# can you feed red knee tarantula canned crickets?



## ArachnetArtemis (Apr 28, 2014)

If I get a vibrating dish to simulate movement could I theoretically feed canned crickets. As I feed them all the time to my leopard geckos and want red knee tarantula and wondering if canned would be fine.


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## skippydude (Apr 28, 2014)

Forget about the vibrating dish, unless you want to traumatize your baby

Most tarantulas, especially slings, have no problem eating pre-killed prey

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## scorpionchaos (Apr 28, 2014)

These are insanely vibration sensitive animals totally rely on it to hunt. There for a giant vibrating dish will drive you tarantula to death and more likely scare him then anything else. best bet it to just throw in a live cricket or toss in a cricket you just killed. Trust me those canned bugs smell a lot worse than a cricket keeper with a few residents in it.


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## z32upgrader (Apr 28, 2014)

The vibrating dish will most likely scare your T away or if it's really hungry it'll attack the dish possibly damaging a fang.  You can animate the crickets by twirling a long piece of grass next to the cricket or just drop it from height.  Why can't you just feed live? That's half the fun!


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## ArachnetArtemis (Apr 28, 2014)

I already use canned for other pets so it's just conveint plus mom's against live food. Also canned smell like hickory sticks to me... I can try using something to simulate movement.
I use Fluker's Gourmet Style Crickets for my leopard geckos..


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## Poec54 (Apr 28, 2014)

Canned crickets, my favorite snack food!  Good for you too.

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## Python (Apr 28, 2014)

Aren't those canned crix freeze dried?


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## Poec54 (Apr 28, 2014)

When my spiders are hungry (especially post molt) they'll often take dead/dying crickets if I either toss them on the spider's legs (and it thinks a jumping insect ran into it) or holding it by the leg with forceps and touching the spider's palps or front legs.  I don't like using forceps/tongs with larger spiders, as they can break a fang on the metal in the ensuing commotion (they often try to take everything, cricket & forceps both).


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## ArachnetArtemis (Apr 28, 2014)

No there not freeze dried there moist and juice, fat and gut loaded before being canned


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## Poec54 (Apr 28, 2014)

ArachnetArtemis said:


> No there not freeze dried there moist and juice, fat and gut loaded before being canned


Stop, you're making me hungry.


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## Misty Day (Apr 28, 2014)

ArachnetArtemis said:


> mom's against live food.


Not to sound rude, but why do you even have a tarantula if you are trying to stimulate live food? When it gets older, it won't touch prekilled.


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## ArachnetArtemis (Apr 28, 2014)

XD and that's how you sell crickets, I'll try doing what you said and if doesn't work out I probably be able to get live meal worms since my mom wasn't completely against them but rather them if possible eat canned as she would be OK picking them up her self plus pretty sure she doesn't want to carry live bugs in her purse. 
Don't have a tarantula. .. I want to get one. plus everyone said leopard geckos won't touch prekilled food when older but I never had an issue


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## MarkmD (Apr 28, 2014)

Thats like a lions not hunting (just feeding on dead pray) yet lions like to/born to hunt as natural instincts to them, T's are the same, they will eat dead pray (better fresh) but thayr instincts tell them to hunt and eat, Yes canned may work??,  but never better than live or freshly dead. just as we human's would always eat dead/cooked pray/live stalk but we began as Hunter gathers, in many cases we still hunt.


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## korg (Apr 28, 2014)

Tcks123 said:


> When it gets older, it won't touch prekilled.


This isn't necessarily true... I have fed prekilled to adults many times.

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## BobGrill (Apr 28, 2014)

korg said:


> This isn't necessarily true... I have fed prekilled to adults many times.


As a general rule it is true. Please we're trying to educate someone here who obviously has no idea what they're doing. This is not the time to contradict or give misinformation. It'll only confuse him further. 

Op don't get a tarantula if you can't use live prey. Mealworms aren't good to use as a staple feeder either.

Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk 2


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## Kat Fenix (Apr 28, 2014)

Whyyyyyy would you use a gross can of crickets when live crickets are super cheap and readily available? I hate the smell of live crickets and the canned stuff just makes me chuke.
I honestly don't trust canned stuff for ANYTHING. All of my reptiles and tarantulas get live prey [except for the snakes]. You never know what leeches into the crickets from the can, to be honest. And sometimes you have no idea how long they have just been sitting on the shelf.

Just healthier for your animals to buy live.

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## korg (Apr 28, 2014)

BobGrill said:


> As a general rule it is true. Please we're trying to educate someone here who obviously has no idea what they're doing. This is not the time to contradict or give misinformation. It'll only confuse him further.
> 
> Op don't get a tarantula if you can't use live prey. Mealworms aren't good to use as a staple feeder either.


