Spiderling question

[Smugleaf]

Hello!

I recently received a Honduran Curly Hair spiderling as a gift, I reckon it's about an inch in length. This is my first tarantula; I saw him, and fell in love, so I began researching them and my boyfriend purchased him for me a few days later.

When I got him, he was in a very narrow and very tall vile, so I moved him into a tall deli cup with 3-4 inches of Eco earth for his safety and happiness.

My questions are:

1. I'm not sure if he has eaten. I got him Sunday. Ive tried feeding him three times, I did find one dead somewhat shrunken cricket yesterday evening that was alive and well a few hours prior. Could this be his doing?

2. I'm certain he's burrowed. I'm nervous about his health where I'm unsure he's eaten. Should I not be so worried?

3. I don't want to give him a water dish yet because he's just about the size- width and all- of a bottle cap, so I've been dribbling water onto the bedding for humidity. Is this okay?

 

[Kymura]

Congratulations and welcome to the board
Give that baby a water cap. It won't drown.
And a little moist is good but don't try to make things humid. A clean full water dish overflowed when filling a little bit will keep things nice for it. Soggy substrate is never good.
B albopilosum burrow a lot as slings. They are like little bulldozers and very busy babies. Fun to watch and a perfect first T impo.
Feed one prey item at a time at that size. If the T doesn't take it in a couple hours remove it! Crickets have been know to munch on a molting T. They are vulnerable in that state and crickets are opportunistic feeders.
Try to feed crickets no larger then it's abdomen. Some slings are a little intimidated by larger prey. If you're unable to find any pre-killed is OK. Simply squeeze the cricket head with the tongs and drop it in there. The T will find it. If it doesn't eat it after a few hours remove it. Remains can mold and let's face it we don't want your little one eating rotten food.
Could you post a picture of your enclosure?
Easier to tell you if you need more ventilation or substrate with a visual ^.~

 

[Smugleaf]

Congratulations and welcome to the board
Give that baby a water cap. It won't drown.
And a little moist is good but don't try to make things humid. A clean full water dish overflowed when filling a little bit will keep things nice for it. Soggy substrate is never good.
B albopilosum burrow a lot as slings. They are like little bulldozers and very busy babies. Fun to watch and a perfect first T impo.
Feed one prey item at a time at that size. If the T doesn't take it in a couple hours remove it! Crickets have been know to munch on a molting T. They are vulnerable in that state and crickets are opportunistic feeders.
Try to feed crickets no larger then it's abdomen. Some slings are a little intimidated by larger prey. If you're unable to find any pre-killed it OK. Simply squeeze the cricket head with the tongs and drop it in there. The T will find it. If it doesn't eat it after a few hours remove it. Remains can mold and let's face it we don't want your little one eating rotten food.
Could you post a picture of your enclosure?
Easier to tell you if you need more ventilation or substrate with a visual ^.~

Thank you for your reply! I know he built a little nest after being put in his new enclosure, he has two fake leaves, and one of them now has webbing and a big pile of dirt in a section that is curled under.

I can definitely post a pic tonight. For an idea, it's a large deli cup filled more than half way with jungle bedding. The lid is the type used for bug cultures (I culture fruit flies for dart frogs at my work).

I've been feeding him 1 small cricket at night, and leaving it there until the next afternoon. I'll start cutting that time down today, and only feed when I'm present.

 

[timc]

Everything @Kymura said is dead on but just to reinforce the burrowing, I got my 1/2 guy about 3 weeks ago and haven't seen him/her since. It can be frustrating but they're just doing their thing and letting them is simultaneously the best and hardest thing to do. If the food disappears everything is fine.

 

[Venom2090]

Ts usually dont accept food for the first little while. dont worry. a water dish is very useful. overflow it a bit about once or twice a week to moisten the sub. also, dont be worried, a happy spider is one you cant see.

 

[Smugleaf]

Here's a photo of his container. Like I mentioned, it has a top used for several kinds of insects/cultures. Is this ample ventilation?

I feel like I may be stressing him when I remove crickets because there's so much chase, and I don't want to lift his leaves up/out because he built a nest up inside one that is curled under. Think he's gettin scared when I'm all up in there?

 

[Kymura]

Cover looks like it would be fine I'd still give him a few holes on the sides for cross ventilation. Maybe two lines of three of four little holes. they don't do well without adequate cross ventilation. (seen some Lids with just the filter Paper and one large hole in the lid under it. That's just begging for escapes.) They don't need it nearly as moist and humid as majority of the care sheets say things do.
now, chasing the cricket, well...It might make him a little nervous but...
It would stress him more to be flipped on his back being eaten alive,
For the crickets,
you can remove a back leg from the cricket so they can't move so fast...or even give it half a cricket at a time or pre-kill.theres other things you can feed as well. Mealworms are easy and you can keep them in the fridge to keep them from pupating. Just crush the heads first as they burrow.

