# How long can a T. go without food/water?



## Fuzzy (Jul 14, 2011)

Right now I have a cricket farm going and four tarantulas. Two of them are very young, only a few centimeters long. The adults are a native Texas tarantula and a Chilean Rose Hair. The problem I have is that I'm going on a three week long vacation and can't take them.

Right now, it's usually over 100 degrees in temperature. There's air conditioning and ceiling fans, but I think that will probably just dry up my water bowls faster and leave me with dessicated tarantulas. 

I'm not sure how I'll provide them with food and water because none of my friends would know how to take care of a tarantula (or want to). I do however know of a  breeder, I've been to their pet store before and they seem like very friendly and trustworthy people. I'm still a bit nervous about dropping them off there to be babysat; I'm paranoid about them getting sold or something by accident. Is that my best option, or will they be fine for that amount of time?


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## wesker12 (Jul 15, 2011)

They'll be fine! Feed them alot make sure they have some water - put in alot more and you'll be fine.


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## Stan Schultz (Jul 15, 2011)

Fuzzy said:


> Right now I have a cricket farm going ...


I have no idea how you can keep the cricket farm going without daily attention. Maybe someone else could give some pointers.




Fuzzy said:


> ... and four tarantulas. Two of them are very young, only a few centimeters long. ...


How many are, "only a few centimeters?"

Is this body length or diagonal leg span (DLS)?

These are important questions because spiderlings less than about 1.5" (38 mm) leg span are cared for using one care regimen. At around that size you begin caring for them like adults, which usually involves a different care regimen.

Also, what species are they? The transition period alluded to above occurs at a smaller leg span for arid species than it does for humid climate species.



Fuzzy said:


> ... The adults are a native Texas tarantula and a Chilean Rose Hair. The problem I have is that I'm going on a three week long vacation and can't take them.
> 
> Right now, it's usually over 100 degrees in temperature. There's air conditioning and ceiling fans, but I think that will probably just dry up my water bowls faster and leave me with dessicated tarantulas. ...


Food is almost a non-issue. If they've been fed normally and are even a little rotund (a.k.a. obese) they'll last for many weeks without food.

Moisture is the bigger issue.

Babies/spiderlings with a DLS of less than about 1.5" should still be in containers with damp substrate and very little ventilation. If this isn't your case, you'll need to cover all the open spaces that allow ventilation with room air with plastic food wrap to prevent that ventilation. Once sealed 99%, the substrate should remain damp enough to sustain them for the few weeks you're gone.

If your spiderlings are large enough that they are already being kept as adults (e.g., dry substrate, relatively low humidity, with a water dish), merely adding an extra water dish or a larger water dish and covering all open parts of the cage to prevent 99% ventilation with the room's air should do the job.

This is especially true of the Texas tarantula and the Chilean rose. These are two tough species that come from semi-desert to desert environments and know exactly how to deal with a little dry heat.

Hope this helps. Enjoy your vacation.


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## JC (Jul 15, 2011)

What is the room temperature? They won't survive 100F.

The best you can do add moisture retaining substrate and then flood the enclosures. The water can act as a buffer for the heat and help the spider hold on to its internal water reserves. 

The effectiveness of the flooding depends on the level of ventilation and temperature of the environments. The lower these to factors are, the more effective the flooding is.


Edit: 

Stan beat me to it!


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## Robin Da Hood (Jul 15, 2011)

I picked up my B. albiceps sling, this Saturday will be one month. Offered tiny pin head cricket or drumstick and no intrest, knew it would be molting soon so just removed food offering after 24 hrs.  Did this for three weeks and would not eat. It just molted last Wednesday, gave it a week and offered small cricket today and wham like a freight train, it hit it and cricket gone.  

So almost a month not eating, it had a big belly. . Have read some of the guys on here have had periods of 6,9 and over 12 months of spiders not eating!  So would not worry too much about 3 weeks lapse without meal. Most important thing would be water dish and humidity, if it is a high humidity species. Enjoy your trip!


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## Stan Schultz (Jul 15, 2011)

JC said:


> What is the room temperature? They won't survive 100F.
> 
> The best you can do add moisture retaining substrate and then flood the enclosures. The water can act as a buffer for the heat and help the spider hold on to its internal water reserves.
> 
> ...


Well, maybe not entirely.

1> Dampening substrate isn't going to work a lot because the water you add will only reduce the temperature a little until it too warms to room temperature (whatever that is). This solution may work for a few hours in an emergency, but not over a period of weeks. Besides, your desert species will absolutely hate the wetness.

2> Evaporation will only work until the substrate dries out. That may take a very few days, but won't last for weeks.

3> I admit that a temperature of 100 F (38 C) is very near the upper extreme of their tolerance, but they will survive it if it doesn't go much higher.

4> "Fuzzy" did state that they had air conditioning and ceiling fans. Providing they don't experience a brown out or a complete power loss these will work just fine. If the power fails my suggestion is to have someone remove them to a cooler environment if at all possible.

5> Drinking water over the long term is the only serious issue and I think they'll be able to survive three weeks just fine as long as they're given the opportunity for a good, long drink as soon as Fuzzy returns.

Enjoy your vacation!


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