Breeding C. elegans

[GartenSpinnen]

Looks like my MM is settling in quite well, so i will be putting him in with my female for the first time tommorrow. She has been quite ornery lately, so i am trying to get her nice and fattened up first lol. Hoping everything turns out successfully for me. The female molted 3 weeks ago, male molted back in early Jan and made a sperm web for me yesterday after dropping in some pieces of her webbing. I provided a dry period for her for about a week, and then upped the humidity to try and promote breeding. I am keeping the temperatures at a steady 78-80 degrees during the day, and 73-75 at night (somewhere in that range anyways). Going to try and find some good Barry White and then i think i will be all set... I am going to try and get the mating on video if i can.... so if the matings dont go as planned i can sell it as xxx voyeur or perhaps amateur stuff....anyways... wish me luck!

Cheers,
Nate

 

[Thompson08]

Good luck
Sounds like you have everything ready!

 

[tarcan]

good luck...

better have some long lasting batteries for your video cam with copulation lasting well over three hours sometimes with this species!

BTW, seasonnal variation is not necessary to achieve successful breeding with this species.

Your timing should be right according to the molt dates you gave.

Martin

 

[GartenSpinnen]

good luck...

better have some long lasting batteries for your video cam with copulation lasting well over three hours sometimes with this species!

BTW, seasonnal variation is not necessary to achieve successful breeding with this species.

Your timing should be right according to the molt dates you gave.

Martin

Thanks for the info Ryan was telling me about how long they mate, then i was reading some other reports of matings and WOW little guys got some stamina!

.... where the hell did that Barry White CD go????!!!

 

[GartenSpinnen]

I just put the MM vial in the females setup. Just waiting for him to go for a stroll....

 

[David Burns]

This species is known to double clutch.

 

[GartenSpinnen]

Breeding attempt #2 taking place in approximately 15 minutes ...

(Hoping to get some good video or at least pictures of it)

:drool:

 

[GartenSpinnen]

Well this time things went kinda funky. The MM was sitting in his vial again and would not come out, so i got a qtip and chased him out into the females enclosure. He ran out then up the side of the enclosure but i got the lid closed just in time. Then he walked around the enclosure back to his vial when he obviously sensed he was not alone. So they he started walking in circles and 'dancing'. He did this for awhile until he discovered her covered burrow opening. He walked up to it, and cleared it open and then went inside while what looked like drumming.

He went down into the burrow briefly, then backed up and came back out. He walked in circles several times again then returned to the burrow and did the same thing. This time he was in there a bit longer, but then backed back out quickly. He then walked over to his vial, walked inside in circles, then finally walked back to her burrow again and went into the 'hole of doom'. He never came back out.... I cannot see anything and i have no idea what happened (or didn't happen) so now i am just waiting for any sign of life from the poor fella.

I guess i wont know anything for awhile, especially if i never see him again. All i can do is hope for the best!


Cheers,
Nate

 

[GartenSpinnen]

Success!!!! Finally!!!

The whole time he was down there he must have been mating . I came back in about an hour or later afterwards and the burrow was closed off again. I thought "oh no, that is a for sure sign she munched on him!".... then all of a sudden... on the opposite side of the enclosure there he was, in perfect shape sitting there!

So i got him back in his vial, and in a few days i am going to throw him in again for some more lovin. As long as he does not get munched afterwards, i will probably go ahead and send him off to someone else on a 50/50 or perhaps just get my money back lol. I am so happy !!!

Cheers,
Nate

(Oh yea i got some pics of him in there that came out pretty good, will upload them later )

 

[Talkenlate04]

Told you they mate a while lol. Mine hooked up well over 3 hours one time. Congrats! Wait for another sperm web before you try again, I imagine in that long session he was milked dry.

 

[GartenSpinnen]

Told you they mate a while lol. Mine hooked up well over 3 hours one time. Congrats! Wait for another sperm web before you try again, I imagine in that long session he was milked dry.

Will do! Thanks for the help you gave me, I am really excited about this!

-Nate

 

[GartenSpinnen]

I did not get pictures of the actual mating (or even my female!) because it took place underground, but here is a few shots of the MM after he did his deed and was going for a stroll around the females enclosure!

 

[GartenSpinnen]

MM made another sperm web, so i placed him into the females enclosure again tonight. He went down into her burrow and has been down there for over an hour like last time. I can barely see them through a clearing at the bottom of the enclosure mating. 2nd time mating... so i am hoping for a nice sac! I think i might breed him just one more time with her, and then i will probably sell him off! (or perhaps trade him for another species?)

-Nate

 

[jasen&crystal]

MM made another sperm web, so i placed him into the females enclosure again tonight. He went down into her burrow and has been down there for over an hour like last time. I can barely see them through a clearing at the bottom of the enclosure mating. 2nd time mating... so i am hoping for a nice sac! I think i might breed him just one more time with her, and then i will probably sell him off! (or perhaps trade him for another species?)

-Nate

thats great jadespider good luck I'll be watching for those i'm liking the chilobrachy's i got a fimbriatus from slvdv and i just love seeing all the new webbing every day!

 

[GartenSpinnen]

thats great jadespider good luck I'll be watching for those i'm liking the chilobrachy's i got a fimbriatus from slvdv and i just love seeing all the new webbing every day!

Its not a Chilobrachy sp., its Cyriocosmus elegans. A dwarf species from Trinidad.

Cheers,
Nate