- Joined
- Nov 1, 2012
- Messages
- 875
So, I went to take my son to Disneyland the past week and we were there for about 7 to 8 days. I made sure to feed and water and spray all of my spiders before we left and before we left, they all seemed completely content and happy.
But, when we got back, I went to go maintenance my babies, and two… yes, you heard it right… TWO of my adult females were dead. Mind you these were two of some of the most pricey and rare spiders I have. Needless to say I was heartbroken. But my sadness quickly turned to curiosity… And I just kept asking myself, “what the hell went wrong!?”
While trying to play detective, I realized that while I had certainly given them all food/water/lot of spritzing before LA, those two spiders had many dead crickets their dishes (more than any other’s) and thus the water was murky and had a stale smell. Those two spiders were on a top shelf, and I believe it was my mistake that maybe I just visually missed it?
Now, I live right next to a Taqueria and I steal their salsa cups and lids at any chance I get to use for new slings and/or replacement water dishes, so they do get water bowl changes semi regularly. I suppose I had not replaced a few dirty water dishes in the frenzy of getting an 8 yr old ready for the “greatest place on earth.”
Unless anyone can think of you have any other clues, it seems that there were no other reasons I could think of besides, maybe them drinking out of that dirty water dish possibly that could make sense as to why they both died.
We really weren’t gone that long and they were fine when I left, and all had water and food.
I mostly only feed crickets (person preference) but I do know that they always seem to have a tendency to want to commit suicide in the water dishes. And I can only assume, septic environment in the water dishes. And, due to good ‘ol biology and pathology, it’s possible that perhaps the dead crickets that were in the water dishes had decomposed and created a septic environment in the water dish from which my spiders may have drank and gotten sick/died.
I’ve been a hobbyist since probably 2010-ish (about almost 15 years) so it’s deeply disheartening that this sad occasion occurred. I am devastated.
By posting this, I just wish to “solve the crime,” so I never make this mistake again…
PLEASE BY KIND in your comments, I am already completely gutted, it even took me a couple of days to want to post this because I felt so guilty. I swear I did everything else right to the T (no pun intended) before I left for a week, except I guess change a few water bowls). That’s why I can only think that the dirty dishes may have had something to do with their untimely deaths.
But, when we got back, I went to go maintenance my babies, and two… yes, you heard it right… TWO of my adult females were dead. Mind you these were two of some of the most pricey and rare spiders I have. Needless to say I was heartbroken. But my sadness quickly turned to curiosity… And I just kept asking myself, “what the hell went wrong!?”
While trying to play detective, I realized that while I had certainly given them all food/water/lot of spritzing before LA, those two spiders had many dead crickets their dishes (more than any other’s) and thus the water was murky and had a stale smell. Those two spiders were on a top shelf, and I believe it was my mistake that maybe I just visually missed it?
Now, I live right next to a Taqueria and I steal their salsa cups and lids at any chance I get to use for new slings and/or replacement water dishes, so they do get water bowl changes semi regularly. I suppose I had not replaced a few dirty water dishes in the frenzy of getting an 8 yr old ready for the “greatest place on earth.”
Unless anyone can think of you have any other clues, it seems that there were no other reasons I could think of besides, maybe them drinking out of that dirty water dish possibly that could make sense as to why they both died.
We really weren’t gone that long and they were fine when I left, and all had water and food.
I mostly only feed crickets (person preference) but I do know that they always seem to have a tendency to want to commit suicide in the water dishes. And I can only assume, septic environment in the water dishes. And, due to good ‘ol biology and pathology, it’s possible that perhaps the dead crickets that were in the water dishes had decomposed and created a septic environment in the water dish from which my spiders may have drank and gotten sick/died.
I’ve been a hobbyist since probably 2010-ish (about almost 15 years) so it’s deeply disheartening that this sad occasion occurred. I am devastated.
By posting this, I just wish to “solve the crime,” so I never make this mistake again…
PLEASE BY KIND in your comments, I am already completely gutted, it even took me a couple of days to want to post this because I felt so guilty. I swear I did everything else right to the T (no pun intended) before I left for a week, except I guess change a few water bowls). That’s why I can only think that the dirty dishes may have had something to do with their untimely deaths.