T seladonia updates

[curtisgiganteus]

On 8/12/22 I purchased 3 Typhoclaena seladonia slings <edit> They came in healthy and adorable. After doing some reasearch on them I let them dry out a bit as several people who have had success with them recommend keeping them drier (Dave from DavesLittleBeasties went as far as recommending keeping them “Bone Dry.”

They all made it through a molt with me successfully, however here is where I began having issues. Two of them remained healthy, however one of them stopped taking food after the molt. I went to check on them and feed a couple weeks after their molt and found on of the slings deceased behind the cork bark. It had already established its folding door in the cork, however, IMO it was looking for moisture and dehydration killed it.

I have redone the remaining two enclosures after researching their natural habitat and their appetites have improved and they don’t look dehydrated. I have them in 4” tall dram vials with 1.5” of coco sub and another layer of peat to maintain humidity. I keep the coco sub moist but not swampy and for ventilation I have 6 holes drilled on 4 sides of the vials running vertical up the vial.

I’ll post pics when I get home

 

[DuneElliot]

Dave's renowned for doing well with these guys...only breeder I know of in the UK currently and he keeps them successfully
I would treat these guys like any other Avic with water dish and dampish substrate (wet down every so often) although others suggest dry too. Usually the water dish and cross ventilation is enough. When you talk about "bone dry" this refers to the substrate...did they still have access to water?

How much ventilation did you have? Photos of enclosures helps.

 

[viper69]

Dry- not surprised they died

 

[curtisgiganteus]

Dry- not surprised they died

Which is why I said screw what I read and I’m keeping them more humid. I’m not willing to risk a T over someone else’s experience. So I’m maintaining humidity by keeping coco sub moist and a layer of peat to help lock it in.

Dave's renowned for doing well with these guys...only breeder I know of in the UK currently and he keeps them successfully
I would treat these guys like any other Avic with water dish and dampish substrate (wet down every so often) although others suggest dry too. Usually the water dish and cross ventilation is enough. When you talk about "bone dry" this refers to the substrate...did they still have access to water?

How much ventilation did you have? Photos of enclosures helps.

I kept the substrate bone dry and used the same kind of tool Dave does to let water run down the cork every other day. I’m at work right now I’ll get pics when I get home.

 

[worldsparadox]

I kept the substrate bone dry and used the same kind of tool Dave does to let water run down the cork every other day. I’m at work right now I’ll get pics when I get home.

Dave also lives in a much more humid part of the world then I, %65 average ambient humidity vs. my ~%30. Bone dry to Dave is WAY different then bone dry to me. I bet his humidity loving spiders only need water once a month or so, but mine need water once a week or more. I am very sorry for your loss and I hope you can use what you learned to benefit the spiders you still have. Thanks for sharing too!

 

[curtisgiganteus]

Dave also lives in a much more humid part of the world then I, %65 average ambient humidity vs. my ~%30. Bone dry to Dave is WAY different then bone dry to me. I bet his humidity loving spiders only need water once a month or so, but mine need water once a week or more. I am very sorry for your loss and I hope you can use what you learned to benefit the spiders you still have. Thanks for sharing too!

This was the conclusion I came to as well. I live in Seattle but even here humidity levels fluctuate and probably don’t reach the same levels as where Dave lives. I think anyone keeping this species, going forward, should keep in mind ambient environmental humidity as well as enclosure humidity. I know there isn’t a TON of knowledge about these guys in the hobby save for a select few, so any info or updates I have I’ll post.

 

[Marcostaco]

I've always kept mine on dry substrate. However, I do provide them with a waterdish and mist at least twice per week when they were slings and once a week currently, now that they're subadults.

I make sure that their substrate is always dry and their enclosures have TONS of ventilation to avoid moisture build up and stagnant air. And when their substrate do get moist from the misting I do, it doesn't take more than 2 days for it to dry up because of all the ventilation.

 

[Pmurinushmacla]

This was the conclusion I came to as well. I live in Seattle but even here humidity levels fluctuate and probably don’t reach the same levels as where Dave lives. I think anyone keeping this species, going forward, should keep in mind ambient environmental humidity as well as enclosure humidity. I know there isn’t a TON of knowledge about these guys in the hobby save for a select few, so any info or updates I have I’ll post.

