Cyriocosmus elegans care questions

[Marvinxox]

I just ordered a Cyriocosmus elegans sling and altough I did some research and feel quite confident in keeping this funny dwarf, I still wonder, if there is something special I need to know or any tips and tricks, I might have missed in the other (by now quite old) threads regarding this species and it´s care.

Also I would be interested, how some of you keep their slings, as I found some different care sheets and requirements online and because I am not 100% sure what to believe and what not.

So... yeah.
I hope some of you might be able to help me
Thanks

 

[Nightstalker47]

I just ordered a Cyriocosmus elegans sling and altough I did some research and feel quite confident in keeping this funny dwarf, I still wonder, if there is something special I need to know or any tips and tricks, I might have missed in the other (by now quite old) threads regarding this species and it´s care.

Also I would be interested, how some of you keep their slings, as I found some different care sheets and requirements online and because I am not 100% sure what to believe and what not.

So... yeah.
I hope some of you might be able to help me
Thanks

Be careful with online care sheets, they are often wrong/misleading.

With that said, this species is pretty simple to keep. They are a terrestrial dwarf. Keep the substrate moist, as they are a tropical species(originate from Trinidad and Tobago). Not much more to it.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Give them enough moist substrate to burrow in but also give them a little headroom as they like to web, make sure your ventilation holes are smaller than the spider's carapace, both of mine escaped shortly after rehousing them because I got it wrong.

 

[Vanessa]

You are going to love this species. I adore my female. Out of all the dwarf species that I have - this girl is the most visible of the lot. She doesn't web as much as my other Cyriocosmus, but she sure loves her burrows. Such a gorgeous species... gorgeous genus overall.

 

[Arachnophoric]

both of mine escaped shortly after rehousing them because I got it wrong.

Unfortunate, you ever find them?

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Unfortunate, you ever find them?

Unfortunately not, they would've either succumbed to dehydration or ended up as lunch for a house spider by now

 

[Mila]

i keep mine a bit more moist than my other substrates, have a few anchor points. one of mine webs like crazy and the other hasnt done any. feed every 3-4 days. you can keep pre killed on day of arrival but after that once they settle in they happily take live

 

[Arachnophoric]

Unfortunately not, they would've either succumbed to dehydration or ended up as lunch for a house spider by now

Wish there was a way to put another sad rating; one for each sling.

All joking aside, that truly is rotten luck and good information to know. That seems like something easy to overlook, especially in reference to a healthy sling with a fat abdomen.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Wish there was a way to put another sad rating; one for each sling.

All joking aside, that truly is rotten luck and good information to know. That seems like something easy to overlook, especially in reference to a healthy sling with a fat abdomen.

Yeah, it sucks but if I can help someone avoid making the same mistake then it's not completely in vain, they are little escape artists, it's easy to overlook the fact that abdomens are squishy and can be made to fit through surprisingly small gaps.

I had a B. smithi (ex "annitha") escape from a KK a few days ago, luckily I found it after 36hrs, I clocked from the web trail it left that the little bugger had gotten out through a small gap where I'd removed the handles from the lid, taped over them to prevent any future attempts.

 

[Arachnophoric]

Yeah, it sucks but if I can help someone avoid making the same mistake then it's not completely in vain, they are little escape artists, it's easy to overlook the fact that abdomens are squishy and can be made to fit through surprisingly small gaps.

I had a B. smithi (ex "annitha") escape from a KK a few days ago, luckily I found it after 36hrs, I clocked from the web trail it left that the little bugger had gotten out through a small gap where I'd removed the handles from the lid, taped over them to prevent any future attempts.

Very true. Learn from our mistakes. And that B. smithi should be hired as a contortionist, that's some crazy flexibility/squishiness if the image you left in my head is anywhere near what you're describing. You should name that one Houdini

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Very true. Learn from our mistakes. And that B. smithi should be hired as a contortionist, that's some crazy flexibility/squishiness if the image you left in my head is anywhere near what you're describing. You should name that one Houdini

Yeah, that's the gap it squeezed through.



And here's the little bugger after I found it, almost completely bald but otherwise fine.

 

[Olan]

C. elegans are really easy. Only issue is how small they are as slings. Mine didn't take prekilled crickets, but ate prekilled mealworms chunks. Now she will eat anything she can overpower.

 

[Marvinxox]

Give them enough moist substrate to burrow in but also give them a little headroom as they like to web, make sure your ventilation holes are smaller than the spider's carapace, both of mine escaped shortly after rehousing them because I got it wrong.

Yeah, it sucks but if I can help someone avoid making the same mistake then it's not completely in vain, they are little escape artists, it's easy to overlook the fact that abdomens are squishy and can be made to fit through surprisingly small gaps.

Thanks for the tips
I think, I´ll wait until it´s here to see how big my drill for the ventilation holes should be for it not to fit through.

i keep mine a bit more moist than my other substrates, have a few anchor points. one of mine webs like crazy and the other hasnt done any. feed every 3-4 days. you can keep pre killed on day of arrival but after that once they settle in they happily take live

I´ll just give it a small stick to web to.
As I currently have a small thriving colony of them, I will try dwarf white isopods as a feeder.

C. elegans are really easy. Only issue is how small they are as slings. Mine didn't take prekilled crickets, but ate prekilled mealworms chunks. Now she will eat anything she can overpower.

The one I ordered should be about 0,5 cm (‪about 0,2‬ Inches), so I´ll try dwarf White isopods as a feeder.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Thanks for the tips
I think, I´ll wait until it´s here to see how big my drill for the ventilation holes should be for it not to fit through.

The one I ordered should be about 0,5 cm (‪about 0,2‬ Inches), so I´ll try dwarf White isopods as a feeder.

Pinhole sized will suffice.

I found they readily take baby mealworms at that size, they will take newborn red runners but only if you pre-kill them.