the T seems far happier now in a drier enviroment. Or should i keep plenty of water in the dish and just very lightly mist when moulting is actually taking place?

[mary walters]

Hey Rich..I had a similar experience with my rosea when I got her first. She did not feed for the first 5 weeks after I got her and also went through a moult during this time. I too was a little concerned but as stated already this is not unusual for the species.
I keep mine on a substrate of cedar wood chippings and from experience also keep it dry as she did not like when I misted it at the start. She is kept in a north facing room that does not get direct sun light (only a little in the mornings) but yet lets her distinguish between day and night.
I thought I had a vegeterian T on my hands at the start as she would not look at the locusts I offered her!!

I wouldn't keep mine on Cedar wood chips, to me thats a definite no no, most of mine are on pure peat or coir.

[Colin D Wilson]

I keep mine on a substrate of cedar wood chippings and from experience also keep it dry as she did not like when I misted it at the start.

Cedar and Pine chippings, especially when dampened, can produce a natural insectacide which is toxic to invertebrates.

I used to use Cedar chippings in my Burmese python enclosures to kill the mites off naturally. Moth balls are made from western red cedar and this has one of the most potent insectacide compounds.

I agree with Mary, "a definite no no" in my opinion too