Leaking water bowls

[TheHound]

This is beginning to drive me a bit mad. My water bowls keep leaking, soaking the substrate below and necessitating frequent refills, which I am loath to do if it means continually soaking the substrate to an eventually unacceptable level. I have had leak resin ones, a plastic one and a metal one. Sometimes they seem to stay full much longer than other times, but I can tell it is not just the spider drinking it all, due to the visibly very wet substrate beneath. Attached are:

1. Plastic bottle cap in GBB enclosure - empty
2. Same enclosure, but you can see the wet sub almost taking the full width
3. N chromatus enclosure with resin bowl and soaked sub
4. C versi enclosure with soaked sub and new plastic bowl to replace the leaking metal one

So two questions:

1. Does anyone else experience this and have any suggestions/helpful comments? I'm surprised at the plastic bottle lid in particular leaking, as well as the made-for-purpose resin bowls (bought from a well-known online retailer in the UK).
2. Specific question: the metal bowl in my versicolor enclosure leaked, and the sub is soaked. I put extra sub in on top in order to soak some of it up but it's still pretty wet. She has just moulted in the last few days, and is maybe now an inch or a touch more in DLS. Her enclosure has side and top ventilation, but I know too much humidity can be bad for these guys. Is it safe to let it dry out (and hope the new bowl doesn't leak)?

 

[Jonathan6303]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07XFV8QLN/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_1?smid=A124EDGJHR3S3V&psc=1

mix some dry substrate in that versi enclosure. That’s substrate looks real wet

 

[Tarantulafeets]

If there is any tiny strand of substrate or webbing on the edge of the dish, it will wick out all the water, so I would just place another plastic bottle cap on top of the old one.

 

[Myrlina]

It can be impossible to keep a full water bowl all the time if the animal keeps webbing over or kicking substrate in it. As the poster above says, the water will wick out into the substrate and soak it. I would remove, clean and refill the bowl about once a week. If you think they need water in between, spray or dribble some on the foliage or webbing.

edit: I raised an avic sling in one of those arboreal keepers, I didn't use a bowl, I dripped water through the top onto the web when feeding. It did fine.

 

[Smotzer]

It's likely being wicked out! It can be surprising how efficient even small amounts of webbing is at emptying a water dish. 2 of them are prime cadidates for this to happen. You have to remove the dishes somewhat reguarly and wash them out to remove all the webbing!

 

[TheHound]

On the wicking - that makes sense, thanks. Hopefully it's as simple as that. I'll clean the bowls more often.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07XFV8QLN/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_1?smid=A124EDGJHR3S3V&psc=1

mix some dry substrate in that versi enclosure. That’s substrate looks real wet

Yeah, I just replaced it all.

 

[viper69]

Webbing on dish

 

[cold blood]

On the wicking - that makes sense, thanks. Hopefully it's as simple as that. I'll clean the bowls more often.

yep, water bowls wont just spring leaks.

when the sub gets too wet, just pull the dish and let it dry out for a few days.

 

[ForTW]

Moss is also very good at sucking up water and deliver it to the substrat. Can empty a bowl in a few hours.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Strands of webbing/moss/substrate will cause water to wick out of the dish and into the substrate so if your dishes are emptying suspiciously fast then take them out and clean them, usually does the trick.

 

[TheHound]

I think I read about this before on here - should have put 2 and 2 together. Still, I'm relieved to have a probable explanation for it.