Incubator fail

[TheraMygale]

Good day all,

i stumbled on a video, of a “known” youtuber, who incubated c versicolor slings, with the water in a tall delicup, with another cup inside lined with paper, lid with ventilation method.

the slings all died except one. It looked slightly disgusting on the paper towel. I also think they kept the paper towel wet (i thought the paper had to be dry).

i am curious as to why it failed. Is it because the paper towel was moist?

i have no intentions on breeding this species at the moment. It is more a curiousity thing, as i am always doing research for futur interests.

i also need to note, in case some of you figure out who i am speaking of, it is not a channel i watch for info. I just did a video search on c versicolor egg sacs, and watched what was available to compare.

if i a ever do breed, in the far futur, this method is what I would try, or this one

Incubator tutorial

I have been meaning to do this for some time, and finally getting to it. This is a tutorial on how to set up a incubator. This is what works good for me, and is no way the only or best way to do it. Feel free to ask questions, or comment. The incubator consists of these things: Plastic...

arachnoboards.com

So i am wondering what leads to it failing, if done properly.

 

[Wolfram1]

if you keep the paper towel wet, then whats the point of the water reservoir?

the surface the spiderlings are incubating on should never be wet, just moistened.

it can be achieved by the water vapors rising slowly off the reservoir and condensing on a paper towel or filter paper, this will result in a nice even moisture that remains stable.

You could spray the paper towel directly (ever so slightly) instead, much like you would when packing a spider for shipping, but its hard to be consistent that way.

it needs to be ventilated or rather it can't be fully enclosed however otherwise the water may condense on the lid and drip down onto the towel, resulting in a wet towel again or alternatively give fungal spores the chance to grow on the eggs if the moisture is too high

it could also be that the eggs suffocate if the moisture is too high (much like the spiders themselves they need to breathe passively) and that the fungal spores grow on the dead eggs

not sure which is more likely

having the water vapors rising through the paper towel/fabric, past the eggs and out through the ventilation in the top is the best method (in my opinion) that keeps them both moist and ventilated at the same time.

the method shown in the link works as well (again, moist, but ventilated), but it has the issue of harboring more chances for bacteria and fungy to grow (more surface area than a cup of clean water)
you would need to change the wet paper towel in the bottom more often than you would need to refill a water reservoir

you can also just incubate them inside the slightly opened eggsack, or even spread out on some moist dirt, much like we keep most slings

i have seen it done, but here again we have the problem of consistent moisture and as always a chance that spores will grow on the eggs and destroy them

there is not much you can do against fungal spores in the air but they are more likely to be present in dirt/coco coir than on a paper towel

 

[TheraMygale]

if you keep the paper towel wet, then whats the point of the water reservoir?

the surface the spiderlings are incubating on should never be wet, just moistened.

it can be achieved by the water vapors rising slowly off the reservoir and condensing on a paper towel or filter paper, this will result in a nice eve moisture that remains stable.

You could spray the paper towel directly (ever so slightly) instead, much like you would when packing a spider for shipping, but its hard to be consistent that way.

it needs to be ventilated or rather it can't be fully enclosed however otherwise the water may condense on the lid and drip down onto the towel, resulting in a wet towel again or alternatively give fungal spores the chance to grow on the eggs if the moisture is too high

it could also be that the eggs suffocate if the moisture is too high (much like the spiders themselves they need to breathe passively) and that the fungal spores grow on the dead eggs

not sure which is more likely

having the water vapors raising through the paper towel/fabric, past the eggs and out through the ventilation in the top is the best method (in my opinion) that keeps them both moist and ventilated at the same time.

the method shown in the link works as well (again, moist, but ventilated), but it has the issue of harboring more chances for bacteria and fungy to grow (more surface area than a cup of clean water)
you would need to change the wet paper towel in the bottom more often than you would need to refill a water reservoir

you can also just incubate them inside the slightly opened eggsack, or even spread out on some moist dirt, much like we keep most slings

i have seen it done, but here again we have the problem of consistent moisture and as always a chance that spores will grow on the eggs and destroy them

there is not much you can do against fungal spores in the air but they are more likely to be present in dirt/coco coir than on a paper towel

Ok. So that fact that they had water in the bottom, and sprayed the paper towel, was probably overkill. Thats what im understanding.

because when i see this method used, its only the water in the bottom deli cup, the top one has a dry paper towel or coffee filter, with a ventilated lid.

 

[Wolfram1]

yep, it looks dry, but if you touch it it is really not, it feels much more pliable and slightly moist from the water vapor

like the paper towel should feel when you unbox shipped/mailed spiders

its the age old balancing act of moisture vs ventilation all over again XD

 

[TheraMygale]

its the age old balancing act of moisture vs ventilation all over again XD

Definitely. It’s like the chicken or the egg mystery to me. I get the concept. I know how you set it up… getting it to work though balancing it, mastering it.

feels like trying to control the rain.

i think i will make a test prototype, just for fun. And try out some things. “Touch” the paper. To see how different changes affect the balance.

edit, come to think of it, i hibernate saturniid moths in my fridge during the winter months. My technique is somewhat similar. Cocoons are fragile, and even if they have a protective silk membrane, they are highly susceptible to mold and disease.

if i can pull that off, i think i can have a chance at trying an eggsac. I guess we will see in a few years.