Novice: Martinuque Pink Toe spiderling not eating

[PinkToeTarantula]

Heeeeelp!

We've got a Martinique Pink Toe spiderling - about 2 cms length (inc legs). We've had him about 4 weeks now and he's just not eating.

I've tried : fruit flies... some small No1 crickets.... small hoppers (at the pet store's advice)... some mealworms (cut into approx 7mm length)... but the little dude just isn't interested.

I've tried temps from 15c to 25c (in stages, obviously). I've tried re-homing him (he came in a little vial, so I moved him into a slightly larger waxwork tub - have also tried a 'starbucks cup' sized tub half filled with substrate and a couple of climbing twigs added so that he is able to get some height - but worried that might be too big so he's back in the waxwork tub for now).

He/she is quite sprightly (especially with the temperatures at 25) but just doesn't seem to be hungry.

Any advice gratefully received.

 

[Enn49]

It may just be needing time to settle into a new home. One very important thing with the Avicularia/Caribena species is they need a lot of ventilation especially at the top of their containers.

 

[Tortoise Tom]

Sounds like you are making far too many changes and doing way too much fussing instead of letting the little one settle in.

Is your house at 15 degrees C? How are you heating the enclosure to 25C?

Where in the enclosure is the little guy hanging out?

How damp is the substrate?

 

[Phil]

My advice is as follows:
- Don't have it in an enclosure too large - restricts ability to hunt.
- Feed prey no larger than the size of the abdomen - same rule generally applies to any size spider
- cross ventilation - a must! Hopefully the vial/sling pot already had it? I usually put a bit of cotton wool in the spiders home whenever I sell spiderlings that size and the slung pot already has cross ventilation
- substrate - keep fairly dry for the versi. put droplets of water onto the web so it can drink but don't saturate the substrate
- let them settle - as others have said, they can easily get stressed and you have described a lot of changes.
Finally, try not to panic. Usually resilient and left alone will thrive. I hope that helps.

 

[Orangebiteything]

My arboreals have gone long periods without eating. Once he settles I am sure he will take some prey, tinier than him, like Phil said. Boost confidence. Does it have a large distended abdomen? If so, may be still working on the last meal. Hope the baby settles soon! Sautering gun is cheap at any craft store, hot glue guns put holes in stuff pretty well too.

 

[RonC]

I agree the smaller enclosure, maybe something tall and narrow with something for it to climb and web on. Once it settles in which could take a while it should eat. Try pre-killing the prey. Also might be getting ready to molt.