Very Small Sling Molting Advice?

[8Legged]

Hi guys

I have a VERY small B.Vagans sling.

The little guy seemed to want to hide as it was trying to squeeze down the side if the substrate but it was too small.

So I make it a little hide out of a peanut shell and it loved it for a couple of days and now it has blocked itself in for 3 days so I'm guessing it's about yo molt.

I know I need to just leave it alone but is there anything I need to be aware of.

I'll need to still keep the substrate moist but I'll need to be careful as it is so small that I need to tilt the enclosure (small tub) on its side when I water it as it looks like the droplets will drown it.

A couple of pictures:

 

[Nightstalker47]

Should be fine, be mindful not to over moisten the sub, too much is just as bad as not enough.

 

[EtienneN]

My G. pulchra was around that size when I got it and I still only gave it water like once every 6-8 days. It's doing fine.

 

[PidderPeets]

To be honest, I wouldn't have offered it a hide, and instead put it in a smaller enclosure if possible. Slings are small and therefore vulnerable, so they tend to hide and seal themselves off even if they aren't in premolt. This increase in hiding time means they're less likely to be out finding food, and inevitably end up taking longer to grow. I made the mistake of keeping my first sling in an enclosure that was large enough for her to burrow, and she ended up sealing herself off for 3 months without eating and without molting.

What is the legspan of the sling, and what size enclosure is it in? For my slings, until they're about 1 inch (roughly 2.5 cm), I keep them in 2 ounce condiment cups. The only exception is my C. leetzi sling, which is so small that putting it in a 2 oz cup would be like putting an average sized sling in a medium Kritter Keeper.

 

[FrDoc]

Gotta commend you on that peanut shell hide. Very innovative.

 

[MintyWood826]

I would recommend a smaller enclosure. From the picture, it is very tiny compared to the size of its current enclosure. This causes more hiding and less eating, in turn causing slower growth. You do not have to rehouse, but it is what I would do.

I'll need to still keep the substrate moist but I'll need to be careful as it is so small that I need to tilt the enclosure (small tub) on its side when I water it as it looks like the droplets will drown it.

The droplets won't drown it. Their setae is hydrophobic and prevents it.

 

[8Legged]

Thanks for all the replies guys

The enclosure really isn't that big as it's just a small deli pot.

I am kind of wishing I didn't give it a hide now but I guess it's too late as I could stress it if I attempted to remove it now.

How long should I expect it to be in there as this is probably only it's first or second molt.

 

[Jayvicularia]

I love watching slings progress through thier color stages. My slings have always molted quicker and eaten more quickly after molting than juvenilles and adults. Seems the bigger they get the longer the molting process takes.

 

[Tenebrarius]

dont over water, it is not a plant.

yes just leave it be, that is a good protocol.

drown

Ts dont drown.

I would recommend a smaller enclosure. From the picture, it is very tiny compared to the size of its current enclosure. This causes more hiding and less eating, in turn causing slower growth. You do not have to rehouse, but it is what I would do.

if it has a settled hide I wouldn't bother. It will grow into the enclosure easily.

also I tend to recommend using larger enclosures for more nervous or energetic Ts like OWs.

this "big enclosure bad" thing is kind of a myth. there are certain degrees of truth, but manipulation of enclosure size is normally for a keepers benefit. However large enclosures often just end up being a waste of space for most Ts.

I keep/kept my new P. met sling in a larger enclosure because they are wicked fast little fuzzies. Though it has grown and settled into a spot so it will, like my other P. met, run to it's home for safety, rather than lose its mind and run everywhere.

so one molt too big is just a nuance, but there is such thing as too small.

 

[Asgiliath]

Hi guys

I have a VERY small B.Vagans sling.

The little guy seemed to want to hide as it was trying to squeeze down the side if the substrate but it was too small.

So I make it a little hide out of a peanut shell and it loved it for a couple of days and now it has blocked itself in for 3 days so I'm guessing it's about yo molt.

I know I need to just leave it alone but is there anything I need to be aware of.

I'll need to still keep the substrate moist but I'll need to be careful as it is so small that I need to tilt the enclosure (small tub) on its side when I water it as it looks like the droplets will drown it.

View attachment 308844 View attachment 308845 A couple of pictures:

I don’t have much advice but I need to compliment the peanut she’ll hide. That’s adorable.