I've always considered picking one up, might take one to the dorms. Florida always has high humidity, so maybe ill have good luck. Small enough for the dorms aswell. GL with yours.

 

[curtisgiganteus]

I've always considered picking one up, might take one to the dorms. Florida always has high humidity, so maybe ill have good luck. Small enough for the dorms aswell. GL with yours.

If you do, I would gauge the ambient humidity, and I’d still keep the sub a little moist. They are a fascinating spider with the second coolest folding door (First goes to Ornithoctoninae sp Maltai) Just think Avic but more suceptible to temp and humidity gradient.

 

[viper69]

This was the conclusion I came to as well. I live in Seattle but even here humidity levels fluctuate and probably don’t reach the same levels as where Dave lives. I think anyone keeping this species, going forward, should keep in mind ambient environmental humidity as well as enclosure humidity. I know there isn’t a TON of knowledge about these guys in the hobby save for a select few, so any info or updates I have I’ll post.

All successful owners I personally spoke with kept them with various amounts of humidity

like all Ts there’s threshold of too little

 

[curtisgiganteus]

I've always kept mine on dry substrate. However, I do provide them with a waterdish and mist at least twice per week when they were slings and once a week currently, now that they're subadults.

I make sure that their substrate is always dry and their enclosures have TONS of ventilation to avoid moisture build up and stagnant air. And when their substrate do get moist from the misting I do, it doesn't take more than 2 days for it to dry up because of all the ventilation.

Give me 10 minutes and I’ll post pics of the remaining 2 enclosures. These guys are not even 1/4 of an inch yet

 

[Marcostaco]

Give me 10 minutes and I’ll post pics of

Give me 10 minutes and I’ll post pics of the remaining 2 enclosures. These guys are not even 1/4 of an inch yet

Almost the same size as mine when I got them

 

[curtisgiganteus]

This is what I have them set up in now. The vials came this way as recommended by the seller

 

[Marcostaco]

Perso

This is what I have them set up in now. The vials came this way as recommended by the seller

Personally, I would put more ventilation. Way more.

 

[curtisgiganteus]

Almost the same size as mine when I got them

I’m terrified of taking them out to put more holes haha

legit though, I don’t want stress to be the thing that knocks my count to one.

 

[viper69]

I’m terrified of taking them out to put more holes haha

legit though, I don’t want stress to be the thing that knocks my count to one.

stress isn’t goin got kill them. Stress is an overly used word on this forum.

peeps act like they are fragile eggs that can barely handle a disturbance

not sure where peeps get this notion from

i Know successful keepers of these that doesn’t use that much sub at all. Doesn’t mean your setup is wrong mind you

 

[curtisgiganteus]

Almost the same size as mine when I got them

So both my slings are around 3/8” right now and from what it looks like, in premolt (even though they molted a little over a month and a half ago)I have a few 40 dram vials I’ll be melting more ventilation in this weekend. Once that’s done and I clean the vials I plan on just moving the cork they have built their trap doors on into the new vials. Beyond housing, what are some things I need to keep in mind for this species? And once they get larger, how do I go about rehousing given their cork is only big enough to fit in the dram vials?

 

[Marcostaco]

So both my slings are around 3/8” right now and from what it looks like, in premolt (even though they molted a little over a month and a half ago)I have a few 40 dram vials I’ll be melting more ventilation in this weekend. Once that’s done and I clean the vials I plan on just moving the cork they have built their trap doors on into the new vials. Beyond housing, what are some things I need to keep in mind for this species? And once they get larger, how do I go about rehousing given their cork is only big enough to fit in the dram vials?

For me, I always make sure to avoid any moisture build up in their enclosures; meaning dry substrate and just mist their cork barks and trapdoors lightly.

I always move them with their trapdoors. Makes it easier for them to settle in and make another trapdoor if needed.

 

[curtisgiganteus]

For me, I always make sure to avoid any moisture build up in their enclosures; meaning dry substrate and just mist their cork barks and trapdoors lightly.

I always move them with their trapdoors. Makes it easier for them to settle in and make another trapdoor if needed.

Do they have the same space requirements as most other Ts? Or can you keep them in smaller enclosures given their relatively sedentary nature?

 

[Marcostaco]

Do they have the same space requirements as most other Ts? Or can you keep them in smaller enclosures given their relatively sedentary nature?

I would say something smaller since yeah, they do sit around in one place.