They grow up so fast....

[Julia]

I got a *teeny* tiny baby H. mac from Mr. Bug Guy, Ken back on March 14th of this year. I could barely see the little bugger when I got it. .25" maybe? I put the little one in a tiny vial, but had to transfer it into a deli-cup very shortly after because the sticks I used had gotten moldy (note: chopsticks are NOT GOOD to use in vials/cups/enclosures....had this happen twice, but only with chopsticks).

Vinnie promptly burrowed himself in the substrate, seeming to make new exit holes and tunnels daily! He ate like a champ! I would toss in a legless medium/large cricket or a whole pinhead and only saw the remains the next day. Unfortunately, I had not seen Vinnie since the day I transferred him, but he is great about tossing his molts out of the tunnels so that I can document when that happens.

Schedule is as follows:

Received: 3/14/09
First molt: 3/19/09
Transfer: 3/25/09
Molt: 5/22/09
Molt: 7/4/09
Molt: 8/20/09

Today, I got home from work and immediately checked on all the kids (like normal). Vinnie was not only out of hiding, he was on the side of the cup, perfectly visible!!! I picked up the cup and he zoomed around a few times and then settled. He's about 1.5" long now and doesn't feel the need to hide in the substrate! I'm so excited! One of my babies is growing up.

 

[Kris-wIth-a-K]

ha! yeah I have a .25" too. It's SUCH freakin slow grower but I am going to giver it a buffet tomorrow to gore itself.

 

[killy]

Schedule is as follows:

Received: 3/14/09
First molt: 3/19/09
Transfer: 3/25/09
Molt: 5/22/09
Molt: 7/4/09
Molt: 8/20/09

So your molts are about every 6 weeks - mine are molting every 4 1/2 - 5 weeks - they're all slings/juveniles - I'm getting pretty good at predicting their pre-molt/molt dates to within a few days ... and you're right, the time passes so quickly - with several days to a week of pre-molt fasting, and a week of post-molt recovery fasting, there is basically a 2-3 week window for feeding before the whole process starts again. The only one that isn't showing a remarkable increase in size after a molt is my Chaco - I have no explanation for this other than that maybe that's just the way Chacos are ....:?

 

[Warren Bautista]

ha! yeah I have a .25" too. It's SUCH freakin slow grower but I am going to giver it a buffet tomorrow to gore itself.

Oh my GASH!
Your gonna make it gore itself? ew,

 

[Julia]

So your molts are about every 6 weeks - mine are molting every 4 1/2 - 5 weeks - they're all slings/juveniles - I'm getting pretty good at predicting their pre-molt/molt dates to within a few days ... and you're right, the time passes so quickly - with several days to a week of pre-molt fasting, and a week of post-molt recovery fasting, there is basically a 2-3 week window for feeding before the whole process starts again. The only one that isn't showing a remarkable increase in size after a molt is my Chaco - I have no explanation for this other than that maybe that's just the way Chacos are ....:?

Predicting molts is way too easy now that I document everything. Takes away a little bit of the surprise, but it's fun to see how close I get with it! I have a little B. smithi that I received at .25" a while back. I'm not near my spreadsheet right now, but if I remember right, she's molted 3 times, about 6-8 weeks apart. I don't think she's grown more than a millimeter in all that time! I swear...it went from, "Where's the spider? Is there really a spider in that cup?" to "Now I can see the spider! ....I think."

 

[mandipants]

Chopsticks Bad!

...had to transfer it into a deli-cup very shortly after because the sticks I used had gotten moldy (note: chopsticks are NOT GOOD to use in vials/cups/enclosures....had this happen twice, but only with chopsticks).

Same thing happened to me. I had chopsticks in 5 aboreal enclosers and they all molded. Thought they would be good since they're bamboo (not pine or ceder).

TAKE NOTE ARACHNO-ARCHITECHS!!!! CHOPSTICKS BAD!!!

 

[Fyreflye]

Julia, if you ever want to get together sometime over coffee (or cocoa!) and talk bugs, let me know.

I was VERY fortunate that my little Aphonopelma sling made his burrow so that it looped against the side of his acrylic enclosure. I haven't seen him out since he dug himself in, but i have a window into his private world.