T seladonia help

[wizentrop]

so could you hollow out a deep pocket in cork and maybe that would help a seladonia have a good spot to camp in?

Haven't tried it myself, but I heard that doesn't really work.

Do you always have to open the door?

No, I try to avoid it at all costs. But sometimes I see that the spider hasn't eaten in 2-3 weeks, so I serve it with food once just to be sure. If it refuses, I know a molt is coming.

How large did you observe them in the wild? I'm convinced when/if DNA analysis is run on Avics, many of these "morphotypes" will be either new species, subspecies or not. I can't believe they are all the same species at this point.

I didn't take any measurements of the A. sp "huriana" I saw in the wild, but one of the large females was big enough to block anything coming up a tree (you can see the "sleeping bag" behind her) -


By the way, I don't know if it would end up being its own species, "huriana" might be a population-restricted variety.

Also, to all the people out there going nuts about me keeping Avics humid rather than dry: You can keep Avic humid AND highly ventilated. That's what they have in the wild (sorry, I've seen it in person more than dozen times). Also, there is absolutely no "one right way" to keep something. Different approaches work differently for different people, depending on their experience and specific indoor conditions. What works for you might not work for someone else, and vice versa. We are all here to learn, so please be respectful.

 

[viper69]

Gorgeous image!! That is good sized.

Interesting to know T seladonia will reject artificial holes in cork bark. That makes searching for the "right " piece quite difficult!

You can keep Avic humid AND highly ventilated

This is true. No one with any level of logic would refute that- it is after all what they evolved with in nature. The average keeper seems unable to do so. As you have seen over time the numerous posts of "help my Avic is dying", almost all due to moist/stuffy containers lacking ventilation.

 

[Peyton Bemis]

True.
The seladonia spiders need some kind of natural channel or groove in the bark to build their nest and trapdoor around. Most cork barks are not tile-flat and therefore have these spaces, but the way the bark is positioned in the enclosure also has some influence on whether the spider will adopt it or not. For example, if the cavity is at the bottom of the bark piece, but the spider decides it wants to be at the top part of the enclosure due to reasons related to humidity/ventilation/light, you can forget about it making a nest at the suggested space.

I have two T. seladonia spiders. One made a trapdoor right in the middle of the bark where I wanted it. The other one (which is the larger of the two because it is easier to feed) didn't like bark at all, even after replacing and trying different pieces. It roamed and roamed until eventually making its nest in one of the top corners of the enclosure, against the wall. Even in this case the spider still goes down to the substrate to pick debris up to decorate its shelter.

As for Avicularia - I only keep A. sp. "huriana", and mine are not too fussy about the enclosure's setup as long as it is humid and well-ventilated. In the wild I observed the juveniles nesting in folded *living* plant leaves, while the adults nest on tree trunks, about 2 meters above ground level.

So you keep it moist or do you keep them dry? Thankfully i drilled holes into the cork and it made its trap door. I had to rehouse her. I have 2 also. I need to make sure if i need to keep them dry or moist substrate im tired of this eco earth just absorbing so there enclosure is mostly dry. Is this OK?

 

[wizentrop]

I keep the substrate dry, and mist directly on the web until wet once a week. If your indoor conditions are super dry because of winter heating (like 20% air humidity or below), you might want to mist twice a week.
Great to hear they adopted the artificial holes! This might be the first time I hear a success story.

 

[Peyton Bemis]

I keep the substrate dry, and mist directly on the web until wet once a week. If your indoor conditions are super dry because of winter heating (like 20% air humidity or below), you might want to mist twice a week.
Great to hear they adopted the artificial holes! This might be the first time I hear a success story.

Wow no way thats crazy... ya she took the hole i drilled in.. i was worried cause i drilled the holes pretty big too...

So more dry substrate? Im from washington my humidity is probably 20.

 

[RezonantVoid]

Its interesting because all my trapdoors, although obviously not actual T's (but Idiommata sp. Silverback comes pretty close) will ONLY take crickets and nothing else. Roaches, mealworms, and silverfish are useless which is quite frustrating as crickets are the trickiest to beed. It just goes to show how we shouldnt assume behavioural similarities based on past experience. Ive learned alot from reading this, i may one day get a Seladonia of my own if i move abroad

 

[wizentrop]

@RezonantVoid That's a very good point, and I have the same experience as to trapdoor spiders' preferences. For example, my Liphistius prefer crickets, but I also managed to get them to take mealworms if I serve them carefully. I think the scales on the silverfish make it difficult for them to grab. The T. seladonia, however, love crickets, mealworms, and silverfish. But for the life of me I cannot get them to eat roaches. I tried several species. They just avoid them altogether, sometimes even leaving their nest running out (they go back in later after I remove the roach from the enclosure).

 

[Peyton Bemis]

Wow.. how would u feed a meal worm just with your tong?

