Dealing with loss

[ExMember]

Hey folks

I was wondering how you guys deal with losses in your collection? I personally have lost a couple of spiders this last year. All tiny slings. The weird thing is that the ones I lost were kept identically to the ones who survived. Same schedule, same prey items and the same husbandry. I am very confused right now

RIP Cheech

 

[Enn49]

Sadly it's all to do with survival of the fittest, some are just not meant to live. To me this is confirmed by the fact we can keep 3 or 4 slings of the same species in exactly the same conditions and 1 dies but the others thrive obviously nothing we have done wrong.
It's still hard on us, it still upsets me to lose a T.
Sorry you've lost Cheech

 

[ExMember]

Thanks for the advice @Enn49 . I will keep him around in the container for another week or so. He hasnt moved in days. Just up in the mouting hammock. And supply water everyday in the hopes that he can pull through. But I am not hopeful right now. But nature does have a way of surprising us.

He appears to have passed but there is no foul odors as of yet.

 

[m0lsx]

Sorry to hear of that loss, Brachyfan. I lost a T just a few days ago myself. One day he was looking fine, the next he was in a death curl. It is not nice even when you know it is coming. He is the second MM I have lost in just under 6 months & it leaves you feeling like you maybe should have done something more.

 

[Jess S]

Sorry to hear that. They are our pets so it is upsetting when any of them die

 

[James1975]

Hey folks

I was wondering how you guys deal with losses in your collection? I personally have lost a couple of spiders this last year. All tiny slings. The weird thing is that the ones I lost were kept identically to the ones who survived. Same schedule, same prey items and the same husbandry. I am very confused right now

RIP Cheech

Yeah I've lost another today my Singapore blue,it came out of hiding trying to climb up the enclosure and falling down very strange.its upsetting.

 

[Phil]

unfortunately it is the worst part of the hobby and something we have little control over. I have kept thousands of spiders over the years and usually keep a very detailed spreadsheet on all my spiders. based on my spreadsheet, approx 10% loss is 'normal' - this includes, and mainly consists of slings, but there are also MM and just simple old age in there.
Please be comforted by what myself and others are saying. Sometimes these things happen. Stay strong and just be prepared that it is something you just have to go through, regardless of how sad it is at the time.

 

[ExMember]

@Phil Thanks for the advice. The only losses I have had are a few tiny (1/4" and under) slings and they all have had what appears to be moulting problems. Just some info here:

I got Cheech and Chong (Phidippus regius) in October. They were both the same size. Same feeding/watering schedule. Cheech has moulted once and gained very little size. Chong has moulted at least 3 times and is now at least 1/2". I always thought Chong was a male because of the accelerated growth rate but now I'm not so sure. My guess is that Cheech may have been a weak one of the sac mates. And always had a hard time moulting. But come to think of it...
The tarantulas that have passed were 2 1/4" slings who wouldn't moult either. Is this just survival of the fittest or something wrong husbandry wise? I have successfully got 1/2" slings to juvie hood and haven't lost any over 1/4". As I have way more slings than juvies or adults maybe the odds are just not in my favour?

I thought I would reach out to some more experienced keepers for their thoughts!

Thanks to everyone for the comments! I'm feeling pretty down but the bright side is that Chong is big enough to take down small crickets and I have lots of them. No more need to source fruit flies

 

[ilovebrachys]

@Brachyfan unfortunately p. Regius don't live very long at all.. If you have from a tiny sling you can expect them to live about 1 and half to 2 yrs maximum... If they are wild caught you can expect them to live even less time.. Its a shame as they are wonder little spiders.. Good luck with your remaining one

 

[Phil]

@Phil Thanks for the advice. The only losses I have had are a few tiny (1/4" and under) slings and they all have had what appears to be moulting problems. Just some info here:

I got Cheech and Chong (Phidippus regius) in October. They were both the same size. Same feeding/watering schedule. Cheech has moulted once and gained very little size. Chong has moulted at least 3 times and is now at least 1/2". I always thought Chong was a male because of the accelerated growth rate but now I'm not so sure. My guess is that Cheech may have been a weak one of the sac mates. And always had a hard time moulting. But come to think of it...
The tarantulas that have passed were 2 1/4" slings who wouldn't moult either. Is this just survival of the fittest or something wrong husbandry wise? I have successfully got 1/2" slings to juvie hood and haven't lost any over 1/4". As I have way more slings than juvies or adults maybe the odds are just not in my favour?

