# Best foods for tarantulas



## mrclean (May 23, 2011)

Hi
Could someone point me in the right direction on what to feed my group of monsters.Im feeding them crickets now is superworms or roaches better?
Ty 
George


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## Safe78 (May 23, 2011)

Roaches have more protien


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## fartkowski (May 23, 2011)

I have always fed crickets with no problems.
I usually feed them off before they have a chance to smell, and if some get out, I find the chirping relaxing

Reactions: Like 1


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## flamesbane (May 23, 2011)

As long as the food is gut-loaded (fed high quality food) a day or two before feeding you shouldn't have any problems. If you do decide to use superworms make sure to offer them some fruit and veggies before you feed them, the bedding they come packed on isn't all that nutritious.


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## mrclean (May 24, 2011)

Ty im going to the pet store and getting some gutload for the crickets


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## lancej (May 24, 2011)

I would stay away from the "gut-loading" cricket food that contains a high calcium content.  I've read and heard that too much calcium in the diet will cause bad molts.  If I'm off base on this, somebody please set me straight.


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## Obijuan56 (May 25, 2011)

I tend to feed my tarantulas what they like best, Some like crickets while others like superworms, though I am in the process of bringing up a Dubia Roach colony. Though I would say crickets are a good way to go, since they are readily available almost anywhere


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## Falk (May 25, 2011)

Its important to give variations, crickets, roaches, locusts or other big insects. Giving only roaces or only crickets its not very good. I use well fed _B. dubia_ as basic and then give crickets or lucousts now and then.

Reactions: Like 1


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## flamesbane (May 25, 2011)

Falk said:


> Its important to give variations, crickets, roaches, locusts or other big insects. Giving only roaces or only crickets its not very good. I use well fed _B. dubia_ as basic and then give crickets or lucousts now and then.


Assuming you vary the diet of your feeders this won't be as much of a concern, however I do like to the same thing. Varied diets are important for good growth and healthy tarantulas.


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## TarantulaHomes (May 25, 2011)

Careful with super worms, those guys can deliver a pretty bad bite.


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## skar (May 25, 2011)

Falk said:


> Its important to give variations, crickets, roaches, locusts or other big insects. Giving only roaces or only crickets its not very good. I use well fed _B. dubia_ as basic and then give crickets or lucousts now and then.


I completely agree ! I feed mine a varied diet crix, waxworms, roachs etc. . . . 
I do not have the link but there was a study on feeding a varied diet vs just crickets and the results were very convincing. ( however in the study it was meal worms and crix vs just crix.


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## mrclean (May 25, 2011)

*Where can i find locusts?*

Where can i find locusts to feed my tarantula?


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## grayzone (May 26, 2011)

google it... im sure it cant be too hard to find locusts... cant they harm your t though?   how big are the ts youre feedin

Reactions: Agree 1


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## flamesbane (May 26, 2011)

It's illegal to ship/culture them in the states.


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## mrclean (May 26, 2011)

*re*

ah i say around 4-5 inches not good with measuring lol.... I`ll stick with crickets roaches and wax worms.Would nite crawlers work or is the goo that they produce bad for tarantulas?


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## Merfolk (May 26, 2011)

The most intense food responses I witnessed were toward lizards. I am lucky since my habitual shop sells feeder geckos. Each T gets about 2-3 a year when they get over 5'' and they have smaller lacertas at 2$. Otherwise, I feed about evey kind of worm I can buy. Variety is the key, they don't stick to the same prey item in the wild. Crickets are the default food here.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Jonny rotten (Aug 15, 2017)

Hi can theybeat darkling beetles or ate they to hard


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## Ungoliant (Aug 16, 2017)

Jonny rotten said:


> Hi can theybeat darkling beetles or ate they to hard


I wouldn't feed them adult beetles unless they are freshly molted (soft and white). The larvae (mealworms) and pupae are fine, but crush the head of the mealworm before feeding it to the tarantula.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## N1ghtFire (Aug 16, 2017)

I would recommend starting your own little colonies of b. lateralis roaches and mealworms, and perhaps Dubia. They are all easy to breed and some tarantulas are pickier than other so having a few different feeders gives you more variety to feed. Some of mine won't eat mealworms, some won't eat dubia. All of mine like B. lateralis. I would start off with 500+ of each and let them grow and breed.


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## mconnachan (Aug 16, 2017)

Blaptica Dubia, are my choice of feeders, pound for bound, gram per gram, the best feeder you can get, easy to breed, and you can start a colony with maybe 20 mixed sizes,my colony has been going for over three years and is still going strong, the advantage of a colony is you have different sizes of feeders for different sizes of tarantulas, bearded dragons, geckos, all manner of inverts take dubias. You can buy colonies of lots of different feeders, B. lateralis, mealworms, crickets, although crickets would be my last choice of feeders for many reasons, one, they stink something awful, two - they drown far too easily. three - meat/nutrition content in comparison to other feeders is poor.


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## Mojo288 (Aug 17, 2017)

wax worms / horn worms for first feeds after molts (depending on the T's size)
currently still have some dubias that im going to feed off, but i don't really like them... the playing dead and burrowing really annoys me (they are great feeders tho, just gotta crush the head, easy to breed as well), i'v started a hisser collony but its still a few months away from producing but the ones iv fed so far have gotten a great response, they don't burrow (as far as iv seen) no playing dead, and my pokies love them 'cus they climb all over the place. (plus they get pretty damn big ). I don't like feeding vertebrates because of the smell.


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