Help with Phidipus regius newly hatched slings.

Ztesch

Arachnoknight
Joined
Aug 20, 2017
Messages
196
Hey my P. Regius egg sac finally hatched the other day. I was wondering when could I start offering flightless fruit flies? Also how long would you keep the babies together with the mom? I have made a few searches to find out this info and couldn't find much. If you have any other tips you think would help I'm all ears.
Thanks Zach

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pannaking22

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 25, 2011
Messages
4,226
You'll want to start offering them soon unless you're fine with some of the weaker individuals getting eaten. Once they start emerging from the sac you can start feeding/separating them. They'll naturally disperse and they don't do well together, so you won't want to keep them together too long.
 

Ztesch

Arachnoknight
Joined
Aug 20, 2017
Messages
196
Thanks, I will have to go out a buy a bunch of delli cups ASAP then.
 

PhantasticPhids

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 19, 2019
Messages
3
Hi,
I raise jumping spiders and my regius do really really well communally until 6th-7th instar, (I count hatchlings as 1st instar, and when they molt then disperse, they are 2nd instars), or when they outgrow the cups.
Your slings are 1st instars, when they molt their exoskeletons, you'll see some wheat colored shavings throughout the nest and their abdomens will have thinned out. Before that, they are not equipped to handle life outside of the nest yet. After they molt, they stay in the nest for a week or two before they disperse. I will gently peel off the nest and put it in a sling-proof enclosure then. When they start venturing, I dump the fruit flies.
You can raise them individually, but jumpers need to eat a lot as juvies - pretty much every day, and a certain level of humidity balanced with good ventilation. That balance is hard to achieve in tiny cups, and it is incredibly time-consuming.

You can read more about their care here: https://www.phantasticphids.com/post/jumping-spiderling-care
 

Ztesch

Arachnoknight
Joined
Aug 20, 2017
Messages
196
@PhantasticPhids Thanks, I really appreciate the help. So you would keep them communally for awhile then huh. What size container would you recommend? Also they would need fruit flies every day and for how many molts should I keep that up? I haven't read the link yet so I will check that out now.
 
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