I thought I would reach out to some more experienced keepers for their thoughts!

Thanks to everyone for the comments! I'm feeling pretty down but the bright side is that Chong is big enough to take down small crickets and I have lots of them. No more need to source fruit flies

Survival of the fittest. I have observed similar things with mine. In the wild probably one in every hundred would survive (albeit predation plays a large factor in the wild) but in an artificial situation where we cultivate egg sacs and intervene with nature then the odds are a lot higher. Loss however, is inevitable.

 

[ExMember]

@Brachyfan unfortunately p. Regius don't live very long at all.. If you have from a tiny sling you can expect them to live about 1 and half to 2 yrs maximum... If they are wild caught you can expect them to live even less time.. Its a shame as they are wonder little spiders.. Good lunch with your remaining one

I absolutley love regals! I am pretty sure they were CB as the breeder lists all WC on their site. It is a shame they don't have long lives. But they make up for it with their awesome hunting! If I am lucky I will find a zebra spider in my house and keep it for a bit (under quarintine of course).

Survival of the fittest. I have observed similar things with mine. In the wild probably one in every hundred would survive (albeit predation plays a large factor in the wild) but in an artificial situation where we cultivate egg sacs and intervene with nature then the odds are a lot higher. Loss however, is inevitable.

Thanks for the insight! Much appreciated

 

[PurplKush]

Sorry for the lost my brotha! I wish he had the ability to give aid or find out the reason why it happened.

 

[Petey's mom]

Hey folks

I was wondering how you guys deal with losses in your collection? I personally have lost a couple of spiders this last year. All tiny slings. The weird thing is that the ones I lost were kept identically to the ones who survived. Same schedule, same prey items and the same husbandry. I am very confused right now

RIP Cheech

Sorry for your loss! Always hard. I lost a beautiful Chilean Rose Haired T after 17 years! I taxidermy’d her and positioned her back in her enclosure. That’s how I dealt with my loss!
Probably nothing you did but it is still hard when you loose a T! Condolences and prayers.

 

[merlin87]

I recently lost my juvenile Avicularia avicularia (named Embers) due to his picking a VERY unfortunate place to molt, and got trapped. I was able to free him, but he apparently suffered some injuries and died a week later. I miss my little clown. I have a pair of terrestrials now, and my empty arboreal enclosure. I never thought I'd mourn over a spider, but damn, it did hurt. There is an expo at the end of March, so I am looking to pick up a Caribena versicolor.

 

[BrokenRay]

Man I'm sorry for your loss, I really mean it. Right now I'm worried I might be facing the same thing with my G. pulchra sling. I could see through the little opening at the bottom of his enclosure that he was molting last night.

Today I can't tell if it's his molt or not left over. No sign of movement anywhere and his burrow is sealed. I will lose my mind if I lose him.

Again sorry for losing your slings I know I would be heart broken.

 

[James1975]

I recently lost my juvenile Avicularia avicularia (named Embers) due to his picking a VERY unfortunate place to molt, and got trapped. I was able to free him, but he apparently suffered some injuries and died a week later. I miss my little clown. I have a pair of terrestrials now, and my empty arboreal enclosure. I never thought I'd mourn over a spider, but damn, it did hurt. There is an expo at the end of March, so I am looking to pick up a Caribena versicolor.

Sorry for the loss I agree it hurts alot it never gets any easier.

 

[Arachnoclown]

Sorry for your loss.
I agree with what @Phil said 100%.
**Long time keeper view**
This isnt to be little or make fun of the situation but how I deal with losses after nearly 40 years raising tarantulas.

This is coming from a tarantula breeder/collector that trades 100s-1000s of spiders every year.

