# Exo terra - dangling from mesh roof.



## RobB (May 22, 2008)

I'm hoping to eventually re-home all my T's in exo terras (money and space permitting). 
Moved a G. Rosea last week and found it suspended from the mesh roof tonight, by one leg*. The other legs were moving but it obviously couldn't pull itself up to get the other legs on.
Anyone else seen this before? Just wondering if I should give Exo Terras a miss?

Cheers

* the spider in question was safely rescued with a supportive hand.


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## Vaughan69 (Nov 22, 2007)

RobB said:


> I'm hoping to eventually re-home all my T's in exo terras (money and space permitting).
> Moved a G. Rosea last week and found it suspended from the mesh roof tonight, by one leg*. The other legs were moving but it obviously couldn't pull itself up to get the other legs on.
> Anyone else seen this before? Just wondering if I should give Exo Terras a miss?
> 
> ...


Seen it with my scorpions, but then a fall from that height is pretty harmless to a scorpion, it could be fatal to a T. Guess there's nothing you can do apart from remove all methods of it reaching the mesh.


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

As above I've had the odd scorpion upside down and my millipedes do it fairly often but non of my T's have ventured upside down.


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## RobB (May 22, 2008)

Vaughan69 said:


> Seen it with my scorpions, but then a fall from that height is pretty harmless to a scorpion, it could be fatal to a T. Guess there's nothing you can do apart from remove all methods of it reaching the mesh.


Yep - that's my worry, don't want it falling and rupturing it's abdomen.

It made it's way to the top climbing the glass side. I was thinking of maybe covering the mesh with plastic so it was difficult to move from the side to the roof.


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## Vaughan69 (Nov 22, 2007)

RobB said:


> Yep - that's my worry, don't want it falling and rupturing it's abdomen.
> 
> It made it's way to the top climbing the glass side. I was thinking of maybe covering the mesh with plastic so it was difficult to move from the side to the roof.


Either that or building up the substrate at the back so that it kind of slopes towards the front, then not inly will it not fall so far if it does it again but there will be more ground space for it.


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## snickers (Aug 15, 2007)

The substrate is probably a bit damp for it. It should dry out in a couple of days and the T may not climb so much. I have a G. rosea in a 30cm cube and she never moves now, though she did climb a bit when first put in.


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## Vaughan69 (Nov 22, 2007)

snickers said:


> The substrate is probably a bit damp for it. It should dry out in a couple of days and the T may not climb so much. I have a G. rosea in a 30cm cube and she never moves now, though she did climb a bit when first put in.


Sounds like the reason shes climbing then tbh, wait for it to dry out a bit more and you should be safe, just take out all objects that could hurt it if it fell in the meana time i guess : victory:


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

Your G. rosea comes from one of the driest inhabitable places on earth where there's very little rain, in some cases none in a year! So, wetting the substrate so much that it decides to climb the walls is probably a mistake. Much better to supply a small water bowl or just moisten one end of the enclosure.

Its coincidental that I've come across this thread as last night I watched my 8" L. klugi climb onto the mesh and hang upside down. Considering she's naturally a big lump I was a bit worried by this although she doesn't have far to fall. But she did get her legs stuck for a while in the mesh. Not longer than a few mins but I did think I'd have to intervene. This wasn't the first time this has happened but its the first time for a while.

I've come across threads where people have reported the same probs and on occasions legs have been lost! One remedy is to remove the mesh by pulling out the rubber beading and replace with larger hole mesh or acrylic.


