Single food source diet question

[ssull8400]

My first post: I am a third grade teacher. We have a female rose hair tarantula as a class pet. Based on the info provided when I bought her, she is about 2-2.5 years old. She has molted once about 1.5 years ago. We also have MHCockroaches (about 400) that we "study" and use as feeders for the tarantula. When I first got her, I varied the diet with medium-sized hissers and crickets from the pet store. For the last 8 months I have only been feeding hissers out of convenience, but I haven't seen her eat in what seems like several months. I am following the guideline that if a hisser is still alive in the tank after 24-48 hours, remove it.

Here are my 3 questions: Do I need to be concerned that she hasn't eaten? I have read some entries that say some can go a year or more without eating, but that seems like quite a long time. Do I need to vary the diet or can she get the nutrients she needs from hissers alone?

Any guidance would be great. I will answer any questions as best I can. Thanks.

 

[Sarkhan42]

I have to start by saying welcome to arachnoboards! Lovely to hear a tarantula being used as a class pet. To answer your question first, she will be just fine on a low variety diet as long as your roaches are fed well and healthy, their nutrition needs are quite low, many members here actually use roach colonies to sustain their collections. It sounds like you're sticking to nymphs which is good, and I wouldn't worry about the fasting Grammostola porteri/rosea can go months and months on end without eating(with water provided). One final note- she's probably quite a bit older than you were told if she's about adult size, these guys grow crazy slow and can take almost 4 years just to hit maturity.

Don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you've got here, we're all happy to help out

 

[Swoop]

She could be getting ready to molt again. Also sounds like she's not very large, so medium sized hissers are plenty, she's likely just not hungry.

I vary diets, mostly because I have 3 colonies of feeders (dubia and lateralis roaches and mealworms) so I just grab whatever's an appropriate size, but also because some of the shy ones won't always take the slow, sneaky dubias. You may want to try crickets again just because they might be more active than your roaches so the T is more likely to have a feeding response.

And maybe don't feed over summer/winter breaks when it does start eating again.

 

[ssull8400]

Thanks for the quick response. She has a small plastic lid with a piece of sea sponge in it that we keep wet and shallow. One of the class jobs is taking care of the hissers and (more rarely) the tarantula. The parents always ask about its name, but I had a wise friend who once told me that as soon as you name something when little kids are involved, when it dies you have to bury it in a shoebox in the yard and have a funeral. In the class, it's just something that we observe, document, and take care of. The kids love it. The parents are more tentative.
I actually started with hissers four years ago. We went from 2 males and 2 females to 40 a year later to about 200 in year 3. I applied for and was awarded a grant from "Pets in the Classroom" to buy the chilean rose hair and everything I needed to take care of it. It was mostly as a beginning of crowd control for the hissers, but she doesn't really have the appetite to control our population. I'm pretty sure we are getting ready for a big population jump (although the teacher next door just got a bearded dragon so we should be all set).

 

[Swoop]

The sponge isn't necessary. Probably won't hurt anything but all they do is collect bacteria. Tarantulas can drink standing water just fine.

You seem to be heading in that direction already but you could probably sell/give away your excess roachers to local reptile enthusiasts.

 

[ssull8400]

She could be getting ready to molt again. Also sounds like she's not very large, so medium sized hissers are plenty, she's likely just not hungry.

I vary diets, mostly because I have 3 colonies of feeders (dubia and lateralis roaches and mealworms) so I just grab whatever's an appropriate size, but also because some of the shy ones won't always take the slow, sneaky dubias. You may want to try crickets again just because they might be more active than your roaches so the T is more likely to have a feeding response.

And maybe don't feed over summer/winter breaks when it does start eating again.

She molted for my last class, but hasn't for these guys yet. I leave the tarantula and hissers in my class all summer and check on them occasionally. The hissers will eat an apple in about three days and a quarter head of lettuce in 2. She was much more aggressive with the hissers in the beginning. It was really exciting for the kids to watch.

 

[cold blood]

One final note- she's probably quite a bit older than you were told if she's about adult size,

I agree

these guys grow crazy slow and can take almost 4 years just to hit maturity.

LMAO, 4 years....no not close...closer to a decade. They grow very slow and consequently live very very long lives. Some (myself included), speculate that they can live over 40. I have one that's at least 30.

Resized952017020795002757

• cold blood
• Feb 7, 2017

porteri

I applied for and was awarded a grant from "Pets in the Classroom" to buy the chilean rose hair and everything I needed to take care of it

So you got a grant for $30?

