Incorrect Housing?

[Neil Martin]

My 1 year old A.Genic shed last Saturday, so I re-housed it from it's 8" x 4" sandwich box kept in the airing cupboard, to a proper 12" x 6" plastic vivarium with a ventilated top and sides, heat mat etc, now kept in my study next to the other spider tank.

Thing is, it has been fairly visible up until now, but it seems to have built a vermiculite barricade in the entrance to it's hide and doesn't come out at all, except obviously at night as the crickets keep disappearing?

I thought that Genics were pretty "showy" T's not prone to hiding, so my query is, have I re-housed it in too large a container with too open a top or is this normal behaviour for a young one?

[Tomas Whitehouse]

Hi,

Alright mate,

I keep my A genic in the smallest size critter keeper and she's fine in there. Around a week after the molt she spent alot of time stuck to the ceiling of the tank, scrunched up in a corner, upside down. This lasted for a week or so then back to being out on display. I did notice a few strange behaviours after the molt, like pooing in the water dish, I'm glad she stopped that now! But most of all staying off the ground even though the substrate was fine.

All the best

Tomas

[Neil Martin]

Cheers Tomas, I will keep an eye on it for a few days.

So long as it keeps feeding I can only assume it is good health - even though I can't see it?!

[Tomas Whitehouse]

No worries, I'd monitor the behaviour over the next week and see if anything changes, maybe it's a passing phase due to the post molt period.
After my fiasco with the flies, (read my previous threads if you fancy a long read) and the sub was dryer I experienced all the behaviour normally associated with A Genic's alot more often. The humidity beforehand was between 70 and 80%, now it's more like 65% with a very sparse mist every so often. Flash is always out on show now.

Let me know how it comes along.

Best regards

Tomas

[Jaco Pretorius]

Hey guys

My A.geniculata spent alot of time on the webbing she laid down for moulting, about 10 days she didnt move and then a lot of time in the shelter , but everything is back to normal, on the substrate protecting the waterdish with her life. It seems like its a species thing the pooing in the waterdish. Whenever I change the water which is twice a week, she deficates in the water so her water gets changed four time as a week.

They can be very moody and that changes from day to day

[Tomas Whitehouse]

Very true Jaco. Three weeks after a molt things were on the short and narrow but now the attacking the water dish is on the back burner. She is staying as still as a statue when I'm replacing the water. Funny how things are. How long have you had an A genic then Jaco? Neil and myself have fairly young specimens that are at very similar stages of life. Post up some pics, that would be great to have a looksie.

All the best

Tomas

[Bryan_Dennis]

My 1 year old A.Genic shed last Saturday, so I re-housed it from it's 8" x 4" sandwich box kept in the airing cupboard, to a proper 12" x 6" plastic vivarium with a ventilated top and sides, heat mat etc, now kept in my study next to the other spider tank.

Remembering that god didn't make all A.geniculata's the same .. some have robust temperaments while some others have a more fragile temperament .. i'd say the answer is in the above quote......I'm assuming the proper 12" x 6" terrarium with ventilated top is a kritter keeper or pet pal. If so then these type of terrariums are notoriously hard to maintain a highish steady humidity..(remember humidity is not just about how damp the substrate is!). Many scorpions will also seal up their burrows during dry times as a way of helping to retain body moisture.......That being said, most tarantula's can acclimatise to drier conditions so it's not necessarily a bad thing.

The principal factor in my mind would be that your genic has been moved from a area with one set of enviromental conditions (your airing cupboard) to another where the conditions (direction and strength of light, day/night temperature and humidity) are most likely totally different........

I'm absolutely sure your geniculata will be just fine Niel....it's just gotta get used to it's new lifestyle.

Heres a picture of my own sub adult female sitting on her webbing carpet after her last moult.

[Neil Martin]

Bryan, even though I tend to adopt a somewhat less creationist view about the existence of creatures on this earth of ours, I take your point that no two animals are entirely the same.

Good point about the humidity control, the ventilation on this new "tank" is phenomenol compared to the "sarnie box" with a few holes drilled in the lid it was in before!

I am having to top up the water dish daily to prevent it drying out, so that (low humidity) is probably the reason for its' hiding away? I think I will add a further water dish at the other end away from the heat mat.

Beautiful T you have there BTW.

[Bryan_Dennis]

so that (low humidity) is probably the reason for its' hiding away?

It may be but it's most likely a combination of the whole "everything is new and different" thing.
I wouldn't add another water bowl just yet Niel...Give it a few days/couple of weeks to get itself freshened up again and if there's still no joy then you could consider it....alternatively instead of using another water bowl you could try a different terrarium...something that'll seal up a bit better than what you are using now.