While I know some people keep only a few as pets...some people that keep lots may have similar views or not.

I've personally never had the same feeling with spiders as I would a dog or cat. Spiders don't have any feelings or emotions to humans what so ever. If you were to pass away tomorrow your spider would care less. Your dog or cat is much different...they would miss you.

Dealing with losses at my level in the hobby is much different then others. While I'm saddened by the loss...I toss the deceased in my roach bin or springtail culture and replace the Tarantula in the collection (circle of life). Even though personally I'm saddened by the lose I cant truly love something that doesn't return it. Spiders feel no emotions toward anything so I've kinda developed the same thing over the decades.
Again I'm not trying to make small of someone losing their pet. Just giving another point of view on how to deal with loss weather it helps in anyway or helps someone else.

 

[ilovebrachys]

Sorry for your loss.
I agree with what @Phil said 100%.
**Long time keeper view**
This isnt to be little or make fun of the situation but how I deal with losses after nearly 40 years raising tarantulas.

This is coming from a tarantula breeder/collector that trades 100s-1000s of spiders every year.

While I know some people keep only a few as pets...some people that keep lots may have similar views or not.

I've personally never had the same feeling with spiders as I would a dog or cat. Spiders don't have any feelings or emotions to humans what so ever. If you were to pass away tomorrow your spider would care less. Your dog or cat is much different...they would miss you.

Dealing with losses at my level in the hobby is much different then others. While I'm saddened by the loss...I toss the deceased in my roach bin or springtail culture and replace the Tarantula in the collection (circle of life). Even though personally I'm saddened by the lose I cant truly love something that doesn't return it. Spiders feel no emotions toward anything so I've kinda developed the same thing over the decades.
Again I'm not trying to make small of someone losing their pet. Just giving another point of view on how to deal with loss weather it helps in anyway or helps someone else.

Totally agree with what @Arachnoclown says.. It is sad to lose them but we don't keep springtails or roaches so any spider that passes on goes in the bin and life goes on... If it was the only one we had of a particular species then get another one to keep in the collection

 

[ExMember]

Thanks for the responses! I think it's interesting that when someone's cat or dog or even hamster passes away most people acknowledge the grieving process. But most wouldn't care about spiders scorpions etc. Hence the reason I posted this thread.

Sorry for your loss.
I agree with what @Phil said 100%.
**Long time keeper view**
This isnt to be little or make fun of the situation but how I deal with losses after nearly 40 years raising tarantulas.

This is coming from a tarantula breeder/collector that trades 100s-1000s of spiders every year.

While I know some people keep only a few as pets...some people that keep lots may have similar views or not.

I've personally never had the same feeling with spiders as I would a dog or cat. Spiders don't have any feelings or emotions to humans what so ever. If you were to pass away tomorrow your spider would care less. Your dog or cat is much different...they would miss you.

Dealing with losses at my level in the hobby is much different then others. While I'm saddened by the loss...I toss the deceased in my roach bin or springtail culture and replace the Tarantula in the collection (circle of life). Even though personally I'm saddened by the lose I cant truly love something that doesn't return it. Spiders feel no emotions toward anything so I've kinda developed the same thing over the decades.
Again I'm not trying to make small of someone losing their pet. Just giving another point of view on how to deal with loss weather it helps in anyway or helps someone else.

Thanks for this \m/

I think that there is definitely a switch in thinking as the invert collection expands. It gets hard to think of them as individual pets over the collection as a whole. I get asked how many spiders I have. When I say 20+ most people react negatively. If I had 20 cats (would be awesome eh?) I would be recognized as some kind of hoarder. But 20 spiders is a drop in the bucket. I could easily double that and still look after them with no problems. But to the uninitiated it seems like a lot.

When stuff like this happens my instinct is to question the husbandry. But in this case I am pretty sure that was a non issue. But live and learn I guess.

And having Chong grow and do well will probably help in the long run. My plan was possibly breed them if luck blessed me to have the breeding pair but I guess that wasn't in the cards atm.

Thanks again for all the advice and condolences. Means a lot to me