Avicularia avicularia eggsac

[rknralf]

Well its now been almost 11 weeks.
As I mentioned in a previous post, about 2 weeks ago, I pulled the eggsac and found it to contain about 8 eggs with legs and the rest undeveloped eggs.
After a couple weeks, there hasn't been much if any change. The eggs with legs wiggle a little from time to time, but there is not sign of them molting into 1st instar any time soon. The eggs still haven't developed and a couple started to mold. (I removed them tonight).
I was wondering if it was possible any of the remaining eggs would develop? If not, I was planning on removing them and only leaving the spiderlings. (The mold thing has really got me concerned)
Also, does anyone know why the eggs with legs aren't developing? Am I being too impatient? This waiting has really got me concerned about them and I am afraid I am giving them too much attention.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Ralph

 

[Immortal_sin]

Ralph, having only been sucessful with A versicolor, I am not sure I"m qualified to answer your questions....but...
Seems to me, if the eggs are not developing anymore, and are starting to mold, I'd at LEAST remove the 8 eggs with legs to a different location, if you are not ready to give up on the remainder of the sac.
I keep mine at fairly high temps, so I am only surmising that maybe your temps were too low to begin with, and I don't know if they will 'catch up' or continue to develop at a slower pace. I can tell you that they will really darken up over a day or two, and that's when you know they will be molting. I'd continue on as you've been doing since you raised your temps (didn't you?), but would definately separate the 8 out. Good luck!
Holley

 

[phoenixxavierre]

Hi Ralph,

I'm sorry to hear you're having those problems.

I've never tried incubating an egg of an Avicularia avicularia.

I can tell you that when I left the eggs with the mammas that they spend a good deal of time with the eggs, and very rarely left them alone, except to come out and eat. Since they spent a lot of time with them, the eggs got turned alot in the eggsac. She moved it around and flipped it around quite a bit. They're very good mothers and dedicate just about ALL of their time to the egg.

I used to mist the tank and the mother made it a point to block the "rain" from reaching the eggsack by making very strong webbing all around her enclosure (she lived inbetween a few leaves of a rubber tree plant). Also, the tank had good ventilation with a screen lid, so the eggsack got plenty of air, though she did have it webbed up real good inbetween those leaves, so I don't know how much air got to it really. She did have openings which she would open to come out and eat and then web them up again when she went back in. Sorry I can't give you better info than that.

Good luck with the little ones!

Best wishes,

Paul

 

[RugbyDave]

sorry man!

I'd also say, get the 8 out of there and then remove the moldy ones, and try to lower the humidity a bit --

what temps/humidity levels have you beenkeeping the eggsac with?

i also can't say if they'll catch up, i've never had that problem really, so i'm def not going to even venture a guess...

were you a 'sac-turner', or did you just leave the sac alone? where were you keeping the eggsac?

the nylon stocking stretched over a delicup with substrate seems to be a really good method (without the eggsac touching the substrate of course!).. how did you originally keep your sac?
(you know what i mean )


good luck man!

peace
dave

 

[rknralf]

Thanks for all your replies...
Holley, I did raise the temperaure, but am concerned that the other won't catch up. That's why I am ready to pull the 8 to give them a better chance of making it. I'm really concerned about mold, and don't want to lose any of the ones that have a chance.
Paul, Thanks for sharing your experience. I did some additional reading last night and as best as I can tell, incubation is around 52 days. Mine are at 75, so already 3 weeks overdue. I suspect the cooler temps early on were a factor in the low turnout/development. At this point I'll be happy if I can salvege a handful of spiderlings from this clutch.
Dave, I left the sac with the mother for about 9 weeks, so they should have been past the the critical point of around 30 days. Since I left the sac with her for double this, I would have expected them to be more developed when I opened it. I was really surprised that they weren't further along.
I'm giong to seperate the eggs today and try and re-locate the 8 remaining spiderlings. I'll lower the humidity a little, but keep the temps up. Hopefully they should be molting in the next week or so.
I'll keep you all posted, but if anyone has additional stuff to add, I would appreciate it.
Thanks!
Ralph

 

[Wade]

Ralph-

I had a simmilar experience last year. I bred a young female A. avicularia and she dropped a sac. I didn't open it but I pulled it after a month and incubated it seperately. In the end, a whopping total of 5 spiderlings emerged! These were not the healthiest slings either, and most died.

I tried breeding the same female following her next molt, with better results, around 40 healthy and robust slings. Still a small sac, but better than 5 for crying out loud!

I think that first sacs from small females often yield dissapointing results, but things get better as they mature.

Wade