Hi
I bought a female curly haired tarantula juvenile about 7 months ago. She has grown in leaps and bounds and has so far, shed 3 times. Due to her growing so fast I moved her into a small fishtank with plastic plants with special turf at the bottom. She did try to climb out up the glass right to the top of the tank but then would fall backwards onto her back but would get up and try again. I filled it with more turf to make it higher so that she doesnt have to climb so high - was worried she would hurt herself. She has a voracius appetite and I initially fed her 3 crickets a day, then eventually fed her 4 to 5 cricket or small grasshoppers a day. Then I found out that overfeeding is not good for them and so I put her on diet and fed her only twice a week, a medium size cricket or grasshopper. Sometimes I fed her stick instects, or leaf insects - actually anything that hops - even the odd rhino beetle or christmas beetle. I was testing to see what she would eat and what I could feed her. About two months ago, 2 weeks after her last shed, I found some nice big grasshoppers and fed her one. She grabbed it with alacrity and took all day to eat it. She has not eaten since her last feed of the large grasshopper, which is 2 months ago. She tried to shed - I saw her laying on her back for a day, but then she didnt shed. She refuses any food, spends a lot of time crouched in a corner or in her drinking dish - is lethargic and doesnt try to climb anymore. I was worried that her last feed didnt agree with her and went onto the internet to identify it. It was either a green milkweed locust or a elegant grasshopper. I thought originally I may have fed her a foamy grasshopper but then the colour was all wrong. The hopper I fed her was green and black and yellow with a rough hard head. Now if it was toxic, would she have eaten it? and if it is toxic and she ate it, have I poisened her and if so, why is she still alive? Alternatively, what else could be wrong with her. We don't have any vets here for tarantulas and the guy at the pet shop doesnt know, so please help. I thought that she would crouch in her water dish if she does not have enough humidity but I spray in her tank every day with a lamp on to increase humidity and she seems to like going towards the heat of the lamp. What am I doing wrong or is it merely, she is struggling to shed and if so, how do I help her? Please advise as I would hate to lose her due to something I am doing wrong.
I bought a female curly haired tarantula juvenile about 7 months ago. She has grown in leaps and bounds and has so far, shed 3 times. Due to her growing so fast I moved her into a small fishtank with plastic plants with special turf at the bottom. She did try to climb out up the glass right to the top of the tank but then would fall backwards onto her back but would get up and try again. I filled it with more turf to make it higher so that she doesnt have to climb so high - was worried she would hurt herself. She has a voracius appetite and I initially fed her 3 crickets a day, then eventually fed her 4 to 5 cricket or small grasshoppers a day. Then I found out that overfeeding is not good for them and so I put her on diet and fed her only twice a week, a medium size cricket or grasshopper. Sometimes I fed her stick instects, or leaf insects - actually anything that hops - even the odd rhino beetle or christmas beetle. I was testing to see what she would eat and what I could feed her. About two months ago, 2 weeks after her last shed, I found some nice big grasshoppers and fed her one. She grabbed it with alacrity and took all day to eat it. She has not eaten since her last feed of the large grasshopper, which is 2 months ago. She tried to shed - I saw her laying on her back for a day, but then she didnt shed. She refuses any food, spends a lot of time crouched in a corner or in her drinking dish - is lethargic and doesnt try to climb anymore. I was worried that her last feed didnt agree with her and went onto the internet to identify it. It was either a green milkweed locust or a elegant grasshopper. I thought originally I may have fed her a foamy grasshopper but then the colour was all wrong. The hopper I fed her was green and black and yellow with a rough hard head. Now if it was toxic, would she have eaten it? and if it is toxic and she ate it, have I poisened her and if so, why is she still alive? Alternatively, what else could be wrong with her. We don't have any vets here for tarantulas and the guy at the pet shop doesnt know, so please help. I thought that she would crouch in her water dish if she does not have enough humidity but I spray in her tank every day with a lamp on to increase humidity and she seems to like going towards the heat of the lamp. What am I doing wrong or is it merely, she is struggling to shed and if so, how do I help her? Please advise as I would hate to lose her due to something I am doing wrong.
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