Gutted

[markhill]

I'm totally gutted, My H lividum has died and i've no idea why.

I lifted up its tub to make sure it was ok as where it built its burrow I could see through the tub and see it.
I could see a shed skin and the T sitting there but it looked odd, deciding to have a further look I started to dig some of the substrate out and when i get down to the bottom I found the T all curled up and definatly dead.

Only thing I can think off is that it had shed without me realising and a cricket had had a go at it, there was a cricket in the tub too.

Anyway i'm seriously gutted as i liked that T, it was a realy nice one.

[SpiderGirl33]

Aww *hugs* sorry to hear it's died!
Silly question really as I know you would've done your research before buying it, but were the temps and humidity right?
I've had haplopelmas become dehydrated even when the humidity was fine and had a large water dish to drink from.
Was it eating ok? Was it acting out of character at all?

[markhill]

temps and humidity were ok and i've never found any food left untouched wondering around the tub so it must have been eating fine.

TBH i rarely saw it so wouldn't know if it was acting different, I know it was eating and up til now always moulted without problems.

[Incubuss]

dehydration is commen with haplos, so dont rule it out. Also, did you get it as an adult? Was it a male or an old female?

[Poxicator]

IME leaving crickets in when it moults is the biggest cause of deaths with my Ts. Today I found a GBB that had moulted and it was attacked by a cricket. I've found lots of others in the same situation which is why I rarely feed any T more than 1 cricket at a time.
If your lividum died of dehydration its very likely that it would be in the familiar death curl. If however its legs are not tucked underneath then I'd suggest that cricket had a nibble when the tarantula was at its weakest.

[markhill]

Originally Posted by Incubuss

dehydration is commen with haplos, so dont rule it out. Also, did you get it as an adult? Was it a male or an old female?

I got it as a sling about the size of a 5p, it was around 2.5-3 inches so not adult and I dont know what sex it was.

[markhill]

Originally Posted by Poxicator

IME leaving crickets in when it moults is the biggest cause of deaths with my Ts. Today I found a GBB that had moulted and it was attacked by a cricket. I've found lots of others in the same situation which is why I rarely feed any T more than 1 cricket at a time.
If your lividum died of dehydration its very likely that it would be in the familiar death curl. If however its legs are not tucked underneath then I'd suggest that cricket had a nibble when the tarantula was at its weakest.

I didn't realise it was moulting or else I wouldn't have fed it, it was in the position with its legs curled under it.

How can you stop de-hydration with correct humidity and a water bowl?

[matty73]

Can i ask what one is out of interest?

[matty]

Originally Posted by matty73

Can i ask what one is out of interest?

It's a spider.. Haplopelma lividum (cobalt blue).

[Poxicator]

Originally Posted by markhill

How can you stop de-hydration with correct humidity and a water bowl?

In Anne West's book on tarantula she describes what happens in the dehydration process, using a sponge as an example. If you get to them early the sponge will rehydrate however there becomes a point where if the sponge is left in the sun it becomes brittle and useless. The tarantula's body works in the same way.
If you've had good humidity and a water bowl its hard to see why dehydration would be the cause.

I'm not making the accusation that you intentionally fed it knowing it was coming up for a moult. Its something that happens when the crickets decide to play unfairly, doing their hiding and pouncing when the Ts are vulnerable. Its something many of us have suffered.