Today in the Spider Room?

[Shinn]

Fed the window spood again and it sure reacted fast today. Not sure if it is still the same spood though or that it has started to recognise feeding time.

 

[CrazyOrnithoctonineGuy]

Rehoused my Phormingochilus arboricola juvenile the other day, and she's settling in well; since this species is sexually dimorphic from a young age I'm pretty sure this one is female.

 

[spideyspinneret78]

I paired Mowgli and Jasmine today ( my P. ornatas) and witnessed a fascinating courtship and several insertions. Hopefully a nice egg sac will result. I'm very excited.

 

[MariaLewisia]

Finally had my MM Psalmopoeus pulcher arrive, safe and sound! I was a bit worried since the person I got him from left him at the post office past hours so he was stuck there for one extra day before being sent. But he's right as rain, giving me a very spoopy threat pose as soon as I opened up the jar he was sent in. Now he has a few hours to calm himself down. Then, date night.

 

[SacredSalticidae]

I've had my very first molt! My B. hamorii sealed their burrow off in mid March and hasn't been out since. Thankfully part of the burrow touches the glass so I've been able to peer inside and keep an eye on them. Today I noticed an extra set of legs in there with them, and their colors are brighter than ever! I can't wait for them to come out so I can get some pictures and hopefully figure out their sex.

 

[MariaLewisia]

I've had my very first molt! My B. hamorii sealed their burrow off in mid March and hasn't been out since. Thankfully part of the burrow touches the glass so I've been able to peer inside and keep an eye on them. Today I noticed an extra set of legs in there with them, and their colors are brighter than ever! I can't wait for them to come out so I can get some pictures and hopefully figure out their sex.

Congrats! It's still just as exciting for me the hundredth time I've found a moult as it was the first lol. Here's to hoping you can sex the moult as well.

 

[CrazyOrnithoctonineGuy]

I have a MAJOR ONGOING EMERGENCY right now.....Anihan (0.1 Ornithoctoninae sp. "Haribon") may be dying, and I have absolutely no idea what, if anything, I can do to help her pull through.

She seemed to be in premolt (she's been very reclusive for the past week which she tends to be whenever she enters premolt) but was otherwise completely fine yesterday. This afternoon I found her outside of her hide (unusual), ON THE BOTTOM OF HER ENCLOSURE (unheard of), and in an EXTREMELY lethargic and unresponsive state; the chelicerae were somewhat "loose" from what I could visually make out, so my best guess is that she tried to molt but couldn't pop the carapace for whatever reason and is now dying because of it. The water dish has a decent amount of water in it (I had cleaned and filled it just two days ago), the substrate is moist, the temperature isn't ridiculously high (I don't use any heating for my invert enclosures), and there weren't any uneaten feeders running around the enclosure either.

I've left her in the enclosure but I don't have much hope. This T is the crown jewel of my entire collection (she's the largest individual invert I keep, and one that I've raised to her current size from a large sling/small juvenile), and losing her would be a massive blow especially when she has quite a few years left to live and much more potential for growth.

@l4nsky @curtisgiganteus

 

[l4nsky]

I'm getting ready to leave for vacation and won't have any cell service, so I can't really have a back and forth with you. What's the ventilation like on the enclosure (I remember you rehoused her at one point, just don't remember into what)? Her symptoms sound like over-exposure to CO2 due to air stagnation.

https://arachnoboards.com/threads/my-ts-are-dying-help.351789/post-3248862

 

[CrazyOrnithoctonineGuy]

What's the ventilation like on the enclosure (I remember you rehoused her at one point, just don't remember into what)? Her symptoms sound like over-exposure to CO2 due to air stagnation.

I had rehoused her into an ExoTerra 8"x8"x12, in part due to ventilation issues. There are frontal vents low down and vents on the top of the enclosure (replaced mesh with acrylic), all of which are unobstructed.

 

[l4nsky]

Then the only two things I can think of are molting difficulties and/or impaction. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do in either situation except hope she pulls through .

 

[CrazyOrnithoctonineGuy]

Then the only two things I can think of are molting difficulties and/or impaction.

Impaction can be ruled out (no anal obstructions, and she's never had any issues pooping during this molt cycle or had any other symptoms that would indicate impaction); a failed molt is really the only option I can think of, especially with the timing and the symptoms of a failed molt.

I doubt she's going to make it......

 

[zsiciarz]

Cyriocosmus perezmilesi

• zsiciarz
• Jun 18, 2023
• cyriocosmus cyriocosmus perezmilesi perezmilesi

Cyriocosmus perezmilesi unsexed juvie.

Rehoused my Cyriocosmus perezmilesi juvenile. I'm now thinking this is the prettiest species in the genus. Though that may change in a couple months as I just obtained a few C. ritae slings.

 

[Mike Withrow]

Impaction can be ruled out (no anal obstructions, and she's never had any issues pooping during this molt cycle or had any other symptoms that would indicate impaction); a failed molt is really the only option I can think of, especially with the timing and the symptoms of a failed molt.

