P. Metallica sling feeding

[rscmkj]

We have had our P. Metallica sling now for almost a month, he/she has never ate for us due to premolt. He/she molted 10 days ago and has not eaten, getting concerned for her. Can she molt again without eating. We have tried to feed her fruit flies and tiny crickets. She is about 1 1/4 inches.

 

[Theneil]

She should be able to take a medium to large cricket at that size but it could still be too soon after molting. If you can see the fangs, make sure they are jet black before trying to feed. if you can't see them, then just wait 3-5 days and try again. If it doesn't take the cricket right away then remove it. Repeat until it eats.

 

[cold blood]

Agreed, that t is way to big to feed such small items.....not to mention fruit flies are nutrient deficient and make very poor feeders anyway.

 

[Nightstalker47]

Poecs are typically great eaters, especially slings of that size...they can fast for a number of reasons, usually its a husbandry issue.

Dehydration, or poor enclosure conditions can have an impact.

Lets see some pics of your setup and the spider.

 

[viper69]

She should be able to take a medium to large cricket at that size but it could still be too soon after molting. If you can see the fangs, make sure they are jet black before trying to feed. if you can't see them, then just wait 3-5 days and try again. If it doesn't take the cricket right away then remove it. Repeat until it eats.

I disagree on the right away part. You can leave an appropriately sized prey item in with a tarantula for 24 hrs or longer if one has to, PROVIDED the tarantula has enough space to evade the bug.

I have several Avics that don't eat right away, and busy eating the crix the following day.

 

[Nightstalker47]

I disagree on the right away part. You can leave an appropriately sized prey item in with a tarantula for 24 hrs or longer if one has to, PROVIDED the tarantula has enough space to evade the bug.

I have several Avics that don't eat right away, and busy eating the crix the following day.

Yeah exactly, some of the more skittish specimens wont eat right away...but will go after the feeders when I leave the room.

 

[YagerManJennsen]

I might catch some disagrees for this but oh well. I've left prey (Dead and alive) for 2-3 days before removing or it became food.

 

[viper69]

Yeah exactly, some of the more skittish specimens wont eat right away...but will go after the feeders when I leave the room.

Yeah, a lot of people watch all those YouTube vids of feeding, and they see nothing but Ts hopping on crix. Not saying the posters above have, but many do and get a false impression.

Also, when you drop a cricket into a container, you are dropping a foreign object into their HOME. Some Ts are naturally cautious about WHAT exactly is there. I have NUMEROUS Ts over time that stalk their prey, and do not pounce. They are very careful ambush predators in my opinion, some species more than others.

I might catch some disagrees for this but oh well. I've left prey (Dead and alive) for 2-3 days before removing or it became food.

Scavenge feeding is fine. After all, they do this in the wild too.

 

[YagerManJennsen]

Yeah, a lot of people watch all those YouTube vids of feeding, and they see nothing but Ts hopping on crix. Not saying the posters above have, but many do and get a false impression.

Also, when you drop a cricket into a container, you are dropping a foreign object into their HOME. Some Ts are naturally cautious about WHAT exactly is there. I have NUMEROUS Ts over time that stalk their prey, and do not pounce. They are very careful ambush predators in my opinion, some species more than others.

About half the time my superworms end up as foot massagers

 

[viper69]

About half the time my superworms end up as foot massagers

Man, don't I know it. The same with roaches. However, I primarily feed crickets. So they are really used to the prey item. I gave some superworms to my Ts, thinking most would hop on them, especially w/the elevated temps lately and I let them not eat for a bit.

Well only a few went for the worms. The rest did not like them at all, avoided them or just didn't know what to do. I dropped a cricket in a few days later into the same Ts that didn't like worms, BAM.

 

[YagerManJennsen]

Feeding my Ts is almost downright boring now. Nobody want to take worms right away except for Xerxes the genic and my prized (not really) spider. I always just crush the head, drop it in and wait for something to happen.

 

[Theneil]

I disagree on the right away part. You can leave an appropriately sized prey item in with a tarantula for 24 hrs or longer if one has to, PROVIDED the tarantula has enough space to evade the bug.

I have several Avics that don't eat right away, and busy eating the crix the following day.

i guess i haven't run into this yet. Usually even my shy spiders will take down prey within a couple minutes of me putting it in there (basically as soon as i'm not watching ) and if they don't, i take it out if i can and try again in a few days. Maybe they would take it overnight if i left it, but i feed mine often enough that i'm not afraid of anybody starving to death from missing a meal or two. I suppose if i had one that went more than a few weeks without eating i would probably just leave a roach in with it, i just haven't had that issue yet.

 

[Eighth Element]

Yeah exactly, some of the more skittish specimens wont eat right away...but will go after the feeders when I leave the room.

I am the co owner with my wife of this sling we have several other skittish species that correct, will not approach their food until I kill the lights and leave the room. We have watched feeding videos they’re not our favorites we understand the false impression they might impose. I will post a reply of this T’s enclosure on the first post requesting it. Before molt I had some issues with her also she wouldn’t climb or web after she does both. I’m

Poecs are typically great eaters, especially slings of that size...they can fast for a number of reasons, usually its a husbandry issue.

Dehydration, or poor enclosure conditions can have an impact.

Lets see some pics of your setup and the spider.

 

[Eighth Element]

My wife seems to think it has eaten the cricket I too cannot find the cricket I had left for it last night.

 

[Nightstalker47]

Well, the enclosure isn't great...its too barren and your sling most likely feels exposed. Thats definitely part of the reason it doesn't eat in front of you, it needs some more cover to feel secure.

Get a small piece of cork bark for it to hide under and perch on.

 

[Hoops71]

I might catch some disagrees for this but oh well. I've left prey (Dead and alive) for 2-3 days before removing or it became food.

I'd never do that on purpose. Lost a few molting slings due to rogue mealworms and crickets.

 

[Venom1080]

I might catch some disagrees for this but oh well. I've left prey (Dead and alive) for 2-3 days before removing or it became food.

I did that once in a while too till my A avic had a surprise molt with two large crickets running about her cage. She's fine. But that's not something I'll ever do again.

 

[boina]

I am the co owner with my wife of this sling we have several other skittish species that correct, will not approach their food until I kill the lights and leave the room. We have watched feeding videos they’re not our favorites we understand the false impression they might impose. I will post a reply of this T’s enclosure on the first post requesting it. Before molt I had some issues with her also she wouldn’t climb or web after she does both. I’m

That's a rather suboptimal enclosure. Poecilotherias need upright bark to sit on an hide behind. Slings also burrow, usually behind the bark, meaning they need enough substrate to do so. What always absolutely baffles me is that people do read that these slings are arboreal and need a higher than wide anclosure and then leave the upper part of the enclosure completely bare... what do people imagine that part of the enclosure is for??

Further more, fruit flies are nutrient deficient and I've yet to see a Poecilotheria that will actually eat them. Even small crickets are suboptimal. They prefer much larger prey.

 

[Eighth Element]

We’ll put some bark and some more substrate in tomorrow see how she reacts. I’ll also prestart a burrow for her.

 

[Eighth Element]

I did that once in a while too till my A avic had a surprise molt with two large crickets running about her cage. She's fine. But that's not something I'll ever do again.

This P. metallica just molted 11 days ago I’m not to concerned with it being premolt being it hasn’t eaten since molting. As a rule we don’t make it a habit of leaving any live pray in T’s enclosures.