Tiny slings - what am I doing wrong?

[SoupyC]

I recently acquired 3 B. vagans slings. One went to a buddy as part of a trade. These guys were TINY, easily the smallest spiders I've ever kept. 1/4", maybe.

I bought a fruit fly culture, fed them well, kept them moist (but not soaked) so they'd have water.

After a few days, one of em kicked off. Saw him all curled up on top of his substrate, deader than a doornail. Double checked, wasn't an exo.

Ok, I can handle that, one kicking off is fine. I've got one left. That was a few weeks ago.

Went to check on everyone this morning, 2nd one, same thing, up on the substrate, deader than a doornail.

What am I doing wrong? This is especially discouraging, considering that I'd love to get in to breeding. I'm just not sure whats up!

Thanks for any advice.

Eric

 

[fang333999]

hmmm maybe you kept them too moist? when i feed my tiny slings i just crush a pinhead cricket's head and they acquire they're moisture through the cricket, since theyre so small. i mean im probably wrong but thats all i could think of.

 

[No One]

I'm not sure if the moisture could be it..
I keep my slings on very moist substrate, and they are all doing fine..

Have you heard from your Buddy that you traded with if his is still alive ?

 

[SoupyC]

Yeah his is alive and trucking, and we keep them identically.

 

[clam1991]

some slings just dont make it
its not your fault

 

[Zoltan]

some slings just dont make it

That's the easiest things to say...

 

[clam1991]

so what do u think is the reason his slings died?;P

 

[SoupyC]

That's what I've heard, and thats what I want to believe. Funny thing is, I've only ever lost 4 spiders, and 3 of them have been B. vagans!

 

[baf236]

I've had a total of 50 slings that I bought last year. I only had two deaths -- one was a B. angunstum and one was a B. smithi. I really think they are extra sensitive to moisture. IMHO the soil should not be kept moist all the time. I would just mist them once a week and let the soil dry out for several days. They get plenty of moisture from the pinhead crickets. The other species that I have are B. sabulosum, L. parahybana, C. cyanopubescens, and G. pulchra.

 

[GailC]

I keep all my tiny brachy slings on dry sub, once a week I damped one side. I've never lost any this way.

 

[IdahoBiteyThing]

agree

I'm keeping my slings drier than I used to, after losing several to mold while I was on a trip. Moistening one side only has worked extremely well. The t can then self-regulate and find a spot that suites it. I'm also using unmilled sphagnum more lately, and moistening that rather than the substrate. Also works great. Ventilation is also important, stagnant air + wet substrate can generate some funky gases, mold, mildew etc. Don't give up on slings, keep trying!

 

[ShellsandScales]

Just a possibility... they might have been runts or otherwise something else on a physical level wrong with those particular slings. Maybe too wet. Maybe they just died! I got 15, 1/4" B. vagans a couple of months ago and have had no problems. I feed them LIVE food of appropriate size and just once or twice a week make sure they're not TOO dry. Other than that I leave them be. Now they are all over 1/2". I would just shrug it off and try again. Maybe refine some of your husbandry techniques, if you don't feel comfortable with them, but other than that I can't see any fault on your part from the info you provided.

 

[scottyk]

Another vote for keeping one side wet. I got that piece of advice here a few years back after receiving a few tiny slings as freebies. I usually go back through the vials a day or two after offering food, remove any uneaten meals and hit one side with a good spray at that time. I can't recall ever losing a sling since I started doing this.

Lots of great advice to be found here from the "old timers". I've always had good luck listening to them...

Scott

 

[SoupyC]

Thanks for all the help guys. I know at some point in the future I'll be keeping plenty of these tinier guys, so any and all advice is much appreciated. I'll lean towards the drier side from here on out.

 

[jeff1962]

I've had a total of 50 slings that I bought last year. I only had two deaths -- one was a B. angunstum and one was a B. smithi. I really think they are extra sensitive to moisture. IMHO the soil should not be kept moist all the time. I would just mist them once a week and let the soil dry out for several days. They get plenty of moisture from the pinhead crickets. The other species that I have are B. sabulosum, L. parahybana, C. cyanopubescens, and G. pulchra.

This is exactly what a dealer/breeder told me to do with the freebie slings I received from him when I made purchases. In fact one of them was a B. Angustum, that sling is about a year old now and close to 3 inches.The other is a B. Albop. thats about 2.5 now.

One of the things that stuck in my mind that he said was " don't keep it to moist or you will kill it ". I keep my slings in vials and spray one side of the vial once a week, or when it drys out.

I have tiny G. Aureo. I am raising right now and I made the mistake of keeping it a little to moist and mold started to grow,another thing you have to watch and smell for, I immediatley changed out ALL the coco fiber and started over.I caught it in time and the sling is doing great.

 

[Kamikaze]

I have a few slings and I keep them generally on the dry side.
I mist one side every couple of days. so far so good

 

[Singbluemymind]

maybe there was something in the fly culutre:?

 

[hardlucktattoo]

maybe there was something in the fly culutre:?

Thats what I was thinking I give my tiny slings crushed pinheads I tried fruit flies but they pretty much just run away from them

 

[IdahoBiteyThing]

If it makes you feel any better.

I killed one too! I think you jinxed me! I was feeding my slings last night and what do I find? A dead, dead, dead B. vagans. I have 15, er 14, vagans that I keep exactly the same; same containers, same substrate, same feeding schedule. 14 fine, happy, fat, sassy. 1 dead. It happens. grrr

 

[Aurelia]

That makes me a bit nervous. I'm getting a B. vagans and an A. versicolor sling next month. I hope they live past slinghood. *fingers crossed*