Webbing and mold

[AmysAnimals]

My versicolor has webbed up a lot of his enclosure and even toward the bottom (which makes me think I need a taller enclosure). There is mold now on the substrate. It appears to be food that I missed picking up. Also I am not sure if it's poo or some other type of mold growing on the side of the enclosure but I think you can see it in the pics. Anyways, I do not think there is a way to get the mold without disturbing the webbing or tarantula. My question, should I mess up the webbing right there to get the mold? Clean the whole enclosure? Or get a taller, bigger enclosure? My versi is 2". Probably going to molt next month. Still eating as of right now but it's butt is getting fat (don't think I am over feeding) which makes me think it's storing up for a molt.

Here are the pics of the mold and webbing:

 

[AmysAnimals]

See the little yellowish brown on the plastic? What is that? Is it poo or mold?

 

[Low]

Thats feces.

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[Tweak]

I would say mold only bc poo tends to look a translucent white color but I could be wrong

 

[Ciphor]

Are you talking about the dark puddle with yellowish spots in it? I think a closer picture is needed, and more importantly, what size is it? It could be mold, I've seen some that look like that, but, seems like a very odd condition for that type of mold. Molds that have those characteristics are found on large pieces of fresh decaying organic material (like big pieces of rotting food). Substrate molds are usually white and fuzzy, which makes me lean on good ol' poo.

On a closer inspection, I think I see splatters around the main puddle body, which would push it further away from a mold/fungi and closer to what you would see with poo falling from above.

 

[Hobo]

Yellow spots look like old poop.

If you want to get whatever that is out of there, go ahead.

They can always make more web; it's no big deal.

 

[Toogledoo]

I agree, those yellow spots look like poo to me. I also agree that it's no big deal to get that out. I've messed my Versis webs up plenty of times and they always rebuild. I don't think of it as destroying their home, I think of it as giving them something to do. Lol I mean come on, they're stuck in their enclosure their whole lives with nothing to do but build webs.

 

[AmysAnimals]

Thanks, I will get to cleaning tomorrow.

Should I worry too much about the feces when it happens or just leave it be? I don't want mold to happen. Though, it seems to be happening more often than I'd like. I have got to figure a way to keep it to a minimum.

 

[bchbum11]

Melting a couple of holes around the base of the container for cross ventilation for arboreals has work wonders in preventing mold for me. I have to dampen the substrate a bit more often to keep humidity up, but haven't seen any mold since. I can't see the T in the pictures you posted, but from the size of the web it looks like the container is well sized. No need to clean the whole thing out, just get some tongs and push them through the web to remove any spots that look questionable. Like a lot of posters above me have already said though, it probably isn't a big deal. Use the smell test... If the container smells damp and musty, pick up anything that looks like growth. Otherwise, everything is probably golden.

 

[sbullet]

Stuff on the left is def. feces. I like to let it get a little dirty with feces before scrubbing the walls. YOLO

 

[matt82]

There is no debating, it is faeces. The two on the far right in the second pic look like they've gone mouldy, could be either a piece of prey remains or untended faeces that has gone mouldy. Pick em out with a tweezers, problem solved

---------- Post added 05-17-2012 at 12:33 AM ----------

+1 on bchbum11's ventilation tips - low, mid and high ventilation is a good plan IMO Springtails will also clear up ny unwanted/unspotted mould.

 

[Ciphor]

Springtails eat fungi
Isopods compete for food with fungi

Isopods are the better long-term solution. Springtails are better for a quick clean-up.

 

[AmysAnimals]

My T won't eat the Isopods or Springtails? I would love to get some cleaner bugs. I am going to melt some holes in the bottom for more ventilation. I'll likely do that tomorrow. I already cleaned the mold and the Versicolor is replacing what webbing I destroyed.

 

[Shrike]

I think springtails are far too small to be of interest as food items. Isopods, on the other hand, could be on the menu for small slings. This won't be an issue as your tarantula gets bigger and requires larger prey items. Isopods are also very secretive and will spend most of the time hidden in the substrate and under cover objects in your enclosure.

 

[Ciphor]

My T won't eat the Isopods or Springtails? I would love to get some cleaner bugs. I am going to melt some holes in the bottom for more ventilation. I'll likely do that tomorrow. I already cleaned the mold and the Versicolor is replacing what webbing I destroyed.

Springtails are too small. Isopods are not insects or arachnids, they are actually crustaceans, like crabs, lobsters, etc.

In order to eat them, they need to be specialized, and have a protein in their venom that attacks crustaceans. The two specialized spiders that come to mind are Dysdera crocata & all Theridiid cobweb spiders (black widows, Steatoda, etc.)

 

[AmysAnimals]

Springtails are too small. Isopods are not insects or arachnids, they are actually crustaceans, like crabs, lobsters, etc.

In order to eat them, they need to be specialized, and have a protein in their venom that attacks crustaceans. The two specialized spiders that come to mind are Dysdera crocata & all Theridiid cobweb spiders (black widows, Steatoda, etc.)

Thank you! I think once I can upgrade to a larger enclosure I will get some Isopods and/or springtails. Maybe I'll get some springtails now.

 

[Shrike]

In order to eat them, they need to be specialized, and have a protein in their venom that attacks crustaceans. The two specialized spiders that come to mind are Dysdera crocata & all Theridiid cobweb spiders (black widows, Steatoda, etc.)

Why is specialization a prerequisite for eating isopods? Although the spiders you mentioned might be specialized to the task, what precludes a different species from trying? Does the venom in the protein of species like Dysdera crocata make them better suited to digest a crustacean exoskeleton? If so, all that means to me is that less specialized species would be able to derive less nutrition from an isopod. It doesn't mean they wouldn't occasionally prey on them. A quick search for other threads on the topic shows that others have observed slings and juveniles occasionally preying on isopods.

Sorry for the barrage of questions!

 

[Ciphor]

Why is specialization a prerequisite for eating isopods? Although the spiders you mentioned might be specialized to the task, what precludes a different species from trying? Does the venom in the protein of species like Dysdera crocata make them better suited to digest a crustacean exoskeleton? If so, all that means to me is that less specialized species would be able to derive less nutrition from an isopod. It doesn't mean they wouldn't occasionally prey on them. A quick search for other threads on the topic shows that others have observed slings and juveniles occasionally preying on isopods.

Sorry for the barrage of questions!

I might have worded that differently in hindsight, yes. There are always exceptions, but in general, they will leave them alone if they are not designed to eat them. Specialized was the wrong word, except for D. crocata. Captivity definitely changes things too. To be fair to my point though, there are a lot of tarantulas, I'm sure several have proteins for crustaceans and without having a break down of the venom from the species of spiders the people are posting about, what I said is still pretty much true.

I was only giving a few examples that I know conclusively about, and trying to generalize.

 

[Shrike]

I might have worded that differently in hindsight, yes. There are always exceptions, but in general, they will leave them alone if they are not designed to eat them. Specialized was the wrong word, except for D. crocata. Captivity definitely changes things too. To be fair to my point though, there are a lot of tarantulas, I'm sure several have proteins for crustaceans and without having a break down of the venom from the species of spiders the people are posting about, what I said is still pretty much true.

I was only giving a few examples that I know conclusively about, and trying to generalize.

No worries, thanks for clarifying. You make a good point in bringing up captivity as a factor.