Tarantula not eatting?

Question

I had adopted a tarantula last year about august-ish. He ate and ate and ate, but then, he sealed him self off and then molted. Since then my Ted (tarantula) hasn't eatten. I've tried crickets, small and large, I've tried pinkies, almost everything. But he hasn't eatten since his molt. Which was about october-ish of 2005. I worry he is sick. And if so, where can I take him to get all fixed up?? Anyone have any ideas as to what I should do??

Answer 1

Tarantulas can easily go a year without eating. Dehydration can be a problem. I have a cobalt blue that require a high humidity level and I have to dampen his cage once a weak. If your spider is dehydrated, he will have trouble with hunting.
If it is an adult male, his pedipalps will be very long (front pair of legs) with a bulb at the end and he will spend most of his time roaming throughout your cage drumming his pedipalps to entice a female. If this is the case he is more interested in mating then eating and probably not survive his next molt since the enlarged pedipalps will not slip out of his old exoskeleton.

p.s. what kid of tarantula is is.

Answer 2

Having been a breeder and a collector for some time, heres a few questions?
1) what species of tarantula? Some can go extreme amounts of time after a molt no big deal.
2) feed spiders pinkies as a last resort, cockroaches work just fine
3) worry about mites. A non eater can be bad but not critical.
4) moisture helps and scrub out the cage
5) If you overfeed crickets and have heat and moisture and not the best conditions, he may be eating offspring.

Answer 3

I also have a tarantula who did the same thing. Don't worry too much and don't put too many cricketts into its cage if its not eating. That will just upset it more because cricketts do bite and will keep taking nips out of it when it is trying to rest. The best thing I have found to feed mine are young "hoppers". They are the size of small mice when full grown but it is the way they move fast (unlike pinkies that harldy move at all) that entice the spider to eat. If that doesn't work just give it time. They can survive for over a year without food with no ill effects. By the way you probably need to rename Ted. "He" is probably a girl. Boy tarantulas only live for 2-3 years where as girls live for up to 20 years. Best of luck. T.Wise

Answer 4

Have you changed Ted's environment? Any small change can seem big to a spider, such as light, temperature, layout of his pad... There are lots of books on tarantulas that you can get from the library, and there are also some Vets that specialize in exotic animals although they will charge you a lot. Can you call the person or store you adopted him from? Sounds like he's just not hungry since you've tried all the favorite foods.

Answer 5

There's not much you can do for a pet Tarantula. Try a pinky every few weeks and keep food available.

Answer 6

it will be worms, previous due-degree diabetes, or many different issues. Insatiable urge for food with out weight income is unquestionably an illustration that some thing isn't top. you should take him into the vet for a verify-up once you could. even with you do, do not provide in to his wonderful little face and feed him more desirable than he could commonly eat. i understand that is problematical, besides the indisputable fact that that is for his own sturdy.

Answer 7

It is molting... It is about ready to shed it's skin. I know from experiences.

Answer 8

yeah pour Clorox in his tank...Spiders should not be that big...you should kill him and hopefully they will die out...

Answer 9

try checking it closely.......
maybe it is almost its time to go to a better place..
Sorry.......