L. parahybana feeding + question

Enn49

Arachnosquire
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Apr 3, 2014
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I took delivery of 2 L. parahybana slings 10 days ago, 1 is just over an 1" the other just under. Since they arrived I have fed them 2-3 small crickets on 3 separate occasions, all have been eaten. Today the larger sling grabbed a cricket in seconds. Question is, is this about the right amount, too much or too little? Thanks

Hungry baby
 

trailblazin02

Arachnopeon
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Mar 13, 2013
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I've got about 12 lp slings and offer food about every 3 days. Ill leave it in for a few hours and if they haven't eaten it ill take it out. But they will eat as much as they can handle it seems. They grow a lot and often so id keep doing what your doing for now. When they get bigger u feed less frequently.
 

cold blood

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Until they get large, one cricket per feeding is more than enough, otherwise 3 feedings in 10 days is just fine, less would be ok as well. I tend to feed my faster growing slings about every 2-5 days depending on the size of the last meal...slower growing species are generally offered food every 6-12 days depending on the individuals attitude. More you feed, the faster they will molt and grow.
 

Poec54

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Mar 26, 2013
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Until they get large, one cricket per feeding is more than enough.
That depends on the size of the cricket relative to the spider. The person may not have the ideal size for a 'one-cricket feeding', and 2 or 3 smaller cickets may equal it's mass. Over the course of a week, young crickets can put on a lot of size, so the size of 'small' crickets is wide open. With adults, a big female cricket may have 2 or 3 times the mass of males. I just don't think you can go by a fixed number of crickets for feeding, as it varies so much.
 

Enn49

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Apr 3, 2014
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Thank you for the replies.

I do try to give the 2 L. parahybanas the smallest, around 8mm, then the P. metallica gets the larger ones every 6 days or so.
 

cold blood

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That depends on the size of the cricket relative to the spider. The person may not have the ideal size for a 'one-cricket feeding', and 2 or 3 smaller cickets may equal it's mass. Over the course of a week, young crickets can put on a lot of size, so the size of 'small' crickets is wide open. With adults, a big female cricket may have 2 or 3 times the mass of males. I just don't think you can go by a fixed number of crickets for feeding, as it varies so much.
Excellent point, I was just thinking good sized crickets...but you're right, if they were tiny pinheads that would be a meager feeding. It is all relative.

My crickets are constantly eating and molting as well and by the time I get to the end of the small ones, they're almost medium sized....They don't stay small very long.
 

Jones0911

Arachnobaron
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Mar 5, 2013
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406
from the looks of your T, you can definitely give it adult crickets because it looks like you have on the lid and you took a top view and it still has some size for that distance.

I say go with adults crickets.

also I say feed lt until it wants no more don't limit food.
 

Enn49

Arachnosquire
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Apr 3, 2014
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105
The larger, bolder LP ate 2 crickets in a couple of hours yesterday and the smaller, shy one ate 2 overnight.

In the UK we are lucky being able to order crickets in a variety of sizes:-

Micro 1-3mm
Small 4-5mm
Medium/small 6-8mm
Medium 8-12mm
Standard 12-18mm
Large 15-20mm
Extra large 20-30mm

It makes it so much easier to buy just the right size. I buy the extra large for the P. vittata, G. rosea and P. murinus but I had been buying the medium/small 6-8mm for the slings. Maybe I'll get the medium on my next order as people here seem to think they can cope with larger prey.
 
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