T. Blondi problem

[Pedro Loureiro]

Hello
I have a problem with my T. Blondi.
In recent days he was weak, moving very slowly.
Today when I went to see her, I saw that is weaker and no longer walks, have reaction when I touch it, but do not leave the same place.
What could it be?
Going to die?

[R Thomas]

Hi Pedro,

Not a lot of information to go on here. A lot of problems with Tarantulas seems to come from a lack of water and therefore perhaps you need to consider moving it to an ICU. See here for information http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/icu10.html .
Otherwise perhaps it has come to the end of its natural life - you call it both an he and a she so that does not help much.

I hope it does pull through

Richard

[Pedro Loureiro]

Hi Pedro,

Not a lot of information to go on here. A lot of problems with Tarantulas seems to come from a lack of water and therefore perhaps you need to consider moving it to an ICU. See here for information http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/icu10.html .
Otherwise perhaps it has come to the end of its natural life - you call it both an he and a she so that does not help much.

I hope it does pull through

Richard

Hello
I'm so sorry for my english, but i'm portuguese.
I'm sorry too, because when i wrote the first message, i was in panic, and i forgot to tell the most important things, like the condictions that my blondi is.
Temp: (30ºc)
humidity:80%
enclosure: 70x50x20 (cm)
She is an adult female.

Past sunday she was active and even start digging the substract in the enclousure. She was showing a dark abdomen, wich suggest molting soon.
In the middle of the night she was diving the abdomen in the water recipient.
Monday morning she was in the same place/position. She doesn't react, so i moove her and reforce even more the humidity in the enclousure.
Today she is in the same condition. She react slowly, but stay still in the same place, looks weak with the "close" legs (almost like an dead tarantula).
I will try the ICU anyway.
Thank you for your help and suggest.

[R Thomas]

Your english much better than my portuguese.

Have you looked for signs of an injury? T. blondis are big tarantulas and even a small fall could lead to some serious damage.

Only time will tell whether she recovers.

Keeping fingers crossed for you.

Richard

[Stanley A. Schultz]

...
humidity:80%
...

This is too low for a T. blondi. The wild caught ones especially require 100% relative humidity. These are the ultimate swamp dwellers.

... In the middle of the night she was diving the abdomen in the water recipient. ...

This is the confirming clue! Until you learn more about keeping these tarantulas you need to move it into a cage with very damp substrate and cover the cage opening 100% with plastic food wrap.

The correct treatment is to move it into an ICU per the directions in the recommended webpage, then remodel the cage to permit a very damp habitat. After she appears to recover you can move her into the wet cage. Remember: wet substrate, no ventilation, 100% humidity!

T. blondi, especially the wild caught adults, are among the most difficult of tarantulas to keep in captivity because they must be kept in a swamp cage to avoid the very problem you describe. However, such a wet cage promotes all manner of malicious infections and infestations, and while the tarantula may not die because of a low humidity, it will die of some horrible disease. Better than half the imported, adult T. blondi die in captivity within the first six months. Probably 90% of them are dead within two years.

I suggest that you perform a series of searches on this and any other forums you know about using the simple search term blondi. You should probably put on another pot of coffee or pour yourself a big glass/cup/stein of your other favorite beverage, and clear your schedule. You have a lot of reading to do!

You need to especially learn to recognize the infections and infestations that these tarantulas are prone to, and you must learn to treat them effectively.

And, as a hint, those of us who have kept numbers of these soon learn to keep an extra cage with dry substrate setting on a shelf, ready for use at a moment's notice. As soon as we even think that the T. blondi's cage is infested or needs cleaning we pour sufficient water into the clean, dry cage and move the tarantula into it. The old, contaminated or dirty cage is then thoroughly cleaned and set up again with dry substrate in preparation for the next crisis.

One last word of warning: T. blondi's urticating bristles are probably the second "itchiest" of any tarantula. If you react badly to them you should adopt the habit of always using rubber, dish-washing gloves when dealing with the tarantula, its cage, or any of its furnishings. AND YOU MUST BE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN NOT TO GET ANY OF THE BRISTLES IN YOUR EYES!