I had forgotten that this was the time to give misinformation AND be condescending... thanks for reminding me with your great post, Bob.

I'm actually not spreading misinformation, I'm describing my own experiences. A lot of times people here spout off hobby "truths" without acknowledging that reality is a bit more complicated than some blanket statement about this or that being bad in some unverified/unspecific way. Your comment about mealworms is another good example of that phenomenon. I (and many other keepers) have raised slings from 2i to mature adult on a 99% mealworm diet and never encountered any problems with using mealworms as a staple feeder. I'm not going to treat the OP like an idiot and assume he/she can't handle a bit of nuance and make their own decisions based on complete information.

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## Smokehound714 (Apr 28, 2014)

they really dont care.  No spider does.  If they come across a dead insect, they will eat it.


  Spiders, as a general rule, are opportunistic by nature, and cannot afford to pass up an easy meal in most cases.  Tarantulas, being arthropods, do not have the same kind of circulatory system that vertebrates possess, and as a result, do not suffer from obesity like vertebrates do.  A mealworm-exclusive diet is very bad for reptiles, mammals, and birds, but completely safe for arthropoda.

  Tarantulas have chemoreceptors on each foot.  If they're walking, and they step on a dead insect, they will know it's a dead insect and will eat it, should they happen to be hungry.

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## cold blood (Apr 28, 2014)

korg said:


> I (and many other keepers) have raised slings from 2i to mature adult on a 99% mealworm diet and never encountered any problems with using mealworms as a staple feeder.


Here's a bit from "Tarantulas and other arachnids" regarding mealworms:

"There was a time, not long ago, when the humble mealworm was all we had to feed captive spiders....The only drawback is that they are not very active and therefore not as attractive to spiders for food.  They have a way of slowly crawling out of sight (or should I say touch) of the spider.  They are a fine food source..."  
Regarding superworms :  "[superworms] are an excellent food source for larger spiders."

I've noticed the same...not all t's will eat them, but for those that do, its a big meaty, easy meal.  When I do feed a superworm or part, it seems to fatten them up a lot and I generally skip a feed or two after.  Significantly larger meal than a large cricket from what I can tell.

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## LordWaffle (Apr 28, 2014)

I am so sick of those Chinese canned crickets putting good, honest American cricket factories out of business!

OP, mealworms are an okay food source.  The big drawback to them is that your tarantula may not like them.  Sometimes they just don't illicit a feeding response, and generally if they don't take them right away, the mealworm will end up burrowing into the substrate never to be seen until it emerges as a beetle.  If your mother has a problem with the fact that predators eat prey, then the thing for you to do is to wait until you don't have to worry about her silly ideas about the immorality of the food chain.   AKA the day when you move out.

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## viper69 (Apr 29, 2014)

ArachnetArtemis said:


> I already use canned for other pets so it's just conveint plus mom's against live food.


I've always wondered if canned dead crickets, were as healthy as live ones? Any type of freezing process will destroy some amount of protein. However perhaps this means you will have to feed those pets MORE canned insects to get the required amount of nutrients.

The MAIN concern in feeding canned crickets to a T is the lack of water. Ts get a lot of fluids from live food. In some cases possibly all moisture requirements in the wild at times for those that live in dry climates. SO, you would definitely have to maintain a bowl of water for your T, otherwise I suspect it will die.


I've never used these products. Your best choice is to wait until you no longer live at home and you set the rules of your house, or own a reptile like your lep gex or a snake where feeding F/T mice has been done for eons will no ill effects.


If you search the forum you'll find this question has been asked previously, so you may find some new info there for you as well.


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## ArachnetArtemis (Apr 29, 2014)

I would never ever eat anything made in China, mind feed it to my pet... the crickets are from the US and they are a cricket farm that sells both dead and live food plus is the most common brand to sell gut loaded food for crickets. My mom doesn't like the idea of live food because she's afraid they will escape and make noises all night, and bugs in the house she doesn't like the idea of. I'm not going out and buying it next week.. I tend to research at least month before getting. Also canned crickets (flukers) never smelt bad ever to me.. and they only stay on the shelves for a week at most as a lot of people do buy them surprisingly.


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## awiec (Apr 29, 2014)

ArachnetArtemis said:


> I would never ever eat anything made in China, mind feed it to my pet... the crickets are from the US and they are a cricket farm that sells both dead and live food plus is the most common brand to sell gut loaded food for crickets. My mom doesn't like the idea of live food because she's afraid they will escape and make noises all night, and bugs in the house she doesn't like the idea of. I'm not going out and buying it next week.. I tend to research at least month before getting. Also canned crickets (flukers) never smelt bad ever to me.. and they only stay on the shelves for a week at most as a lot of people do buy them surprisingly.


