D. diadema cannibalizing

sschind

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
May 27, 2005
Messages
358
I caught one of my first instar D. Diadema eating a sibling earlier today. They just left the mom maybe a week ago or so ago and I had not separated them yet. I know it happens and they were pretty crowded (about 40 of them in a 1 gallon container) but I never witnessed it before. I've separated them 3 to a 32 oz deli which is how I have done it for the last 4 clutches and I have yet to experience any cannibalization this way. I keep them like this for two or three more molts and then I rear them individually. I tried keeping a dozen of them communally once but after losing 4 in three months or so I decided to separate them. Interestingly the ones I tried raising communally were about a third again as big as the siblings I raised individually but they had gone through the same number of molts. I figured because they had more food available they just grew more with each molt.
 

pannaking22

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 25, 2011
Messages
4,226
Congrats on the large brood! I vaguely remember reading somewhere about communal setups causing larger amblys, but it may have had something to do with competition for food and increased interaction. I'll have to try to find that paper again...
 
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