First Week With Spiderlings

[cold blood]

Did you try giving the mealworms a form of moisture...they won't live long outside a fridge without it usually a slice of potato or Apple works well change it every few days so it doesn't mold

Lol, my mealies have been sitting in my warm living room for a week without food or water, all are still quite lively.

 

[Blackout14]

Lol, my mealies have been sitting in my warm living room for a week without food or water, all are still quite lively.

True but a lot of times they may have been sitting at the pet store for weeks without food or water as well. They can live for a long time without food they will start eating eachother but water tends to make em last even longer

 

[Robotic Cook]

Leave the B. albopilosum be for about two weeks. Just because they're out and about doesn't mean they're ready to eat - better safe than sorry. That grayish-blue is not a natural color, that means the exoskeleton is still very soft. It'll darken within a couple days.

As for the G. pulchripes, it would be very strange indeed if there was no death curl. I've seen some of my slings "play dead" when bothered, but they always start moving again within a day. Any movement since you rehoused it? Good call on the paper towel, just ensure that it's not sopping wet. Damp is enough, with plenty of ventilation. Creating a stuffy cage is the last thing you want to do.

No movement. Its wired. The body is limp so I don't think it was dehydration. The only thing I can think of is it fell down it's burrow but I can see no inquires. Going to keep it in the cup for a few more days but I doubt she will move again.

I'm really bummed out so I bought a 1 inch replacement from the specialist pet shop that I get my pin head crickets from. It's also a G. pulchripesand and is currently sulking under a hide made from a half a tube of toilet paper. Since it's bigger than my last one I gave her a small box for it's enclosure with water dish.

Really hope the rest of my collection will do fine, cant help but feel responsible for the little ones.

Did you try giving the mealworms a form of moisture...they won't live long outside a fridge without it usually a slice of potato or Apple works well change it every few days so it doesn't mold

Yep I use apple. Turns out the little fakers were just getting ready to molt into pupa. They take forever before molting. In fact one just molted into a beetle for my breeding project.

 

[Blackout14]

No movement. Its wired. The body is limp so I don't think it was dehydration. The only thing I can think of is it fell down it's burrow but I can see no inquires. Going to keep it in the cup for a few more days but I doubt she will move again.

I'm really bummed out so I bought a 1 inch replacement from the specialist pet shop that I get my pin head crickets from. It's also a G. pulchripesand and is currently sulking under a hide made from a half a tube of toilet paper. Since it's bigger than my last one I gave her a small box for it's enclosure with water dish.

Really hope the rest of my collection will do fine, cant help but feel responsible for the little ones.



Yep I use apple. Turns out the little fakers were just getting ready to molt into pupa. They take forever before molting. In fact one just molted into a beetle for my breeding project.

Hah cool beans now you can get some breeding

 

[Robotic Cook]

Came from work today and checked on my new G. pulchripes. Her water bowl was full of dirt, and the little one was practically glowering at me for having the temerity of giving her a source of water.

All I could think was "So it begins." The water bowl feud has begun.

I other news my B. Albopilosum has compacted his molt into the ceiling of his burrow. While I am aware that he will unseal his burrow when he is ready to eat I cant help but feel anxious. His abdomen is nearing the same size as his thorax. Don't want to loose another sling.

 

[cold blood]

A toilet paper roll is a bad choice for a hide, get something different...a piece of wood, pvc pipe, halved pot or coffee cup, or even just a fake leaf.

A tp roll will break down, absorb moisture, mold, and can even be shredded by a t.

 

[Robotic Cook]

A toilet paper roll is a bad choice for a hide, get something different...a piece of wood, pvc pipe, halved pot or coffee cup, or even just a fake leaf.

A tp roll will break down, absorb moisture, mold, and can even be shredded by a t.

The roll was just temporary, until I could cut a pvc pipe. Even now the g. pulchritude is filling her water dish with substrate. She really seams to hate it's presence as she gave it a threat posture when I removed it this morning to dump out the soil.

 

[Robotic Cook]

Just out of curiosity after molting can a sling go back into pre-molt after a short time, without eating? I ask because my B. Albopilosum has remained in his sealed off burrow since molting about half a month ago. Luckily he has dug out a window for me to watch him through so I know he is alive and well. His abdomen already has developed a large dark patch just like he had before molting.

