1st tarantula
- Thread starter bokoblur
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- Mar 14, 2003
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1. Provide it with a secure enclosure with a snap tight lid like a Condiment Cup you might get Salsa in or a little Tupperware container . Make doubly sure you poke holes in it for ventilation.
2. Buy Crickets and/or Mealworms that are no larger than the Tarantula itself. If they seem to be larger than the sling, you will have to kill it by freezing it then letting it thaw before feeding it to the sling. I've found slings are not picky eaters. They will eat any crickets dead or alive.
3. Make sure the room temperature is about 25 - 30 Degrees Celsius. And be sure the room you are storing your Tarantuila in does not get cold and drafty in the winter time.
I guess these are pretty much the basics of raising slings. I have several of them myself and boy are they getting big. Plus My Greenbottle Blue has graduated from Pinhead crickets to larger prey. I feel like such a proud parent.
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- Mar 14, 2003
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The Abdomen is a good sign. But also you should at least feed it once or twice a week. Slings get most of their water intake from their prey until their large enough to drink water. I don't know if anyone else does this but I take an eye dropper and put a tiny little drop of water on the substrate I put in the Deli Cups for my slings just in case they need a little humidity or they want to get a drink. The most important thing about feeding is that if you notice your sling hasn't eaten it's prey within a 24 hour period, you have to remove the prey because slings can grow like weeds. Feeder crickets especially will prey on a smaller sling during a molt.Originally posted by bokoblur
how to see whether a tarantula is hungry? see the abomen?
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if you 'overfeed' a sling, it will just molt more often, and grow faster in most cases.
However, there is a school of thought that it's not good to feed an adult T too much, as they can get TOO big, and the likelyhood of a severe injury if they fall or are dropped increases.
That being said, many people here (including myself) have Ts with very fat abdomens.
It's a choice that you have to make, whether to 'powerfeed' or not.
Personally, when I only had a few tarantulas, I powerfed more often. Now that I have over 100 slings, I just can't be bothered!
However, there is a school of thought that it's not good to feed an adult T too much, as they can get TOO big, and the likelyhood of a severe injury if they fall or are dropped increases.
That being said, many people here (including myself) have Ts with very fat abdomens.
It's a choice that you have to make, whether to 'powerfeed' or not.
Personally, when I only had a few tarantulas, I powerfed more often. Now that I have over 100 slings, I just can't be bothered!
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- Jul 17, 2002
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bokoblur
there is no easy answer as the species, temp, food items, etc will affect how often a powerfed sling molts. Also, the larger a slings gets, the less often they will molt.
I have a B emilia sling that might give you an idea of how often to expect a molt.
I keep it at 80 degrees, and feed it 2-3 times per week:
purchased from Alex Orleans (Tarantulas.com) on October 19, 2002, it had just molted that day to .5"
November 22, 2002 to .75"
January 29, 2003 to 1"
April 12, 2003 to 1.25"
June 18, 2003 to almost 2"
I think that it *may* be a male, since Brachypelmas are slow growers, and even with feeding alot and high temps, that seems like a very fast growth rate to me.
there is no easy answer as the species, temp, food items, etc will affect how often a powerfed sling molts. Also, the larger a slings gets, the less often they will molt.
I have a B emilia sling that might give you an idea of how often to expect a molt.
I keep it at 80 degrees, and feed it 2-3 times per week:
purchased from Alex Orleans (Tarantulas.com) on October 19, 2002, it had just molted that day to .5"
November 22, 2002 to .75"
January 29, 2003 to 1"
April 12, 2003 to 1.25"
June 18, 2003 to almost 2"
I think that it *may* be a male, since Brachypelmas are slow growers, and even with feeding alot and high temps, that seems like a very fast growth rate to me.
ive had a Chaco sling for about a month or more now. I think it ate 2x. I cant even power feed it if i wanted to. she burrows and closes the entrance off with dirt + web and when she eventually comes back out, she's the same size!
my rule of thumb...As long as their abs are fat and theyre not pacing around, theyre happy.
my rule of thumb...As long as their abs are fat and theyre not pacing around, theyre happy.
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- Sep 1, 2002
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So many people have red knees as their first species. I am one of them. It must be for a reason but I do not know what it is. Mine was because it was all that was available at teh time.
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- Jun 30, 2003
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You are doomed, T's can become a great addiction.
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If you dont want to freeze and thaw out crickets, just grab them with tweezers/forceps and mame them so they are half dead but still squirm so the tarantula can feel the vibrations.
Mark
Mark