Spider not eating

[LegacyCode]

Just signed up to this forum as i recently got a first spider, (Brachypelma smithi from tarantulabristol.co.uk) size not counting the legs is about 3.5~4cm, I've got her on the 14th, She was sent on the 12th this month.

I tried to feed her a maggot with some tweezers the day after i got her but she seemed to back off from it with some quick movements. The day after that i left one maggot in the enclosure, but she never bothered with that one either. I've left her alone for now.

My questions is, could it possibly be the maggots she doesn't like based on the reaction? Did i just feed her too soon after being shipped?

I did a lot of reading before i got one and pretty much everywhere i read it says it's normal for a spider not to eat for quite some time. However as a first time spider owner i'm not sure about everything yet.

 

[Meludox]

It's possible that she is being picky, or that it's too soon after unpacking her. Or she could be in pre-molt.

I'd say wait a few days and try to feed again or try different prey.

 

[LegacyCode]

I've ordered some cockroaches online that should arrive somewhere in the end of the week, I just hope they aren't too big.

In the nearby city out of all the pet stores i could only get maggots at one place, None of the others carried anything else.

 

[MassExodus]

Lol..all they had was maggots? That's weird...but anyway, any prey that's too large you can just kill or maim, slings have no issues with scavenging. Sometimes though, even slings refuse food. Five days isn't very long for one to go without eating, especially if it's abdomen is fat.

 

[LegacyCode]

Yea,I live in a tiny town.. the nearby "city" only has 3 pet stores as far as i know, None of them seem to carry any reptiles or spiders. The smallest out of the pet stores sells aquariums and has a whole section with fish. they seem to feed the maggots to them and sell it as live bait.

I don't really like the maggots though they seem to dig down into the substrate, got a temporary enclosure for her with only a thin layer of substrate till my glass one arrives so they aren't too much effort to dig out right now
but it's gonna be a pain in the but with a bigger layer of substrate.

She doesn't really seem to fat and from what i understand about molting is that the bald patch starts turning black? It seems brownish but not really black at the moment.

 

[rénee]

Pictures always help too.

There is many reasons why it may not be eating. My girl finally only ate last weekend.. that was about 10 weeks without food. I have read that sometimes a rehousing can cause them to go into molt, or it could just be stress due to the shipping and rehousing, also be careful not to rehouse her if she is too close to molting, or right after the molt, that could really cause some stress also.

 

[LegacyCode]

I'll see if i can take a picture tomorrow, It's kinda dark already and i don't have anything to make pictures with besides a webcam.

 

[Bugmom]

Brachypelmas as a whole are notorious for fasting. Grammastola, too. It could be pre-molt. Could be not liking the maggots (I'm always amused by the feeders over in the UK vs here in the US, like y'all can get locusts but we can't here unless we breed them ourselves). It could be the 1,947,937 other reasons a tarantula doesn't eat.

 

[LegacyCode]

I'm not from the UK though

Should have the cockroaches I've ordered tomorrow got a message that they should be. If they don't work I'll order some small fly's and see how that goes.

Could always try to catch some insects around the house but not sure if that will be harmful at all.

 

[Wayne harper]

Welcome legacycode I live in Yorkshire and I generally usehttp://www.thelivefoodwarehouse.co.uk.for my live food they are the cheapest I have found and delivery is very quick. I use mainly banded crickets and some times hoppers but I have a b smithi that won't touch them.

 

[LegacyCode]

Couldn't find anything about international shipping on their website. Do they ship outside of the UK?

 

[micheldied]

You could just kill whatever prey items you have and leave them in there. The spider will scavenge if it gets hungry. It's only been a week since you got it, don't worry. There are tons of reasons why even healthy spiders stop eating.

 

[LegacyCode]

Any suggestions on ways to kill the feeding insects quickly? without having them to suffer.

 

[Wayne harper]

Couldn't find anything about international shipping on their website. Do they ship outside of the UK?

Sorry I thought with you buying from Bristol tarantula you were based in the UK.

 

[micheldied]

Any suggestions on ways to kill the feeding insects quickly? without having them to suffer.

Simply crush the head. I don't know if this means they won't suffer, honestly I don't think anyone knows what the best way to kill them is and still have their bodies intact for a T to feed on.

 

[LegacyCode]

Sorry I thought with you buying from Bristol tarantula you were based in the UK.

Yea they ship international, It was the only place i could find that had a Brachypelma smithi and would ship to my country

 

[BLUE BEAUTY]

If you catch insects around the house they could have pesticides and other toxins on them and could kill your spider.

 

[BLUE BEAUTY]

I feed mine crickets. I prekill them and then feed them to the spider.

 

[LegacyCode]

Managed to get pictures with my webcam somehow, Not the best quality though.

Cockroaches just came in and put one in the enclosure, She doesn't seem to be too bothered with it though

 

[Fuzzball79]

Managed to get pictures with my webcam somehow, Not the best quality though.

Cockroaches just came in and put one in the enclosure, She doesn't seem to be too bothered with it though

She looks absolutely fine to me. They're hardy, they can go without for months and I don't think you have anything to worry about