Seriously though, what did you buy for it? How much were your costs? I have a feeling we are all going to wish you joined a lot sooner.

but she doesn't really have the appetite to control our population

No, not even close. I generally tell people that in order to have enough ts to control a roach colony's population, you are looking at, at least 30-40...and if we are talking rose hairs, well you would need an army of them.

They literally have the lowest food requirement in the tarantula world. Adults go 2-6 years between molts, that's a lot of time to fatten up. I feed once a month if I am feeding something large, like a roach....twice a month if its a cricket (I only feed one cricket per feeding). The more you feed, the sooner it will begin fasting and the duration of these fasts will increase exponentially.

Well fed rosies are known to fast when temps outside drop and not start again until well into spring.

With most species, a long fast is a clear indicator of an impending molt, but its just not with a rose hair.

Also note, that another result of this low metabolism is that they can be very picky eaters. Some key in on certain prey, others, prey size. For example, mine wont eat crickets that are too small, but gobbles the bigger ones (so don't be afraid to try a little bigger roach). Mine won't eat a worm of any kind, although she crowds them and follows them around like she's interested....On rare occasion mine will eat a roach, but its really hit or miss. It takes a long long time to really know your rose hair's preferences, even then you really have to be paying attention when they actually do something.

Another part of this low metabolism is that they have no heating requirements, and can deal with temps into the low 60's without issue (although they may not eat...surprise surprise). So don't apply any heating elements to her.

Make sure everything is kept bone dry, they despise moisture (aside from a water dish). Often, surprise surprise, moisture causes them to go on month long fasting bouts (they also climb)...lol....getting the theme....fasting is 100% normal with them, and its never a worry....especially with an endless food supply so close.

I will say that when feeding roaches, its often best to crush their heads and lay them on their backs kicking....this exposes the softer parts of the roach as well as preventing it from burrowing or hiding.

Props on the class pet my friend.

 

[Sarkhan42]

I agree

LMAO, 4 years....no not close...closer to a decade. They grow very slow and consequently live very very long lives. Some (myself included), speculate that they can live over 40. I have one that's at least 30.

Resized952017020795002757

• cold blood
• Feb 7, 2017

porteri

So you got a grant for $30?

Seriously though, what did you buy for it? How much were your costs? I have a feeling we are all going to wish you joined a lot sooner.

No, not even close. I generally tell people that in order to have enough ts to control a roach colony's population, you are looking at, at least 30-40...and if we are talking rose hairs, well you would need an army of them.

They literally have the lowest food requirement in the tarantula world. Adults go 2-6 years between molts, that's a lot of time to fatten up. I feed once a month if I am feeding something large, like a roach....twice a month if its a cricket (I only feed one cricket per feeding). The more you feed, the sooner it will begin fasting and the duration of these fasts will increase exponentially.

Well fed rosies are known to fast when temps outside drop and not start again until well into spring.

With most species, a long fast is a clear indicator of an impending molt, but its just not with a rose hair.

Also note, that another result of this low metabolism is that they can be very picky eaters. Some key in on certain prey, others, prey size. For example, mine wont eat crickets that are too small, but gobbles the bigger ones (so don't be afraid to try a little bigger roach). Mine won't eat a worm of any kind, although she crowds them and follows them around like she's interested....On rare occasion mine will eat a roach, but its really hit or miss. It takes a long long time to really know your rose hair's preferences, even then you really have to be paying attention when they actually do something.

Another part of this low metabolism is that they have no heating requirements, and can deal with temps into the low 60's without issue (although they may not eat...surprise surprise). So don't apply any heating elements to her.

Make sure everything is kept bone dry, they despise moisture (aside from a water dish). Often, surprise surprise, moisture causes them to go on month long fasting bouts (they also climb)...lol....getting the theme....fasting is 100% normal with them, and its never a worry....especially with an endless food supply so close.

I will say that when feeding roaches, its often best to crush their heads and lay them on their backs kicking....this exposes the softer parts of the roach as well as preventing it from burrowing or hiding.

Props on the class pet my friend.

Wow impressive to the growth rate, I knew the lifespan was that long and I totally agree about the 40, at work we've got some Rosies that've been there for 25-30 years as adults and are still going strong. I've apparently been hearing the seriously wrong thing for growth, thanks for the info, that's just wild. I suppose all the more reason people call them pet rocks!