- Joined
- Aug 18, 2003
- Messages
- 2,511
some time ago MIZM asked about breeding smithi. this is what i answered:
>>>>>>>
i got an adult male smithi late october last year and waited till he made a spermweb. my female molted last that june. mid november i mated the pair, and as said mating is no problemo! he was with the female for half an hour. during the winter time i did not introduce any cooling. late february i flooded the tank, soaking all the substate. during this time the female sat on dry corck (the top of her burrow. as the substate dried, she retreated in the burrow and some 2 weeks later she sealed the entrace with silk.
this could mean 2 things....... molting or a cocoon! it was the second! i could see the female looking in her burrow,on the side of the tank carrying her valuble white ball. i left her alone for 6 weeks. during that time she never got out to eat or drink. after this time i took the cocoon from her, and opened it....... to find 400+ nimf 2 (eggs with legs, or what you call them). those i incubated in a incubator and after about a month they all molted into spiderling!
i hope this can help you a bit, the problem is that we don't know what triggers a female in making a cocoon.....
this october i got another adult male. my female didn't molt after making the cocoon. i heard that mating could also trigger a molt ( mating starts the breeding season and the female wants to be ready for the breeding, so she molts!) This worked! and in 2 weeks after mating she molted. i gave her 2 more weeks to harden again, and eat some before mating again. this mating went smooth as can be, . now i'm feeding her more, and more.
if nothing happens, i will flood het tank again in february.
<<<<<<<
now then, it is February, and 2 weeks ago i flooded the tank......
today i found her with a big round white ball! a big cocoon! this is the secon successive year for this B. smithi female! love this girl!
regards
Eddy
>>>>>>>
i got an adult male smithi late october last year and waited till he made a spermweb. my female molted last that june. mid november i mated the pair, and as said mating is no problemo! he was with the female for half an hour. during the winter time i did not introduce any cooling. late february i flooded the tank, soaking all the substate. during this time the female sat on dry corck (the top of her burrow. as the substate dried, she retreated in the burrow and some 2 weeks later she sealed the entrace with silk.
this could mean 2 things....... molting or a cocoon! it was the second! i could see the female looking in her burrow,on the side of the tank carrying her valuble white ball. i left her alone for 6 weeks. during that time she never got out to eat or drink. after this time i took the cocoon from her, and opened it....... to find 400+ nimf 2 (eggs with legs, or what you call them). those i incubated in a incubator and after about a month they all molted into spiderling!
i hope this can help you a bit, the problem is that we don't know what triggers a female in making a cocoon.....
this october i got another adult male. my female didn't molt after making the cocoon. i heard that mating could also trigger a molt ( mating starts the breeding season and the female wants to be ready for the breeding, so she molts!) This worked! and in 2 weeks after mating she molted. i gave her 2 more weeks to harden again, and eat some before mating again. this mating went smooth as can be, . now i'm feeding her more, and more.
if nothing happens, i will flood het tank again in february.
<<<<<<<
now then, it is February, and 2 weeks ago i flooded the tank......
today i found her with a big round white ball! a big cocoon! this is the secon successive year for this B. smithi female! love this girl!
regards
Eddy
