Baby Damon diadema--how to tell if they're eating

Aquarimax · Jun 17, 2015

I purchased 3 very small Damon Diadema about three weeks ago, and all is well...as far as I can tell. They're in a 2.5 gallon glass aquarium with a glass lid (four small holes along the sides where the glass meets the frame for ventilation.)

The substrate is coco fiber, there is a sheet of cork bark leaning against the back glass, with 3 pieces of cork bark siliconed to the sheet to provide perching/molting sites. There's a small petri dish lid in there for water/humidity. I added some springtails (Sinella curviseta) for a cleanup crew. Right after I put the whiplings in the enclosure, I saw the whiplings strike at those, and even catch one, but they're so small...I doubt they make much of a meal.

They seem to be doing great, but I have never really seen them eat. I tried a small cricket...they were just afraid of it, so I took it out. I give them wingless Drosophila melanogaster and bean beetles. Some of them seem to disappear, but I can't be sure they're not just escaping or dying, as both species can easily climb glass, unlike the whiplings.

They look and act healthy though. No molts yet. I've heard that they don't eat that much, and that they grow slowly. I would just like to know they're eating! :biggrin:

edgeofthefreak · Jun 22, 2015

I've heard that many D. diadema are shy eaters, and it's rare to catch them in the act. I only have one - a juvie female - and she's eaten in front of a handful of times. For me, it's more that she's a lousy hunter.

She can only get certain sizes crickets, and being in Canada, don't have access to roaches. They have to have moving prey, and they seem to use their whips to spook the cricket in a predictable direction. If the cricket goes anywhere else instead, no catch. I've taken to always putting two crickets in together, as they keep each other running around. She usually catches one within 6 hours, and the other is a roommate for the next 2-3 days.

Your may be feeding, but it'll be tough to see in the act with any regularity. Mine is an active hunter, often roaming for food even when there's nothing in with her.

Also, watch for scraps... they're also famously messing eaters. If they drop their food, and it's no longer moving, they have little chance of finding it again. I have found dead mangled crickets before, but it's thankfully not too common.

pannaking22 · Jun 22, 2015

Whiplings are pretty specific about prey size, especially D. diadema. If it's too small, they will likely ignore it, if it's too large, they will definitely ignore it. They might be picking off some of the Drosophila and bean beetles, but they can be pretty slow eaters and seem to fast at times. As long as they have good humidity they'll be fine and eat whenever they're ready

Aquarimax · Jun 23, 2015

Thanks to both of you. I recently noticed that their abdomens are swelling a bit after I feed them, so they must just be eating when I am not looking. : )

Ambly · Jun 26, 2015

Size can definitely have to do with it. It also varies per species. Some, even when young, prefer much larger prey items than you'd expect while some like em small.

Aquarimax · Jun 27, 2015

Ambly said:
Size can definitely have to do with it. It also varies per species. Some, even when young, prefer much larger prey items than you'd expect while some like em small.

How I'd D. Diadema specifically in that regard?

edgeofthefreak · Jun 27, 2015

Aquarimax said:
How I'd D. Diadema specifically in that regard?

If you're unsure of what size is preferred, get a variety of sizes. Anymore, at the LPS, I ask them for slightly smaller than I'd normally want. I can raise them to bigger sizes, but it's quite the challenge to make them smaller.

Once they're past the size my D. diadema wants, I have quite a ways to go before they're the right size for my other creatures. It's a balancing act.

I'm in Canada, can't get roaches, so I only have crickets to use. You may find a better variety of prey animals in your country to choose from.

Aquarimax · Jun 28, 2015

edgeofthefreak said:
If you're unsure of what size is preferred, get a variety of sizes. Anymore, at the LPS, I ask them for slightly smaller than I'd normally want. I can raise them to bigger sizes, but it's quite the challenge to make them smaller.

Once they're past the size my D. diadema wants, I have quite a ways to go before they're the right size for my other creatures. It's a balancing act. I'm in Canada, can't get roaches, so I only have crickets to use. You may find a better variety of prey animals in your country to choose from.

Thank you...I see what you mean about the balancing act! When I have out crickets in, they always act surprised,meven afraid, never interested in hunting...at least so far.

However, they must have been eating the bean beetles and the fruit flies, because one molted! It is significantly bigger than it was. I will post pics/video soon. I think the other two may be gearing up for a molt as well. Looking a bit swollen.

edgeofthefreak · Jun 28, 2015

Grats on the successful molt!

For my own benefit, my girl always gets two crickets, and one is always just slightly bigger than the other. The enclosure I use has a nice mesh screen top, and both her and the crickets use it frequently. The crix can't get there as easily as she can, and that's her molting perch.

Do you know the sex of yours? D. diadema have a very obvious sternum shape. Orin's book has some good references on this, and it's good way to determine sex before maturity in this species.

Aquarimax · Jun 30, 2015

edgeofthefreak said:
Grats on the successful molt!

For my own benefit, my girl always gets two crickets, and one is always just slightly bigger than the other. The enclosure I use has a nice mesh screen top, and both her and the crickets use it frequently. The crix can't get there as easily as she can, and that's her molting perch.