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## C_Strike (Feb 20, 2007)

Poxicator said:


> Your G. rosea comes from one of the driest inhabitable places on earth where there's very little rain, in some cases none in a year! (*Try over 400years*) So, wetting the substrate so much that it decides to climb the walls is probably a mistake. Much better to supply a small water bowl or just moisten one end of the enclosure.
> 
> Its coincidental that I've come across this thread as last night I watched my 8" L. klugi climb onto the mesh and hang upside down. Considering she's naturally a big lump I was a bit worried by this although she doesn't have far to fall. But she did get her legs stuck for a while in the mesh. Not longer than a few mins but I did think I'd have to intervene. This wasn't the first time this has happened but its the first time for a while.
> 
> I've come across threads where people have reported the same probs and on occasions legs have been lost! One remedy is to remove the mesh by pulling out the rubber beading and replace with larger hole mesh or acrylic.


A method iv used is to simply 'shrink rap' cover the exo lid with clingfilm, i use this method for my pedes and things, works fine.
Iv not had this issue with my spids tho tbh


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

yea, I considered cling film but as the Ts have small hooks I'm sure they'd just pierce through it to gain hold of the mesh. I have 3 Exo's with T in: a GBB which is webbing happily, my large L. klugi and 3 P. rufilata living communally (although these haven't moved out of their original home yet).


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## RobB (May 22, 2008)

Thanks for the posts. I dried the substrate out after expanding it but I guess not enough for it not to go walkabout.


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## firecracker (Feb 29, 2008)

*i had the same problem*

hi i had the same problem with my adult white knee put her in and she walked around and climbed the glass and walked along the top and got her leg stuck she was pulling very hard to get it off so i cupped her on my hands and she managed to release her leg so i got a large piece of thick plastic cut it to size made loads of holes in the plastic then took the top of and overlaped the plastic all the way round the top and put the top back on she has plastic plants at the left and the right side of her home so she can climb with out having to go on the glass she fine now never climbs on top now has she can not grip on to the plastic 

julie


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## Taz Devil (May 20, 2008)

Although I am not a T keeper I have just started re homing my stick insects into Exo Terra Terrariums. I have found one place in Scotland that does them fairly cheap and the price includes delivery.
Cupar Garden Centre they start at £30.99 for the small 30x30x30 or (as I went for) £69.99 for the 60x45x60 which I would say was a little bit big for smaller spiders and inverts.

If you live down south I have been informed that Southern Aquatics do them for £22 for the 30x30x30 up to £62 for the 60x45x60 (collection only though)

Hope this helps, and hope I am not too off topic.


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## Crystal2870 (Jun 26, 2008)

*Same problem*

I have had to rescue my mexican red knee twice now, I tried covering the top but the vivarium become not ventilated enough I am thinking of trying to get something made to replace the top but not sure yet...


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## snickers (Aug 15, 2007)

I have rehoused a few of my spiders always using the coco fibre. Even though it feels dry it's still too wet for them.I always put in a sizeable piece of cork in so they can hide underneath, but they seem to use it to get off the substrate initially. The coco fibre dries out in a few days depending on how good the ventilation is.


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## tilly790 (Jan 24, 2008)

Taz Devil said:


> Although I am not a T keeper I have just started re homing my stick insects into Exo Terra Terrariums. I have found one place in Scotland that does them fairly cheap and the price includes delivery.
> Cupar Garden Centre they start at £30.99 for the small 30x30x30 or (as I went for) £69.99 for the 60x45x60 which I would say was a little bit big for smaller spiders and inverts.
> 
> If you live down south I have been informed that Southern Aquatics do them for £22 for the 30x30x30 up to £62 for the 60x45x60 (collection only though)
> ...


 I got mine from cupar free postage ..smashing


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## PRS (Dec 31, 2007)

I have seen it happen when i got my t and put in exo terra it climbed to mesh then hung by 1 leg for a little while and dropped.


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## andrew donaldson (Jul 18, 2008)

*exo terra*

hi yeh aint long joined but thought id pipe up when i heard your prob!i had an exo terra the large one 18x18 and my goliath used to climb up the foam wall backing and hang completley upside down from the mesh bout 18 inch up! perfectly balanced but got rid of the tank afta that! to scary for me to see an 8inch female do that so be carefull!:whistling2:


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