C. darlingi, confused!

Lessej

Arachnopeon
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Sep 26, 2016
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Hello!

I can't figure out what is going on with my C. darlingi. A little backstory may help. The sling is about an inch or a little bigger in size and for the past 2 months that I've had it has been pretty much a pet hole. Upon immediately placing it in the enclosure upon arrival it made a presumably nice tunnel system under a plastic skull thay was put in the setup. Recently, it finally webbed up a good portion around the burrow entrance and has been hanging out around the opening as seen in the pictures. It's great to finally see it!!

My problem is, I don't think I've ever seen this sling eat. I'm literally buying pinhead crickets just for this sling because it won't seem to eat mealworms, whole or cut up. I was thinking I might have more success with crickets. When the crickets are near the burrow and the sling is out, it slaps his webbing all up and retreats back inside the hole. When the crickets are forced nearby with a paintbrush I use, and then crawl in via there own will, sometimes I see a commotion going on in the hole and the cricket making a hasty retreat out.

I'm not understanding if he's already in a premolt phase and just likes to hang out outside his burrow or if he's being an extremely finicky eater. Should I be concerned? Any help? Thanks!
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Lessej

Arachnopeon
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Sep 26, 2016
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try prekilled crickets. pinheads are a complete waste of money.
Are you thinking like the very next size up cricket? I am disappointed in the quality of the pinheads I get from my LPS. They're super flighty/jumpy and die very quickly.

Thanks!
 

YagerManJennsen

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Athe one inch, a TV should be capable of taking down anow adult sized crickeg. I only use pinhead first the tiniest slings and the more picky Ts that won't eat adults yet. Do you see any remains of the crickets? this is just a thought someone can correct me but maybe your T is only killing the crickets because it's annoyed by them.
 

Graves6661

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Dec 31, 2015
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Leave a prekilled prey item at the entrance of the burrow over night. My C. marshalli was picky when I first got it and took awhile to really settle in before it would eat. I would leave the dead prey at the mouth of the burrow and the next morning it would be gone.

My marshalli is now about 2.5 inches dls and will actually ambush live roaches and worms.
 

ledzeppelin

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Athe one inch, a TV should be capable of taking down anow adult sized crickeg. I only use pinhead first the tiniest slings and the more picky Ts that won't eat adults yet. Do you see any remains of the crickets? this is just a thought someone can correct me but maybe your T is only killing the crickets because it's annoyed by them.
How does a TV take down a crickeg? :eek: No sorry I'm joking. I was always wondering tho, whether or not Ts could kill for sport.. I mean.. out of annoyance.. They bite in self defense, sure, but do you think they are capable of comprehensing murder? :D That would be cool haha
 

Venom1080

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Athe one inch, a TV should be capable of taking down anow adult sized crickeg. I only use pinhead first the tiniest slings and the more picky Ts that won't eat adults yet. Do you see any remains of the crickets? this is just a thought someone can correct me but maybe your T is only killing the crickets because it's annoyed by them.
adult criks over here get nearly 1". i would def not recommend feeding adult criks to a 1" sling. go for like 1/2" but not much bigger.
 

Venom1080

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Are you thinking like the very next size up cricket? I am disappointed in the quality of the pinheads I get from my LPS. They're super flighty/jumpy and die very quickly.

Thanks!
ive never bothered with pinheads. buy the small size cricket, prekill it and see if that works. but before you do, try a prekilled mealie half the size of the T, some tarantulas are intimidated by large prey items. Even if they are prekilled.
 

ledzeppelin

Arachnobaron
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I have a C. sanderi which has no problem attacking anything I throw at it. I mean I don't feed more than 1/2" with the spider being 1.5", but still.. It was not sealed up while in premolt, which surprised me, but yours might as well be in premolt. I find that those are able to molt fast. At least mine. They have a ferocious appetite.. I would guess premolt tho.. My C. sanderi is quite skittish in premolt, but does not retreat in its burrow. It will stand its ground haha :D But never really seals up for molting.. just does it out in the open everytime.. And by everytime I mean twice it molted haha :)
 

cold blood

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The solution is simple. House it in a condiment cup (or at least a 16oz deli) instead, it has way way way too much room...ts, especially slings, tend to burrow away almost to their detriment in enclosures that are too large. My darlingi slings are 1.75-2.75" and are in 16 oz deli cups. They eat mealworms or anything else I toss in without hesitation. If it was housed inside that skull I would be suggesting a smaller skull...hehe.

