Premolt??

[IMAGINE1391]

I got my Brachypelma Smithi at the end of December and a day or 2 in it has been a fantastic eater and for a while. I gave it 2 good size dubias a week for a month but now it is refusing all of its meals for probably 2 weeks now.

I’d say it is around 3-3.5 inches. It even refused a different meal last night as I tried a red runner and it was being pretty defensive and was not interested in feeding. Is this a case of premolt?

 

[Enn49]

It could well be.

 

[Arachnoclown]

I got my Brachypelma Smithi at the end of December and a day or 2 in it has been a fantastic eater and for a while. I gave it 2 good size dubias a week for a month but now it is refusing all of its meals for probably 2 weeks now.

I’d say it is around 3-3.5 inches. It even refused a different meal last night as I tried a red runner and it was being pretty defensive and was not interested in feeding. Is this a case of premolt?

That's alot of food for a spider that size. I feed mine one or two roaches every two weeks. It's most likely in premolt. Depending where it was on its growth cycle you may or may not have to wait a while for its molt.
For an example, if you feed a tarantula a bunch of prey items frequently just after molting you may have a spider that doesn't eat for months. A spider can only grow so fast, you will have to wait for its growth cycle to catch up. I've had smithi's go well over 6 months without eating waiting to molt.
I've learned over the years low and slow with feeding my slow growing spiders. This way I can enjoy the feeding action longer and they dont fast for months and months.
It doesnt hurt them to eat less frequently either. In the wild they may go months without eating. They are built for it. As I'm sure you already know water is a must though. Hopefully you wont have to wait long.
You know pictures are a must...

 

[IMAGINE1391]

That's alot of food for a spider that size. I feed mine one or two roaches every two weeks. It's most likely in premolt. Depending where it was on its growth cycle you may or may not have to wait a while for its molt.
For an example, if you feed a tarantula a bunch of prey items frequently just after molting you may have a spider that doesn't eat for months. A spider can only grow so fast, you will have to wait for its growth cycle to catch up. I've had smithi's go well over 6 months without eating waiting to molt.
I've learned over the years low and slow with feeding my slow growing spiders. This way I can enjoy the feeding action longer and they dont fast for months and months.
It doesnt hurt them to eat less frequently either. In the wild they may go months without eating. They are built for it. As I'm sure you already know water is a must though. Hopefully you wont have to wait long.
You know pictures are a must...

I always make sure my Ts have their water. I just get a little confused sometimes about how often and how much to feed my Ts. Especially with all the different sizes they can be. So 1 good size dubia is good for a 2 weeks? What about good size red runner?

And also, my Smithi has been very inactive lately just sitting underneath it’s fake plants.

 

[Arachnoclown]

I always make sure my Ts have their water. I just get a little confused sometimes about how often and how much to feed my Ts. Especially with all the different sizes they can be. So 1 good size dubia is good for a 2 weeks? What about good size red runner?

And also, my Smithi has been very inactive lately just sitting underneath it’s fake plants.

I feed mine 1 large dubia or redrunner every 2 weeks. Sometimes I'll drop two.
It's pretty routine for new keepers to not be accustom to how tarantula feeding works. Most people fed their pets daily, dog, cats ,fish, chickens....lol. It's totally mind blowing to actually go weeks before feeding...it doesnt feel right.
Sitting in one place for days in premolt is normal. They're growing a new exoskeleton underneath. Also their senses are bad during this growth period that's why they are more defensive.

 

[IMAGINE1391]

I feed mine 1 large dubia or redrunner every 2 weeks. Sometimes I'll drop two.
It's pretty routine for new keepers to not be accustom to how tarantula feeding works. Most people fed their pets daily, dog, cats ,fish, chickens....lol. It's totally mind blowing to actually go weeks before feeding...it doesnt feel right.
Sitting in one place for days in premolt is normal. They're growing a new exoskeleton underneath. Also their senses are bad during this growth period that's why they are more defensive.

That’s very helpful! And that makes sense about the Smithi as well as to why they are defensive. But yeah I’m gonna cut back on feeding a bit. I fed 2 times a week before