Feeding?

[verycoolady]

Hi all, I’ve got a quick n silly question to ask:what do i do with the crickets i feed the tarantula? I’ve impulsively decided to get a Antilles pinktoe tarantula (or at least plan like I’m going to get one), ive never cared for a spider or reptile or anything before. Do i have to get a whole container for the crickets? how often do i need to get a new batch of them? are they loud? whats it like dealing w them when ur not feeding? Im trying to get a better idea of what my life w a tarantula.

also bless this site, ive been thinking abt tarantulas for an hr and already have found the info/people from here to be above and beyond anywhere else, thank u all!

 

[Paul1126]

You will have to buy the whole container unless they are nice enough to give you a couple.

I kept crickets in a deep box, they jump far but not high. They can't climb smooth surfaces and yes the males are loud they will chirp even if you buy 'silent' crickets.
And if you lose a Male it's a friggin nightmare.

 

[moricollins]

Hi all, I’ve got a quick n silly question to ask:what do i do with the crickets i feed the tarantula? I’ve impulsively decided to get a Antilles pinktoe tarantula (or at least plan like I’m going to get one), ive never cared for a spider or reptile or anything before. Do i have to get a whole container for the crickets? how often do i need to get a new batch of them? are they loud? whats it like dealing w them when ur not feeding? Im trying to get a better idea of what my life w a tarantula.

also bless this site, ive been thinking abt tarantulas for an hr and already have found the info/people from here to be above and beyond anywhere else, thank u all!

You should pick up mealworms, they're even easier to use for feeding than crickets. A container of 50 mealworms will last you a month or two and you keep them in the fridge so they're always fresh.

Otherwise for crickets, you will need to get them a container to live in and feed the crickets

 

[Surfing Tigress]

Hi all, I’ve got a quick n silly question to ask:what do i do with the crickets i feed the tarantula? I’ve impulsively decided to get a Antilles pinktoe tarantula (or at least plan like I’m going to get one), ive never cared for a spider or reptile or anything before. Do i have to get a whole container for the crickets? how often do i need to get a new batch of them? are they loud? whats it like dealing w them when ur not feeding? Im trying to get a better idea of what my life w a tarantula.

I buy crickets about once every two weeks. I buy a dozen large and a dozen small to accommodate both size Ts I have; they both go in the same container. I have one of those small plastic critter containers with the slotted lid I keep them in (like they put hermit crabs in for example) with a little food and water dish. Always get them with egg crate (usually you just ask the pet store for them with egg crate and they put a piece in their bag with them). The egg crate helps a lot with keeping them alive. I use the dried cricket food as I find the blue/orange gel kind dries out far too fast and I just end up wasting it. I always get more than I will need because inevitably some will die; when I buy a new batch I dump the old one outside (with the dead and what's still alive, rinse the container, and plop the new ones in with the egg crate). I use feeding tweezers/tongs to just grab them by the leg and put them in the Ts cage.

As someone previously said, the mealworms are admittedly easier to keep, but none of my Ts will eat them at all.

Best of luck

 

[RezonantVoid]

I go through anything between 750-1250 crickets a month (including pinheads for mass sling feeding, each size i get comes in lots of 250). After almost a decade of keeping crickets for feeders, I'm just used to the chirping and I kid you not, the sound actually helps me get to sleep at this point mealworms are probably better for a beginner/small collection, but can burrow into the T's substrate if not caught, which can be problematic if they start munching on your T while it is molting.
To keep crickets alive, I put them in a medium sized plastic tub with a bunch of 5mm ventilation holes. They will eat pretty much any fruit or vegetable you put in their enclosure and for water I have a soaked tissue in a small plastic dish. That's just to stop them drowning in the dish, but I do have to replace the tissue every 2 weeks or so because it inevitably gets quite dirty. All my spiders definitely seem to prefer them over mealworms, probably because mealworms wouldn't be as often encountered in the wild since they burrow through rotting logs and aren't just scurrying across the ground.

In the end, it's best to experiment with a few different feeders to see what works best for you and your collection

 

[Ungoliant]

I’ve impulsively decided to get a Antilles pinktoe tarantula (or at least plan like I’m going to get one), ive never cared for a spider or reptile or anything before.

You'll definitely want to post a picture of your Avic's setup for feedback (ideally before getting her), as this species is not as tolerant of errors as many other beginner species.

These two threads contain helpful information about Avics:

• Avicularia Husbandry by viper69
• Avicularia care by Venom1080

For general information about tarantulas and their care, see Tarantula Information for Beginners (and More). This thread contains links to a basic primer on care as well as more specific guides.

Do i have to get a whole container for the crickets? how often do i need to get a new batch of them? are they loud? whats it like dealing w them when ur not feeding?

You can buy crickets in small quantities from a pet store -- large quantities are overkill for one T. One Avic should eat about 1-2 crickets a week tops (depending on the size of the cricket).

When I had just one Avic, I would buy about a dozen crickets at a time and keep them in my cricket keeper until I ran out.

Crickets are pretty easy to care for, but they can get smelly. You'll need to provide a source of food (I used plain dry oatmeal) and water (I used water gel).

Generally, it's the adult males that chirp. Some people are bothered by this sound, and others are not.

You should pick up mealworms, they're even easier to use for feeding than crickets. A container of 50 mealworms will last you a month or two and you keep them in the fridge so they're always fresh.

While I agree that mealworms are easier to deal with, not all Avics will go for mealworms; many Avics seem to respond better to prey that is more mobile.

 

[moricollins]

While I agree that mealworms are easier to deal with, not all Avics will go for mealworms; many Avics seem to respond better to prey that is more mobile.

I never had any real issues with my avics taking mealworms if I placed them in their webbing.

 

[Ungoliant]

I never had any real issues with my avics taking mealworms if I placed them in their webbing.

My elderly female would not take mealworms, but my second adult female is not as picky and will take them.

For a while both of my slings would reliably take diced mealworms, but lately I've had better luck with dubia roach nymphs.

 

[Surfing Tigress]

After almost a decade of keeping crickets for feeders, I'm just used to the chirping and I kid you not, the sound actually helps me get to sleep at this point

We are the same way... we actually find the chirping soothing and notice more when its not there lol... def helps us sleep