Any B Smithi owners on here?

[Tattooboy]

Just need to put my mind at rest with regards to her going into hiding, circa 4 weeks now and no signs of a possible molt? She's around 4-5 years old and I've only had her a few months.

Will go into more detail if there are any owners on here.

Thanks in advance.

[BarryP]

I've got a couple, are you sure it's female as it may be male and nearing the end of it's lifespan? Also worth getting the humidity up as that may be stopping the moult taking place.

[Tattooboy]

Hi BarryP,

It was sold to me as a Female by a local reputable shop, even wrote female on the receipt.

Got the temp around 70 and humidity at 65%, any suggestions on the numbers or are they about right?

Took her about 2 weeks to settle into her home and all was fine for 2-3 weeks but showed no interest in her hide, took 2 crickets as well so was feeding.

Then all of a sudden, gone into the hide, semi webbed the front up and hasn't come out since and what ever food source I put in, it's still there 24 hours later.

[BarryP]

Try to get it more humid, give the tank a good spray and damp substrate and see if that makes any difference.

[benny 61]

I don't think you've got anything to worry about. The humidity will be OK for b smithi as they come from arid areas of Mexico. I would be tempted to raise the temperature a little though. As they get older they go off there food for longer when in pre moult. If you've provided a hide most spider's will use it to feel safer.

[Tattooboy]

Thanks for all the replies, she's still in her hide and apart form turning around and facing different ways, she's not moved from it.

Still looking very healthy, not losing any size, but still not eating even tho I put a Locust right in front of her last night, it was still there this morning so will dig that out tonight.

I've ordered a higher watt heat pad half the size of the tank which I will place under the tank so half is heated and half is not, her hide is at the back so I will place it at the front under the water bowl which will hopefully help.

I know there are differing opinions on where to put a heat pad, but it's a Terra Exo tank with the fake back wall which doesn't let enough heat through from the pad, one side, her hide backs onto so I can still see/check on her if I need to and the other side is on show so sticking a heat pad on will look naff.

She never dug when I had a big sized heat pad under her tank but it would of heated the whole bottom which i though may have been the issue, but after removing it, it's made no difference.

They say that a hiding Tarantula is a content Tarantula, it's just a bit nerve racking for a newbie !!

[benny 61]

If you have a heat pad under the tank I wouldn't put a higher wattage one under,the one you have will be sufficient. I know I said raise the temperature but heat mats don't raise the temperature of the air but it will be plenty warm enough because it heats the substrate the spider's standing on,so it will be ok.Don't worry everything appears normal.