I got two C. Elegans slings on saturday and they are some of the tiniest things I've ever seen. I have them on coconut husk bedding which is a bit on the dry side but ive been dripping in a couple drops of water daily. The thing that concerns me is while theyre walking theyll well, spaz out for lack of a better word. Theyll start wildly kicking their legs really quick for a second then keep on walking. Could this be since theyre so small they have trouble getting their legs firmly on the substrate? Some of the husk crumbs are almost as big as they are, even though I tried to get it as fine as I could. Theyre so small they could run around on a dime, so im hoping this could be the problem. Has anybody seen anything like I've described before?
Spastic C. Elegans slings
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Well I upped the humidity and substrate moisture and they seem to have calmed down a bit. I also added another thin layer of more finely ground up substrate to their enclosures, just in case the problem was their footing. They still arent burrowing but one has started to web a lot, and they arent being all twitchy anymore.
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Sounds like you solved your own problem. Well done! They were probably dehydrated and stressed from the shipping. Have fun with those little buggers, they are such awesome t's but sooooo tiny!
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As you are noticing, the added moisture should help them a bit. Mine tiny guys took a while to start burrowing - they seemed to web up the top of the substrate first. Neither have burrowed more twice their legspan each (and usually only sit far enough down that their spinnerets are sitting at about ground level, so every time I check on them I just see little butts sticking up). I wouldn't worry too much that they haven't burrowed yet though. I keep mine on cocofiber too.
They are great fun for feeding. I usually give them fruit flies (I try to squish the fly's head first), and they will tackle with alot of gusto, even though the fruit flies were almost as big as my C. elegans slings when I first got them! Mine have molted a couple times in the past 4-5 months that I've had them too, though they are still pretty tiny - I think they are getting closer to being 1/4 inch leg span finally. I can see some of their patterning already too, even though they are so small!
Congrats on your new little ones! Have fun, these are very entertaining tiny little Ts!
They are great fun for feeding. I usually give them fruit flies (I try to squish the fly's head first), and they will tackle with alot of gusto, even though the fruit flies were almost as big as my C. elegans slings when I first got them! Mine have molted a couple times in the past 4-5 months that I've had them too, though they are still pretty tiny - I think they are getting closer to being 1/4 inch leg span finally. I can see some of their patterning already too, even though they are so small!
Congrats on your new little ones! Have fun, these are very entertaining tiny little Ts!