chile rose spiderling hiding

[vincent winyard]

hi there i have a problem i`ve got a chile rose spiderling but cant find her anywhere in the tank. i gently took out her water dish and half log but she`s nowhere to be seen. she couldn`t have got out because it`s very secure. is it possible she has burrowed prehaps to moult or would she moult on the surface.

[Stuart Lee]

How big is your tank and how big is the spiderling ? Usually you should keep them in a really small space if they are small. They do a bit of digging but you should be able to see where its made a hide, You sure it couldnt escape?

[Craig Mackay]

How big is your sling? I would avoid a water dish when they're so small. They could drown easily. Just wet some sphagnum moss or a small area of the substrate occasionally and they'll get plenty hydaration from that.

[vincent winyard]

the tank is 12 by 15 inches and the spiderling`s about half inch but there`s no way she could get out. i was told the tank was ok to house her.

[Brendan Owens]

Hi Vincent,

12 x15 is quite big for 1/2 inch sling. They say 2 - 3 times the leg span is sufficient. I would have thought it has burrowed down a little to feel more secure. I would just leave things as they are for now and try not to disturb things too much. You might find it burrowing further to escape. A drastic measure as a last resort would be slowly flood your tank once the water level reached your spid it should show itself

[vincent winyard]

hi craig the spiderling`s about half inch. thank`s for the advice concerning the water.

[vincent winyard]

thank`s brendon hopefully the spiderling will surface soon and i wont have to take drastic measures.

[Phil Rea]

I would avoid flooding the tank, you may drown the spider

Spiderlings of most tarantulas (even arboreals, such as Poecilotheria spp.) will burrow when they're small, so you're probably OK, and the spider will dig itself out.

[vincent winyard]

Thanks so much for yor advice how long should i leave things alone for

[James Box]

your tank is big, but then so is the wild! spiderlings manage ok there.
as Phil said, it's probably dug in somewhere. i've had numerous spiderlings do that, and it's a sign they've settled in and followed their instincts.
it's a pain cause you often have to take it on faith they're alive, but i'm sure if you keep tending to its food and slight hydration needs, it'll be just fine.

[vincent winyard]

Hi there
I'll just leave things alone and keep everything crossed that she is in there some where and ok
thanks for your reply

[Robert Martin]

Hey vincent,
What lid is on the 12x15 tank? You'll be surprised the gap spiders can squeeze themselves through! I'm sure the sling will turn up but perhaps when it does you should size the tank down. With my slings i always use a small hide and they usually reside under it. Also try use a small clear tub with just enough substrate in it that if they do burrow then you can just look underneath and you should see the sling in its little home its made!! That way you can still keep an eye on them!