Another sling Q?

[Noobmatus]

I've always read that most if not all slings need to be kept on moist substrate till they reach the juvenile stage then there to be gradually switched over to there adult care regimen my question is, is this outdated info? From what i've been reading it sounds like people are keeping there slings of drier species on dry sub from the start and just providing them with a water bowl please correct me if i'm wrong as I mentioned earlier I haven't kept T's for several years some i'm trying to play abit of catch up here

 

[micheldied]

I've always read that most if not all slings need to be kept on moist substrate till they reach the juvenile stage then there to be gradually switched over to there adult care regimen my question is, is this outdated info? From what i've been reading it sounds like people are keeping there slings of drier species on dry sub from the start and just providing them with a water bowl please correct me if i'm wrong as I mentioned earlier I haven't kept T's for several years some i'm trying to play abit of catch up here

There's a couple ways to do this. I would keep slings more moist than you would keep the adults of the same species that prefer dry conditions. This doesn't mean keep every sling like a tropical T, just not bone dry. If you have the room, you can provide a water dish, although many don't keep their slings in large enough vials to have a water dish. Personally, I spray the sides of a sling's vial and this creates droplets of water the sling can drink from(although I've only witnessed this once or twice). Also, I always have some sphagnum moss in there and it absorbs water pretty well.

 

[Ghost]

I've always read that most if not all slings need to be kept on moist substrate till they reach the juvenile stage then there to be gradually switched over to there adult care regimen my question is, is this outdated info? From what i've been reading it sounds like people are keeping there slings of drier species on dry sub from the start and just providing them with a water bowl please correct me if i'm wrong as I mentioned earlier I haven't kept T's for several years some i'm trying to play abit of catch up here

Slings require more moisture than their adult counterparts,I keep my dry species slings on slightly moist substrate,and don't let them dry out completely I also give a water dish to all my slings and I gut load my feeders for 24hrs before feeding time as slings get most of their moisture from their prey,as long as your slings are well hydrated and you don't let them dry out completely then they should be fine.....

 

[Tomoran]

Slings are a bit more prone to dehydration, so completely dry sub without water can be a gamble for some. For my tiniest slings (1" and smaller) I provide moist sphagnum and keep one side of the substrate a bit moist. I don't obsess over the moisture levels inside the enclosure; I'll just occasionally dribble some water on the sphagnum and down one of the corners.

During the winter months when my furnace is running and severely drying out the air, I put my smallest slings in a larger acrylic enclosure with an open critter keeper full of water in it. This allows me to keep the humidity up inside this "nursery" a bit to protect them from the dry air outside.

Once they reach around 1" or so, they get moved to a large enclosure that allows for small "water dish" in the form of a bottle cap. At this point, I don't worry too much about keeping the sub moist.

 

[Chubbs]

I've always read that most if not all slings need to be kept on moist substrate till they reach the juvenile stage then there to be gradually switched over to there adult care regimen my question is, is this outdated info? From what i've been reading it sounds like people are keeping there slings of drier species on dry sub from the start and just providing them with a water bowl please correct me if i'm wrong as I mentioned earlier I haven't kept T's for several years some i'm trying to play abit of catch up here

The substrate itself doesn't usually need to be kept moist. As long as you provide a water source they'll be fine.

 

[MassExodus]

I think all of these slightly different techniques work just fine. I keep my slings mostly dry, but every spider I own gets a fresh water dish, even tiny slings. I do slightly dampen the sub occasionally, especially if one has just molted or is fixing to molt, but I always let it dry out completely. Never had any issues.