[firebll31]

Our Antilles pink-toe has built herself a web in the top corner of the terrarium. It appears to have an opening at the top and bottom, but I have never seen her emerge except a small amount to take water sprayed on the wall. She shed about 2 weeks ago, INSIDE the web. Although there are crickets in the cage it doesn't appear that she is eating as the crickets usually die after a week or so. None of our other spiders have built a web like this, but she is our first pink-toe. Will she come out and hunt on the bottom of the terrarium when she gets hungry enough? Should we set up the terrarium differently? It has a soil/coconut fiber substrate with a small tree branch for decor.

[_ataraxia]

need more specifics. what's the temperature and humidity level in the tank? is there good air circulation? and the tarantula itself, how old/big is it? how long have you had it? how long has it been since the last time it ate? how big are the crickets? have you tried any other types of prey?

[firebll31]

Temp of tank is 73. I suspect humidity is low, because the top is mesh and the house is very dry. I will run the humidifier nearby and spritz inside a bit more. We buy large crickets, which actually vary in size quite a bit. She is about a year old, we have had her 1 month. I think we have hit on a solution-she wants the crickets brought to her instead of hunting them. Since we started dropping them in the top of the web with long-handled forceps, she has eaten several. I also put some cricket food directly under the web to lure them there, so she can drop down on them. Her appetite has been good again!
Very different story with the fire-red bird eater. She LUNGES across the cage, stuffing the crickets in 2 at a time!