The shop must have seen me coming!!!

[Rich.Harrington]

Well seems two has become three, as of today i've aquired a Lasiodora Parahybana. Only stopped by there to ask about some backing for a viv build this week, and what do I see right inside the door? Slings going for £5.50 each!! Just to make things worse, he had an offer on buy four get one free

Alas to say, I don't have any viv backing but a new spider instead, and knowing that he only has B.smithi's left, but that I can get five of them for £22 I have a fear I may be back this week.

Someone should really make those kind of deals from shop against the law or something


On a more positive note, this is my first ever sling. My other two spiders being first a sub adult G.Rosea, then a juvanile A.Chacoana. I had been wary of slings for a fear of mortality being higher in them. So can anyone offer me some advice to make sure this one gets the chance to become a monster like much of its species?
Foodwise i'm using nymph lobster roaches, but wondering on how many a week this sling will take, also I know they grow very fast, but can someone give me some rough figures and sizes as a guide?

To get an idea of its age currently, here's a picture of the tub, sling, and my index finger.

[Colin D Wilson]

From experience...

L. parahybana slings feed quite well and moult quite often.

starting off, i fed 6 - 8 small black field crickets per week (increased the size and amount of the food in proportion to spider),
had a moult every 4 - 6 weeks up untill around 8 months old, by that time it was a good 3 inches LS
This was in no way power feeding (as per your other posted question) but just satisfying the healthy appetite of the spider.
Mortality, unfortunately, is in the hands of the gods, sometimes you do everything right and lose the spider.

[Mark Pajak]

If you want to vary the diet try worms! My L.paraybana loves 'em but none of my other spiders will touch them. Mind you My L.para will eat anything and everything (live or dead).

all being well you are going to have a very large spider in about 6 - 12months year. After two years you'll have a giant!

[Peter Roach]

£5.50 EACH !!!!!!! OUCH !!

I paid £1.45 for mine, mind you I did get 20 of them

Lee at the spidershop sells them for £1.75ea

http://www.thespidershop.co.uk/insect/product_info.php?products_id=32

Even though the P&P is £6.50 .. just add a few more slings and it will be worth it

I feed mine as much as they will each twice a week (which generally means 2-4 number 2 crickets twice a week)
I'm saving my lobsters until they multiply a few hundred times more. I've had a large explosion of 100's of babies in the last few weeks,so when they get to adulthood in a few months ...... lots and lots of 'em to choose from.