Any explanation of this behavior would be most helpful. For now I shall return to trying to find the bolus that my G. Pulchripes decided to bury just to spite me and the water dish.

 

[Trenor]

Just out of curiosity after molting can a sling go back into pre-molt after a short time, without eating? I ask because my B. Albopilosum has remained in his sealed off burrow since molting about half a month ago. Luckily he has dug out a window for me to watch him through so I know he is alive and well. His abdomen already has developed a large dark patch just like he had before molting.

Any explanation of this behavior would be most helpful. For now I shall return to trying to find the bolus that my G. Pulchripes decided to bury just to spite me and the water dish.

If the sling has all the food/water stored up that it requires then it can go more then one molt without eating. If it is a tiny sling they can molt pretty fast. I'm just keep the water dish filled up and it should be fine. If it does come out offer it some prekilled food.

 

[Robotic Cook]

Just caught a sight of the B. Albopilosum outside it's burrow. It bolted for the safety of it's burrow as soon as I looked at it but there is now an entrance to the burrow. Dropping in food now.

 

[Robotic Cook]

Apparently my B. Albopilosum thinks he is a trap door spider. After several wasted chopped up meal worms, which he refused to even exit his burrow for, a small live cricket caused him to shoot up his entrance and nab it as soon as it came close.

In other news meal worm beetles are stupid. I cant go one hour without finding one stuck on it's back. How they survive in the wild I cant help but wonder.

 

[Robotic Cook]

Also is it normal for tarantulas to have light reflecting rumps? When I shine a light on my G. pulchripes the area where its urticating hairs are located reflects light like oil on metal.

 

[Venom1080]

Also is it normal for tarantulas to have light reflecting rumps? When I shine a light on my G. pulchripes the area where its urticating hairs are located reflects light like oil on metal.

That's the mirror patch. A patch of urticating hairs that reflect light differently then the hairs around it. Perfectly normal.

 

[Robotic Cook]

That's the mirror patch. A patch of urticating hairs that reflect light differently then the hairs around it. Perfectly normal.

Good to know thank you. My research up to this point had not mentioned this.

 

[Shawnee]

Sounds like you are having fun with your T's, which is what the hobby is all about I keep a few slings on my office desk so I can watch them when they surface. Currently have an OBT, P. muticus and G. pulchra visiting my desk today.

 

[Blackout14]

Sounds like you are having fun with your T's, which is what the hobby is all about I keep a few slings on my office desk so I can watch them when they surface. Currently have an OBT, P. muticus and G. pulchra visiting my desk today.

Wish I could do that my boss would think their was pen or something in the amac boxes and pop em open

 

[Robotic Cook]

Sounds like you are having fun with your T's, which is what the hobby is all about I keep a few slings on my office desk so I can watch them when they surface. Currently have an OBT, P. muticus and G. pulchra visiting my desk today.

I do enjoy watching their behaviors even if most of it is finding that the spider has shifted to a slightly different position overnight. My B. Albopilosum was very hungry. He hadent eaten since I got him in april and he only recently opened up his burrow. I dropped in two more crickets and they where quickly dragged inside the burrow. It is quite nice to see my little guy with a plump abdomen for once.

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

All I could think was "So it begins." The water bowl feud has begun.

Don't look for the struggle to end anytime soon. Oh, it may abate for a while. Leaving you thinking "Whew! I'm glad it is out of that stage!" and then the next day...

 

[Robotic Cook]

Whelp I caved in and bought some more spiders. First I got a tiny A.versicolor sling. I wanted a jumping spider but since they sold out just as I made the online purchase they gave me a female Cyriocosmus elegans! I love that golden brown coloration, but how the heck do stay camouflaged with a such a bling carapace? Finally I got a l. difficult sling as a freebie. They all arrived safe this morning and are all housed. Gonna need to find more crickets.

In other news the G. Pulchripes now only occasionally stuffs her water dish with dirt but now she has started to bury her boluses so that I cannot find them.

 

[Robotic Cook]

Update:

My A. Versicolor sling has molted with no apparent complications.

Also my G. Pulchiripes has sealed off her burrow. Expecting her to molt any day now.