Frankenbubbles
Arachnopeon
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2024
- Messages
- 3
The reptile shop I frequent unexpectedly ordered what was labeled "Central American Whip Spider" and knowing I was waiting for invertebrates so I got first dibs.
I am pretty sure it's a Phrynus whitei. I don't know the gender yet to decide a name, so I just refer to it as "he" in general.
I thought it would arrive in a temporary container with soil or something but it was just in a cup, on a piece of paper. I hadn't been expecting one yet or expecting it to arrive so soon so I had to rush it home and throw together a quick home for him. I already had an Exo Terra so I used that. I believe it's 12x12x18.
I did a ton of research on this board, the web and YouTube as well as my own experience with bioactives from my spiders.... but I still wonder if I can improve on anything?
The white styrofoam was all I had, it's thick and not as wide as I was hoping so I'm waiting for a new piece. I also have a bigger 2nd cork bark round to throw in there but I'm waiting for the poor thing to adjust before I add anything. (Except the styrofoam, I'm changing that ASAP)
Ignore the bottle in the corner, it's temporary until I make sure I have watering the substrate down well... I'm used to smaller enclosures so I want to make sure I balance it right and then the bottle will be replaced with soil.
The poor thing arrived with a missing leg and was thirty as I expected. When I first put him in his new home, he stayed on the substrate, moving liquid to his mouth but within the first hour of being in the setup, he was already up on the cork and then the stryofoam background that came with the tank...so I think I got the moisture part down well.
He doesn't hide at all and spends all his time on the back wall. At first, when I would open it to check on him, he would walk to the cork at the bottom but after 4 days, he just chills where he is.
The screen on top (except for 2 inches) is currently blocked with plastic wrap until an acrylic sheet arrives to replace it. I glued a piece of foam to it just in case the creature wanted to go up there.
My questions are:
Until I have better photos, is it possible for anyone to tell me the gender upon basic inspection? (No molt yet. I've only had him for 4 days.)
Should I move the foam on the bottom left further away from the glass wall as I currently have it less than an inch from the glass?? I worry it will need more space and thought about moving it further to the middle. He hasn't spent any time under it yet but anything is possible.
I've read only once or twice that the styrofoam backing that comes with Exo Terra is good for them to grip on but I wanted confirmation that it's good for molts as plain packing styrofoam?
What do they do with cricket bodies?! I've given him a few pre-unalived crickets (in case he was feeling weak from the trip) and I cannot find any of the bodies to clean it out!! Luckily I have springtails in there...but they were thrown in the same day he was so they've yet to establish...
Is there anything I can improve or anything else I should be doing? I've been researching for months because I really wanted one of these magnificent creatures...but I know it's easy to forget something or get something wrong, especially when I didn't expect to have one so soon!
The photo of him on the ground was from his first few minutes in the new home. I had the soil super moist and he seemed to be drinking from it for the longest time.
I am pretty sure it's a Phrynus whitei. I don't know the gender yet to decide a name, so I just refer to it as "he" in general.
I thought it would arrive in a temporary container with soil or something but it was just in a cup, on a piece of paper. I hadn't been expecting one yet or expecting it to arrive so soon so I had to rush it home and throw together a quick home for him. I already had an Exo Terra so I used that. I believe it's 12x12x18.
I did a ton of research on this board, the web and YouTube as well as my own experience with bioactives from my spiders.... but I still wonder if I can improve on anything?
The white styrofoam was all I had, it's thick and not as wide as I was hoping so I'm waiting for a new piece. I also have a bigger 2nd cork bark round to throw in there but I'm waiting for the poor thing to adjust before I add anything. (Except the styrofoam, I'm changing that ASAP)
Ignore the bottle in the corner, it's temporary until I make sure I have watering the substrate down well... I'm used to smaller enclosures so I want to make sure I balance it right and then the bottle will be replaced with soil.
The poor thing arrived with a missing leg and was thirty as I expected. When I first put him in his new home, he stayed on the substrate, moving liquid to his mouth but within the first hour of being in the setup, he was already up on the cork and then the stryofoam background that came with the tank...so I think I got the moisture part down well.
He doesn't hide at all and spends all his time on the back wall. At first, when I would open it to check on him, he would walk to the cork at the bottom but after 4 days, he just chills where he is.
The screen on top (except for 2 inches) is currently blocked with plastic wrap until an acrylic sheet arrives to replace it. I glued a piece of foam to it just in case the creature wanted to go up there.
My questions are:
Until I have better photos, is it possible for anyone to tell me the gender upon basic inspection? (No molt yet. I've only had him for 4 days.)
Should I move the foam on the bottom left further away from the glass wall as I currently have it less than an inch from the glass?? I worry it will need more space and thought about moving it further to the middle. He hasn't spent any time under it yet but anything is possible.
I've read only once or twice that the styrofoam backing that comes with Exo Terra is good for them to grip on but I wanted confirmation that it's good for molts as plain packing styrofoam?
What do they do with cricket bodies?! I've given him a few pre-unalived crickets (in case he was feeling weak from the trip) and I cannot find any of the bodies to clean it out!! Luckily I have springtails in there...but they were thrown in the same day he was so they've yet to establish...
Is there anything I can improve or anything else I should be doing? I've been researching for months because I really wanted one of these magnificent creatures...but I know it's easy to forget something or get something wrong, especially when I didn't expect to have one so soon!
The photo of him on the ground was from his first few minutes in the new home. I had the soil super moist and he seemed to be drinking from it for the longest time.
