suprise curly moult(S)

kosh

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 10, 2002
Messages
508
little slings havent been eating lately.......figured it was because i tried feeding them mealworms and they didnt like it.....came home from work today and thought my biggest sling was dead but it was laying there and had just moulted and was still on its back.....looked at some of the other slings too and saw at least one other shed skin.....most of them are in their burrows.....wasnt expecting another moult for a couple more weeks at least!!!!
the two i can confirm have moulted ...last moulted on OCT. 25......so it has been less than a month!
wish i had known cause i had just thrown some little 2 week crickets in there with the slings.....and they were still in there during moult.....now im scared to remove them because i dont wanna disturb the moult......(if the others are moulting)
 

Tarantula Lover

Psalmopoeus Lover
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 21, 2002
Messages
1,373
hey

i would definetly try to remove them with tweezers, they can do a lot of harm to your T is you leave them in with em,
good luck,

James
 

kosh

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 10, 2002
Messages
508
well i meant to post an update the other day but been busy with the new job and all.....
as of this morning before work.....9 out of the 10 slings have moulted......this suprised me at first because it was a couple of weeks sooner than i expected...but i think i figured out what is up....im staying at my father's house and he keeps it quite cool there...so i didnt want the babies catching a cold so i have been setting the tray i keep the deli sups on....on the back of my computer monitor....this keeps them way warmer than i have ever kept them before (usually anywhere from 78 to 85 degrees) so i figure the extra warm temps must have sped up their metabolism.....
any input on this from you people??
will the radiation from my monitor make them into super Ts?
also..is 85 degrees too warm for Brachypelma Albopilosum?? i bought a cheap plastic strip thermometer (like you stick on side of aquarium) and it is not very accurate....but the highest i have seen it go is 84 (strip maxes out at 84)......
i notice the peat moss doesnt hold up well with the higher temps....the peat drys out and all the moisture ends up condensed on the lid of the deli cup....i put one sling on 100% verm and it seems to hold its moisture and viability 10 times better than 100% peat under the higher temps....
also.....now that the slings are at 4th instar they are getting some color and some more fuzz....starting to look like little T's instead of generic little spiders...COOL!!!! they are so cute!
 

Immortal_sin

Arachnotemptress
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 17, 2002
Messages
3,952
Kosh,
Botar has also reported this with his slings too. I'd say the higher temps are helping, plus you guys are probably feeding them alot too!
I have mine at a constant 80 degrees. The top of the monitor is a great place IME. I don't think you have to worry about radiation, or anything...after all, we're exposed to it too ;)
I am still feeding dead prey to mine, since they are molting quite often. I don't have to worry about when they molt. Peat moss has to be kept damp, or it will definately dry out. I mist one side of the vial every couple of days to keep it on the moist side. Verm will work as well, but they can't burrow in it I guess.
I can't wait till my 3-5 legged babies molt again, then they will be more normal :)
They look funny with half their little legs missing, but they are all getting around fine, and eating like pigs!
 

kosh

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 10, 2002
Messages
508
well.....i have been trying to keep the peat moist....but it seems as if almost immediately the moisture starts condensing on the lid of the container.....i have tried taking the lids off and shaking the water droplets off back into the peat but it doesnt help.....i just keep ending up with a bunch of water droplets on the lid and a little dry brick of peat in the bottom of the deli cup....i suppose i could keep adding water to the peat until the humidity balances out and the peat stays moist when the lid is full of condensed water but i dont want to drown the slings with TOO much humidity?!?
and yes you are right.....the sling that has the 100% verm doesn't seem to be able to burrow...i have seen the sling with a little piece of verm in its mouth carrying it around the deli cup...but no burrow (probably not mouth but thats what it looked like.....looked like my cat does when carrying something around in her mouth)......i am going home for thanksgiving holiday (left my bag of peat at home)...so perhaps i will try some sort of peat/verm mix to try and allow burrowing (these slings seem to love to burrow) and also allow the substrate to retain moisture and not just the lid of the deli cup....
 
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