Problems Feeding my Theraphosa blondi

[Lisa Grose]

Can anyone please give me some advice on what to feed my newly purchased massive Theraphosa blondi? She is that big she turns her nose up at anything I put in and just gets stroppy with it, stridulating, flicked hairs up and bashing the floor when anything moves near her including food I've tried to give. The largest of mealworms are still too small for her to know that they are even there and I've tried frozen 'thawed' mice, giving them a wiggle and she dont want to know. Gets another strop on! She is new, but I would have thought that she would have settled in now being as it has been 5 weeks since I bought her home. The shop I bought her from kept her in a very small set up not much bigger than herself and so I haven't put her in an enclosure that is too big yet (but bigger than the one she was in) for fear of overwhelming her with space so her temporary set up is a small tank with no decoration other than a flowerpot which she has happily taken to and some water, and I haven't seen her come out of since. She heavily webbed it up after being in there for 2 days. So the weekend I pulled this away to check she is ok and she bashed the floor and told me where to go. I wiggled a mouse to her and she hissed and generallly just wont eat. She had a very large abdomen when I bought her as the shop said that she had eaten a mouse 2 days before we bought her. She has lost some weight now. I've increased the temperature and she hasn't webbed up so heavily this time. So my question to anyone who can help is what will she eat? I do not want to feed her live mice so please no suggestions being as I keep 19 gerbils it wouldn't be right. Am I not doing the thawed mouse thing right? Very puzzzled at the mo Lisa.

[Peter Roach]

To be honest Lisa, to me you are going about everything the wrong way.

Firstly . . . . .

so I haven't put her in an enclosure that is too big yet (but bigger than the one she was in) for fear of overwhelming her with space

The last time i looked Guyana (which is where T blondi generally come from) is about 83,000 sq miles which is slightly larger than any sized environment that you could provide so I am puzzled where you got the idea that she would be scared of space.

She is new, but I would have thought that she would have settled in now being as it has been 5 weeks since I bought her home.

Definitely NOT.
I generally leave newly purchased adult tarantulas totally alone for around a month (sometimes longer) only bothering them once a week when i change the water.
Five weeks is a ridiculously small amount of time to expect an adult T blondi to settle in and start feeding especially as it was fed just 2 days prior to you buying her. Try her again with something like a large dubia or locust in about 6-8 weeks time as there no need whatsoever to feed her mice or any other type of mammals.

no decoration other than a flowerpot which she has happily taken to and some water, and I haven't seen her come out of since. She heavily webbed it up after being in there for 2 days. So the weekend I pulled this away to check she is ok

So she was just settling into her new home, she found a nice place to live (the flowerpot) webbed over the entrance for a little privacy and then you tear it all down because you hadnt seen her for short period.

I have several spiders that i bought at last years BTS (2 weeks short of a year so far) . . I HAVE NEVER SEEN THEM.
So what, no big deal. A happy spider is a hidden spider.

Gets another strop on!

just gets stroppy with it, stridulating, flicked hairs up and bashing the floor when anything moves near her

So the weekend I pulled this away to check she is ok and she bashed the floor and told me where to go

Does this tell you anything ? She is basically telling you . . . . .BOG OFF AND LEAVE ME ALONE !!!!!


Last but not least . . . .How do you know that she isnt going into premoult ?
A T blondi can and will fast for 3-4 months before moulting and another 2-3 months after the moult before feeding again.

A tarantula not feeding for 5 weeks is absolutely nothing. I have slings that havent fed for longer than that, I also have a H mac that is on the porky side and I havent fed her since BEFORE last Christmas. I have had spiders that fasted for over a year with no ill effects.

As long as it has a decent sized enclosure (24in x 12in x 12in as a minimum) the temperature and humidity are within acceptable limits, it has somewhere to hide and has fresh water available at all times, just leave it alone for a few months.
No poking. checking, feeding, basically no anything.

[Lisa Grose]

Thank you peter for your very detailed response. You had me on the floor in stitches here. Message understood loud and clear. Your right on all levels and I am just over reacting. I'll follow your advice but does it not concern you when you haven't seen a t for that long? Good lord above, not seen it in twelve months! I'd check it wasn't dead or stuck in a molt. I had that happen with my red knee once and I had to help her release one of her legs. Thank you again for such a laugh. Lisa

[Nicola Dolby]

How about these 2 examples Lisa, I hope they help. First, about 3 year's ago I had a beautiful H. lividium. She was 5 years old. I'd grown her from a spiderling and she was magnificent (and very big). I hadn't seen her for a few months and I excavated her burrow. She was fine (a bit angry) so I put her away, realizing my mistake, and left her to dig a new one. Three days later (I presume from stress) she was dead. Secondly, I have an O. aureotibialis whom a friend gave me as a baby and I've raised to adulthood. Since last May I've seen her once, and not at all this year. I just put the crickets in her tank and keep the water/humidity ok and that's it. Last night I was worried and thought she had passed away, so I snuck into my spider room with a torch and there she was, on top of her burrow in her tank; moulted, bigger and totally beautiful. This girl will be 6 this year. Enough said, enjoy your lovely tarantula.

[Lisa Grose]

Thank you Nicola, that does help actually. Maybe I will pop in on a night time to take alook. She might be walking enough miles round to carry the torch for the up coming olympics for all I know lol. I also have a cobalt blue but she isn't so shy. I see her most of the time and she is clever almost like the pokie I used to have which cleaned up her own tank and put everything by the door for me so I didn't break up all her webbing when I did it. She brings her skin out for me after a molt and cleans up her left overs. Yes I will leave her alone for a long while. I can see her now as she hasn't webbed up alot now. Lisa.