Vulash
Arachnosquire
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2022
- Messages
- 76
I'll try to post all details in case you guys see other mistakes (other than the main one I'll highlight). I picked up a few slings yesterday from a local pickup. Since it was a local pickup, all slings came in deli cups and were easily visible. Deli-cups were not setup for long term housing (limited substrate only) so I would need to transfer.
The first two times I've ordered Ts I've transferred in a bathtub as I was brand new. I had also read that D. Diamantinensis were incredibly fast slings. Since I could see the slings well, I thought with careful preparation I didn't need to trek everything upstairs to the guest bath for a transfer. I have a cheap clear plastic container I got on sale at Michaels that use when feeding. It's about 15" x 15" x 2".
Since this is a sling about 3/4" I'm not putting it in a large container. I set all of my items inside the plastic container. I put some hides around the edges in case it got loose, hoping it would hide under that instead of going outside of the container. I also set a large catch cup sideways on the opposite side of the enclosure in case it overran the container it would run straight into that. I had another small catch cup ready as well. I carefully opened the deli-cup by the bottom with the opening right by the hide in the new home. The spider didn't move. I tried gently twitching the cup and opening the lid more (it had some webbing on the lid that was pulling on them). Still nothing. I took the lid off and gently touched the spider with the paintbrush on the back side - still right by the hide in the new enclosure, with a large cup behind all of that if it took off further.
I have no idea what happened, but that spider was suddenly a bolt of lightning. It is no exaggeration to say that my eyes could not follow or process the movement. I should also mention that I've been dealing with some health issues lately that caused me to go on medication that makes me twitchy - as in overactive reflexes at times. In the past my reflexes were great, but on this medicine if my son throws a ball near me, I will slightly jump. This is only the case part of the time. Otherwise, I'm not an overly reactive person and I'm rather calm with the spiders. Others have shot out of the cups during the transfer, and I've calmly waited on them to stop and then grabbed my catch cup and gently put it over them. Having said all of that, I don't even know what my hand was going to do it happened so fast. I believe I was starting to set the paint brush down to get the catch cup, but my hand barely moved. I believe my pointer finger and thumb came together - and I felt the spider in between. Reflexively I opened it back up and they dropped to the ground not moving. I still have no idea how the spider even got there (teleportation jokes here I guess).
I thought for sure I'd killed it. Fairly quickly it was moving its limbs again. I tried to gently get it on the paint brush, and it scrambled to the lid of the deli cup and curled up in the lip. After a decent amount of careful prodding, I got it to run into the new enclosure. I should say that once more it bolted with some speed, but only a few inches. Once in the enclosure it hid behind the closest plant on the edge. I could see that the two back right legs were missing, but I did not see any damage or leaking from the abdomen or elsewhere. I did not want to be overly fiddly and make things worse, so I added a couple drops of water on the plant right beside it and left it alone. I did check back a few times and it didn't move from its spot for a couple hours. Later that night I noticed it had moved a bit and was staying on the edge of the enclosure near its plant. I took a tiny red-runner roach and crushed its head and put it in the enclosure, but not too close. The roach was left barely wiggling so the spider would know it was there/alive and I knew it would die short. I wanted to give it the choice without stressing it.
This morning the spider has moved to the other side of the enclosure. It didn't eat, but it moves around when I interact with the enclosure. So, I think it's going to be okay. Besides the obvious arrogance of the transfer knowing it was a fast sling and that my reflexes are slightly hampered, with other mistakes did I make? Is there anything I should be watching for in the next couple of days before I can breathe a sigh of relief? I've had one DoA so far, but I haven't had one die in my care, and I felt sick to my stomach. I tried to take a picture of the little bean but couldn't get a good one. I can take a picture of the enclosure if it's relevant.
The first two times I've ordered Ts I've transferred in a bathtub as I was brand new. I had also read that D. Diamantinensis were incredibly fast slings. Since I could see the slings well, I thought with careful preparation I didn't need to trek everything upstairs to the guest bath for a transfer. I have a cheap clear plastic container I got on sale at Michaels that use when feeding. It's about 15" x 15" x 2".
Since this is a sling about 3/4" I'm not putting it in a large container. I set all of my items inside the plastic container. I put some hides around the edges in case it got loose, hoping it would hide under that instead of going outside of the container. I also set a large catch cup sideways on the opposite side of the enclosure in case it overran the container it would run straight into that. I had another small catch cup ready as well. I carefully opened the deli-cup by the bottom with the opening right by the hide in the new home. The spider didn't move. I tried gently twitching the cup and opening the lid more (it had some webbing on the lid that was pulling on them). Still nothing. I took the lid off and gently touched the spider with the paintbrush on the back side - still right by the hide in the new enclosure, with a large cup behind all of that if it took off further.
I have no idea what happened, but that spider was suddenly a bolt of lightning. It is no exaggeration to say that my eyes could not follow or process the movement. I should also mention that I've been dealing with some health issues lately that caused me to go on medication that makes me twitchy - as in overactive reflexes at times. In the past my reflexes were great, but on this medicine if my son throws a ball near me, I will slightly jump. This is only the case part of the time. Otherwise, I'm not an overly reactive person and I'm rather calm with the spiders. Others have shot out of the cups during the transfer, and I've calmly waited on them to stop and then grabbed my catch cup and gently put it over them. Having said all of that, I don't even know what my hand was going to do it happened so fast. I believe I was starting to set the paint brush down to get the catch cup, but my hand barely moved. I believe my pointer finger and thumb came together - and I felt the spider in between. Reflexively I opened it back up and they dropped to the ground not moving. I still have no idea how the spider even got there (teleportation jokes here I guess).
I thought for sure I'd killed it. Fairly quickly it was moving its limbs again. I tried to gently get it on the paint brush, and it scrambled to the lid of the deli cup and curled up in the lip. After a decent amount of careful prodding, I got it to run into the new enclosure. I should say that once more it bolted with some speed, but only a few inches. Once in the enclosure it hid behind the closest plant on the edge. I could see that the two back right legs were missing, but I did not see any damage or leaking from the abdomen or elsewhere. I did not want to be overly fiddly and make things worse, so I added a couple drops of water on the plant right beside it and left it alone. I did check back a few times and it didn't move from its spot for a couple hours. Later that night I noticed it had moved a bit and was staying on the edge of the enclosure near its plant. I took a tiny red-runner roach and crushed its head and put it in the enclosure, but not too close. The roach was left barely wiggling so the spider would know it was there/alive and I knew it would die short. I wanted to give it the choice without stressing it.
This morning the spider has moved to the other side of the enclosure. It didn't eat, but it moves around when I interact with the enclosure. So, I think it's going to be okay. Besides the obvious arrogance of the transfer knowing it was a fast sling and that my reflexes are slightly hampered, with other mistakes did I make? Is there anything I should be watching for in the next couple of days before I can breathe a sigh of relief? I've had one DoA so far, but I haven't had one die in my care, and I felt sick to my stomach. I tried to take a picture of the little bean but couldn't get a good one. I can take a picture of the enclosure if it's relevant.
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