 

[Smugleaf]

So should I place a prekill in tonight and remove it tomorrow morning if it hasn't been devoured?

I'll take a tack o the sides now for some extra air

Thank you for all your help! I'm honestly so in love with this little guy. Wanna be sure I've got it all right; a lot of are sheets I've found have conflicting info so I really appreciate it.

 

[kormath]

Enclosure looks fine. Only changes i'd make is a few holes around the sides near the top for extra ventilation. My B. albo's dig and dig and hide for months on end. Or did. They'll come out and be more visible once they get to be about 1.5" dls and start showing their adult colors. You got a few months of looking at dirt and wondering

Easy way to tell if they can be fed - the hole to their burrow/hide will be open. If they've blocked themselves off to the rest of the world leave them be. They'll come out or open the hide/burrow when they're ready. I have 2 slings burrowed away out of sight now and it's driving me crazy one is my new tiny little 1/2" L. itabunae and the other is the new N. colorsomething I never can remember how to spell.

I check my boxes of dirt daily to see if the slings have pushed a molt out or opened up the burrow/hide. If there's an opening i'll drop in a roach right then, then take it out the next day if it's still running around and do the process over the next day till it's eaten.

Love the B. albos fun little guys to watch bulldoze if you get the chance.

 

[Kymura]

Absolutely but don't be stressed if it doesn't eat just yet every time we change their enclosure they have to readjust to things. They will eat when they are hungry though!

 

[Smugleaf]

So my newest question is stress related. I touched base on it before a tad.

I see that soon after putting a cricket into his enclosure, it hides and doesn't move much at all. I can see him inside the little house he built- he literally webbed the two lead walls together and kicked dirt on top, how cute is that??

Anyway, in order for me to check for the cricket's current status, I have to move/pick up his container. This must really freak him out, right? I don't want to add stress but I also don't want him to molt and become a cricket snack.

Also; I removed this crickets legs today, hoping to help him and me.

 

[Kymura]

If it's blocked it's house its either getting ready to molt or isn't hunting for food. Might be premolt or simply not hungry...hard to say they fool me all the time.
I will honestly admit that I move mine all the time. My irminia slings don't even hide anymore.
. They just wait. I think they think it's the food cue. Just be gentle and don't jerk it around.
I Tend to worry and do daily checks and move them down to me for maintenance and/or feeding daily.
They seem to be just fine with it.

 

[Smugleaf]

Kymura, you are literally a godsend. Thank you.

I have to use my phones flashlight to see inside his container/check his nest. I'm 95% sure he got the cricket!!! It's in there on its back. He, however, poked his head out the other end. I think I disturbed him

Will my phones light hurt his little eyes? Ugh I love this little guy so much all ready, I'm so worried, haha.

 

[Kymura]

Just don't keep it on it for too long. Some slings/spiders are really sensitive to it.
The B albopilosum (curly) isn't real bad about it. More nosy then anything usually.
I find them to be curious and adorable.
Mine is bigger now, hangs out on top, eats like a pig and only burrows to molt. I kind of miss the little bulldozer sling though.

 

[Smugleaf]

Alrighty. I don't know why 'm so nervous about him.

The cricket is still on its back and remains motionless inside his little spider lair. He's still hanging out on the opposite end of his nest, though. I can see his little legs poking out. I hope he eats the cricket :/ I won't be able to remove it without messing up his little home.

 

[Kymura]

(S)He may eat it still. Give it till tomorrow. Usually they will drag their garbage out to the curb when they're through with it.

I still check mine constantly,
when my big porteri molted I stayed up drank coffee and paced like an absolute idiot. It's totally understandable
Right now a couple of mine are premolt again and I sneak in there and peek every time I get up to do anything

 

[Smugleaf]

Awoke to a perfectly alive cricket walking around the enclosure.... Guess it wasn't killed last night after all. Took it out.

Try again this afternoon, I guess!

 

[Kymura]

Awoke to a perfectly alive cricket walking around the enclosure.... Guess it wasn't killed last night after all. Took it out.

Try again this afternoon, I guess!

Hang on a day or so,
Try and wait till tomorrow, or even possibly the next day. Just keep water full and clean. ^.~

 

[Smugleaf]

Still no eating, put a cricket in about 3 hrs ago. I see him hanging out at the front of his little nest, but no luck.

Could he be intimidated by the crickets? The store only had small and up, no pinheads. They might be too big for him, right? Should I try a prekill and leave it overnight?

 

[Kymura]

Just let it settle for a few days. It will eat eventually, very possibly pre-molt.