Advice needed: Molting T with a cricket possibly still in enclosure

theotherliz

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 28, 2021
Messages
4
Hi all,

I'm pretty new to the hobby (have only had T's for a couple of months now) so I'm needing some advice from those more experienced.

I have a C. versicolor sling (~.75") that I just noticed is molting (yay!) but I'd tried feeding it a small cricket a couple days ago and when I checked for it the next morning I couldn't find the cricket so I assumed it'd been eaten. But now that the sling is molting, I'm worried the cricket is somehow hiding in the enclosure somewhere or buried itself in the substrate even though I even went in a poked around in the moss and top layer of substrate the other day to make sure it wasn't just hiding from me

So, am I just being paranoid or is it actually possible the cricket is still hiding and if so what's the best course of action now?

TIA!
 

Stemmy101

Arachnosquire
Joined
Apr 12, 2020
Messages
95
From my experience, crickets don't typically bury themselves in the substrate. If you can't find the cricket, especially after a couple days, there's a chance the T probably took it (my T sometimes will still eat despite premolt). I would just keep an eye out without disturbing the T, but I think it will be fine. Hope this helps :)
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
Get that cricket out!!!

From my experience, crickets don't typically bury themselves in the substrate. If you can't find the cricket, especially after a couple days, there's a chance the T probably took it (my T sometimes will still eat despite premolt). I would just keep an eye out without disturbing the T, but I think it will be fine. Hope this helps :)
Crix bury into sub all the time here to hide
 

Stemmy101

Arachnosquire
Joined
Apr 12, 2020
Messages
95
Get that cricket out!!!



Crix bury into sub all the time here to hide
Oops, sorry my bad. Personally it's never happened to me but then again I haven't been using crickets for very long. Thank you for correcting me because I probably would've had to learn that the hard way.
 

theotherliz

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 28, 2021
Messages
4
Thanks both! I'm just not sure how to look for the cricket without disturbing the now freshly molted sling. The enclosure is 3x3x6 so I don't have a lot of space to work. Any suggestions?
 

magouilles

Arachnoknight
Active Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2020
Messages
252
Is the t in a web hammock? if so remove all the decor around the web without destroying it and start burrowing!
 

theotherliz

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 28, 2021
Messages
4
Is the t in a web hammock? if so remove all the decor around the web without destroying it and start burrowing!
Yes, it's in the little web tunnel thing that it built the night I got it. I will work on moving decor that the webbing isn't anchored to. Thanks!!!
 

magouilles

Arachnoknight
Active Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2020
Messages
252
Yes, it's in the little web tunnel thing that it built the night I got it. I will work on moving decor that the webbing isn't anchored to. Thanks!!!
a stressed t is always better than a dead t! hope you find the cricket🙂
 

theotherliz

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 28, 2021
Messages
4
Well, I dug through ALL of the substrate and the only thing I found was a couple escapee bottle fly larvae from previous feedings when I first got the sling. Safe to assume it really did eat the cricket even though it was only a couple days prior to the molt?
 

Tarantuland

Arachnoprince
Joined
Mar 19, 2020
Messages
1,354
Well, I dug through ALL of the substrate and the only thing I found was a couple escapee bottle fly larvae from previous feedings when I first got the sling. Safe to assume it really did eat the cricket even though it was only a couple days prior to the molt?
Maybe, probably. If you dug ALL the substrate and didn't find it, what else can you really do? Just keep your eye on it and be more careful in the future. Good luck
 

magouilles

Arachnoknight
Active Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2020
Messages
252
Well, I dug through ALL of the substrate and the only thing I found was a couple escapee bottle fly larvae from previous feedings when I first got the sling. Safe to assume it really did eat the cricket even though it was only a couple days prior to the molt?
I've had a t eat 2 days prior to a molt so it is possible if you really dug all the sub
remove all the larvae too for precaution and as said above, just be more cautious next time to avoid all that work
 

Smotzer

ArachnoGod
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Joined
Jan 17, 2020
Messages
5,275
To avoid this issue, just take the time out to feed and watch them hunt and you can make sure it has taken the prey that way you are not left wondering or finding larvae in the substrate far after the fact.

Also if you are not I would hatch the BBF larvae in a separate condiment cup and add the live flies in as prey; not add BBF larvae in to a tank for them to hatch inside.
 
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