Something unusual is going on....

[RachelP]

Hey everyone. This is going to be a bit lengthy but me and my boyfriend are thoroughly intrigued. Not sure if anyone in particular remembers my first thread a couple months ago about being a new tarantula owner (I got my boyfriend a Costa Rica Zebra T / Aphonopelma seemanni for Christmas) but I learned a lot and got a lot of good advice from you T experts.

Our new friend seemed to settle in nicely. There was a point where she started spending most of the time in her cave (expected) though I’m sure she was coming out at night, because every single morning ALL her water would be gone, and there would be a bit of dirt in the bowl left behind by her (still have no idea what she has been doing with all that water every night).

So get this: she started webbing the opening of the cave. Lightly at first, and then a thick web. Never caught her in the act, but I digress. We assume she wants her time alone.

Later, it appeared the actual walls (interior) of the small cave were also covered in web, which is now gone (or used by her in some way...)

Yesterday late afternoon her back was to the webbing while she was in the cave and she was lightly pushing against it, repeatedly. Now there is a large hole in the web wall. So... we were able to see in.

And we looked.

And she’s sitting a top a giant white ball of some sort about the size of her round bulbous middle.

Does anyone know what this could be? It’s nothing we’ve placed in her enclosure.

I’m attaching photos, tried to capture it, wasn’t able to get a great shot at all. The white you see is the ball under her.

 

[Sarkhan42]

Looks like she's made an egg sac IMO.

 

[Tia B]

I'm pretty sure your spider has made an egg sac.

 

[nicodimus22]

Lots and lots of eggs. Perfect timing, with Easter right around the corner.

 

[Mychajlo]

Congratulations on being new parents yay!!!!!

 

[RachelP]

Soooo..... What do you do when it’s an egg sac? We don’t need a bunch of spider babies running around!

 

[Chris LXXIX]

What do you do when it’s an egg sac? We don’t need a bunch of spider babies running around!

Fresh crusty bread, a bit of extra virgin olive oil, an 'hint' and I say an 'hint' of salt, and voilà: a perfect, and quite healthy, sandwich.
Problem solved

 

[cold blood]

I would get into contact with the seller and simply inquire if the t had been paired...or if it was perhaps wild caught. If it wasn't, its likely just a phantom sac...this happens from time to time.

Psalmopoeus cambridgei With Egg Sac

• cold blood
• Feb 11, 2018
• 5
• cambridgei eggs psalmopoeus psalmopoeus cambridgei trinidad chevron tarantula

If you can't find this out, you can just assume its good and go from there. For the next month, she will not want food (don't offer) and will just want to guard and roll the sac. Just keep the sub a little damp, like you should already be doing.

After 30 days you can take the sac from her, with a long tweezers of course, and open it and put any good eggs or EWLs (Eggs With Legs). Eventually they will become first instars, which would look like this.

regalis

• cold blood
• May 18, 2017

regalis

These stay in an incubator (easy to set up) until they molt, at which point they would be separated and in a week or so, they can be fed and begin their lives as little tarantulas...at this point they can be sold. Most dealers will buy sacs (or chunks) at wholesale prices...which aren't much, but its far easier than packing and moving them all yourself. In this pic you will see mostly first instars (1i), but a few that have molted into 2i (top middle).

1i chromatus

• cold blood
• Jul 24, 2017
• 10

molt already! These guys have been 1i for longer than anything I've bred....7 weeks now....at...

Good news is all you have to do for now is wait, you have a month to figure out incubators and another month or three before you need to worry about feeding and selling.

 

[BC1579]

Couple of things:

1. It's very possible it's a phantom sac. It's also very possible that it's a viable sac.

2. Being in LA, if you don't want to care for the sac and the slings I'm sure there are more than a few people (some even right here on this board) who would gladly take it off of your hands.

 

[RachelP]

@cold blood Really appreciate all the info. I think it was around two days ago when she laid it, I guess we have some time to figure it out. I’ll call the dealer tomorrow when they’re open to see if it’s even a possibility the sac could be viable.

But we’ve had her for 2 months. Could it not be a phantom sac? Like is it possible to be viable even though a two month period has passed since we got her?

And is she using all her water every night to maybe then instinctively keep the substrate damp?

 

[Tia B]

I would get into contact with the seller

Couple of things:

1. It's very possible it's a phantom sac. It's also very possible that it's a viable sac.

2. Being in LA, if you don't want to care for the sac and the slings I'm sure there are more than a few people (some even right here on this board) who would gladly take it off of your hands.

@cold blood Really appreciate all the info. I think it was around two days ago when she laid it, I guess we have some time to figure it out. I’ll call the dealer tomorrow when they’re open to see if it’s even a possibility the sac could be viable.

But we’ve had her for 2 months. Could it not be a phantom sac? Like is it possible to be viable even though a two month period has passed since we got her?

And is she using all her water every night to maybe then instinctively keep the substrate damp?

