climbing smithi.

[vincent winyard]

hi there everyone. i wrote a few days ago about my young smithi climbing to the top of her tank. she,s still up there. i,ve checked the temprature wich is sitting at 78 and the humidity is at 75. she climbed round to the other side yesterday but has gone back to where she started never coming down to the bottom. i,ve had her a little over a week now and she,s only been down for a day and half if that. i,ve been told that she just needs time to settle in i just want to know if this is normal behavior for a young smithi or prehaps there,s something im doing wrong. the substrate is a mixture of one quater vermiculite three quaters soil which is about 2/3 inches deep she has access to water im using a water gell as she,s only 2 inches aprox and there,s a very shallow lid with normal water in she has a half log hide and the tank measures 12 by 12.

[Stuart Lee]

Im no expert but the following things might help.

Smithis like it dry, Make sure your substrate has been dryed out.
Humidity around 50-60%
Get rid of the gel and just use a shallow water dish.
Temp around 75 should be ok.

Hope this helps

[vincent winyard]

cheers stuart. it,s hard to know what to do sometimes. prehaps im worrying to much thank,s for your help mate.

[Craig Mackay]

Hi Vincent, please don't worry. It can take time for a T to settle in. Your enclosure sounds fine. Just be patient and I'm sure you'll get good results

[vincent winyard]

Thankyou craig for your reasuring words thats very kind of you, it can be quite worrying when starting out, I'm sure others feel the same way My wife tells me to stop worrying and I'm sure that i will as my confidence grows and the smithi starts to behave in a way that is more natural thanks again for your kind words

[Michael Peachey]

Yea i know exactly what you mean V. Mine's settled in at the moment but it's going to molt soon, so i'm constantly in two minds of to feed it and when in case it's molting. It's showing all the signal's like its going to molt i just wish it will be soon so i can stop worrying about it.

Mike

[vincent winyard]

cheers Micheal
im glad im not the only one who worries. the trouble is these beautiful spiders rely on us to give them the very best care and quality of life and it is down to us to make sure they get the best care and quality in life so it,s good we have this website to turn to when we need help and advice.

[Andrew Ferguson]

I read this the other day and meant to reply. When my B.smithi was transferred from one cage to another it tended to climb. In its current environment it climbed up high but now the substrate is perfect, the heat and humidy is spot on. It only climbs as high as its it is long (does that make sense?).

Just keep an eye on the substrate, smithis like it on the drier side.

[Gayle E. Anderson]

When my B.smithi was transferred from one cage to another it tended to climb.

I noticed this with mine when I replaced her substrate earlier this year, she spent the next short while climbing.

[Alex Ferguson]

I have recently gone and baught a B.smithi as a 1cm sling and its currently liveing in a crix tub atm, its happily tearing around and consuming anything thats near it, i have witnessed it acting like a very mini JCB =) but mine also has started to move to the top of its tub, i feel a molt comeing on, hes/she got a lovely plump bum so fingers crossed

Alex

[Peter Lacey]

The abdomen for a sling will almost certainly appear with a large black spot if its about to moult, and likely to be like that for quite a while. they are slow to moult, infact, they're slow at everything!

[vincent winyard]

hi andrew like you said i,ve managed to get everything as close to perfect as i can and she is starting to venture round a little but i think she only goes to the floor during the middle of the night. things can only get better. thank,s for your reply mate.

[vincent winyard]

hi alex thanks for your reply. young smithi,s are a worry like myself this is your first. good luck with your youngster thank,s again mate.

[Michael Peachey]

Has the sling used the hide yet by the way vin?

Mike

[vincent winyard]

hi andrew i did send you a reply the other day i dont know if you got it or not so i,ll try again and fill you in with the latest. my smithi,s gone from one extreme to the other she,s come down from the top and now she,s burrowed deep down in the substrate.maybe she,s finaly settled down and found her feet all eight of them ha ha. anyway many thanks for your reply mate.