Incubator questions

[CommanderBacon]

I checked the Fine Young Cannibals today and it looks like the EWLs are all close to molting into 1i, which I’m thrilled about. It’s still very alarming to see them looking so ratty. I'm looking forward to seeing them on the other side of this!

I was more surprised to see the incubator with the underdeveloped eggs showing what appears to be some development. I am almost certain they are showing way more white than they were the other day, which makes me hopeful that I might still get some EWLs out of this batch yet. Am I delusional, or am I correct?

One egg looks dark, but it wasn't black inside and I saw some clearly defined spinnerets, so.. I hope!

Is this normal or unusual to have many of the eggs so far behind in development?

 

[Colorado Ts]

This is awesome, I am completely and totally amazed and enthralled.

 

[advan]

After trying a few different setups. I went to straight tub with moist cocofiber without any ventilation. You pull the sac, open to check and just place the sac inside the incubator. If they are ewls, they'll molt to 1i in the sac and come out on their own. Simple. Easy. I hatched a lot of Theraphosidae this way.

Cyriocosmus elegans 1i leaving the sac

2i ready to be separated

 

[Chebe6886]

After trying a few different setups. I went to straight tub with moist cocofiber without any ventilation. You pull the sac, open to check and just place the sac inside the incubator. If they are ewls, they'll molt to 1i in the sac and come out on their own. Simple. Easy. I hatched a lot of Theraphosidae this way.

Cyriocosmus elegans 1i leaving the sac

2i ready to be separated

No ventilation you say.... that’s amazing you don’t get any mold issues.

 

[CommanderBacon]

No change so no updates for a while. These guys continue to look like garbage. I guess I was expecting them to molt to 1i sooner, but we're still here, with wiggly legs.

The underdeveloped eggs started shrinking and becoming kind of gummy, so I don't think they're going to make it. I'd like to understand what happened better, so please comment if you have some feedback for me.

Thanks.

 

[Colorado Ts]

How many EWLs do you have currently?

 

[CommanderBacon]

How many EWLs do you have currently?

We're still at 23 ewls 1i. I anticipate that this is all I'll get from this sac. I plan to only keep one or two and give the rest to the female's owner when I return her, but I'm worried that they've not molted to 1i yet.

(narrator: they had already become 1i)

My thoughts on why this sac wasn't particularly productive (would love some feedback from experienced breeders, though):

• I think I should have paired the spiders many times over a period of a few days, instead of spacing out the pairings.
• I think I should have identified a warmer place for the female to care for her sac, although at the time I believed I had placed her in a fairly warm location that was convenient to access. Average temps were about 74f, and I think I would have liked her to have slightly warmer temps so the eggs developed at a better rate. I believe the humidity was adequate, but could have increased.
• My male was randy and willing once he matured, but the entire time that I owned him he was a poor feeder, a bad hunter, and not very active. In hindsight, I don't believe that he was an ideal specimen with good genes for breeding.
• The female may possibly be aging out of peak reproductive age.
• I am a noob. I believe I did as much research as I could beforehand and asked for guidance that didn't manifest, but I don't think that preparation and research is any substitute for experience.

I am happy to have finally found a willing mentor who is happy to guide me through future breeding experiments. Still, I would have liked this one to come out better, but nothing to be done about it now.

Soooo I'll just keep checking on these little cannibals until they molt.

 

[advan]

We're still at 23 ewls. I anticipate that this is all I'll get from this sac. I plan to only keep one or two and give the rest to the female's owner when I return her, but I'm worried that they've not molted to 1i yet.

My thoughts on why this sac wasn't particularly productive (would love some feedback from experienced breeders, though):

• I think I should have paired the spiders many times over a period of a few days, instead of spacing out the pairings.
• I think I should have identified a warmer place for the female to care for her sac, although at the time I believed I had placed her in a fairly warm location that was convenient to access. Average temps were about 74f, and I think I would have liked her to have slightly warmer temps so the eggs developed at a better rate. I believe the humidity was adequate, but could have increased.
• My male was randy and willing once he matured, but the entire time that I owned him he was a poor feeder, a bad hunter, and not very active. In hindsight, I don't believe that he was an ideal specimen with good genes for breeding.
• The female may possibly be aging out of peak reproductive age.
• I am a noob. I believe I did as much research as I could beforehand and asked for guidance that didn't manifest, but I don't think that preparation and research is any substitute for experience.

I am happy to have finally found a willing mentor who is happy to guide me through future breeding experiments. Still, I would have liked this one to come out better, but nothing to be done about it now.

Soooo I'll just keep checking on these little cannibals until they molt.

You have 23 ewls along with the 1i's in the above pic?

 

[CommanderBacon]

You have 23 ewls along with the 1i's in the above pic?

No, that's it. I thought those were ewls! Are they 1i? I thought they molted from eggs to these, they just opened up a bit. I didn't see any stages in between.

 

[Colorado Ts]

We're still at 23 ewls. I anticipate that this is all I'll get from this sac. I plan to only keep one or two and give the rest to the female's owner when I return her, but I'm worried that they've not molted to 1i yet.

