Good evening! I have not done much interacting on here, but I really need some help. I am relatively new to tarantula keeping. I have had my Mexican red knee for just over a year, cranky little guy, but I love him. In the past couple weeks he ha started acting really off. He is making himself bald from flicking hair, and he just acts agitated and restless. He has always moved around some, but he is moving a lot! Today he started taking up more of a defensive stance with his front two legs pulled up over his body. I have done a few changes, but I don't know where to start! For one, I have fed him some dubia roaches because he is so big, and they just live longer than crickets. I also moved his rank to a lower shelf, which I would think would affect anything, but I don't want to rule out any possibility. About 3 months ago I changed his substrate, and added some activated charcoal as mold had become an issue, but he seemed fine until just about a week ago. Please, if anyone has any ideas, I would greatly appreciate it! I am very attached to this little guy! O, and he had a successful molt right before I changed his substrate, so 3 months ago. Again, thank you!
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Hugo is acting funny, please help!
- Thread starter MellieKat
- Start date
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- 2,252
- Location
- Norwich, UK
First, if you had a mold issue with the substrate for a Brachypelma smithi, then it is too wet. The substrate needs to be dry, other than around the water dish, where a little moisture is not an issue. And if you overflow the water dish & move every few weeks, allowing the substrate to dry out, then mold will never be an issue.
From what you say about size & the fact you say he.. Could it have matured at the last molt? Small hooks will be obvious halfway up the underside of it's front legs if it has matured, that would potentially explain a change in temperament.
Moving the location of a T's enclosure can affect them. I have a T that needs to be kept at the back of a shelf, with cover from the room activity in front of it & when I first got my big female stirmi, I had to put some boxes in front of her enclosure to allow her to get less stimulation & settle down. It really depends upon how much movement there is & on the temperament of the T.
One of my daughters Brachypelma's is known as psycho b-tch. She is constantly bald & will happily threat posture just for the fun of it.
From what you say about size & the fact you say he.. Could it have matured at the last molt? Small hooks will be obvious halfway up the underside of it's front legs if it has matured, that would potentially explain a change in temperament.
Moving the location of a T's enclosure can affect them. I have a T that needs to be kept at the back of a shelf, with cover from the room activity in front of it & when I first got my big female stirmi, I had to put some boxes in front of her enclosure to allow her to get less stimulation & settle down. It really depends upon how much movement there is & on the temperament of the T.
One of my daughters Brachypelma's is known as psycho b-tch. She is constantly bald & will happily threat posture just for the fun of it.
