# How often to feed 1cm Tarantula slings?



## Wiz (May 5, 2016)

I really need my b.smithi to grow out of the sling stage. She's so tiny she looks like an ant. Should I feed her every other day, once every 3-4days, or still once a week?


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## BobBarley (May 5, 2016)

At that size, I'd feed as much as it will eat.  This will get it out of the fragile sling stage quicker.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Wiz (May 5, 2016)

BobBarley said:


> At that size, I'd feed as much as it will eat.  This will get it out of the fragile sling stage quicker.


Does that mean you feed slings that size every day?


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## cold blood (May 5, 2016)

At small sizes they will fill up very quickly...I feed pre-killed prey, like diced up mealworms or a part of a cricket (or just a leg)...because the pre-killed prey is larger than you would get away with using live food (and what a PITA dealing with tiny prey) that's a bit larger, so you can still achieve good growth by feeding less.   At small sizes it really only takes a meal or three to fatten them.  

The biggest key to faster growth is keeping them consistently warm.  A space heater is the industry standard heating method and generally regarded as the way to go.  But in the case of someone with only one or a few slings, a water bath heated with an aquarium heater works amazingly well.    There is no other heating method I would use or suggest.

You can't really over-feed a sling, but because they will fil up quickly, expect many refusals.   I feed slings weekly until they reach 3/4-1", at this size the prey items are no longer over-sized for them and they can take in more, so then I up the feedings to twice a week.

Reactions: Like 5 | Agree 1


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## Flexzone (May 5, 2016)

Slings/juvi's eat as much as they can to develop and grow as quickly as possible to become less vulnerable to the least amount of predators as possible. There isn't the risk of long term obesity as there sub-adult/adult counterparts as they put pretty much all the mass they accumulate into their size.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Steve Werner (May 5, 2016)

cold blood said:


> At small sizes they will fill up very quickly...I feed pre-killed prey, like diced up mealworms or a part of a cricket (or just a leg)...because the pre-killed prey is larger than you would get away with using live food (and what a PITA dealing with tiny prey) that's a bit larger, so you can still achieve good growth by feeding less.   At small sizes it really only takes a meal or three to fatten them.
> 
> The biggest key to faster growth is keeping them consistently warm.  A space heater is the industry standard heating method and generally regarded as the way to go.  But in the case of someone with only one or a few slings, a water bath heated with an aquarium heater works amazingly well.    There is no other heating method I would use or suggest.
> 
> You can't really over-feed a sling, but because they will fil up quickly, expect many refusals.   I feed slings weekly until they reach 3/4-1", at this size the prey items are no longer over-sized for them and they can take in more, so then I up the feedings to twice a week.


I kill small crickets an put it in front of the burrow hole at bed time. Gone in the morning. When do u stop pre kill an give um live pray


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## Trenor (May 5, 2016)

Steve Werner said:


> I kill small crickets an put it in front of the burrow hole at bed time. Gone in the morning. When do u stop pre kill an give um live pray


There isn't a hard and fast rule here. If its a T that's a good eater (jumps and eats) and its out I'll hit it with live. If it's not out and I have to leave it, I'll prekill. That way I don't have roaches climbing down the burrow, digging into the substrate and getting into trouble. The roaches still move a lot with a crushed head so the T tends to react the same was to it as a live one. Mostly, I do prekilled, except for my C._cyaneopubescens _who will take out anything that gets dropped in.

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 2


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## Sana (May 5, 2016)

I feed my slings once every three or four days generally.  The schedule also helps maintain moisture levels in my fairly dry climate.


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## cold blood (May 5, 2016)

Steve Werner said:


> I kill small crickets an put it in front of the burrow hole at bed time. Gone in the morning. When do u stop pre kill an give um live pray





Trenor said:


> There isn't a hard and fast rule here. If its a T that's a good eater (jumps and eats) and its out I'll hit it with live. If it's not out and I have to leave it, I'll prekill.


This is pretty much what I would have said...but I will add that having a large amount of slings plays a role.  

For example, I have something like 80 G. pulchripes slings still, and despite the fact that they are around an inch, some more, and perfectly capable and willing to make their own kill, its just easier for me to both feed and make sure that its been eaten wit pre-kill.   I don't have to gather and chase around little crickets, I just dice and drop, I get the feeding done in a fraction of time...and I spend enough time each day feeding ts, I'm not looking to further extend that time.

Its also a ton more cost effective (about 1/3 the cost)...instead of feeding every t a 14 cent cricket, I can feed 3 slings to a single [much cheaper] mealworm, so I'm using 2/3 less prey items, which cost a fraction of what the cricket is....and yeah, we're talking pennies (or a few dollars per feeding)....so it would not be relevant to a small collection, but for me its also a whole lot less running to the store to get crickets which ultimately saves me gas $ as well, and less running around saves me time as well.

If I had like 5, I would feed live as soon as the individual shows aggression and willingness to tackle live, which is both species dependent as well as individually dependent.....although I also feed pre-kill if I think the spider is nearing molt...often a pre-molt (or close to it) t isn't willing or able to tackle live, but they'll often crawl right onto dead prey.

Reactions: Like 1


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