Starblood
Arachnopeon
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2023
- Messages
- 13
Back in July I got a 1.5" MM C. elegans. I'd ordered a .75" juvenile, he's what arrived. I did get a partial refund and an apology from the seller. They couldn't tell me when his final molt was.
I believe his husbandry is good. He's housed in a 4" TC cube, 3" substrate to 1" open at the top. Substrate is a mix of ZooMed Creatures soil, coco fiber and sand. He has a cork bark hide, water dish, faux plant, and sphagnum moss. Water dish is overflowed and sphagnum moss is dampened weekly, I don't know the exact humidity inside the enclosure but the house runs 50-60%. Temps in the room run 72-80, warmer during the day and cooler at night. (This is a natural cycle as the room gets direct morning sun, it doesn't hit the enclosures.) I spot clean every 2-3 weeks. No sign of mold or fungus in the enclosure.
He's never been a good eater, would only take prey (one pinhead or mini roach nymph) every 10-14 days, but hasn't taken a meal since mid-September. I know that for a T with a good-sized abdomen this is not necessarily an issue, but he doesn't have one of those. Quite the opposite, it's staring to look alarmingly small. His orange parts (carapace, abdominal stripes & heart) have been getting really dull over the last couple weeks. I don't see any evidence of impaction, parasites, or issues with his mouthparts. Other than not eating, he's behaving normally. (Hiding half the time, walking laps around the top of his enclosure the other half.) His neighbors (N. chromatus sling & G. pulchripes juvie) are thriving.
From what I've read here on AB, these are all the signs that a MM is getting ready to give up the ghost. I'm a beginner keeper and have never had a MM before, so I just wanted to make sure that it's the circle of life and not something I'm doing wrong.
Also, there's an exotic pet expo here in town not this weekend but the next (11/18). I'm wondering if it'd be worthwhile to see if anyone there is interested in him as a breeder, or if it's already too late since he's showing these signs.
I believe his husbandry is good. He's housed in a 4" TC cube, 3" substrate to 1" open at the top. Substrate is a mix of ZooMed Creatures soil, coco fiber and sand. He has a cork bark hide, water dish, faux plant, and sphagnum moss. Water dish is overflowed and sphagnum moss is dampened weekly, I don't know the exact humidity inside the enclosure but the house runs 50-60%. Temps in the room run 72-80, warmer during the day and cooler at night. (This is a natural cycle as the room gets direct morning sun, it doesn't hit the enclosures.) I spot clean every 2-3 weeks. No sign of mold or fungus in the enclosure.
He's never been a good eater, would only take prey (one pinhead or mini roach nymph) every 10-14 days, but hasn't taken a meal since mid-September. I know that for a T with a good-sized abdomen this is not necessarily an issue, but he doesn't have one of those. Quite the opposite, it's staring to look alarmingly small. His orange parts (carapace, abdominal stripes & heart) have been getting really dull over the last couple weeks. I don't see any evidence of impaction, parasites, or issues with his mouthparts. Other than not eating, he's behaving normally. (Hiding half the time, walking laps around the top of his enclosure the other half.) His neighbors (N. chromatus sling & G. pulchripes juvie) are thriving.
From what I've read here on AB, these are all the signs that a MM is getting ready to give up the ghost. I'm a beginner keeper and have never had a MM before, so I just wanted to make sure that it's the circle of life and not something I'm doing wrong.
Also, there's an exotic pet expo here in town not this weekend but the next (11/18). I'm wondering if it'd be worthwhile to see if anyone there is interested in him as a breeder, or if it's already too late since he's showing these signs.
