# P Metallica sling



## robcrts (Nov 9, 2011)

I have had a p Metallica sling for just over a month. It has only eaten in the first week I had her and not since. I have tried live, prekilled, pinheads,crickets, locusts, waxworms but still no feeding.

Two weeks ago I had to move her as her home needed a clean out and on moving her I caught L leg III and she threw it. Apart from the not eating she shows no signs of premolt.

She has made a nice web up on the side using a fake flower and the air holes as web anchors, but stays up near the lid.

The first week I had her she did eat two halfs of a waxworm and one pinhead but nothing since. She is kept at about 75% humidity with the temp at 81 f at day and about 74 f at night.

Im worried as she's not eaten in a while and this seems unusual for a pokie sling. Any help will be greatfully received.


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## jb1962 (Sep 21, 2009)

Ask Peter Lacey he breeds pokies and might know.


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## Brandan Smith (Nov 17, 2010)

Chances are it could be in pre molt or could still be settling in.When i had pokies,especially p.mets they do like to have a nice dark place too hide.


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## 8and6 (Jan 19, 2010)

from my experiance i've noticed the premoult in metallica are longer than, say, rufilata.
if it looks healthy, plump abdomen then dont worry too much


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## TEENY (Jan 4, 2008)

^^^ this, if it looks plump and healthy try not to worry too much. Also a crick and two half wax worms is still quite a lot for a sling in a month so really don't worry too much yet that is still prob its body weight in food or more at each feed.


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## bulkupman (Aug 16, 2011)

i have 11 slings of a.m and this all seem pretty normal.

I feed once a week on juicey roaches and soft weevils and provide bug gel for water source every 3 days, just a small amount equal to its body and maintained at desired care sheet temps.

i would not panic, if your following the basics of food, water,temp, clean susbtrait and correct humidity etc then its a premolt or just not hungry.

out of my bunch there is 2-3 that seem fussy, and one who is a food maniac who is grown twice the size of the others and he's my fav!


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## bulkupman (Aug 16, 2011)

and i must say these spiders jump as slings its really cool. one of the best t's i have ever owned.

very beautiful when mature, and really cute at this stage.


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## 8and6 (Jan 19, 2010)

bulkupman said:


> i have 11 slings of a.m and this all seem pretty normal.
> 
> I feed once a week on juicey roaches and soft weevils and provide bug gel for water source every 3 days, just a small amount equal to its body and maintained at desired care sheet temps.
> 
> ...


you use bug gel for the spiders? you know they dont have mouthparts capable of utilising the gel dont you?
use the gel for roaches if you must, but you may as well give the spiders a Snickers instead of the gel as it will do them as much good 

PS. the op is asking about P.metallica not A.metallica  bit of a mix up there


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## TEENY (Jan 4, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> you use bug gel for the spiders? you know they dont have mouthparts capable of utilising the gel dont you?
> use the gel for roaches if you must, but you may as well give the spiders a Snickers instead of the gel as it will do them as much good
> 
> PS. the op is asking about P.metallica not A.metallica  bit of a mix up there


I have used it in corner of spiderling colonies as a humidity booster if i am out of moss and for the purpose it seems to work well, no need to spray as much ( which is a nightmare when you have hundreds of them running everywhere lol), it is always in the dish but fresh water is availible too via weekly spraying and VERY shallow dish.


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## PAB (Aug 4, 2010)

If you say its webbing up then thats a poss sign of pre moult and they will go off food pre and post moult.


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## robcrts (Nov 9, 2011)

It has webbed up about three times as much as it had when I first started the post. I have also built a little black box to put around it's home to keep it dark and I have noticed the white patches on its carapace and adomin have gone very dark.

Many thanks for all your assistance.


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## robcrts (Nov 9, 2011)

Well the good news is that she has molted just fine so I'm leaving her alone for a couple of days in the quite and dark.


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## bulkupman (Aug 16, 2011)

[email protected] said:


> you use bug gel for the spiders? you know they dont have mouthparts capable of utilising the gel dont you?
> use the gel for roaches if you must, but you may as well give the spiders a Snickers instead of the gel as it will do them as much good
> 
> PS. the op is asking about P.metallica not A.metallica  bit of a mix up there


face palm me quick


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