Well only adult crickets will make noise and they can't escape if held in a container that doesn't have large enough holes for them to fit out of. For my boyfriend's leopard gecko we only buy crickets when we feed her so they are all dead within a day so no cricket noises. If you get a sling then you can just have a small container for your crickets with some food and just scoop one out for your sling once a week. I don't think canned crickets would hurt the T, but live may be a better option. Seeing as you are in a situation where you can't even control what you feed your animals I suggest you wait until you move out/ are allowed to feed your animals what you want.


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## ArachnetArtemis (Apr 29, 2014)

But don't adult tarantulas need adult crickets... I want to get a older tarantula not full grown rather then a sling, also it would cost about 20 bucks a month just in bus far alone.... to buy each time and if my mom picks it up its a hassle for her to go there every time.. how long do live crickets live for like would they be fine for a month with gut loading them and wouldn't they grow up in a month..


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## LordWaffle (Apr 29, 2014)

You can feed sub adult crickets to tarantulas. If they don't have full wings, they won't chirp. I'd they do you can just put that one in first. A B smithi only gets 5.5-6 inches or so. You can feed them a few crickets at a time and if it's an adult you won't need to be taking a ton of trips to get crickets because it's not something you have to feed everyday.


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## BobGrill (Apr 29, 2014)

ArachnetArtemis said:


> But don't adult tarantulas need adult crickets... I want to get a older tarantula not full grown rather then a sling, also it would cost about 20 bucks a month just in bus far alone.... to buy each time and if my mom picks it up its a hassle for her to go there every time.. how long do live crickets live for like would they be fine for a month with gut loading them and wouldn't they grow up in a month..


Sounds like you're better off waiting if its going to be such a pain to get food. Also adults can go months without eating.

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## awiec (Apr 29, 2014)

BobGrill said:


> Sounds like you're better off waiting if its going to be such a pain to get food. Also adults can go months without eating.
> 
> Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk 2


Agreed, now we know the full scope of your situation, you are best to wait until you have your own vehicle so you can get your own feeders or get a plump adult, as they are content with a once a month meal.


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## Poec54 (Apr 29, 2014)

BobGrill said:


> Sounds like you're better off waiting if its going to be such a pain to get food. Also adults can go months without eating.


But not after they've shed.  Then they need to eat a lot and often for a month or two.


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## viper69 (Apr 29, 2014)

ArachnetArtemis said:


> I would never ever eat anything made in China...



What if you lived in China? Some of our members live in China.


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## LordWaffle (Apr 29, 2014)

viper69 said:


> What if you lived in China? Some of our members live in China.


Then you die slowly and horribly!  Everyone knows that!


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## BobGrill (Apr 29, 2014)

Poec54 said:


> But not after they've shed.  Then they need to eat a lot and often for a month or two.


That is true.

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## Smokehound714 (Apr 30, 2014)

The crickets dont need to be huge.  Ive gotten away with a small dish full of termites.  (Lol i have easy access to them)  My biggest aphono loves 'em.  She'll scoop em all up, roll them into a ball, and much away.


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## ArachnetArtemis (Apr 30, 2014)

Or I could be a pain and ask for only female crickets from the pet shop XD then I could buy once a month... or wait till my brother gets a truck or somthing... she might be more willing if they don't make noise,  also do they smell like how bad is it (crickets) even if my mom says no even after research it's still good to know for the future 
Also how much does 12 Oz of cricket food normaly last


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## awiec (Apr 30, 2014)

ArachnetArtemis said:


> Or I could be a pain and ask for only female crickets from the pet shop XD then I could buy once a month... or wait till my brother gets a truck or somthing... she might be more willing if they don't make noise,  also do they smell like how bad is it (crickets) even if my mom says no even after research it's still good to know for the future
> Also how much does 12 Oz of cricket food normaly last


I've never noticed much smell from my crickets when I have kept them, just make sure to remove dead ones/old molts often so no mold pops up. As for your other question it all depends on how often you feed them. 
*Head desk* I am a bad reader yes, 12 Oz of cricket food will last forever, I would also supplement them with maybe an orange or a veggie every so often.


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## viper69 (Apr 30, 2014)

ArachnetArtemis said:


> Or I could be a pain and ask for only female crickets from the pet shop XD then I could buy once a month... or wait till my brother gets a truck or somthing... she might be more willing if they don't make noise,  also do they smell like how bad is it (crickets) even if my mom says no even after research it's still good to know for the future
> Also how much does 12 Oz of cricket food normaly last


There's one species of cricket that makes very little noise actually, not the usual loud chirping that is commong. Forget the name, but see it advertised in Reptiles Magazine.  My friend has Fluker's Cricket Chow, 3 containers of 10.5 oz each, last over 20 years, including keeping many insectivorous herps and frogs too.

