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Hi everyone, last week I purchased my 2nd tarantula after stalking my local petco for the past several months until they got in a Mexican red knee sling. They only got in 1, so I purchased it. Last year I purchased a curly hair sling about the same size from them and he is doing fantastic and is almost full grown now. But I seem to be having issues with this new one.
So the new sling is less than 1/2in leg span and I got it on 02/28/17. On Saturday 03/04/17 I found it on its back as if it were going to molt. Sunday it was upright and not looking very good and I cannot find a molt. The enclosure is a small plastic deli container with about 1” of moist coconut fibers packed on the bottom, and I made a little indent in the side so he/she could hide in it. Humidity was (I only say was because after Saturday my wonderful cats chewed through the cord for my temp/humidity monitor and now its not reading right after I stripped the wires and reconnected them..Im not good with electrical stuff) around 90-95% and temperature is about 82F. This is the same setup I used for my curly hair and he was the same size when I brought him home. I wiped up some of the moisture from the inside of the container thinking that maybe the humidity was too high, but today my sling is hardly able to move at all and I think it failed to molt. Basically when I open the container and move my finger near it, it lifts 1 leg and otherwise does not move at all. It just sits there looking pathetic and sad. I do not think its changed locations in days, apart from somehow flipping from its back to being upright again. I searched on Google and on this forum but maybe I’m using the wrong keywords.
Now I need to decide if I should give it more time in the hopes that it recovers and goes back to acting normal, or if I should return it to petco. I know there is not really much I can do to help it, but I really wanted a red knee and now I’m pretty bummed.
What does everything think? I can return or keep in the hope that it lives..but right now its not looking great.
Thanks,
Missina
So the new sling is less than 1/2in leg span and I got it on 02/28/17. On Saturday 03/04/17 I found it on its back as if it were going to molt. Sunday it was upright and not looking very good and I cannot find a molt. The enclosure is a small plastic deli container with about 1” of moist coconut fibers packed on the bottom, and I made a little indent in the side so he/she could hide in it. Humidity was (I only say was because after Saturday my wonderful cats chewed through the cord for my temp/humidity monitor and now its not reading right after I stripped the wires and reconnected them..Im not good with electrical stuff) around 90-95% and temperature is about 82F. This is the same setup I used for my curly hair and he was the same size when I brought him home. I wiped up some of the moisture from the inside of the container thinking that maybe the humidity was too high, but today my sling is hardly able to move at all and I think it failed to molt. Basically when I open the container and move my finger near it, it lifts 1 leg and otherwise does not move at all. It just sits there looking pathetic and sad. I do not think its changed locations in days, apart from somehow flipping from its back to being upright again. I searched on Google and on this forum but maybe I’m using the wrong keywords.
Now I need to decide if I should give it more time in the hopes that it recovers and goes back to acting normal, or if I should return it to petco. I know there is not really much I can do to help it, but I really wanted a red knee and now I’m pretty bummed.
What does everything think? I can return or keep in the hope that it lives..but right now its not looking great.
Thanks,
Missina
Thats a dry species, and there should never be condensation on any tarantulas tank that you can wipe off. Its drowning. Dry substrate and a water dish is all thats required for both of those species.