I doubt she's going to make it......

Fingers crossed and hoping everything goes well my man.

 

[CrazyOrnithoctonineGuy]

Well, things keep getting worse, doesn't it? One of my formerly 0.0.3 Chilobrachys huahini slings flipped this afternoon....except I'd just fed this sling the day before (there was little visual indication to indicate an imminent molt, and it had eaten right away during its last feeding session) and was at work when the sling began molting. Cue the first time I've had a T get eaten by a feeder while molting because I made the basic mistake of not realizing a T was in premolt...

Even worse, Anihan is confirmed deceased as of tonight (absolutely no movement and the scavengers have begun moving in).

At this point I'm starting to consider leaving the hobby altogether before I cause any further T deaths.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

Well, things keep getting worse, doesn't it? One of my formerly 0.0.3 Chilobrachys huahini slings flipped this afternoon....except I'd just fed this sling the day before (there was little visual indication to indicate an imminent molt, and it had eaten right away during its last feeding session) and was at work when the sling began molting. Cue the first time I've had a T get eaten by a feeder while molting because I made the basic mistake of not realizing a T was in premolt...

Even worse, Anihan is confirmed deceased as of tonight (absolutely no movement and the scavengers have begun moving in).

At this point I'm starting to consider leaving the hobby altogether before I cause any further T deaths.

I'm very sorry for your loss. That sounds devastating. :.-( I've been watching for updates on your haribon and pulling for her.

If I may ask, what feeders you were using with slings?

 

[CrazyOrnithoctonineGuy]

If I may ask, what feeders you were using with slings?

Pinhead crickets (the bimacs, not house crickets, though I doubt the outcome would have been too different).

There has been one other case in my collection where uneaten feeders have been left around a molting T but nothing came of it that time (though it should be noted that on that occasion I monitored the T during the molt just in case, and the T in question was my Pamphobeteus sp. "Manganegra" juvenile which, even with the feeder cricket being much larger than the one responsible for this new death, was probably too big for the feeder to go after even during a molt).

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

Pinhead crickets (the bimacs, not house crickets, though I doubt the outcome would have been too different).

There has been one other case in my collection where uneaten feeders have been left around a molting T but nothing came of it that time (though it should be noted that on that occasion I monitored the T during the molt just in case, and the T in question was my Pamphobeteus sp. "Manganegra" juvenile which, even with the feeder cricket being much larger than the one responsible for this new death, was probably too big for the feeder to go after even during a molt).

Same genus as our field crickets here (Gryllus pennsylvanicus) and they are mean. I saw one eating it's freshly molted cohabitant of the cricket bin and decided never again. House crickets are far more delicate and difficult to keep alive, but safer if they are available to you there (in my experience). Just looking for options to keep you in the hobby. I know it can be a blow to your confidence when you loose one.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Impaction can be ruled out (no anal obstructions, and she's never had any issues pooping during this molt cycle or had any other symptoms that would indicate impaction); a failed molt is really the only option I can think of, especially with the timing and the symptoms of a failed molt.

I doubt she's going to make it......

Very sorry how can you tell when they tried-but fail to molt? .. do they look similar to a fall injury?

Same genus as our field crickets here (Gryllus pennsylvanicus) and they are mean. I saw one eating it's freshly molted cohabitant of the cricket bin and decided never again. House crickets are far more delicate and difficult to keep alive, but safer if they are available to you there (in my experience). Just looking for options to keep you in the hobby. I know it can be a blow to your confidence when you loose one.

I used to catch those things in the country the mandibles were huge for a cricket . Sounds like they’re too likely to eat there own cage mates to live well together like roaches do. I can’t find them in the city .

 

[CrazyOrnithoctonineGuy]

how can you tell when they tried-but fail to molt?

I'm not certain this was what killed her, but she'd been in premolt during the last week of her life and her chelicerae were starting to detach from her carapace (which is how the molting process starts).

House crickets are far more delicate and difficult to keep alive, but safer if they are available to you there (in my experience).

Sadly bimacs and mealworms are the only real options in Korea as feeders go (there's only one supplier for locusts and he's been out of business for months; roaches are completely banned; nobody here breeds house crickets; other available feeder options have various issues).

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I'm not certain this was what killed her, but she'd been in premolt during the last week of her life and her chelicerae were starting to detach from her carapace (which is how the molting process starts).



Sadly bimacs and mealworms are the only real options in Korea as feeders go (there's only one supplier for locusts and he's been out of business for months; roaches are completely banned; nobody here breeds house crickets; other available feeder options have various issues).

Ahh I’d imagine roaches are banned for the same reason as Canada? Although it’s hard for me to imagine tropical roaches surviving the northern winters. Sorry for your loss.. hope mine that’s molting soon has success , molt issues happen a lot it seems even for me. My favorite t a g porteri got stuck in its molt and because it dug a burrow I couldn’t see it a year ago .nothing I could do to help it.