Also, at that size, a whole mealworm is a formidable opponent many slings won't challenge, leave a 1/3 of a mealie at the entrance to the hide instead.
 

Bugmom

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The solution is simple. House it in a condiment cup instead, it has way way way too much room...ts, especially slings, tend to burrow away almost to their detriment in enclosures that are too large. My darlingi slings are 1.75-2.75" and are in 16 oz deli cups. They eat mealworms or anything else I toss in without hesitation. If it was housed inside that skull I would be suggesting a smaller skull...hehe.

Also, at that size, a whole mealworm is a formidable opponent many slings won't challenge, leave a 1/3 of a mealie at the entrance to the hide instead.
^ What he said.
 

Jeff23

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I don't have a C. darlingi, but most of my T's will take a pre-kill cricket in a size as big as they are. If you don't have luck with that try giving the T half of a cricket. Just place it near the burrow entrance and remove it if the T doesn't eat it overnight.
 

YagerManJennsen

Arachnobaron
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adult criks over here get nearly 1". i would def not recommend feeding adult criks to a 1" sling. go for like 1/2" but not much bigger.
dang that's a big cricket. The ones we get are usually smaller than that, they're just LPS crickets.
 

cold blood

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dang that's a big cricket. The ones we get are usually smaller than that, they're just LPS crickets.
Keep in mind that "LPS cricket" isn't a species...hehe. Differrent places sell different species. For instance, I generally buy from a place that has banded crickets. Their chirp is a little more subdued, they are much much much hardier than the standard domestic grey or many other species and they're also much more "athletic" for lack of a better term. They're also more inclined to climb, which makes them great for arboreals. But they are also much smaller of a species and when I get the domestic greys from another store, the larges are like twice the size. Banded crickets are also less prone to parasites and such, so I don't get mites with my crickets like I do with other species...at least not to the same degree.
 

Lessej

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Oh my gosh I went back to work and now I checked and there's so many good replies. Thanks everyone!

I'll definitely give the prekilled, larger than pinhead cricket a try. A half if needed as well. Perhaps it IS annoyed with the smaller ones

I have tried whole and half mealworms, it doesnt touch them after two days even. What's weird is my barely larger G. pulchripes takes down whole mealworms like a champ!

I've been considering actually just swapping the houses my pulchripes and darlingi live in. I think my pulchripes may appreciate more room and I think the darlingi needs less room ha ha. I will say this I thought I was getting a 1.5 inch sling but when I got it, it was probably only 3/4"... I decided to put it in the bigger enclosure anyway. I think I'm regretting that. Although I can't even imagine how I would get the darlingi in a smaller enclosure... I've seen him move and he can teleport LOL.
 

Venom1080

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Oh my gosh I went back to work and now I checked and there's so many good replies. Thanks everyone!

I'll definitely give the prekilled, larger than pinhead cricket a try. A half if needed as well. Perhaps it IS annoyed with the smaller ones

I have tried whole and half mealworms, it doesnt touch them after two days even. What's weird is my barely larger G. pulchripes takes down whole mealworms like a champ!

I've been considering actually just swapping the houses my pulchripes and darlingi live in. I think my pulchripes may appreciate more room and I think the darlingi needs less room ha ha. I will say this I thought I was getting a 1.5 inch sling but when I got it, it was probably only 3/4"... I decided to put it in the bigger enclosure anyway. I think I'm regretting that. Although I can't even imagine how I would get the darlingi in a smaller enclosure... I've seen him move and he can teleport LOL.
it might be in premolt. at 3/4", a 16oz deli is perfect.
 

cold blood

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I don't want to side track the conversation, but what type/brand container is that? The plastic looks more clear than the deli cups I am using.
Brand? I dunno, I got them at Pick N Save. Just your standard grocery store deli cup 'round these here parts.
 

Lessej

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 26, 2016
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Well, I put a small cricket in, the cricket wandered over to the web tunnel while the sling was in it, the sling got angry and inched closer to the mouth of the tunnel, the cricket got closer and walked inside and the sling retreated into the burrow. Now all I seem to have is a cricket stuck in the webbing, jacking it all up. :banghead:

Hopefully it just molts soon and gets its mojo going.
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