spiderling care

[j d caisey]

Hi all,i've just got my first 2 spiderlings,a mexican red rump and a mexican red knee.They have a leg span of 1cm and i've got them in plastic tubs 85mm in diameter on coco fibre substrate which is inside a large plastic exo terra heated to 27 degrees with a 5"x11" heat mat.I know the importance of cleaning up leftover food boluses with larger spiders but i'm feeding them micro crickets and i can't find any waste after feeding. Is the amount that's leftover neglegible,or should i change the substrate every so often?I understand Brachypelmas are slow growers so i guess they will be in the tubs they are in for a while.As i said i'm completely new to spiderlings so any advice or tips anyone can give me will be greatly appreciated.

[Mark Harrison]

Hi jd and welcome to the hobby, you wont need to change the substrate just look out for any remains (legs etc) to limit amount for mites to latch on to. The one thing i personally found out about rearing slings is the humidity, slings can drink whts called capillary water which is water absorbed into the substrate. And as you are keeping them more humid than you would when theyre adult they should be fine. B.Vagans are tough little spiders in all fairness, not so sure about Smithi's though.

[j d caisey]

Thanks for the reply Mark.Both slings are feeding well but the vagans is alot more active.It hasn't stopped digging burrows since i got it! The smithi doesn't move around much at all but I'm not too worried as it's eating fine.I am keeping them nice and humid adding a little water every couple of days.I was just a bit worried about the build up of waste.I'm feeding them both 6 micros a week and there never seems to be anything left.My name is John by the way.I registered with my initials as i'm a bts member and now that's all that comes up on my posts.Do you know if there is any way to change it?

[Mark Harrison]

B.Vagans are like the red bull of spiders haha my Vagans is quite an aggressive beast and treats its food with little respect. Its pretty hard to satisfy a slings appetite : and i dont believe you can feed them too much. The best thing to do is vary their diet, and as for the remains if they're are any the T's will push it into a corner most likely (very clean creatures haha).

As for any problems with your name, id advise sending a message to Mark Pennall (site admin) unless one of the other members can help you.

[j d caisey]

Thanks for the advice Mark. I'll message Mark pennell about my user name.

[michaelmckinney]

Thats crazy because my Brachepelmas are the opposite. My vagans is like a lazy teenager LOL and my smithi I think has been possessed by an H. lividum LOL.

[j d caisey]

It just goes to show that they've all got their own personalities just like us.