 

[viper69]

Wow no way thats crazy... ya she took the hole i drilled in.. i was worried cause i drilled the holes pretty big too...

So more dry substrate? Im from washington my humidity is probably 20.

What size hole did you make relative to the size of the T? This is potentially critical information to new owners at SOME point when they are cheaper. Not everyone has or wants to dump tons of cash, or has something to trade for this species. Early buyers often have important info.

Its interesting because all my trapdoors, although obviously not actual T's (but Idiommata sp. Silverback comes pretty close) will ONLY take crickets and nothing else. Roaches, mealworms, and silverfish are useless which is quite frustrating as crickets are the trickiest to beed. It just goes to show how we shouldnt assume behavioural similarities based on past experience. Ive learned alot from reading this, i may one day get a Seladonia of my own if i move abroad one day

Why are crix hard to breed? I've breed them without knowing a thing, and I'm no guru on insects, let alone breeding them. Is it the hot temps there?

 

[RezonantVoid]

What size hole did you make relative to the size of the T? This is potentially critical information to new owners at SOME point when they are cheaper. Not everyone has or wants to dump tons of cash, or has something to trade for this species. Early buyers often have important info.




Why are crix hard to breed? I've breed them without knowing a thing, and I'm no guru on insects, let alone breeding them. Is it the hot temps there?

Im not sure, i can get them to lay eggs in my T enclosures for an accidental auto feeding system but when i actually want them to breed, i can never get any eggs despite providing all the necessary components

 

[RezonantVoid]

@RezonantVoid That's a very good point, and I have the same experience as to trapdoor spiders' preferences. For example, my Liphistius prefer crickets, but I also managed to get them to take mealworms if I serve them carefully. I think the scales on the silverfish make it difficult for them to grab. The T. seladonia, however, love crickets, mealworms, and silverfish. But for the life of me I cannot get them to eat roaches. I tried several species. They just avoid them altogether, sometimes even leaving their nest running out (they go back in later after I remove the roach from the enclosure).

Yea very similar experience here, i own or have owned all the main genus here in Australia plus a few rarer curiosities (Arbanitis, Euoplos, Idiosoma, Aname, Namea, Ixamatus, Xamiatus, Seqocrypta, and Idiommata plus many other primitives that arent trapdoors), and have tested all manner of feeders either live of prekilled. Idiommata sp. Silverback/electric blue and Namea Salanitri are the only 2 that ive got to take prekilled roaches before
https://arachnoboards.com/gallery/neon-legs.65691/full
https://arachnoboards.com/gallery/namea-salanitri-freshly-molted.65201/full

All very interesting how different spiders either share or differ from each other despite be seemingly similar

 

[viper69]

Im not sure, i can get them to lay eggs in my T enclosures for an accidental auto feeding system but when i actually want them to breed, i can never get any eggs despite providing all the necessary components

Man, that's weird. I asked a guy who knew how, thinking it was hard. He told me throw some adults together they will do it on their own, drop in moist coco fiber and wait. I did, and females laid eggs. I forget how long later, but out popped this super TINY crix. Perfect for dwarf slings.

 

[Peyton Bemis]

What size hole did you make relative to the size of the T? This is potentially critical information to new owners at SOME point when they are cheaper. Not everyone has or wants to dump tons of cash, or has something to trade for this species. Early buyers often have important info.




Why are crix hard to breed? I've breed them without knowing a thing, and I'm no guru on insects, let alone breeding them. Is it the hot temps there?

She took the hole thats shes pretty much on in this picture. But my substrate is OK if its dry right? That is important information for me to know. They seem to be doing fine but i want to make sure its okay dry.

 

[wizentrop]

Looks alright to me.

 

[Peyton Bemis]

Do u have seladonias yourself?

 

[viper69]

She took the hole thats shes pretty much on in this picture. But my substrate is OK if its dry right? That is important information for me to know. They seem to be doing fine but i want to make sure its okay dry.

Thanks for the pic, but the pic didn't answer the question of hole size.

 

[Peyton Bemis]

I would say a inch with it dug through a bit for room and I asked my group friends on fb who also have selas they cut out artifical holes and it worked also. So this does work 2 people told me so.

 

[RezonantVoid]

I imagine they would use the sawdust to build their lid as well

 

[Jandra]

I am reading everyone’s comments about water dish v none and moist v dry substrate. My sling is still half the size of my pinky nail. I do have a water dish and it loves to float on top for even a few days at a time. I do mist on occasion and I really feel the ventilation is ideal. Any ideas as to why it prefers the dish? I thought it might be near its second molt with me.

 

[spiderman336]

So you keep it moist or do you keep them dry? Thankfully i drilled holes into the cork and it made its trap door. I had to rehouse her. I have 2 also. I need to make sure if i need to keep them dry or moist substrate im tired of this eco earth just absorbing so there enclosure is mostly dry. Is this OK?

Update on them?