Smell in Latrodectus Enclosure

[darkness975]

Well , I think there might be some leftovers I can't find in one of my Latrodectus enclosures. Every time I open it today I smell something weird and it started after yesterday's feeding.

Anyone else have this happen? I really don't want to have to change the substrate but if it persists I will have no choice.

 

[schmiggle]

Same as the one with the spot? I assume not, or you'd have mentioned, but I'll check anyway.

 

[The Snark]

Every time I open it today I smell something weird

Just a tidbit. If an environment hasn't altered in some significant manner like something introduced, 99.999999% of odors that suddenly are present are bacterial.
I learned this from a top pro ENT doc. He said something to the effect a bloodhound has nothing on a an experienced ENT doc or pathologist..

 

[darkness975]

Just a tidbit. If an environment hasn't altered in some significant manner like something introduced, 99.999999% of odors that suddenly are present are bacterial.
I learned this from a top pro ENT doc. He said something to the effect a bloodhound has nothing on a an experienced ENT doc or pathologist..

So a substrate change is in order.

 

[The Snark]

So a substrate change is in order.

Not nescessarily. @schmiggle Field this one, please. Aerobic vs anerobes.

 

[darkness975]

Not nescessarily. @schmiggle Field this one, please. Aerobic vs anerobes.

I'd rather not risk an anaerobic bacterial bloom. Those aren't fun. I had an issue with it in an aquarium a number of years ago. I went ahead and changed the substrate . Poor girl will have to remake her web but she just ate on the evening of the 27th so she should be okay.

 

[The Snark]

I'd rather not risk an anaerobic bacterial bloom.

Understandable. Commendable. But with dry well aerated substrate anerobes are very unlikely. Much more likely is a nice load of assorted aerobics producing a deadly minefield of antibiotics.

 

[darkness975]

Understandable. Commendable. But with dry well aerated substrate anerobes are very unlikely. Much more likely is a nice load of assorted aerobics producing a deadly minefield of antibiotics.

I have a feeling it may have come from the last prey item. This one didn't consume the prey as quickly as they usually do, she let it sit in the web overnight and I believe it may have fermented a bit. I would rather not feed them Gryllodes sigillatus but there is a severe shortage of options over here right now. I have large meal worms which I know they can take down but the last thing I need is for one or more of them to consume way too much and explode.

 

[The Snark]

This one didn't consume the prey as quickly as they usually do, she let it sit in the web overnight and I believe it may have fermented a bit.

Classic problem with keeping lab animals. Their food has to be sterilized or your experiment is trashed. With experiments that could be effected by bacteria the food is often raised in sterile conditions often over several generations. A huge pain in the butt for the 'lab rats' taking care of the feeders. Typical example, the maggots used to debride burn injuries,

 

[darkness975]

Classic problem with keeping lab animals. Their food has to be sterilized or your experiment is trashed.

Well lab technicians have access to a far more sophisticated system than I do. I'm just a lone "unofficial" entomologist and arachnologist that lacks any kind of government or privately funded setup.

 

[The Snark]

Well lab technicians have access to a far more sophisticated system than I do.

Sometimes. The public, and especially the folks handing out funding, would be aghast at some of the creativity that goes on in labs. The eggheads are fantastic with theories but sometimes the equipment they cob together is downright frightening. "Watch out over there on that counter." Me: ZAP! WTF??? Oh nice. That damp counter is charged with several hundred volts. At least he warned me, this time. Let us not forget NoKorode the test tube baby. Soldering flux got into everything when the lab got replumbed.

Nokorode Soldering Paste Flux - Power Soldering Accessories - Amazon.com

Nokorode Soldering Paste Flux - Power Soldering Accessories - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

 

[darkness975]

Sometimes. The public, and especially the folks handing out funding, would be aghast at some of the creativity that goes on in labs. The eggheads are fantastic with theories but sometimes the equipment they cob together is downright frightening. "Watch out over there on that counter." Me: ZAP! WTF??? Oh nice. That damp counter is charged with several hundred volts. At least he warned me, this time. Let us not forget NoKorode the test tube baby. Soldering flux got into everything when the lab got replumbed.

Nokorode Soldering Paste Flux - Power Soldering Accessories - Amazon.com

Nokorode Soldering Paste Flux - Power Soldering Accessories - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

Nothing surprises me.

So far it smells okay in there post substrate change. It smelled like vinegar chips in there before.

The other enclosures smell okay, so whatever it was was only affected that one enclosure. I really think it had to do with the 12 - 14 hour delay in consuming the prey.

A large part of my feeder cricket's diet are fish flakes. Not an issue for my Tarantulas and Scorpions since I feed them sparingly and they pulverize the prey quickly. But this particular Widow decided to be lazy and adopt a "dine at one's leisure" attitude. I feed the Widows sparingly too, once a week to once every week and a half and the prey is on the smaller side but they still have that tendency to gluttony and complacency.

Some Youtube videos show people feeding truly monstrous prey items to their Widows (and other inverts too). Unbelievable that they don't explode from being overfed.

 

[schmiggle]

It's probably uneaten prey. You should be fine. As @The Snark said, you won't get anaerobic respiration in dry soil because there's air readily available. A rotting insect, however, has a bit of anaerobic respiration early on in the decomposition process, which could make it smell. If it's gone after changing the substrate--again, I think it's probably fine.

 

[Ferrachi]

It was the cricket

 

[The Snark]

A rotting insect, however, has a bit of anaerobic respiration early on in the decomposition process,

It should be kept in mind the eating habits of animals. In the case of spiders they are half way between predator and carrion eaters. Consequently, they have a significant inherent resistance to bacteria.

It was the cricket

Or the one armed man.
Fertile imagination: Black widow deep in her cups sitting at the arachnids bar tossing down another one while mumbling, "Dang crickets."

 

[The Snark]

double

 

[darkness975]

It was the cricket

Hopefully feeding them more sparingly will trigger them to consume the prey more quickly.

Thanks everyone

 

[darkness975]

Update.

Despite having to be moved for a substrate change and having her web destroyed she laid an egg sack overnight.

So I'd say all is well.

 

[schmiggle]

Update.

Despite having to be moved for a substrate change and having her web destroyed she laid an egg sack overnight.

So I'd say all is well.

What a classy lady

 

[darkness975]

Well another enclosure smells.

There's such a shortage of feeders here that I've had to use crickets.

It's annoying, now one enclosure smells like vinegar.

Hopefully the spider will be okay. I really don't feel like destroying her web and changing substrates again.