Thinking of buying my first sling...

[PhilMcWonder]

I keep finding cheap Lasiodora Parahybana slings for sale and I am thinking ablout ordering them. Buuuuuuuut I hear slings are VERY sensitive and die easily... I would like to avoid that... What are the care needs of slings? I know videos exist and I've watched a few but I want as much info as I can gather before I try anything. I want all my Ts to be happy and healthy after all and that goes double for lil baby spooders.

 

[Keke713]

LP slings won’t stay slings for long. They are literally like little garbage disposals. As for most, slings require half moist sub and that’s really about it. Use condiment cups or deli cups to easily keep track of your slings. Dice up mealworms to feed multiple slings.

 

[Teal]

L. parahybana are a rather hardy species. They are great eaters and grow out of small sling stages quickly. LPs are cheap and easy to come by, and sometimes slings just don't thrive... so if you can, order a handful of them. Care is simple... dry sub and a water source, or slightly damp sub in part of the enclosure if it isn't big enough for a designated water source. They are terrestrial, so need more floor space and less height. Provide a hide.

 

[Enrgy]

lp was my first t, u should do it as said above this species is quite hardy and if it's enclosure is big enough for a water dish (water bottle cap or something like that) then give it one, if not just moisten one part of the sub weekly. the growth rates are some of the fastest out there too. mine molted every month up until 2"

 

[PhilMcWonder]

Do they need a moist tank as an adult?

 

[Enrgy]

Do they need a moist tank as an adult?

no

 

[weibkreux]

They're fast growing and hardy, with good feeding response. Had mine for 6 months and are now almost 3 inches.

 

[Theneil]

I think the 'dellicateness' (spelling?) of slings is blown a bit out of propotion personally.

IMO, if kept correctly, there is a very low chance of your spider dying prematurely regardless of size.

 

[PhilMcWonder]

Well other than LPs What are other slings like? Same thing?

 

[PidderPeets]

LPs are fast growing, usually great eaters, and very hardy. You'd probably have to be actively trying to kill it to actually do so. My girl molted consistently every two months until she reached the 3 inch mark. Since then she's been molting every four months. I got her as a .5 inch sling and she reached the 1.75 - 2 inch mark after 4 months, so there honestly probably wouldn't even be enough time for poor husbandry to kill it before it's out of the more delicate sling stages.

My only warning is that they have particularly irritating hairs, and they are very prone to kicking them. I used to not have any reaction at all to the urticating hairs, but repeated exposure from her has caused me to start developing a higher sensitivity to them. I now will get rashes for a week or longer when I'm exposed to the hairs. But it's just a matter of being more careful around species that are prone to kicking, and optionally wearing protective clothing (long sleeves, gloves).

So all in all, I say go for it!

Well other than LPs What are other slings like? Same thing?

It really depends on the species, but most new world terrestrials are kept the same. It's just that not as many beginner species grow at the same rate; many grow much slower.

 

[cold blood]

Well other than LPs What are other slings like? Same thing?

well some eat more and grow faster, others eat less and grow slower...but for NW terrestrials, sling care and housing would be pretty much the same at equal sizes....bigger, faster growers just get re housed quicker.

I agree with @Theneil , that its not all that difficult to raise slings....the biggest issues people have is a lack of patience and over thinking things.

Just keep things simple, keep part of the sub damp and you should be ok.

 

[PhilMcWonder]

I was planning on buying one at 1 inch (or close to 1 inch)
I have unused tupperware containers I can use as well as a critter carrier from when I bought my avic.
I was gonna use a sobering iron to put tiny holes in the tupperware container's sides to get cross ventilation.

 

[Theneil]

i advise AGAINST the kritter keeper unless you want escapes. Also, be careful using a soldering iron to make holes for such a small sling.

 

[PhilMcWonder]

Critter keeper when it gets bigger. Not while its little.

 

[Anoplogaster]

A drill is much better than a soldering iron. You can control the hole size much easier, and the hole won’t look like an ugly crater. You don’t really need to worry about cracks in plastic at small diameters.

 

[ccTroi]

Critter keeper when it gets bigger. Not while its little.

i would house it in a deli cup till it hits 3”. i don’t like critter keepers personally because they are difficult to open and often shakes the enclosure excessively. for more display purposes, i like the display cases at hobby lobby but it’s on you for ventilation

 

[PhilMcWonder]

So I think I am gonna pick up an LP from JoeRossi (Seems like a reputable breeder on this website)
And I'm also thinking of getting a G. pulchra later on because THAT THING GETS SO FLUFFY!

 

[Potatatas]

Pretty much everything you need to know ----->

 

[cold blood]

And I'm also thinking of getting a G. pulchra later on because THAT THING GETS SO FLUFFY!

first ive ever heard pulchra described as fluffy...lol....certainly wouldnt be my description of them.

 

[PhilMcWonder]

The Brazilian black velvet? The picture I saw it didn't have long hairs but it did have a layer of smooth fluffy hair that looks like velvet...
or do I have the wrong species...