Do you know the sex of yours? D. diadema have a very obvious sternum shape. Orin's book has some good references on this, and it's good way to determine sex before maturity in this species.

Two of the three have molted so far. I put in crickets of varying sizes, the other day, but removed them all over night for safety. I'll try again soon.

I wish I knew how to distinguish male from female, based on sternum shape. Someday I would love to read Orin's book!

Inviato dal mio iPhone utilizzando Tapatalk

pannaking22 · Jun 30, 2015

You might have to wait until they get a bit larger to sex them (or at least sex them more easily). Since you have three there's a pretty good chance that you'll at least get 1.1

Aquarimax · Jul 1, 2015

I took some photos and videos of the freshly molted whipling, then another one molted. Only one to go!

[YOUTUBE]<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nEdSGG51haQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>[/YOUTUBE]

---------- Post added 07-01-2015 at 09:35 PM ----------

For the first time, I just saw one of the newly molted ones stalk and catch a small cricket! Fascinating process, watching it "herd" the cricket with its antenniform legs, and then pounce on it.

edgeofthefreak · Jul 2, 2015

Aquarimax said:
For the first time, I just saw one of the newly molted ones stalk and catch a small cricket! Fascinating process, watching it "herd" the cricket with its antenniform legs, and then pounce on it.

It's my second favourite thing to watch them do. They sort of... chase it, with antenniform legs, and yet never really touch it. Make a movement, to try and get a predictable response from the cricket. And they'll do it over and over again, until the cricket goes juuuuust where they want, then BAM!

My favourite, is to open the top of the enclosure, and within seconds, she can detect the lids is off. Out comes a curious whip, darting around, looking for the differences. On watering days, she goes a little crazy and wanders about in the mist. Like she's drunk on distilled water.

Aquarimax said:
I took some photos and videos of the freshly molted whipling, then another one molted. Only one to go!
[YOUTUBE]nEdSGG51haQ[/YOUTUBE]

Also, I couldn't see your video, so I edited the quote to show it off for anyone else who couldn't see it.

Aquarimax · Jul 2, 2015

edgeofthefreak said:
It's my second favourite thing to watch them do. They sort of... chase it, with antenniform legs, and yet never really touch it. Make a movement, to try and get a predictable response from the cricket. And they'll do it over and over again, until the cricket goes juuuuust where they want, then BAM!

My favourite, is to open the top of the enclosure, and within seconds, she can detect the lids is off. Out comes a curious whip, darting around, looking for the differences. On watering days, she goes a little crazy and wanders about in the mist. Like she's drunk on distilled water.

Also, I couldn't see your video, so I edited the quote to show it off for anyone else who couldn't see it.

Thanks for doing that. : D I haven't quite figured out how that works. On my desktop, I can't see it,MIT on my iPad, I can see my original video posting, as well as in the quote...strange.

edgeofthefreak · Jul 2, 2015

Aquarimax said:
Thanks for doing that. : D I haven't quite figured out how that works. On my desktop, I can't see it,MIT on my iPad, I can see my original video posting, as well as in the quote...strange.

I can't just remember where I read it, but you take the random looking characters from the youtube URL and just put that into the youtube tags.

So where you have:
{YOUTUBE}<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nEdSGG51haQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>{/YOUTUBE}

I just put:
{YOUTUBE}nEdSGG51haQ{/YOUTUBE}

And of course, use [ ] instead of { }.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm guessing Safari for iPad (unless you're using another browser) corrects for this, where for me, Chrome for Windows 8.1 does not. Oh web browsers, you so crazay!

Aquarimax · Jul 3, 2015

edgeofthefreak said:
I can't just remember where I read it, but you take the random looking characters from the youtube URL and just put that into the youtube tags.

So where you have:
{YOUTUBE}<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nEdSGG51haQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>{/YOUTUBE}

I just put:
{YOUTUBE}nEdSGG51haQ{/YOUTUBE}

And of course, use [ ] instead of { }.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm guessing Safari for iPad (unless you're using another browser) corrects for this, where for me, Chrome for Windows 8.1 does not. Oh web browsers, you so crazay!

Excellent! Thanks for sharing that. I'll be linking to more videos now. : D

Aquarimax · Jul 20, 2015

I recently observed my Damon diadema hunting and catching wingless Drosophila melanogaster, so all is well. : )

pannaking22 · Jul 20, 2015

Glad to hear it!

Aquarimax · Aug 21, 2015

2 of my 3 whippings have molted again. I have also started breeding my own crickets. I now have crickets twice the size of a D. hydro fruit fly, they tae these well. : )

Aquarimax · Aug 22, 2015

Here are all three of them, the last of them having just completed its 2nd molt in my care:
[YOUTUBE]lYcpHik_Xfs[/YOUTUBE]

Baby Damon diadema--how to tell if they're eating

Arachnoprince

Arachno-titled!

Arachnoemperor

Arachnoprince

Arachnobaron

Arachnoprince

Arachno-titled!

Arachnoprince

Arachno-titled!

Arachnoprince

Arachnoemperor

Arachnoprince

Arachno-titled!

Arachnoprince

Arachno-titled!

Arachnoprince

Arachnoprince

Arachnoemperor

Arachnoprince

Arachnoprince