Crickets smell if you keep your face by them, esp the dead ones! Just depends on how/where you keep them.


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## cold blood (Apr 30, 2014)

I also have not noticed much smell, but they do molt...I had one go through a "bad" molt last month, its legs got stuck, so I gave it a whirl and tried to free it.  I was not successful, it was then mercifully fed to a B. smithi, which I suppose would have been its destination regardless...sucks to be a cricket.   It is important to keep them clean, their "poo" looks like dirt specks and also attracts water, and therefore mold. Dead crickets must be removed quickly or the death seems to become contagious...dead crickets do reek.

On another note, I have some Fluker's cricket diet stuff, and I have found that, while they eat it fine, the consistency of it tends to attract moisture, and therefore mold.  Its about the only thing that molds in there other than maybe strawberries and I think I am done with it.  Sounds different than the "chow" you're talking about viper.   I notice that some fruits and vegies, as well as a nugget of dog kibble, seem to really attract them and get them feeding very readily.  The vegies just dry out and don't really cause an issue if left in too long.  Carrot or apples seem to be  favorites, lettuce seems almost useless other than for hydration.

It took me a bit to keep them alive, and keeping them dry seemed to be the biggest hurdle for me.   I also got better results with less ventilation, which I can't make any sense of because I always hear they should be well ventilated.   Once you get it down they last a month, much longer if you start with smaller ones obviously.

You can also get superworms, if the t will eat them, they offer a big meaty meal, meaning lower feeding frequency...also they don't need to be kept cool, they eat rotting wood, so feeing them is as easy as putting in wood, and they last almost forever it seems.  I bought some (a dozen) for the first time in February, I still have 5, alive and kickin like the day I picked them up....very, very easy to keep for supplemental feed.

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## friendttyy (May 1, 2014)

LordWaffle said:


> I am so sick of those Chinese canned crickets putting good, honest American cricket factories out of business!


 Watch it I am chinese -_-

---------- Post added 05-01-2014 at 09:56 PM ----------




ArachnetArtemis said:


> I would never ever eat anything made in China, mind feed it to my pet...


Racist piece of human.

---------- Post added 05-01-2014 at 09:57 PM ----------

You alk hate my Motherland.


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## ArachnetArtemis (May 1, 2014)

I have nothing against chinese or china... it's just heard of so many foods being recalled and having bad effects on pets that were made in China, maybe the kind of food that's realy in China(sold to chinese)  are just fine just not a lot of the brands that are shipped(food wise anyway). It's a lot of the made in Chinese brands I'm against not the Chinese food in general.


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## friendttyy (May 1, 2014)

Jokes man. I dont take offence just bored and tired of java coding.


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## Smokehound714 (May 1, 2014)

canned crickets are bad.  they are low in nutrients. No moisture.


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## bigt0006 (May 1, 2014)

Hate crickets best choice i ever made was breeding dubia and B lateralis b lats have more of a smell to them then dubia but no where as bad as crickets

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## BobGrill (May 1, 2014)

bigt0006 said:


> Hate crickets best choice i ever made was breeding dubia and B lateralis b lats have more of a smell to them then dubia but no where as bad as crickets
> 
> Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 2


I am not intending to be rude here, but if his mom has problems with crickets what makes you think she'll tolerate roaches of all things? Also they're not legal everywhere.

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## ArachnetArtemis (May 1, 2014)

I'm not getting a tarantula until I can ease my mom onto the idea of live crickets, I mean she was totally against the leopard geckos I had until she was around them for a bit. Just means have to get all the facts on live crickets and see if she will give in at some point. Also can't get roaches anywhere around where I live anyway. Also just to let you know I am female XD also my user name is two female charaters in mythology. Arachne + Artemis(there not related I just put them together. )


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## LordWaffle (May 1, 2014)

Education is really the only other solution beside waiting until you're on your own. Try not to be too pushy, and give her time to come around. It may help her to know that a cricket's lifespan is only about 6 weeks tops. If they get out somehow, they will die soon after. Also without any viable place to lay their eggs, they won't be multiplying or infesting your home in any way.


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## oooo35980 (May 1, 2014)

Why not just use superworms? You can put them in a tupperware with some holes. They keep practically forever, are easy to catch, make no noise, don't stink, and I haven't seen any of my Ts turn them down. Superworms also won't turn into beetles unless they have a good place to burrow. Crush their heads so they don't burrow and gently drop it in front of their palps and there you go.

I use dubias, but you can bet I'd go back to superworms before I'd go back to crickets. I hate the noisy, smelly little bastards. Also I'm with the kids mom on this one, crickets tend to jump. When transferring them from the plastic bad to the container, feeding them, or just feeding your T they do tend to escape and disappear into the ether only to chirp all night long.


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