Feeding spiderlings...

[Jas Lambert]

Apologies - another newbie question!

How often should spiderlings feed? Is it uncommon not to have one (B.Emilia) feed for 3 weeks? Its 4 months old and about 5cm (see pic). The T is still fairly plump and is still fairly active at night. Tried crickets (various sizes) and mealworm. Both are removed untouched after 24/48 hours. The spider seems nervous of the prey and should spider and prey touch, its the spider who runs away!

Anything else I could try?

Thanks

Jason

ps: forgot to say humidity is 70%, temp is 76 deg.

[Howard Farley (Huk7)]

Looking at it, it is full without a doubt.

Don't put any more food in until it has moutled. That bald(ish) patch on it's abdo will turn a dark grey/black meaning the moult is imminent.

The 3 weeks is nothing and you will find it will feed like mad and then fast for longer and longer as it gets bigger/older.

[Jas Lambert]

Thanks for the reply. Puts my mind at rest a bit then seeing as I've only had it since the 5th Jan.

[Simon Batten]

some of my slings eat 3 times a week but its not uncommen for them to stop eating for a while, my adult G.Rosea hasnt eaten for 6 months

[Nicola Dolby]

feeding

I try to make sure that there is always food in my spider's enclosure. If they are hungry they will eat, if not they will leave it. However I always make sure they have to hunt for it though rather that putting it straight into their web, that way they are obeying their natural instincts. Even with babies which I feed freshly killed maggots (I know its disgusting but the spiders love them) I put them in places where the tarantula has to look for them. I wouldn't worry about a spider not eating though when it has an abdomen that size. it is probably very full and very contented.

[Jas Lambert]

Well thanks to all the advice, I removed all of the food and left the spider alone. The spider decided to bury itself in its burrow for two days and then on the third day - this appeared....



I cannot believe the size of it now! The colour change is obvious to see. I retrieved the moult and the legspan is over twice the original size.

Just to say thanks again for everyone with advice.

[Howard Farley (Huk7)]

It does look stunning Jas.

Give it a week or two and you will probably find it will start to feed well again.

At least you now know for next time!!

Howard

[Nicola Dolby]

feeding

One thing I have noticed, and I'm not sure whether this is fact right accross the board, is that there is a relationship between the amount a tarantula eats and size after moult. When they really eat a lot (ie, they are fat) the spider tends to come out of a moult much larger than normally expected. For example a spider which grows about 1cm legspan every moult can suddenly grow 3cm in one moult, then go back to 1cm a moult thereafter, the only difference being that for the particular moult concerned they were very "full". I have seen this with both a Pterinochilus and a Haplopelma, two completely different species. Also I gather weight issues can effect moults as in their regularity and how long it takes for these to happen. The latter of these again I have seen with a Stromatopelma. None of these "feeding frenzies" are artificially induced, the spider just decides to "pig out" for a few weeks for reasons of its own. Interesting subject though, I'd like it if anyone could shed some light on this for me please.