Aphonopelma seemanni feeding

[LaurentheMortician]

I haven't seen any info that seems to agree on how often or how much to feed Zebra Knees. I know it depends on food size and T size but everything I've seen still conflicts. Any advice?

 

[Nightstalker47]

I haven't seen any info that seems to agree on how often or how much to feed Zebra Knees. I know it depends on food size and T size but everything I've seen still conflicts. Any advice?

Zebra knee...is that A.seemani ? Feeding schedule depends on the size of your spider. Slings and juveniles should be fed much more frequently then their adult counterparts.

 

[EulersK]

Slings (<1.5") - As often as it'll eat

Juvies (1.5"-3.5") - About one or two large crickets per week. Try to make the abdomen the same size as the carapace, if not only slightly larger.

Subadults/Adults (3.5"+) - About one large cricket per week.

Note: This is not law, simply what I do.

 

[Deeser]

I feed my slings pretty much every day or every other day, one cricket or meal work around the size of their abdomen until they stop eating, and resume as soon as their fangs have blackened after a molt.

For juvie and adults, i feed frequent big meals after fangs have hardened after a molt and lay off once their abdomen are fat to about 1 cricket or meal worm per week or two.

Edit:. That's just me saying what I do, and has kept my little guys alive and growing.

 

[darkness975]

I haven't seen any info that seems to agree on how often or how much to feed Zebra Knees. I know it depends on food size and T size but everything I've seen still conflicts. Any advice?

How large is the Spider in question?

 

[LaurentheMortician]

She’s probably about the size of my palm or a little smaller.

 

[JoshDM020]

Honestly, if its anything at all like mine, sometimes it'll just not eat. I try at least once a week (hard to specify what i use, because i have two different feeders, with crickets as an every now and then).
This species has gotta be one with the widest range of individual personalities. Some people say "mines a monster that never turns down food and doesnt hide ever" some people say "mines a little jerk that eats every third time i feed it and either runs in circles or threat poses every time i come in the room" and SOME people say "mine is an actual teddy bear that never bolts or hides, and climbs out of its enclosure. Its so chill, it actually picks up feeders as if its sorry." Then there are the pet holes that never do anything and run to the bottom if you so much as think the word "Aphonopelma".
Mine has been a weird combination of everything EXCEPT the teddy bear. Too pretty for me to mind, though.
Id just try once a week with a large cricket or meal/super worm, or even a roach if youre ok with those. Crush worm heads so they dont burrow and eat your spider later. Dubia roaches can be found at most petcos. A little pricey there, but honestly worth it. Smells better, and roaches themselves make pretty good pets.

 

[LaurentheMortician]

I have tried the past few weeks to see how big her appetite is and it seems that she will eat everything (crickets for now) I put in her enclosure. I’m not sure if that means I should feed her a whole lot or keep it at a steady number a week.

Like one a day or two or three every few days. I’m not sure if there actually is a right way?

 

[JoshDM020]

I have tried the past few weeks to see how big her appetite is and it seems that she will eat everything (crickets for now) I put in her enclosure. I’m not sure if that means I should feed her a whole lot or keep it at a steady number a week.

Like one a day or two or three every few days. I’m not sure if there actually is a right way?

One a day or two or three every few days will almost guarantee that it stops eating for a long time during premolt. Once a week sounds like you're starving it, but these things can go months without food and be fine.
One a week will keep it from getting full too fast so you have something to watch. Trust me, long premolts are more torturous for you than making them wait a week for food.

 

[Poec54]

Some people underfeed theirs, because they're obsessed with them being perceived as fat. 'Power feeding' is food constantly available, which almost no one does. Power feeding is not feeding slings & juveniles 2 or 3 times a week. They are under tremendous pressure to grow fast in the wild, so that they're not as vulnerable to predators, and so that they can reach adulthood and reproduce. You don't need to put your spiders on the South Beach Diet.