Request For Sanity Check, A. hentzi S'lings

[lmh]

Hey all, I need a bit of a sanity check. Im not a brand new hobbyist but Im no expert by any strech. I recently purchased 3 A. hentzi s'lings and lost all 3. Seems to me that, aside from being really upset with myself, I need to get a sort of sanity check when it comes to husbandry because it's most likely that was the problem. They were all super small... maybe .25" legspan. Put all 3 in unmodifiedTarantula Cribs s'ling enclosures. Filled them most of the way up w/coco fiber and kept them 1/2 dry, half damp but let them mostly dry out between watering. Fed fruit flies. bient temps ranged from 68 degrees F at night to mid-hogh 70s during the day. Nonheat lamps or anything for them to hurt themselves on... and still all 3 gone. So, for anyone who's successfully raised this spp. from s'ling, how did you/are you keeping yours? Does it sound like Im doing anything glaringly wrong/poorly? Any suggestions? TIA.

 

[Oursapoil]

Sorry for your losses and welcome to the forum.

 

[MiaWolf42]

I m sorry for your loss. I haven't raised them from slings.

 

[Egon]

I know we read all of the time that mites are harmless to tarantulas, but could they be a problem for slings?

I raise fruitflies to feed my newt and the cultures are always full of mites.

I’m also rising a .25” A. hentzi sling (pretty much same methods as you).

 

[DustyD]

The smallest I have raised have been about 3/4 inch to 1 inch. But I have been doing some research on very small slings and a common theme is that they are particularly delicate at this stage. They apparently lack the protective skin of older tarantulas. So some extra care seems needed. Richard at Tarantula Collective says he keeps his small slings at somewhat warmer temperatures than his other tarantulas.

Hopefully others will add more information and please definitely do more research if you want to try again.

 

[birdonfire]

Too dry.

 

[sunset]

I keep all my slings moist substrate. I also have them In the warmest area mid 80s, I don't usually water them unless I see the top layer getting dry. Then I use a small mister and mist them. I haven't used fruit flies since about a month after henzi came. They were such a pain. So I just cut what ever feeder insect I had available, usually either dubia, meal worms, or runners. Removed the following day. I have a mixture for my substrate. I use jungle, creature, coco, and add a little charcoal. I add another soil as well, but can't remember the name but I had wood chips, moss and top w some carbon. I mix it all in a big tub. I spray it down filled half way pack it. Add more then add moss, leaves, cork, an plastic plant. All my tiniest slings, hide under the big leaves or behind them and some web all around it. Im also super careful w the amount of moisture I have inside. If the enclosure seems a bit too wet, I leave enough space to add either some moss or cocofiber at the top. I have also read a lot on the slings, and have come across the same information, that slings don't have a good exoskeleton to lock in moisture. I also saw ricks video as well. It's where I got the idea of the warming spot for the tiniest sling stage. Like a mini incubator of sorts. As they get bigger I have lowered the amount of moisture to the regular husbandry requirements. Like when they get to be about 1 in or so or even sprout some hairs, I'll start cutting back. I haven't lost any t as of yet this round. I just started back up in Sept ish last year, so not that long. But I do have several species at various ages and all have been molting and eating great so far. My henzi might of had a bit of a feeding strike last year for about a month. I noticed its food piece never became a shell. I just kept offering new pieces when it was time and misted the lid and side it wasn't on so it had access to the droplets.
I'm so sorry you lost all three. Sometimes even when we do everything right, what nature wants nature decides. Best of luck this time around. Definitely don't give up. This is such an amazing hobby with so many amazing different people in it, and there is always room to learn and grow.

 

[m0lsx]

In return for a mature male Brachypelma, we gained about 15 minuscule slings around six months ago due to successful breeding. We now have 10 left. All survived the first month or two & our last loss was 2 within the same week, a short while ago.

The sad reality is. Even in identical conditions, some slings will die & some will thrive.