I NEED HELP!!! (not eating)

[Domagoj]

Hello guys im new to this business in keeping tarantulas.
For my first one ever I got a Poecilotheria metallica (gender unknown)
She/he had 3 changes of his skin so far. I have her for two month so far and she/he still hasnt ate.
I tried giving her superworms or cockroaches and still nothing she/he is scared of the bugs i drop him and runs away.
Please can you give me some advice or something on how to make her/him start to eat.

 

[ExMember]

Greetings and welcome to tf. Sounds like premoult behavior. Not sure if pokies fast like rosies as I don't keep them but I would suspect a moult soon has it eaten at all in between the "skin changes"?

 

[Enn49]

Have you tried it on crickets? I find my P. met prefers smaller food items.

 

[ExMember]

Have you tried it on crickets? I find my P. met prefers smaller food items.

Good point @Enn49 !

 

[Domagoj]

Greetings and welcome to tf. Sounds like premoult behavior. Not sure if pokies fast like rosies as I don't keep them but I would suspect a moult soon has it eaten at all in between the "skin changes"?

it has eaten cockroaches or crickets before i bought it and since then i didnt saw her eat at all whenever i throw her food she keeps runing away ... soo it could be a moult soon i know that they arent eating when they are preparing but 2 months are alot or arent soo idk ... thanks anyways

 

[Domagoj]

Have you tried it on crickets? I find my P. met prefers smaller food items.

i didnt ... but i give her cockroaches 3 times smaller then her/him and keeps doing the same thing thats why im worried ... i taught the food was to big and tried smaller still the same thing

 

[ExMember]

Not sure about poecilotheria but most tarantulas can go a long time without food. Longest I have heard was a Grammastola rosea going 18 months in between meals. Just make sure they have access to water.

Since it is new it could also be adjusting to a new setup/environment.

 

[Domagoj]

Not sure about poecilotheria but most tarantulas can go a long time without food. Longest I have heard was a Grammastola rosea going 18 months in between meals. Just make sure they have access to water.

Since it is new it could also be adjusting to a new setup/environment.

hmm maybe... i didnt put a water cup for her/him i spray his enclosure with water every now and then ... but i can put a bottle cap if its necesery and she is very energetic soo she/he isnt sick

 

[ExMember]

hmm maybe... i didnt put a water cup for her/him i spray his enclosure with water every now and then ... but i can put a bottle cap if its necesery and she is very energetic soo she/he isnt sick

Sounds like the pokie may be just calming down. I don't know what your setup is but they should also have a cork tube hide. That provides a secure area that the t can retreat to if it feels threatened.

 

[ilovebrachys]

How big is your P. Met? Are you sure it isn't a mature male?
A water dish is a must for any tarantula

 

[Domagoj]

How big is your P. Met? Are you sure it isn't a mature male?
A water dish is a must for any tarantula

Ye i know it is but he just too small for a water dish
He is inch and a half maybe ... but how do i tell if hes a male or a female?

 

[Domagoj]

Sounds like the pokie may be just calming down. I don't know what your setup is but they should also have a cork tube hide. That provides a secure area that the t can retreat to if it feels threatened.

Hmm didnt think about that ... i made an arboreal enclosure for him whit branches and a littlr supstrate but he dug a little hole in between the branches and runs down there when hes scared.

 

[ilovebrachys]

Ye i know it is but he just too small for a water dish
He is inch and a half maybe ... but how do i tell if hes a male or a female?

At a inch and a half it's unlikely you will be able to tell the sex so at least you can rule out that it's a mature male
No T is too small for a water dish you can easily give it a bottle cap - Ts can't drown in there water dishes much better to offer water than risk losing the T to dehydration

 

[ExMember]

Ye i know it is but he just too small for a water dish
He is inch and a half maybe ... but how do i tell if hes a male or a female?

Poecilotheria are sexually dimorphic (males and females look different). I'll take a look around and see if I can find an article or pics. The t might be too young though.

 

[Domagoj]

Poecilotheria are sexually dimorphic (males and females look different). I'll take a look around and see if I can find an article or pics. The t might be too young though.

Damn thanks ... i was just trying to feed her anf she bolted out ... and i took a picture of her or.him to see ...

 

[Domagoj]

At a inch and a half it's unlikely you will be able to tell the sex so at least you can rule out that it's a mature male
No T is too small for a water dish you can easily give it a bottle cap - Ts can't drown in there water dishes much better to offer water than risk losing the T to dehydration

Hope shes a female tho.. and yea ill get her a bottle cap .. thanks man

 

[Domagoj]

Damn thanks ... i was just trying to feed her anf she bolted out ... and i took a picture of her or.him to see ...

 

[ExMember]

Damn thanks ... i was just trying to feed her anf she bolted out ... and i took a picture of her or.him to see ...

After looking around it appears there is very little difference between males and females in the metallica species untill they mature.

 

[Domagoj]

J

After looking around it appears there is very little difference between males and females in the metallica species untill they mature.

Well then i gues we wait until it gets atleast 2 or 3 moults to se what she or he is .. thank you

 

[Phil]

tagging @regalis as she likes a good pokie and may have some insight but as other have said, a water dish is a must. Pokies are also very light sensitive so if in a bright area, they will naturally want to hide and run away from the light. Try and have him/her in a darker area to settle down.