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Lil pinktoe not eating

graydoyle

New Member
Messages
5
Location
Austin
Hey guys,
I just got my first tarantula yesterday, a pinktoe. I know very little about tarantulas but I have her in a small enclosure with a heat pad and good humidity.
My only worry is that she hasn't eaten yet. I put her in a smaller enclosure with only a water dish and a single cricket and she hasn't got around to eating it. I did only just get her yesterday so maybe I'm just being neurotic but if y'all have any advice please let me know!
Thanks!
 

graydoyle

New Member
Messages
5
Location
Austin
Sounds like you dont have it set up right...and pushing it to eat too soon. please post a picture of your enclosure.
rosie.jpg
 

Arachnoclown

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6,382
Location
The Oregon rain forest
That's not the right set up. Pinktoes need tall enclosures with lots of stuff to climb on. Too much humidity will kill a pinktoe. They need lots of ventilation. A stuffy humidity enclosure will kill them. A pinktoe more then likely wont eat until these things are corrected. Unplug that heat pad...it will kill that spider really fast. Here is some inspiration....
20200101_144322.jpg
20200101_144256.jpg
 

Nunua

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
539
Location
Finland
Even if you'd have a terrestrial tarantula, there is several things that would need to be improved with your enclosure.

1) Always have (plenty) substrate - coconut peat/fiber is the most common one.

2) Never use a heat pad under the enclosure - It's very rarely needed with tarantulas and even if used, it should always be attached to the side. Tarantulas burrow when they want to get away from the heat.

3) I see barely any (if none) ventilation holes. Cross ventilation is important with tarantulas (especially Avics). Stuffy air is a tarantula killer.

Welcome to the hobby.

Here is my Caribena (ex. Avicularia) versicolor enclosure
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1b5121dcf8.png
 
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graydoyle

New Member
Messages
5
Location
Austin
That's not the right set up. Pinktoes need tall enclosures with lots of stuff to climb on. Too much humidity will kill a pinktoe. They need lots of ventilation. A stuffy humidity enclosure will kill them. A pinktoe more then likely wont eat until these things are corrected. Unplug that heat pad...it will kill that spider really fast. Here is some inspiration....View attachment 43423View attachment 43424
Okay so I got a more appropriate enclosure for my spider, but I was hoping that it would take food before I moved it, stressing it out even more. Should I move it and then try to feed or try to feed in the current enclosure? It hasn't eaten in 8 days and I am pretty worried
 

graydoyle

New Member
Messages
5
Location
Austin
Tarantulas can go long periods without food (months). Transfer it into the new enclosure and in a couple days try to feed it again. I'm sure once it gets in the new enclosure all that "stress" will go away.;)
So she's in the new enclosure, its much bigger with some climbing elements but she still won't take food. In fact she doesn't even seem to notice it until it touches her... any thoughts? Am I worrying over nothing?
 

octanejunkie

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I have a finicky Avic and find that if I stun (half kill) prey items and place them in the webbing along with some moisture (water droplets) she will go investigate and eat (usually)

Unless she is super hungry she will not hunt prey in her enclosure and she prefers the legs of feeder insects facing away from her, not kicking and flailing upwards into her face.

Like I said, finicky :rolleyes:

@Arachnoclown knows, crickets or roaches often get the best feed response, none of my Ts will readily take worms
 

Arachnoclown

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6,382
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The Oregon rain forest
@graydoyle In all 10 years of experience, Avics (Pink Toes) and arboreal t's need lots of humidity, branches, and space to make webs. I have housed avics for 6 years, and have lots of supplies leftover. Just shoot me a PM if you need ANYTHING in terms of housing. Substrate, Branches, decor, (etc.) or any questions.
Humidity???....that's a proven Avicularia killer.
 

jasperbagley

Member
Messages
75
Location
Pasadena CA
@Arachnoclown, I don't want to argue. I am a passive person. But, Multiple sources I've used through the years say that their humidity is about 70-82%. Yes, they are from the rainforest trees, and yes it is less humid, but humidity still lingers. Now, If I am wrong please correct me. After all, You have been doing this much longer than I have.


Thanks Man!
 

Hemolymph

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3 Year Member
Messages
216
Location
Clackamas Oregon
@Arachnoclown Not heavy humidity. Heavy Humidity kills them. I had my Pink toe for over 10.5 years. I tried to keep it just a little bit moist in her enclosure.
Sounds like you’ve been lucky for 10.5 years. Clown has bred these for almost 40 years. Bought my first pink toe from him in the late 80s. One of the only guys that I’ve seen keep communal pink toes successfully. If he says dry with lots of ventilation I’d say that’s gospel.
 

Arachnoclown

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Location
The Oregon rain forest
@Arachnoclown, I don't want to argue. I am a passive person. But, Multiple sources I've used through the years say that their humidity is about 70-82%. Yes, they are from the rainforest trees, and yes it is less humid, but humidity still lingers. Now, If I am wrong please correct me. After all, You have been doing this much longer than I have.


Thanks Man!
Those humidity numbers are from the region their ancestors originated from. The humidity levels a few meters in the tree tops are totally different. When people try to match humidity from care sheets they often kill the spiders. The spiders need lots of ventilation to survive. If you run lots of humidity in a enclosure inside your home with no breeze you get stagnant air. To counter this you must add airflow...spiders dont like airflow. It's best to aid on the easiest, safest, fool proof way to raise them and yield on the drier side. I've had 100s of people ask why their spiders died when the humidity was perfect...in all reality they killed their spiders.

Now...you can probably keep them on moist substrate but you have to be honed in on your ventilation. This wouldnt be something a novice keeper should attempt or be told to do. Keep it simple for the average keeper.
 
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