Depends on the species, and mesh is encouraged with these guys (as long as you can maintain proper humidity). Damon diadema, for example, is drought tolerant but likes it moist. Keep the substrate probably as moist as a Pamphobeteus with lots of vertical space. They are similar to Avicularia in that they will pretty much never touch the substrate. Give it a shot, I for one love amblies!
How large will they be? Small whiplings can be kept in small vials, while adults would do fine in a 32 oz deli cup. You can go larger for the adults, especially if you want to keep several in the same enclosure, but if you want bare bones, a 32 with a piece of bark/styrofoam will work.Just wondering, would a container that size work for P. marginemaculatus? Planning on getting some within the next week or so, and my first whip isn't doing so well. Not sure what's wrong with him, but that's besides the point. Would that size be too big or would they do fine? Love those pretzel enclosures, really want to try them with new whips! What styrofoam do you use? Or does it really matter?
Sorry if I hijack the thread, just want to make sure future whips will do well
Could be old age. But it also makes me think of my Damon diadema, when I got him he rarely ate crickets, but as soon as I got isopods (actually against mold issues) he'd eat one after another. Guess you can try that. If that doesn't work I guess his time has come already.My first is a Damon Diadema. I made a thread about it approximately 2-3 months ago. For some reason, it suddenly stopped bring able to climb the cork tile I put in the enclosure. When I first got it, it could climb like it was nothing. Now, it struggles to even walk normally. It hasn't eaten either since I got it. What is really strange is that, despite it's current situation, it is still fairly active. It drags itself around by it's pedipalps, and won't take any food whatsoever. Many people said it was possible old age, I have no idea how old it is. It is a MM, which I know has not much to do with lifespan. Also, the P. marginemaculatus would be WC adults, so glad to know they can be kept in normal deli cups
I could try that, but ge is a fully grown adult. I feel he would have a very hard time eating isopods, unless they were a big species. What do you use for yours?
Oniscus asellus, they get quite big for terrestrial isopods. Snackbar size to an adult D. Diadema, but better than nothing. Mine always eats a few of them in one night, little fat bugger. :d
I do wonder how old he is right now, I get different answers whenever I try to look how old D. diadema can get, anything from 5 to 15 years! You seem to have tried everything so maybe he's just a grandpaps whip whose time has comeNice! I will certainly try to find some, but I have little hope for him... doesn't seem to be improving, no matter how much water I give him to drink, food to eat, or climbing material. that's why I was planning on getting younger specimen. Figure that I would know if I was doing something wrong if the old age possibility was out of the way. Just stinks that he ended up like he is. Despite that though, I have a spare enclosure now for any whips. Had to rehouse a T, and now I have this enclosure free:
Figure that it is really tall, lots of space, and can have a background on it like styrofoam
Really...Very interesting. What type of screen? Plastic or metal? Do you have a picture of the screen in the enclosure? If not, can you explain your set up to us? Did they successfully molt? If so, did you have a young juvenile that successfully molted multiple times and made it into adulthood? Thanks!
Just plastic window screen. I have a bunch left over from setting up roach, widow, and mantid enclosures (though I don't keep mantids anymore). I don't have any pictures, but I'll see if I can find one that's similar. I've only really tried this small scale, but I keep smaller/young amblys in deli cups or vials with a slanting piece of cork or styrofoam and then glue a piece of widow screen to the lid. I make sure the slanted surface is close to the top so the amblys can climb on if they want. Sometimes they'll molt from the screen, other times from the cork/styrofoam. One individual has molted on both surfaces(?), so it seems like it's an acceptable molting surface as long as there's still proper molting space. No one has made it to adulthood yet and they still have several molts to go, which should give me plenty of time to monitor how well the screen works!
Thanks for the added information. It is interesting that some will use both surfaces. I might have to try some screen in the future.
And hiding places? The seller does say that they can be kept in a communal setup successfully and cannibalism doesn't happen often if they're well fed, but if I do keep two or three together and they end up breeding, I feel like the younger animals would be safer if there were several hiding places from the adults
I have found that this problem can be mitigated with careful positioning of hiding spots. I had several logs against the side of my terrarium, and my whipspider would always sit on the side of the log closest to the glass. It was thus always visible. At night it was very active, and it was my impression that the size of the enclosure was part of the reason (on that, though, I have no experience).
