Is My Tarantula Too Fed?

[Yuzan]

I’m kinda worried whether I’m feeding my tarantula too much. I’m kinda new in the hobby and this is my first 1-inch or so tarantula and I was wondering if this one’s overfed or something. Thank you in advance for your responses!

 

[Keke713]

How often are you feeding? Also you really don’t have to mist the enclosure. Just keep one half of the sub moist so the T can choose which ever it prefers.

 

[Nightstalker47]

I’m kinda worried whether I’m feeding my tarantula too much. I’m kinda new in the hobby and this is my first 1-inch or so tarantula and I was wondering if this one’s overfed or something. Thank you in advance for your responses!

Looks like a healthy specimen to me, add a water dish in the enclosure though.

G.porteri are super slow growers, so one cricket a week is more then enough for a T of that size. You can feed more often, but this may induce a fast and very long pre molt phase.

 

[Yuzan]

How often are you feeding? Also you really don’t have to mist the enclosure. Just keep one half of the sub moist so the T can choose which ever it prefers.

I’m feeding it once a week. I will do moist the half like you said. Thanks a lot! This really helps me out.

Looks like a healthy specimen to me, add a water dish in the enclosure though.

G.porteri are super slow growers, so one cricket a week is more then enough for a T of that size. You can feed more often, but this may induce a fast and very long pre molt phase.

I will add the waterdish asap. Thank you for the information this really helps me out. I’ll make sure to feed it once a week. I wouldn’t want a long premolt-phase. Just my own preference.

 

[boina]

Are we talking about a G. porteri here? If so it should be on DRY substrate and it definitely should not be sprayed with water. And, no, it doesn't look fat

 

[Otteresting]

Even if it looked fat, you can just expect to a longer premolt. Being fat doesnt mean that your tarantula is in poor health, just that she'll eventually become more fragile to basically everything that would hurt her abdomen

 

[Yuzan]

Are we talking about a G. porteri here? If so it should be on DRY substrate and it definitely should not be sprayed with water. And, no, it doesn't look fat

I read this a bit late but omg thank you for telling me that I’ll no longer moist his substrate then.

Even if it looked fat, you can just expect to a longer premolt. Being fat doesnt mean that your tarantula is in poor health, just that she'll eventually become more fragile to basically everything that would hurt her abdomen

I see, if my tarantula will be in a longer premolt does it mean that its growth will be “slower”?

 

[Paul1126]

I see, if my tarantula will be in a longer premolt does it mean that its growth will be “slower”?

Yes, long pre moults are inevitable with slow growing species.
If you feed once a week like I do on my slow growing brachys I probably can expect 1-3 months of pre moult from that specimen.

A spider that size will probably moult on a 8-12 month cycle I would imagine.

 

[Andrea82]

Are we talking about a G. porteri here? If so it should be on DRY substrate and it definitely should not be sprayed with water. And, no, it doesn't look fat

Slings require a bit more moisture though if I remember correctly?

@Yuzan
Your spider looks healthy, not fat at all.

 

[Yuzan]

Slings require a bit more moisture though if I remember correctly?

@Yuzan
Your spider looks healthy, not fat at all.

So... should I moist my substrate then?

 

[Andrea82]

So... should I moist my substrate then?

I would do half, and just a little bit. If the spider sits more on the dry half of the substrate, you can keep her drier. If she sits on the moistened half, you know you can keep her a bit more humid. This species hates too much moisture so she'll tell you exactly what she likes

 

[dmac]

So... should I moist my substrate then?

I use a small (3 mL) syringe as a dropper and avoid the water misting all over. But yeah, like the others said, you can moisten half.

 

[Nightstalker47]

You don't need to moisten the sub at all for a juvie rosea, just be sure it has a water dish...you can overflow occasionally if you must.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I’m kinda worried whether I’m feeding my tarantula too much. I’m kinda new in the hobby and this is my first 1-inch or so tarantula and I was wondering if this one’s overfed or something. Thank you in advance for your responses!

Looks like a average T not overfed! Looks fine tho , I had a overly fat sling die once. I think due to cold winter temps. Went below 65 I think indoors. Had a window air leak GOt as low as 60 container was a little wet . It was first of that type I had.

 

[darkness975]

I’m kinda worried whether I’m feeding my tarantula too much. I’m kinda new in the hobby and this is my first 1-inch or so tarantula and I was wondering if this one’s overfed or something. Thank you in advance for your responses!

At that size they eat a lot and molt a lot. It looks fine.

Give it a small water dish. You can moisten a portion of the substrate as stated above.