My thoughts on why this sac wasn't particularly productive (would love some feedback from experienced breeders, though):

• I think I should have paired the spiders many times over a period of a few days, instead of spacing out the pairings.
• I think I should have identified a warmer place for the female to care for her sac, although at the time I believed I had placed her in a fairly warm location that was convenient to access. Average temps were about 74f, and I think I would have liked her to have slightly warmer temps so the eggs developed at a better rate. I believe the humidity was adequate, but could have increased.
• My male was randy and willing once he matured, but the entire time that I owned him he was a poor feeder, a bad hunter, and not very active. In hindsight, I don't believe that he was an ideal specimen with good genes for breeding.
• The female may possibly be aging out of peak reproductive age.
• I am a noob. I believe I did as much research as I could beforehand and asked for guidance that didn't manifest, but I don't think that preparation and research is any substitute for experience.

I am happy to have finally found a willing mentor who is happy to guide me through future breeding experiments. Still, I would have liked this one to come out better, but nothing to be done about it now.

Soooo I'll just keep checking on these little cannibals until they molt.

When I mated my Aphonopelma hentzi females, I mated the larger female with 3 different males, and the smaller with two different males.

I think I need to increase the temperature of where I keep my adults. It’s about like yours, 74degrees.

I'm enjoying you updates...

 

[Liquifin]

No, that's it. I thought those were ewls! Are they 1i? I thought they molted from eggs to these, they just opened up a bit. I didn't see any stages in between.

Those 23 cute cannibalizing spiderlings you have are 1st instar. At next molt they'll be 2nd instar and should be separable once they molt again. EWL is the stage when the eggs develop legs, hence the name EWL's. Which your 23 are already past that stage and are already at 1st instar so expect the next molt to be the final molt for separation.

 

[CommanderBacon]

Those 23 cute cannibalizing spiderlings you have are 1st instar. At next molt they'll be 2nd instar and should be separable once they molt again. EWL is the stage when the eggs develop legs, hence the name EWL's. Which your 23 are already past that stage and are already at 1st instar so expect the next molt to be the final molt for separation.

!!!!

Well, herp my derp! I have been confused this whole time then. I thought it was when the outer skin of the egg sloughs off and they have little legs. These guys just uncurled, and I haven't seen any molting activity then, so I thought they were ewls.

LEARNING!

I hope these weenies molt soon, then. They're looking awful nasty.

 

[Liquifin]

!!!!

Well, herp my derp! I have been confused this whole time then. I thought it was when the outer skin of the egg sloughs off and they have little legs. These guys just uncurled, and I haven't seen any molting activity then, so I thought they were ewls.

LEARNING!

I hope these weenies molt soon, then. They're looking awful nasty.

Pleasure to help. Here's a recap of the stages from EWL to 2nd instar as a reminder for people going into breeding.

EWL: Literally eggs with legs


1st Instar: First molt from EWL, which looks like a sub-developed spiderling.


2nd Instar: Actual separable spiderling that's ready to be separated.

 

[advan]

No, that's it. I thought those were ewls! Are they 1i? I thought they molted from eggs to these, they just opened up a bit. I didn't see any stages in between.

Yes you did. Your post #7 on the first page are ewl. You just missed the molt to 1i.

 

[CommanderBacon]

Pleasure to help. Here's a recap of the stages from EWL to 2nd instar as a reminder for people going into breeding.

EWL: Literally eggs with legs
View attachment 350410

1st Instar: First molt from EWL, which looks like a sub-developed spiderling.
View attachment 350411

2nd Instar: Actual separable spiderling that's ready to be separated.
View attachment 350412

Yes you did. Your post #7 on the first page are ewl. You just missed the molt to 1i.

My mind is blown. I felt like I was paying CLOSE attention to them, and I didn't notice a second molt. That's crazy!

Thank you both for the correction!

 

[Chebe6886]

Pleasure to help. Here's a recap of the stages from EWL to 2nd instar as a reminder for people going into breeding.

EWL: Literally eggs with legs
View attachment 350410

1st Instar: First molt from EWL, which looks like a sub-developed spiderling.
View attachment 350411

2nd Instar: Actual separable spiderling that's ready to be separated.
View attachment 350412

What species?

 

[Liquifin]

What species?

This was the P. striata that you asked me about last month.

 

[CommanderBacon]

Finally, we’ve reached the end of this road. I have 2i spiderlings!

I’m going to keep one of the cannibals but the rest are going with the mom back over to Nate at MicroWilderness, who was cool enough to let me reverse breeding loan with his female.

Sooo, how long should I wait until I separate out these fresh leggy bois? They molted in the last 24 hours and I expect the rest to molt within the next few days.

 

[wesker12]

I would separate the 2i into individual vials/cups to minimize more cannibalism esp if ones freshly molted and hungry and some are just juicy little targets about to molt. Always nice to see local hobbyists and breeders around! such beautiful little avics

 

[CommanderBacon]

They're almost all 2i now.

They're so stinking CUTE!

I've talked to a few people and I'm going to wait another day before separating them to give the stragglers a chance to harden before I move them into their new digs. I'm gushing hardcore over their stupid pink legs and black booties.

I set up some 5.5oz cups for them with a little moss and plastic plants.

I have a sad lack of broad plastic leaves but I think this will be okay.

Anyway, I think that this is about the end of the road for this adventure!