Small Deli Cups and use with small fast Terrestrial T's

[Jeff23]

Has anyone else found any small sling terrestrial T's to be less compatible with the really small deli cups? I currently have approximately thirty of the 5.5 ounce deli cups with small NW slings in them. While almost all of them have done great, I already had two Aphonopelma hentzi and one Aphonopelma marxi slings bolt out of these containers at some point while the lids are open. They are not very large (1/4" to 1/3" size).

I was either placing a piece of cricket in the container or moisture in the water dish when all three of them zipped out of the container at a very high speed. I am wondering if this is in the nature of their personality or perhaps these small slings are just really fast compared to other small slings. All of them have been settled in the containers for a time period now.

I converted two of the escapees over to Hobby Lobby baseball display cases since they tend to shield the T from container disturbances better and provide a bit more space for hiding places to make the T more comfortable.

 

[Teal]

My Aphonopelma marxi and hentzi have burrowed extensively in their delis... they dive into a burrow emtrance when I open their delis. Do yours have enough substrate?

 

[Jeff23]

My Aphonopelma marxi and hentzi have burrowed extensively in their delis... they dive into a burrow emtrance when I open their delis. Do yours have enough substrate?

I have put almost the maximum amount of coco fiber substrate that can be put in a cup that size. I placed a cork bark hide over a pre-made burrow. Mine are using the burrows so I don't think there is a husbandry problem. I think the ones that bolted had come up to look for food perhaps and it just happened to be when I was making my rounds to feed my T's. Usually I end up leaving the piece of cricket for them to find later in the night. It almost seems like these have the personality of a Hapolopus sp. (Columbia) as slings but my pumpkin patch have never bolted out of the container.

 

[compnerd7]

Honestly, I've never known Aphonopelma species to "bolt" out of a cage or a deli cup. Usually a pretty defensive, "stand their ground" genus. Maybe your temps are a little too high for their liking? That's all I can think of, from my personal experience with them. I'd be interested in what others have observed in addition to your hyper active T's

 

[Jeff23]

Honestly, I've never known Aphonopelma species to "bolt" out of a cage or a deli cup. Usually a pretty defensive, "stand their ground" genus. Maybe your temps are a little too high for their liking? That's all I can think of, from my personal experience with them. I'd be interested in what others have observed in addition to your hyper active T's

All of mine are at 74-76 degrees depending on whether air conditioning or heat is active at the moment (night versus day). What temps do you use for yours?

I wouldn't call them hyper active. We are talking about one incident for each individual, but it has occurred for multiple individuals of Aphonopelma genus. I have five Hentzi's and four Marxi's. Approximately 99% of the time I never see any of them. They are probably active when I am sleeping. All of them are eating decent, but I never see them doing it.

I own close to twenty different species of T's now so I just found these incidents interesting since they are different.

 

[viper69]

Has anyone else found any small sling terrestrial T's to be less compatible with the really small deli cups? I currently have approximately thirty of the 5.5 ounce deli cups with small NW slings in them. While almost all of them have done great, I already had two Aphonopelma hentzi and one Aphonopelma marxi slings bolt out of these containers at some point while the lids are open. They are not very large (1/4" to 1/3" size).

I was either placing a piece of cricket in the container or moisture in the water dish when all three of them zipped out of the container at a very high speed. I am wondering if this is in the nature of their personality or perhaps these small slings are just really fast compared to other small slings. All of them have been settled in the containers for a time period now.

I converted two of the escapees over to Hobby Lobby baseball display cases since they tend to shield the T from container disturbances better and provide a bit more space for hiding places to make the T more comfortable.

You aren't doing anything wrong from what I can tell. The only small things that don't always work well with condiment cups are fast ones.

You have to remember, you are invading their home, and you're a giant. Not that they know a 6' guy is in front of them mind you. However, the disturbance most of us create during husbandry is larger than the disturbance the small fauna they feed upon a create.

The one thing I have noticed with most slings that size: they know they are small. Thus, they do whatever necessary to stay alive, nothing more.

 

[truecreature]

The deli cups I use have bendy lids, so what I do is just pull up a small section of them to drop prey in, grab waterdishes with the tongs, etc. Never had a problem with bolters because there's nowhere for them to go.

I think it was these ones: http://www.joshsfrogs.com/16-oz-shipping-container-lid.html

 

[Jeff23]

The deli cups I use have bendy lids, so what I do is just pull up a small section of them to drop prey in, grab waterdishes with the tongs, etc. Never had a problem with bolters because there's nowhere for them to go.

I think it was these ones: http://www.joshsfrogs.com/16-oz-shipping-container-lid.html

Good idea. Since most of my small slings seem to be burrowing, I am probably guilty of lurking over them with a magnifier to try to locate the T, boluses (I also have a black gnat problem), and verify soil moisture.

I am wondering if my problem could partially relate to the burrows that I create next to the plastic too. If I accidentally flex the container a little maybe this could create a bigger disturbance. The Hentzi's and Marxi's are some of the last T's that I obtained so they probably have not burrowed deep into the center of the substrate as much as the ones that I obtained earlier.