Hi!
I need some advice / tips for my new Grammostola pulchra (female, 2 years old).
I am new to this hobby and spent a few months getting as much information as possible. Sunday I got my first 2 T’s and I’m super happy!
The day before yesterday I moved the G pulchra to her new terrarium that I bought from the breeder. The breeder said that the terrarium is a bit on the bigger side, but still okay. I have filled the terrarium with a lot of coco fiber from low to high at the back, so that the G pulchra is less likely to fall. After rehousing her, she seemed a bit tense, and occasionally dug herself in.
Yesterday she was half in her burrow and I could still see her pretty well, so I tried to offer her some food for the first time. I gave her a superworm (about the size and thin of her leg). She grabbed it and she moved her legs and palps in a subtle way for about 30 seconds / 1 minute and after that I couldn't see the superworm anymore. I'm not sure if she actually ate the superworm. It is now clear to me that I have to look for the superworm (if it has not been eaten) because it could be dangerous for her.
So today I wanted to clean out the enclosure to look for the lost superworm, because yesterday she seemed a bit stressed, but now she buried herself in and closed it off with substrate and I can't see her anymore. Could she be in premolt? I got her last Sunday and she looked quite thic already (see picture). Since I only tried to offer her food yesterday, I'm not very sure of her recent eating habits, and I'm also not sure if she ate this superworm, but probably she didn't. What is the best thing to do? Cleaning out the enclosure, look for the superworm and risk disturbing her while she might be in premolt? Or just wait? Maybe she is still a bit stressed from rehousing so she buried herself in? I really don't know. How should I approach this? Is it a good idea to start with carefully digging out the substrate with a spoon/cup and a brush?
Also I haven't found any bolus/boli from the superworm on the surface.
If anyone has advice for me and my baby please let me know! <3
Some more questions about nutrition:
I often read that in general crickets, cockroaches and superworms are suitable food for juveniles / slings no bigger than the T itself. Which of these three is the least dangerous to the T? I was advised in a forum to crush or cut the heads of superworms from now on, otherwise they can bite. But if the mealworm is dead, will the T still eat the mealworm? And what if the mealworm is buried, can mold or grow fungus? I also read somewhere that cockroaches are the least dangerous if the T does not eat the cockroach directly. Is that right? Could the cockroach bite the T or go bad / mold if it burrows itself? How about crickets? The idea of bringing small cockroaches and crickets into my home makes me a bit uncomfortable, because I don't know how to store them, as they can crawl out almost anywhere and I don't want an infestation. How do you keep cockroaches and crickets without them escaping and ending up an infestation at home? I would love to hear how you do this!
Here a picture of my G pulchra ❤ (what do you think, premolt abdomen?)
I need some advice / tips for my new Grammostola pulchra (female, 2 years old).
I am new to this hobby and spent a few months getting as much information as possible. Sunday I got my first 2 T’s and I’m super happy!
The day before yesterday I moved the G pulchra to her new terrarium that I bought from the breeder. The breeder said that the terrarium is a bit on the bigger side, but still okay. I have filled the terrarium with a lot of coco fiber from low to high at the back, so that the G pulchra is less likely to fall. After rehousing her, she seemed a bit tense, and occasionally dug herself in.
Yesterday she was half in her burrow and I could still see her pretty well, so I tried to offer her some food for the first time. I gave her a superworm (about the size and thin of her leg). She grabbed it and she moved her legs and palps in a subtle way for about 30 seconds / 1 minute and after that I couldn't see the superworm anymore. I'm not sure if she actually ate the superworm. It is now clear to me that I have to look for the superworm (if it has not been eaten) because it could be dangerous for her.
So today I wanted to clean out the enclosure to look for the lost superworm, because yesterday she seemed a bit stressed, but now she buried herself in and closed it off with substrate and I can't see her anymore. Could she be in premolt? I got her last Sunday and she looked quite thic already (see picture). Since I only tried to offer her food yesterday, I'm not very sure of her recent eating habits, and I'm also not sure if she ate this superworm, but probably she didn't. What is the best thing to do? Cleaning out the enclosure, look for the superworm and risk disturbing her while she might be in premolt? Or just wait? Maybe she is still a bit stressed from rehousing so she buried herself in? I really don't know. How should I approach this? Is it a good idea to start with carefully digging out the substrate with a spoon/cup and a brush?
Also I haven't found any bolus/boli from the superworm on the surface.
If anyone has advice for me and my baby please let me know! <3
Some more questions about nutrition:
I often read that in general crickets, cockroaches and superworms are suitable food for juveniles / slings no bigger than the T itself. Which of these three is the least dangerous to the T? I was advised in a forum to crush or cut the heads of superworms from now on, otherwise they can bite. But if the mealworm is dead, will the T still eat the mealworm? And what if the mealworm is buried, can mold or grow fungus? I also read somewhere that cockroaches are the least dangerous if the T does not eat the cockroach directly. Is that right? Could the cockroach bite the T or go bad / mold if it burrows itself? How about crickets? The idea of bringing small cockroaches and crickets into my home makes me a bit uncomfortable, because I don't know how to store them, as they can crawl out almost anywhere and I don't want an infestation. How do you keep cockroaches and crickets without them escaping and ending up an infestation at home? I would love to hear how you do this!
Here a picture of my G pulchra ❤ (what do you think, premolt abdomen?)