C. elegans slings question

[Kathy]

They are 2nd instar, and will eat dead prey, how long should I leave it in for them? for instance, if I give them a cricket drumstick today for thanksgiving....remove it by the end of the day, or a couple hours? wait overnight? How long before it could spoil and they would get sick from it?

 

[Enomegra]

Over night is fine. Longer than 12 hours, depending on the heat and humidity, would likely result in decay.

 

[Kathy]

Thank you.

 

[Enomegra]

Np. And might I add that C. elegans is a fabulous choice for a T. I am quite partial to dwarfs.

 

[Kathy]

Well these are my first, when I bought them I did not realize they were sooooo tiny, like the size of ants. I had three, and one died yesterday already. Just molted too. I so much want them to grow up so I'm trying to do everything right to keep these other two going.

 

[MOBugGuy]

I like dwarfs(Got 4 species) I just leave drum sticks in over night and never had a problem. I use to do it all the time when I feed crickets I just smash roachs head now.

 

[xhexdx]

I've never heard of a spider getting sick from eating spoiled prey.

Overnight is a good rule of thumb.

 

[Kathy]

Mo, how often would you suggest giving them a drumstick. Like every other day?

Xhexdx, don't talk to me. I don't like you.

 

[Enomegra]

I wasn't really saying they would get sick but if the prey is not fresh they would not likely eat it and it would just become a source for bacteria and mold growth. T't are not scavengers after all.

 

[Jmugleston]

Mo, how often would you suggest giving them a drumstick. Like every other day?

Xhexdx, don't talk to me. I don't like you.

??????

Not sure what that is all about, but I guess me not knowing is a hint that it is none of my business.

As for the dwarfs, once a week I drop a pre-killed B. lateralis nymph in and I retrieve it the next day to make sure fungus doesn't fill the cage. I have also used pinhead crickets and fruit flies with success. Once they hit 4th instar I just drop a live B. lateralis roach in there and it is pulled out the next day if it is still around.

 

[xhexdx]

Mo, how often would you suggest giving them a drumstick. Like every other day?

Xhexdx, don't talk to me. I don't like you.

So then don't read my posts, genius.

 

[Shell]

I have 3 x C. elegans, a C. perezmilesi and a C. ritae, each of them a tiny speck when I got it. The elegans (I've had them the longest) are almost mature now, the other 2 are still quite small. I feed mine weekly, just as I do with any other spider. I also leave the prey overnight, although I have found with all my Cyriocosmus, that there usually isn't anything left to retrieve. They are great little eaters.

 

[Kathy]

Thanks everyone, I will do that - drop in a cricket drumstick and leave it overnight and do this about every 6 days. These last two seem to be doing well. I'm crossing my fingers!