Tarantulas can practically remain fertile until the next molt, molting would be the only sure-fire sign that your sac is a dud. Sometimes tarantulas don't drop sacs for multiple months after breeding.

 

[cold blood]

Could it not be a phantom sac?

Could be a phantom sac....yes

Like is it possible to be viable even though a two month period has passed since we got her?

Oh easily...she could have been paired 8 months ago...most ts don't work that fast...2 months after pairing isn't unusual, but its still on the fast side. As long as she hasn't molted since then, as then she would have molted away any sperm being stored.

And is she using all her water every night to maybe then instinctively keep the substrate damp?

This is really just part of the excavation process....ts often put this excavated dirt (and even boli) into the dishes. The best theory I have heard is that water in nature is something that will wash things away...obviously that doesn't happen in captivity....but the t probably doesn't understand that.

Oh, and remove the water dish...you don't want her dunking a good sac.

 

[RachelP]

Welp... she hasn’t molted in all the time we’ve had her and she just appears to be guarding her egg sac (and hasn’t eaten the 2 crickets in her home though I do think she ate 3 this week). But only time will tell....

I’m less concerned now about having a bunch of spiderlings running around and getting out because now I know at least there’s time... it could be phantom.... and I don’t think it works that way (unless the little guys are properly cared for)

 

[cold blood]

hasn’t eaten the 2 crickets in her home

remove them

I’m less concerned now about having a bunch of spiderlings running around

If you follow the plan I laid out, there will never be little spiders running around....that's why many of us take the sac...this way we can control when and where they come out of the sac...but even then, they don't really disperse until they molt to 2i.

and I don’t think it works that way (unless the little guys are properly cared for)

you lost me...you don't think what works that way?

 

[RachelP]

Ok, good to know. And I meant “I don’t think it works that way” as in now I don’t assume it will simply hatch at any time and disperse a zillion little spiders... unless of course you’ve taken proper steps to care for them, you could have a successful sac.

 

[RachelP]

Lol so little update on the egg sac situation. Dealer says she was wild caught and is most likely fertile, and that the egg sac is probably viable. Time will tell.... but this should be interesting.

He also told me to take it to him in 30 days and he will incubate it.

But other than “taking it off our hands”, would we be smart to sell it?

 

[BC1579]

Since the dealer will sell the slings, I think you're entitled to a little something.

Do the math.

IF you had 100 viable slings and IF you took the time to sell them all to individual keepers and IF you got $10 each for them, you'd have a cool grand on your hands. Then of course there's overhead for time, costs of ownership, etc.

Of course, A. seemani sacs may have far fewer eggs than that (I truly don't know) and you'd probably be better off selling the slings in batches, maybe your net profit would drop some. Still, I bet you could make a couple hundred bucks if you chose to raise them and sell them yourself.

If I were the dealer, I'd probably arrange a deal with you for a T to be named later. Whether or not you should accept would rely heavily on your relationship with them. If you think they may burn you, I'd ask for cash. If they seem solid, hold them to a future deal.

In short, the sac is yours and I believe you're well within your rights to want some sort of compensation for it.

 

[cold blood]

Lol so little update on the egg sac situation. Dealer says she was wild caught and is most likely fertile, and that the egg sac is probably viable. Time will tell.... but this should be interesting.

He also told me to take it to him in 30 days and he will incubate it.

But other than “taking it off our hands”, would we be smart to sell it?

its not all that hard of a process...chances are you and your bf will find it fascinating....with the help here, i would just go through the process yourself...if you need and in depth info or have other concerns....feel free to pm me or someone here you trust.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

This is really just part of the excavation process....ts often put this excavated dirt (and even boli) into the dishes. The best theory I have heard is that water in nature is something that will wash things away...obviously that doesn't happen in captivity....but the t probably doesn't understand that.

Oh, and remove the water dish...you don't want her dunking a good sac.

I think that theory is the result of over analyzation and from someone who has never seen a tarantula in the wild. In my opinion, it is far more simple. Tarantulas do not like standing water and by them dumping dirt in a water dish, they are eliminating that source of open water. Generally, they really don't like to be wet. Even more simple is that the placement of the water dish might be too close to the opening of the burrow or hide. In nature, one can see when a tarantula has done its renovating by a big pile of dirt right outside of the burrow entrance. Same with undigested prey remains. What a captive tarantula doesn't understand is why there is always a pool of water next to it.

 

[cold blood]

I think that theory is the result of over analyzation and from someone who has never seen a tarantula in the wild. In my opinion, it is far more simple. Tarantulas do not like standing water and by them dumping dirt in a water dish, they are eliminating that source of open water. Generally, they really don't like to be wet. Even more simple is that the placement of the water dish might be too close to the opening of the burrow or hide. In nature, one can see when a tarantula has done its renovating by a big pile of dirt right outside of the burrow entrance. Same with undigested prey remains. What a captive tarantula doesn't understand is why there is always a pool of water next to it.

And of course, this also makes perfect sense