What size crickets should i feed a 2 inch Acanthoscurria geniculata?

[Robolover]

I decided on a Acanthoscurria geniculata for my first tarantula. She's going to be 1-3/4'' to 2'' and i'm going to be feeding her crickets (i know they aren't the best feeders but they're all i have available at the moment), and i was wondering if anyone has an idea what size i should feed her? And possibly how often.

 

[N1ghtFire]

At 2" They can eat large crickets. I would feed once or twice a week. I prefer to to feed my Ts less often and offer them larger meals.

 

[Swoop]

What's wrong with crickets? It's fruit flies that have no nutritional value but your T is way too big for those anyway.

The downsides to crickets as far as I know are they stink and can be noisy. Foodwise I don't think they pose any problems provided they're the appropriate size. And I'd bet a 2-inch genic will take down any size feeder cricket you're likely to find.

 

[cold blood]

i know they aren't the best feeders but they're all i have available at the moment

Where did you hear this? Crickets are the hobby staple feeder and offer good nutrition. Many keepers feed only crickets without issues. Crickets are also one feeder that even the pickiest ts will take. Your little genic will be a cricket dumpster.

 

[Robolover]

What's wrong with crickets? It's fruit flies that have no nutritional value but your T is way too big for those anyway.

The downsides to crickets as far as I know are they stink and can be noisy. Foodwise I don't think they pose any problems provided they're the appropriate size. And I'd bet a 2-inch genic will take down any size feeder cricket you're likely to find.

I've just heard in some places they aren't the most nutritional as some of the other kinds of feeders out there. I didn't want to a lot of messages telling me to get something better when crickets is all i can get available ^^;;

 

[Swoop]

Nah. Crickets are fine. Some people 'gut-load' or add vitamin dust but since T's don't eat vegetables or exoskeleton I personally don't think it's worth the trouble.

Lots of sources for free/cheap feeders that aren't crickets. Maybe not worth it with just one T but if you get more (very likely since you're on arachnoboards lol), a lot of people selling on facebook or craigslist will throw in feeder colonies. I've received mealworms, dubias and lateralis by the hundreds for free so I don't buy crickets anymore.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

i know they aren't the best feeders but they're all i have available at the moment

Nothing wrong with them, nutritionally speaking.

My only gripes with them are their growth rate (pinheads quickly outgrow slings) and the amount of bloody noise they make (even "silent" crickets chirp when looking for a mate).

i was wondering if anyone has an idea what size i should feed her? And possibly how often.

A. geniculata will take down larger prey items but I find it best to stick to prey around the size of the T's abdomen, feed once a week.

Some people 'gut-load' or add vitamin dust but since T's don't eat vegetables or exoskeleton I personally don't think it's worth the trouble.

To be fair, they just mash the prey item up into a crumpled ball and then suck the juices out of it so I'm sure they would actually end up ingesting some of the dust as it gets mixed up with the innards etc.

That said, I just mix it into my roach chow as I almost never feed them fruit/veg and I have spare from my corn snake.

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

A. geniculata? I'm reasonably sure you could toss in a canned ham and they would go for it. Wouldn't want to clean up the leftover bolus, though.

 

[Dennis Nedry]

A. geniculata is pretty much a walking stomach. A 2" genic will easily take a large cricket

 

[darkness975]

I agree with others @Robolover , large cricket is fine for a food source.

I keep a small Cricket tank. Dry substrate, dry fish flake food, small water dish with a wet paper towel changed every other day, and egg crates to hide in.

I have 0 issues with smell and I feed the males off first so I have 0 issues with chirping.

 

[AshS]

A. geniculata is pretty much a walking stomach.

That is the best description of an A .genic I've ever heard.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

That is the best description of an A .genic I've ever heard.

Even better than "Ravenous murder tank"?

 

[FrDoc]

Yeah, the only T I have that rivals A. Geniculata in ridiculous feeding response is my juvenile T. Klugi. However, to feed your Genic any size cricket will be a sight to behold. This past week I ran out of large crickets and threw several small ones I had on hand in the enclosure for her. It was hilarious watching her run around snagging them, and then standing there with her "mouth" stuffed with her prizes. I think I detected a smile.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

This past week I ran out of large crickets and threw several small ones I had on hand in the enclosure for her. It was hilarious watching her run around snagging them, and then standing there with her "mouth" stuffed with her prizes. I think I detected a smile.

I have a surplus of MM lats so I had a substantial cull this morning by throwing a bunch in with my larger specimens, it was glorious

 

[jaycied]

Walking stomach I can't wait until my genics get bigger and I can feed off my excess of male dubia.

 

[Element]

In honor of this thread, I just fed my walking stomach/ravenous murder tank(pictured 1 molt ago). She thanks you for your contribution to the killcount. Definitely a really fun first T. They just love to eat everything.

 

[Andrea82]

I have a surplus of MM lats so I had a substantial cull this morning by throwing a bunch in with my larger specimens, it was glorious

I've done this as well...very rewarding. Especially when you have ten of those monsters running around frantically attacking everything that moves. Some waterdishes and plants were among the casualties as well