A. Seemani won't stop climbing!!

[Shrimpy]

So I've had my Stripe knee for almost a year now. It is very healthy, it is a fantastic eater, and as molted twice without any problems. However it always is climbing on the walls and lid of the enclosure. Just today I saw it climb upside down on the lid of the cage from one side to the other. Its claws have gotten stuck on the lid before, and it just waves its other legs around until it falls. (The lid I have is made out of wood) I've kept the substrate damp, I kept it dry, I put new substrate in, nothing seems to work. I don't know if it is the type of substrate I'm using (I use coco fiber) or something else is going on or bothering the tarantula. I am worried it could fall and hurt itself, or damage a leg.This is my first tarantula, so I can't help but be extremely nervous.

 

[Coradams]

Please post pics of your tarantula and the enclosure. Is it possible that you have a mature male?

 

[Oursapoil]

Good morning friend,
As there could be so many reasons why your Seemani is climbing, the easiest way is to prevent her from getting "hooked". Use a clear packing tape (a good 2 to 3 inches wide) all around your lid, where the lid comes in contact with the enclosure glass walls. This will prevent your T from getting a grip when she tries to move from the wall to the lid upside down. After a while she should just stop climbing. The method worked like a charm for many of my Ts and it is a nice inexpensive fix until you can get a drilled plexiglass lid. Cheers.

 

[WolfSpider]

Could your A. seemani be a mature male?

 

[m0lsx]

Could your A. seemani be a mature male?

That was my first thought too.

 

[Damoe1]

My first thought is maybe it's to damp. Try letting the enclosure dry out a bit. And when you fill the water dish just let a small amount run over to moisten just the area around the dish. My second thought was may e a mature male.

 

[smallbike]

Good morning friend,
As there could be so many reasons why your Seemani is climbing, the easiest way is to prevent her from getting "hooked". Use a clear packing tape (a good 2 to 3 inches wide) all around your lid, where the lid comes in contact with the enclosure glass walls. This will prevent your T from getting a grip when she tries to move from the wall to the lid upside down. After a while she should just stop climbing. The method worked like a charm for many of my Ts and it is a nice inexpensive fix until you can get a drilled plexiglass lid. Cheers.

I did the same thing with duct tape for my seemanni who thinks she’s arboreal! It really does keep her from getting stuck up there.

 

[smallbike]

So I've had my Stripe knee for almost a year now. It is very healthy, it is a fantastic eater, and as molted twice without any problems. However it always is climbing on the walls and lid of the enclosure. Just today I saw it climb upside down on the lid of the cage from one side to the other. Its claws have gotten stuck on the lid before, and it just waves its other legs around until it falls. (The lid I have is made out of wood) I've kept the substrate damp, I kept it dry, I put new substrate in, nothing seems to work. I don't know if it is the type of substrate I'm using (I use coco fiber) or something else is going on or bothering the tarantula. I am worried it could fall and hurt itself, or damage a leg.This is my first tarantula, so I can't help but be extremely nervous.

My seemanni does the same thing but I’ve found that drier substrate makes her a little happier. I pretty much only overflow the water dish by accident now and she’s good with that.

 

[Oursapoil]

I did the same thing with duct tape for my seemanni who thinks she’s arboreal! It really does keep her from getting stuck up there.

Duct tape doesn’t work you have to use clear parking tape that is wide enough. I have this on 6 “climbing” Ts tanks and it worked with every single one of them. Glad a dryer substrate keeps her happy.

 

[Arachnoclown]

We need to see some photos of the spider and setup. Aphonopelma seemanii actually enjoy moist substate so thats probably not whats going on.

 

[smallbike]

Duct tape doesn’t work you have to use clear parking tape that is wide enough. I have this on 6 “climbing” Ts tanks and it worked with every single one of them. Glad a dryer substrate keeps her happy.

It’s a mesh lid, and I put the tape on the top and bottom so it sticks together, works like a charm!

 

[Suzjohn]

So I've had my Stripe knee for almost a year now. It is very healthy, it is a fantastic eater, and as molted twice without any problems. However it always is climbing on the walls and lid of the enclosure. Just today I saw it climb upside down on the lid of the cage from one side to the other. Its claws have gotten stuck on the lid before, and it just waves its other legs around until it falls. (The lid I have is made out of wood) I've kept the substrate damp, I kept it dry, I put new substrate in, nothing seems to work. I don't know if it is the type of substrate I'm using (I use coco fiber) or something else is going on or bothering the tarantula. I am worried it could fall and hurt itself, or damage a leg.This is my first tarantula, so I can't help but be extremely nervous.

Maybe she just likes to climb! It's awfully important to have your substrate high enough that her back legs can reach it when she is holding on only with her front legs. I had to do that for one of mine. I was afraid she would fall and hurt herself. It was a tad unnerving to hold her body up so she could unhook her claws and get down.

 

[smallbike]

Maybe she just likes to climb! It's awfully important to have your substrate high enough that her back legs can reach it when she is holding on only with her front legs. I had to do that for one of mine. I was afraid she would fall and hurt herself. It was a tad unnerving to hold her body up so she could unhook her claws and get down.

Haha yes, the tape solution came after literally removing her from being upside down on the lid. She’s such a weirdo.

 

[Oursapoil]

We all had to learn by experience....
Try to tell my T. blondi that she can’t climb then try to bring her down...she looks so friendly....

 

[CritterKeeper79]

We need to see some photos of the spider and setup. Aphonopelma seemanii actually enjoy moist substate so thats probably not whats going on.

Mine, dumps it’s water dish or fills it to displace the water into the substrate. It has done it to the point, where I wait a little longer between watering, so it doesn’t turn it’s substrate to soup.

 

[smallbike]

We all had to learn by experience....
Try to tell my T. blondi that she can’t climb then try to bring her down...she looks so friendly....View attachment 52570

Oh god good luck!