Please help, dead babies

TomaCzar

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 23, 2006
Messages
7
I have an Emperor who just gave birth a few days ago. As per the instructions I've found here I've been leaving them alone waiting for the scorplings to molt. I took a look today to see if that happened and there look to be 8 scorplings on the floor of her den not moving. She's actually standing on some. Humidity/temperature should be an issue, I don't know what else there could be. I have to move here and clean out the carcases, they're attracting decomposers. What else could be the issue??
 

Thaedion

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 20, 2006
Messages
894
Can you tell us how the tank is setup? (maybe a picture or two) Substrate, temperatures, humidity, ventalation, water source, lighting, location in proximity to noise and or vibrations. All of the aforementioned if not properly setup can induce stress and lead to death.

Thaedion
 

quiz

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 27, 2006
Messages
1,189
I have an Emperor who just gave birth a few days ago. As per the instructions I've found here I've been leaving them alone waiting for the scorplings to molt. I took a look today to see if that happened and there look to be 8 scorplings on the floor of her den not moving. She's actually standing on some. Humidity/temperature should be an issue, I don't know what else there could be. I have to move here and clean out the carcases, they're attracting decomposers. What else could be the issue??
MAke sure that you have a constant temp of 28-30C degrees/80-90% humidity. I had some dead emperor babies last december whenever I drop the temps at night. People tells me that they will climb back once they fall off but mine never did and some babies survive when I kept them 28-30C degrees 24/7 until they molted to 2nd instar and got off mom's back.
 

EAD063

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 3, 2006
Messages
1,415
If it already started to attract things like mites that fast, one might conisder they were there in the first place, which would be a possiblily for death. It is also possible the mother rejected the young and once they are not on the moms back anymore they're as good as dead.
 

TomaCzar

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 23, 2006
Messages
7
Temp is 80/80 degrees humidity. Constant. Air flow restricted as there's a blanket to keep moisture in and light out. Once a day blanket removed about ten minutes. One thing that sticks out in my head, I slowed on feeding once she became gravid as I wasn't sure (read somewhere that a GI virus causes the same look) and didn't want to exacerbate the situation. Once I gave up and tried to feed her more it was too late, she had stopped eating. Now I'm scared out of my wits that they're all malnurished and it's only a matter of time for all of them.
 

Bayushi

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
Messages
1,236
Temp is 80/80 degrees humidity. Constant. Air flow restricted as there's a blanket to keep moisture in and light out. Once a day blanket removed about ten minutes. One thing that sticks out in my head, I slowed on feeding once she became gravid as I wasn't sure (read somewhere that a GI virus causes the same look) and didn't want to exacerbate the situation. Once I gave up and tried to feed her more it was too late, she had stopped eating. Now I'm scared out of my wits that they're all malnurished and it's only a matter of time for all of them.
it's doubtful they are malnourished. None of my gravid emps would eat for a month or more before giving birth. It seems there might be an environmental factor that you aren't seeing. what that is, i have no clue
 

TomaCzar

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 23, 2006
Messages
7
Just an update, 5 living, all the rest dead. They've finally left her back so I've got them separated. Hopefully these will all be strong enough to survive (although one looks kind of weak and sluggish). Still no idea what the problem was but about two a day would just be dead when I looked in there. Always a white ... goop (for lack of a better term) in the cave when I went in to remove the dead bodies. Occasionally I would see the same elsewhere in the environment. I would clean (hot water only) the cave every time I removed the bodies as I was afraid of mites/parasite/whatevers causing trouble. Wish me luck with the remaining five.

-TomaCzar
 

Mark Newton

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 9, 2007
Messages
400
Are the remaining 5 second instars? If not and they have left mum, then conditions are not right. Something seems to be amiss, mother has shut down her maternity physiology and the young are off looking for the right place to be.
 

Thaedion

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 20, 2006
Messages
894
...Always a white ... goop (for lack of a better term) in the cave when I went in to remove the dead bodies...
-TomaCzar
The white 'goop' may have been the moult (the shed extos from I1 to I2.) My scorps extos looked like what floats in the water when I boil eggs and one explodes (slimy goop.) They were all over the moms back.
 
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