Feeding my Pinktoe

[Hemsley]

Hi, I have recently (a couple of weeks ago) got a pinktoe, she is about 3 inches ls at the moment.
For the first week and a half, she would move around the tank until she bumped into any crickets or they bumped into her, so she could eat them.
She has now built a web off of the ground and doesnt seem to come out looking for food, even though there are crickets in the tank. She likes to sit at the entrance to her web.
Should i try to feed the crickets to her by dropping them into her web, or will she go out hunting if she gets hungry?

I would be grateful for any advice.

Wes

[John]

Hi if she hasnt eaten the crickets in a couple of days of them being in there take them out its best to jsut in case shes getting ready for a molt and try again to put cricks in for another couple of days in about 4-7 days time dont be worried as long as temps humidity is fine and water provide, dont worry and if she has built a web and she disapears for a while leave her she probably molting or wants some privacy dont forget t's are nocturnal and like to hunt at dusk onwards. She will feel more secure in her web

[Steve Coe]

Thanks for the advice John, I'm having a similar problem...

[Stuart Lee]

Actually mines doing the same lol..

[Lisa Baines]

We noticed our male do that, over a period of several months he made a perfect tube up the corner of his tank.

He gradually went off his food and eventually he shed. might be the run up to shedding. because after he had shed he didn't bother with the tunnel anymore

[James Box]

i've got a little avic (unsexed) that has made a long tunnel from top to bottom and uses it a fair amount. she eats however.
it's easy to get tempted to overfeed, Hemsley (btw welcome to the forum!), but tarantulas usually only need feeding once a week or less...about as much food as would be equal to the size of the abdomen is a good rule of thumb, i think.
others may have other opinions on that, but doubt we'll vary by more than a cricket
what John said is true...a moult may be approaching, and T's don't eat before and after a moult for about a week either side....and opportunistic crickets may bite the T while it's still soft post moult.

enjoy your T! Avics are a great genus.

[Lisa Baines]

enjoy your T! Avics are a great genus.

oh yeah they're great when they learn that when you put your hands near the lid it means it will be opening soon, and they wait ready to leg it out hehehehe!!

Apart from that aspect we had with ours, they are lovely!

[Alexander Ramsey]

my juvy lividum is the same

Hi, I have a lividum of around 1-2 years. Within a day of getting her she had built a reasonably elaborat tunnel system which topped out into a green jar I put in there. She would sit in the green jar all day and ate nothing for a week or more. Even when I coaxed crickets into the jar she let them out. Then about 10 days after I had her, she dragged a molted skin up from the tunnel and left it at the back of the jar, where I gently recovered it for sexing purposes. About 3 or 4 days after that I only had large crickets (which I give Esmy, my adult rosea), I persuaded the smallest of these into the jar and video'd (?) the take down! Truly incredible! Unfortunately I am unable (through sheer lack of knowledge) to upload the vid.
Anyway, she ate 3 in a week so I was happy all was well. The week after, I put a couple of size 3 crickets in and a large one. She opted for the smaller.
Now she has sealed herself in the jar with a thin layer of web and uses this to catch unwitting passers by.
The other thing with her is nights. I have a light on a timer as my T's live in the cellar and when I get up for work at stupid o'clock it is midnight in the cellar. Twice now I have caught her roaming the tank, which is great as most lividum owners will confirm a pet hole rarely regurgitates a spider!!
In summary, don't worry too much about the T, worry about the temp, humidity, food etc and the T will look after itself!!

[michaelmckinney]

Well I think I'm lucky cos both my Lividums are always going in and out of their burrows all day long LOL!!!! So I'll try not to gloat too much LOL. I have 2 Avicularia Sp. Peru Purple juvies, and I find with mine anyway they love their food just dropped on their webs. But if the crix end up on the ground of the tank, they are gone the next day cos as everyone was saying, they will hunt at nite. Another thing if a moult is really close you will notice their abdomen slightly swelled and shiny.

Michael.

[michaelmckinney]

WEY HEY!!!!!! that was my 100TH POST!!!!!! I'm now a senior member yes!!!!! LOL And I will be purchasing a BTS Membership very soon, no one may care but I'M EXCITED LOL!!!!!

Michael.