Best of luck. Keep us posted.

[Pedro Loureiro]

I've been reading a lot about this species. It's not my first blondi, but surely the hardest species to keep and care. This is the reason why i've come here to ask some information.
The share of experience and knowledge had help me before, and i'm glad to know you think as me.
I'm re-enforcing the humidity, because of what you expose and i've suspected.
She is in a plastic cage that i've clean last weak, with some ventilation that i'm use to cover with fabric.
Anyway, the lowest humidity is 80%, and i try to keep this level up. Even so, i guess it's not enought.
The itchy part, well we don't have to read to know it's the truth.
I suffer a lot with all hairy... Blondi is the worst. The gloves are vital and unquestionable.

Well, let's see if the ICU resolves the problem, and if it´s a question of dehydration.
Thank you once again.

[Christopher Smallman]

Sounds like one of those spiders you CAN take into the shower with you

All fun aside I do hope the ICU works and your magnificent spider pulls through for you.

Chris.

[Pedro Loureiro]

Thank you all once again.
The T. Blondi is in the ICU. But i dont see any reaction, let's whait 2 more days.

[Nick Ashley]

Hi Pedro, I'm assuming the spider is kept in a glass aquarium. Without going into specifics like substrate etc, it sounds to me like the conditions you have kept it are fine. I am guessing this is a wild caught spider? How long have you had it? Was it adult when you acquired it?
The dipping the abdomen in the water could be a sign of parasitic infection or a failure of the excretory organs (this can normally be indentified by a build up of white deposits round the anul tubercle).
It doesn't sound like she will survive I am afraid, though I will keep my fingers crossed you!

[Pedro Loureiro]

Hi Nick,
I bought the spider to a friend of mine, he said he had since ling. But I do not know the conditions under which it was.
I also have no faith, as the health of the spider, I do not think that is better, in fact it seems to me that now is dead, but I'll wait two more days in ICU.
But I learned a lot with Stanley A. Schultz, and in fact I'm even thinking of buying his book.
As for blondi, I have no prospect of having another. I have a male that has now reached blondi adult, but I suffer enough with stinging hairs of blondi, even while wearing gloves whenever there is a hair that enters the skin. Another reason not to have more is because I do not have enough time to give conditions for a species like this, who needs lots of attention.
I have more tarantulas, which give two hours per day maintenance, but apparently the blondi need more attention, but my job does not allow.
So I'll devote myself to other tarantulas that I will show later here in the forum.
I'll give you news soon.
Thank's to all of you!

[Stanley A. Schultz]

... I also have no faith, as the health of the spider, I do not think that is better, in fact it seems to me that now is dead, but I'll wait two more days in ICU. ...

A tarantula isn't dead until it smells dead! Never give up.

And, you don't necessarily have to buy the book. Many public libraries already have copies you can read for free. And, if they don't have them on their shelves I'm sure they have something like an Interlibrary Loan System so they can get a copy for you from another library. Buy it only after you've seen it so you know what you're getting.

Also, read the other books mentioned in http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/stansrant.html.

Best of luck.

[JensFalk]

Always use ICU with caution, many keepers belive that an ICU is some sort of default tarantula problem solver. On arachnoboards that icu tip is given for almost every little problem and they dont realize ICU is only for extremly dehydrated spiders. Putting a spider in a unfamiliar super wet container could cause a huge amout of stress witch is not good.

Imo, raising humidity in their own safe enclosure would be better in many cases.

Good luck

[scott wilson]

Id just like to add to your statement about keeping Blondis..ive kept matilda my adult female since juvenile and she was wild caught..she hates the temperature above 75c and humudity is always around 80%...ive never had any issues with her and she has thrived on these conditions..bare in mind in the wild these tarantulas live in deep burrows where the temperature is alot cooler than the forest floor and humidity is lower aswell..ive never had any issues with matilda and she has been quite easy to look after..as its now the end of october she has gone off her food ready to mould near christmas,..i do agree with the hair problem though...they are the worst ive ever experienced and avoid coming in to contact with her at all times....